Science and Technolgy blog
Humor is emerging as a revealing lens for understanding bias within artificial intelligence systems. A new study published in Scientific Reports found that when tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E were prompted to make images “funnier,” the resulting shifts in representation…
“Recycling” an already transplanted organ could help save lives, but the procedure comes with additional risks, physicians say.
There’s an idea that larger muscles burn a lot more energy while at rest. But is that true?
An analysis of decades of research into the cognitive effects of exercise suggests that even a single workout session can positively influence mental performance. The study, conducted by researchers at UC Santa Barbara and published in Communications Psychology, found that…
A study of individuals with cocaine use disorder found that, when given the option, those with a thicker insula region in the brain administered more cocaine infusions to themselves. Women generally self-administered more cocaine infusions than men. The research was…
A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry has uncovered promising evidence suggesting that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, particularly semaglutide and liraglutide, may be effective treatments for alcohol use disorder. These medications, originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes and…
Research suggests that alcohol causes cancer through at least five different mechanisms.
Common degus clean themselves and communicate with urine, and they can detach their own tails to escape predators.
New images from the North Sea show never-before-seen landforms that were carved by a single, colossal ice sheet 1 million years ago and subsequently buried beneath a thick layer of mud.
More “personalient” individuals—those with higher levels of the General Factor of Personality (GFP)—are generally happier, according to research published in Personality & Individual Differences. The concept of the General Factor of Personality (GFP) has been likened to the general factor…
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy, and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. There is renewed talk of a coal power comeback in the United States, inspired…
A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry provides evidence that young adults at risk of developing psychosis show reduced brain connectivity, a deficit that cannabis use appears to exacerbate. Researchers at McGill University identified a decrease in synaptic density—connections between…
The Roman emperors were once the most famous people in the world, ruling over an empire that stretched between what are now Spain and the Middle East. But just how much do you know about these characters? Take our quiz…
Plate tectonics give Earth its mountains, earthquakes, continental drift and maybe even helped give rise to life itself. But do other planets in the solar system have them too?
Jan. 18, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
Researchers discovered long-lost computer code and used it to resurrect the early chatbot ELIZA.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a rule to drastically reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products.
Logistical needs, like employment and housing, along with psychological needs must be met after disasters like the LA wildfires, research shows.
A doorbell camera recorded a rare video of the moment a meteorite fell outside a home.
Late last year, California passed a law against the possession or distribution of child sex abuse material (CSAM) that has been generated by AI. The law went into effect on January 1, and Sacramento police announced yesterday that they have…
Parents are more likely to favor daughters and more-agreeable children, new research suggests, although the findings may only apply to people from certain demographics.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a mid-infrared picture of Sagittarius A*, filling in a long-standing gap in observations..
Photography enthusiasts pay a lot for their very powerful cameras. How much more should they pay to put them to much, much easier work as a webcam? However many hundreds of dollars you paid, Canon thinks you should pay $5…
General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar agreed to a settlement that prohibits them from sharing driver location and behavior data with third parties, the Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday. The proposed settlement comes less than a year after GM responded…
Visionary filmmaker David Lynch—whose work spanned midnight movie staples like Eraserhead (1977), neo-noir psychological thrillers like Mulholland Drive (2001), and beyond—has died at 78. According to Deadline Hollywood, the director had to evacuate his home due to the LA wildfires.…
The first pterosaurs had a sail-like tensioning system for flying with potentially cumbersome tail vanes, which they could have used for displays, a new study finds.
Viewing body-positive social media content, especially images, led to improved body image outcomes compared to fitspiration content, according to a study published in Sex Roles. Body image—our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors concerning our appearance—develops in a sociocultural context. Research highlights…
Post-pandemic, my creed became “Bicycles deliver the freedom that auto ads promise.” That belief is why I’ve almost exclusively used a bike to move myself around Portland, Oregon since (yes, I have become a Portlandia stereotype). However, that lifestyle is…
As Trump takes office, issues of arms control, the U.S. arsenal and weapons testing will be on the radar for many nuclear weapons researchers.
Apple released new beta versions of iOS 18.3 to developers and the public yesterday, and one of the changes coming with the new software update will (at least temporarily) disable Apple Intelligence notification summaries for all apps in the App…
Blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic top the list of 15 drugs selected for the second round of federal price negotiations, which are scheduled to begin this year, with resulting bargained prices going into effect in 2027. The…
Thursday’s teaser trailer for the Switch 2 made it abundantly clear that the upcoming console will be quite a bit larger than the original Switch that came before it. But Nintendo is still being coy about the specific dimensions of…
Recent research published in NeuroImage has shed light on how compulsive use of short video platforms, such as TikTok, might affect the brain. The study found that individuals with higher levels of short video addiction displayed increased brain activity in…
A recent study published in Scientific Reports provides insight into why some individuals engage in harassment of scientists. The research identifies science cynicism as a significant driver of harassment. The study also highlights that individuals with dark personality traits, including…
Lithium may be the key component in most modern batteries, but it doesn’t make up the bulk of the material used in them. Instead, much of the material is in the electrodes, where the lithium gets stored when the battery…
Debris from the rocket’s explosion was caught on camera by a family vacationing on Grand Turk island.
Brussels has ordered Elon Musk to fully disclose recent changes made to recommendations on X, stepping up an investigation into the role of the social media platform in European politics. The expanded probe by the European Commission, announced on Friday,…
TikTok has lost its Supreme Court appeal and will likely shut down on January 19, a day ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, unless the app can be sold before the deadline, which TikTok has said is impossible. During the trial…
A new study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has found that a self-guided virtual reality app could significantly reduce symptoms of social anxiety. The research tested the oVRcome mobile application, demonstrating its effectiveness in helping participants manage their…
The gyrations of hoop-slinging robots reveal that hourglass-shaped objects are best at keeping a hoop in the air.
The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted one of the earliest and most distant supernovas, marking the death of a stellar monster 20 times the mass of the sun.
The first black hole that astronomers observed “turning off” just turned back on, releasing jets of hot gas into the cosmos.
Heavy drinking is clearly bad for your health. But it’s long been questioned whether moderate drinking is also risky—and, if so, how risky, exactly. Health researchers have consistently found links between alcohol consumption and several types of cancers (namely mouth,…
The Bungle Bungle Range in Western Australia is a collection of rock domes forged from ancient seabeds and flanked to the northeast by a prehistoric meteor impact crater.
The Aptera Launch Edition EV offers 400 miles of range on a single charge using an electrical output in addition to 40 miles per day powered by only the sun.
Researchers have uncovered new insights into how a specific group of brain cells, melanin-concentrating hormone neurons, influence food-related behaviors. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the study demonstrated that these neurons enhance the rewarding value of food consumption. Interestingly, their…
Welcome to Edition 7.27 of the Rocket Report! Thursday was an eventful day in super heavy lift launch, with Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket having a highly successful debut launch before dawn in Florida, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.…
The sniffs we take to identify a smell last from one to three seconds. But is it possible for us to detect odor changes in an even shorter time? Yes, a new study finds — far more quickly. A new…
A study in China found that adolescents prone to non-suicidal self-injuries tend to experience ghosting online more frequently than their peers. The study’s authors proposed that being ghosted online increases social avoidance, which in turn exacerbates depressive symptoms. These depressive…
SpaceX launched an upgraded version of its massive Starship rocket from South Texas on Thursday, but the flight ended less than nine minutes later after engineers lost contact with the spacecraft. For a few moments, SpaceX officials discussing the launch…
