How to avoid bird flu

The vast majority of human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. have resulted from direct contact with animals, so a few simple precautions can keep most people’s risk very low.

Are any of Apple’s official MagSafe accessories worth buying?

When Apple introduced what it currently calls MagSafe in 2020, its marketing messaging suggested that the magnetic attachment standard for the iPhone would produce a boom in innovation in accessories, making things possible that simply weren’t before. Four years later,…

OpenAI blamed NYT for tech problem erasing evidence of copyright abuse

OpenAI keeps deleting data that could allegedly prove the AI company violated copyright laws by training ChatGPT on authors’ works. Apparently largely unintentional, the sloppy practice is seemingly dragging out early court battles that could determine whether AI training is…

High-potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA

Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Yet there’s still much we don’t know about it and what effects it has on the brain – including why cannabis triggers psychosis in some people who use…

Keanu Reeves voices archvillain Shadow in Sonic 3 trailer

Ben Schwartz voices the titular character in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Some lucky folks got a heads-up last week that a trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3  was about to drop when Paramount Pictures released a playable Sega Genesis gaming…

Sony is reportedly working on a PS5 portable

Bloomberg reports that Sony is “in the early stages” of work on a fully portable console that can play PlayStation 5 software. The device is still “likely years away from launch,” according to “people familiar with its development” that spoke…

$300 billion pledge at COP29 climate summit a “paltry sum”

The world’s most important climate talks were pulled back from the brink of collapse after poorer countries reluctantly accepted a finance package of “at least” $300 billion a year from wealthy nations after bitter negotiations. Fears about stretched budgets around…

Childhood adversity may blunt brain development rather than speed it up

A new study published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience sheds light on how early exposure to family-related stressors, such as harsh parenting, family conflict, and unsafe neighborhoods, impacts brain development. Researchers found that children exposed to these threats showed distinct patterns…

How physics moves from wild ideas to actual experiments

Neutrinos are some of nature’s most elusive particles. One hundred trillion fly through your body every second, but each one has only a tiny chance of jostling one of your atoms, a consequence of the incredible weakness of the weak…

Experiment: What makes ice melt fastest?

Objective: Determine which added material will make ice melt fastest Areas of science: Chemistry Difficulty: Medium intermediate Time required: 2–5 days Prerequisites: None Material availability: Readily available Cost: $20–$50 Safety: No issues Credits: Andrew Olson, Ph.D., and Teisha Rowland, Ph.D.,…

Catapulting pollen helps this flower beat out its rivals

Some flowers may be using their pollinators as battlegrounds. Their secret weapon: built-in pollen catapults that help them outcompete rival flowers. In Brazil, red flowers called Hypenia macrantha have both male and female reproductive organs. To avoid mating with themselves,…