Science and Technolgy blog
October 26, 2024, marks the 40th anniversary of director James Cameron’s science fiction classic, The Terminator—a film that popularized society’s fear of machines that can’t be reasoned with, and that “absolutely will not stop… until you are dead,” as one…
Troubleshooting the leaking ISS is ongoing, with NASA and Russia now identifying 50 “areas of concern” and four cracks, according to a media report.
New research published in Evolutionary Psychological Science found that exaggerated features in luxury goods can influence perceptions of men’s behavioral strategies. Conspicuous consumption, where individuals display wealth through luxury products, could be a tool for social differentiation. Evolutionary psychologists tend…
The first nuclear bomb test, conducted in 1945, set off an international arms race that included nuclear testing. But how many nuclear bombs have been detonated during tests and in active war?
NASA said Friday one its astronauts is in a hospital in Florida for medical observation after a “normal” predawn splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico inside a SpaceX capsule. The mission’s other three crew members were cleared to return to…
News and talk of GLP-1 drugs are everywhere these days—from their smash success in treating Type 2 diabetes and obesity to their astronomical pricing, drug shortages, compounding disputes, and what sometimes seems like an ever-growing list of other conditions the…
The integrated development environment (IDE) Rider by Jetbrains is now available for free for the first time ever. After trialing non-commercial free licenses with other products like RustRover and Aqua, Jetbrains has introduced a similar option for Rider. It also…
Romantic infidelity is a common yet complex issue that affects relationships across the globe. A new meta-analysis published in Personal Relationships has synthesized data from over 300 studies to explore the true prevalence of infidelity, revealing that it takes many…
Earlier this year, we reported on the video game archivists asking for a legal DMCA exemption to share Internet-accessible emulated versions of their physical game collections with researchers. Today, the US Copyright Office announced once again that it was denying…
Consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge today hailed a decision by the US Copyright Office to “grant an exemption specifically allowing for repair of retail-level food preparation equipment—including soft serve ice cream machines similar to those available at McDonald’s.” The group,…
In a blockbuster story published Friday morning, The Wall Street Journal reports that Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about two years, with the discussions covering a range of issues from geopolitics to…
The 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines are available, and the CDC recommends that certain groups get two doses, spaced six months apart.
A recent study published in Ethnicity & Health has revealed a concerning link between internalized racism and suicidal thoughts among Asian Americans. The study found that even after accounting for common mental health factors like anxiety and loneliness, individuals who…
A trend on Reddit that sees Londoners giving false restaurant recommendations in order to keep their favorites clear of tourists and social media influencers highlights the inherent flaws of Google Search’s reliance on Reddit and Google’s AI Overview. In May,…
In a recent study published in Political Research Quarterly, researchers explored the growing trend of Republican elites using the term “Democrat Party” instead of the correct “Democratic Party.” This slight mislabeling, often overlooked by casual observers, is no accident; it’s…
This October, many Elon Musk believers are wondering, where is X Payments? Last year, Musk claimed in a Spaces conversation that he “would be surprised” if it took longer than mid-2024 to roll out the payments feature that he believes…
Twenty-six more cases have been identified in a multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. The 26 new cases represent a 50 percent increase in the case…
The fewest number of U.S. middle and high school students are currently using tobacco products since the National Youth Tobacco Survey began in 1999.
Researchers think that microgravity could help grow liver “organoids” that could be used in medical research and even in transplant surgeries, someday.
Population assessments have revealed that polar bears in Greenland are suffering from crippling wounds on their paws due to wet snow that gets stuck to the pads and freezes into blocks.
Researchers calculated the flight ability of more than 80 ancient cicada species to analyze their evolution over time.
A neuroimaging study conducted in Germany found that individuals who like action movies show higher activity in the amygdala, a brain region involved in emotional processing, compared to those without such preferences. Similarly, those with a preference for comedies showed…
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said he is investigating Google, claiming that the tech giant censors conservative speech and manipulated search results about Donald Trump. “BREAKING: I am launching an investigation into Google—the biggest search engine in America—for censoring conservative…
On Wednesday morning, a surprising email popped into my inbox with the following subject line: “Astra announces Department of Defense contract valued up to $44 Million.” I had to read it a second time to make sure I got it…
Researchers spotted a second distant star orbiting a well-known black hole and its stellar companion in a never-before-seen gravitational triad. The system’s unique configuration suggests that the black hole was not created as scientists initially expected.
A visualization from space of the Gulf Stream as it unfurls across the North Atlantic Ocean.
Activated charcoal can reduce the effectiveness of certain medications. But why is that?
Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed the throne room of a powerful queen from the Moche culture, and detailed murals of the female ruler decorate its walls.
A 12th-century Norse saga tells of an invading army from the south razing a castle stronghold and throwing a dead body into the well to render the water undrinkable. Human remains believed to be those of this so-called “Well-man” were…
Blood isn’t actually toxic to all male mosquitos. In at least one virus-carrying species, it may even help them live longer.
A new analysis indicates the human remains found in a well in Norway are from a 1197 raid described in a royal history.
A hut sits at an altidue of 1,800 meters near the Mackenzie Mountains in Yukon, Canada.
AI-infused search engines from Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity have been surfacing deeply racist and widely debunked research promoting race science and the idea that white people are genetically superior to nonwhite people. Patrik Hermansson, a researcher with UK-based anti-racism group…
Articles about badly behaved people and how to spot them are common. You don’t have to Google or scroll too much to find headlines such as 7 signs your boss is a psychopath or How to avoid the sociopath next…
A mid-1850s act let the United States seize islands rich in bird guano. Those strategic outposts fueled the U.S. rise to power, a researcher says.
It took a crew of more than 100 talented modders and another hundred voice actors nearly five years to make Fallout: London. Just as they planned to release it, Bethesda came out with a “next-gen upgrade” of the mod’s base…
Icebergs and other glacial fragments regularly wash up on Iceland’s southern Diamond Beach, making the sandy strip look like a field of gemstones.
A recent study published in Personality & Individual Differences found that relationship satisfaction over a nine-year period is primarily influenced by one’s own personality traits, with Neuroticism having a negative effect and Conscientiousness a positive effect, while partner traits had…
The Windows 10 update cliff is coming in October 2025. We’ve explained why that’s a big deal, and we have a comprehensive guide to updating to Windows 11 (recently updated to account for changes in Windows 11 24H2) so you…
Welcome to Edition 7.17 of the Rocket Report! Next week marks 10 years since one of the more spectacular launch failures of this century. On October 28, 2014, an Antares rocket, then operated by Orbital Sciences, suffered an engine failure…
Mealworms for lunch? Ewww! For many of us, that would be our first reaction to finding these beetle larvae on today’s menu. But if we’re not so quick to “ick,” the protein from these insects has a lot to offer,…
The new study models how light spreads at the nanometer scale to understand how energy moves between rare earth emitters and the quantum defects within a solid material.
On Sept. 30, NASA’s Perseverance rover turned its eyes toward the sky and photographed a solar eclipse from Mars, capturing the tiny moon Phobos crossing the sun’s face.
In a new study published in Neuron, researchers uncovered how the little-known psychedelic drug DOI (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine) can reduce anxiety by activating a specific group of neurons in the brain. In experiments conducted on mice and rats, the drug reduced anxiety-like…
An unprecedented 80 percent of Americans, according to a recent Gallup poll, think the country is deeply divided over its most important values ahead of the November elections. The general public’s polarization now encompasses issues like immigration, health care, identity…
Scout provided flights from Washington to Nashville and accommodation so Ars could attend the reveal. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Today, the reborn Scout Motors showed off a pair of new electric vehicles that revives the long-dormant…
Scientists haven’t actually confirmed a link between age and hangover severity, but there are some reasons why older people might feel worse after a night of drinking than young folks would.
Big-name fast food chains, including Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Burger King, are reportedly pulling onions off their menus in certain locations amid a deadly, multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. Though the source…
Sometimes, it’s worth noting when something goes unsaid. On Wednesday, Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, participated in his first quarterly conference call with investment analysts. Under fire from labor groups and regulators, Boeing logged a nearly $6.2 billion loss for…
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed ultra-flexible brain probes that can record brain activity over long periods without damaging the surrounding tissue. Published in Nature Communications, the study demonstrates how these innovative electrodes could advance treatments for neurological and psychiatric…
