Science and Technolgy blog
Volvo provided flights from Detroit to Sweden and accommodation so Ars could drive the EX30 Cross Country. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. When Volvo first announced its small, all-electric EX30, I was excited. Regardless of powertrain, a brand-new…
This oldest known evidence of people living in tropical forests supports an idea that human evolution occurred across Africa.
Last week, a Jeep driver turned to Reddit to do what people do best on the site—complain. Every time they hit the brakes on their Jeep, they wrote, a promotion for an extended warranty plan popped up in the center…
The lights may be starting to go out for NASA’s Space Launch System program. On Wednesday, one of the Republican space policy leaders most consistently opposed to commercial heavy lift rockets over the last decade—as an alternative to NASA’s large…
An eye-tracking study found that individuals suffering from phobias show delayed disengagement and slower decision times compared to those without phobias when responding to images. This indicates that phobic individuals exhibit poorer attentional control mechanisms and difficulty inhibiting irrelevant information.…
Late last year, I published a long post that criticized the user unfriendliness of passkeys, the industry-wide alternative to logging in with passwords. A chief complaint was passkey implementations tend to lock users into whatever platform they used to create…
Some companies claim that taking beneficial bacteria can reduce the desire for sugar. But the evidence comes from mice, not people.
In world-first observations, the James Webb Space Telescope is watching two distant alien planets “spilling their guts into space” as they rapidly disintegrate — and scientists are elated at what they’ve found.
New research published in Psychology & Health indicates that when people become fearful about vaccines, it can make them less willing to get vaccinated. This hesitancy, in turn, might lead individuals to embrace conspiracy theories about vaccines as a way…
If you head over to the Steam Next Fest charts right now, Valve will offer you a glimpse of the 2,228 games offering free downloadable demos as part of the event through Sunday, March 3. That is way too many…
In the world of Harry Potter, memories can be manipulated with the flick of a wand. Albus Dumbledore reels wispy memories out of his head and puts them in a Pensieve. If he later dunks his head in that magical…
Objective: Find the lowest amount and temperature of water required to cook pasta. Areas of science: Cooking & Food Science Difficulty: Easy intermediate Time required: 6–10 days Prerequisites: You must have access to a stovetop Material availability: Readily available Cost:…
Cancer vaccines harness the power of the immune system to stop tumors in their tracks. They work a little differently than regular vaccines intended to prevent infectious diseases, like measles or the flu.
A teen girl with abdominal pain learned she was pregnant and had conceived under extremely unusual circumstances.
Even a short period away from your smartphone can lead to noticeable shifts in brain activity, according to new research published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. Scientists discovered that just 72 hours of smartphone restriction altered activity in…
Why did Hatshepsut have her husband buried to the west of the Valley of the Kings, while she was buried in the valley itself?
On Sunday, xAI released a new voice interaction mode for its Grok 3 AI model that is currently available to its premium subscribers. The feature is somewhat similar to OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT. But unlike ChatGPT, Grok offers…
New research published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience reveals that boys and girls show distinct brain activity patterns when looking at happy faces, and these patterns are further shaped by how anxious they feel. Specifically, anxious girls showed less…
Generative AI has wormed its way into myriad products and services, some of which benefit more from these tools than others. Coding with AI has proven to be a better application than most, with individual developers and big companies leaning…
COVID-19 vaccines cut the risk of long COVID by between 57–73 percent in kids and teens, according to a study published today in JAMA Network Open. And there’s more good news: A second study published today in the journal offered more…
A yet-unidentified illness has killed 53 people and potentially infected hundreds more in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organization is investigating the outbreak.
Framework has been selling and upgrading the upgrade-and-repair-friendly Framework Laptop 13 for nearly four years now, and in early 2024 it announced a larger, more powerful Framework Laptop 16. At a product event today, the company showed off what it…
The original Framework Laptop’s sales pitch was that it wanted to bring some of the modularity and repairability of the desktop PC ecosystem to a functional, thin-and-light laptop. For nearly half a decade, the company has made good on that…
Framework announced two new systems to its lineup today: the convertible Framework 12 and a gaming-focused (but not-very-upgradeable) mini ITX Framework Desktop PC. But it’s continuing to pay attention to the Framework Laptop 13, too—the company’s first upgrade-friendly repairable laptop…
What college men think their male friends consider acceptable when it comes to pornography may shape their views about women, according to new research. A study published in the American Journal of Sexuality Education found that the strongest link to…
Qualcomm and Google have joined forces to extend software updates on Android devices. With Google’s assistance, the chipmaker has committed to providing extended vendor support to any OEM building on its most powerful chips, pushing the theoretical lifespan of Android…
The Supreme Court has once again rejected a telecom industry challenge to New York’s $15 broadband law. The court first refused the hear the case in December, which meant that an appeals court ruling upholding the law was not disturbed.…
Carl Zimmer’s Air-Borne recounts centuries of aerobiology’s greatest moments and mistakes.
New research has revealed that Martian dust’s red hue comes from reactions that occurred in wet — not dry — conditions, and it could have implications for the possibility of life on the planet.
China’s Zhurong rover has found evidence of an ancient shoreline buried deep beneath the planet. That could point to an ocean, a beach, and to life.
That comforting hot cup of tea—or refreshing glass of iced tea on a hot summer day—could help reduce the amount of toxic metals in drinking water, according to a new paper published in the journal ACS Food & Science Technology.…
Immersed in a virtual park and dodging virtual balls, participants in a new study have helped researchers unravel the role of sound in balance using virtual reality. The researchers discovered that helpful sound direction cues boosted accuracy in a balance…
My preferred methods of organizing my schedule could be considered dated, so when I got a chance to try out a gadget meant to streamline my various digital calendars, I took it. While I do use digital calendars and to-do…
One of the big advantages of electric vehicles is their greater freedom when it comes to packaging. Batteries go where it makes the most sense in terms of stability and safety. Electric motors are compact and don’t need much cooling…
Mars may once have held enough water to fill oceans and form coastlines. The planet’s red dust contains water and likely formed in cold conditions.
Chegg is suing Google parent Alphabet over claims the search engine’s artificial intelligence summary tool has hit its revenues, leading the US-listed educational technology group to weigh up a sale of the business. California-based Chegg, which provides study tools for…
An analysis of data from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study found that complementary feeding with rice-based solid food was a protective factor against the development of ADHD, reducing the hazard of the disorder by 27%. Male sex, low family income, low…
Archaeologists uncovered a fossilized skull of an ancient sharp-toothed predator that likely hunted early elephants and primates.
Cannibalism has been documented across Western Europe, from prehistory into the 1800s.
A new study calculates the long-term effects of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s, which ultimately helped willow trees that feed wildlife in stream habitats.
A new study has shed light on relationships between hormones, fertility, and competitive behavior in women. Researchers discovered that while natural fluctuations in fertility across the menstrual cycle do not appear to influence a woman’s competitive motivation or actions, the…
Black History Month may be about to wrap up. But February is far from the only time to honor the groundbreaking work of Black scientists and engineers. While it’s far from a complete list, here are 10 Black researchers whose…
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger biology fan than 12-year-old Giselle Drewett. Studying biology was the main way she learned to read — a challenge for her, growing up with dyslexia. This is a common learning disability that makes…
Scientists in Switzerland have developed a new method to improve internet security against quantum computing attacks, using quantum-resistant encryption and a new type of hardware.
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost spacecraft took some unique photos of our home planet on its Mission 1 flight to the moon in late January and early February. The spacecraft is now in orbit around the moon, with a planned landing…
A federal commission to examine U.S. chronic disease could undercut real treatment for kids with depression, ADHD and other mental health challenges
Navigating uncertain situations is a fundamental part of life for all animals. When faced with a choice between a predictable outcome and a gamble, individuals often consistently lean towards either safety or risk. A new study published in Nature Neuroscience…
This 2022 astronaut photo reveals a menagerie of hidden oceanographic features surrounding a pair of Greek islands, including giant spinning currents and rarely seen “internal waves.”
Animals can be born with genetic or developmental issues that make it hard for them to live normal lives. They also can develop mental health problems in response to conditions around them.
The cryptocurrency industry and those responsible for securing it are still in shock following Friday’s heist, likely by North Korea, that drained $1.5 billion from Dubai-based exchange Bybit, making the theft by far the biggest ever in digital asset history.…
