Caffeine might have a protective role against Alzheimer’s disease

A study of individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease in France found that participants who consumed less caffeine had 2.49 times higher odds of having amnestic mild cognitive impairment and worse levels of specific cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers associated…

Two never-before-seen tools, from same group, infect air-gapped devices

Researchers have unearthed two sophisticated toolsets that a nation-state hacking group—possibly from Russia—used to steal sensitive data stored on air-gapped devices, meaning those that are deliberately isolated from the Internet or other networks to safeguard them from malware. One of…

Explainer: What is generative AI?

A sweaty football player pours his drink right past his mouth. Then the bottle merges with his nose. This bizarre video opened a 2024 Super Bowl ad. The video wasn’t real. The maker of a sports drink created it using…

Two AI trailblazers win the 2024 Nobel Prize in physics

Artificial intelligence is showing up in nearly every aspect of our digital lives. On October 8, two of its trailblazers nabbed the 2024 Nobel Prize in physics. Let’s learn about the Nobel Prize They’re John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton. The…

Apple brings years-old features to iCloud web interface

In a rare event, Apple has rolled out substantial updates to the web-based iCloud interface meant to allow users to access Apple services like Mail and Photos when they’re away from a Mac, iPad, or iPhone. The flagship addition is…

Disney likely axed The Acolyte because of soaring costs

We had mixed feelings about the news in August that Disney+ had cancelled its Star Wars spinoff series The Acolyte after just one season. At the time, it seemed steadily declining ratings were to blame, particularly given the high production…

NIMBY attitudes affect support for local abortion services

A recent study published in American Politics Research sheds light on how “Not in My Backyard” (NIMBY) attitudes can influence people’s views on abortion access. While abortion policy is typically framed as a moral or rights-based issue, the study finds…

Injured comb jellies can fuse into a single organism

Comb jellies, technically known as ctenophores, are one of the weirdest creatures on Earth. They appeared in the seas over half a billion years ago and have maintained the comb-like rows of cillia they used to move around to the…

National political discourse uses more moralized and power-centric language

Research published in PNAS Nexus shows that discussions of national politics feature more abstract, moralized, and power-centric language compared to local political discourse, which contributes to increased engagement but also greater political animosity. Recent studies suggest that as politics becomes…

New study links narcissism and sadism to heightened sex drive and porn use

A recent study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences has provided new insights into the relationship between certain “dark” personality traits and sexual behavior. The researchers found that two specific personality traits, narcissism and everyday sadism, were most…

Archaeologists found an ancient Egyptian observatory

A few years ago, Egyptian archaeologists discovered what they thought were the ruins of an ancient Egyptian temple dating back to the sixth century BCE. Subsequent finds at the site indicate that the structure was actually an astronomical observatory, deemed…