What would energy without a particle to attach itself to even look like? “It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on […]
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Is it good science in practice or just a smokescreen?
SpaceX, the private company with big dreams for manned spaceflight, has launched a partly used rocket into orbit at a lower cost than building a brand new one.
Spontaneous talk on surprise topics. Turkish-American writer Elif Batuman on truth in fiction, how language shapes us, and more.
It is a sad reality that in one of the richest nations in the world 60 million people struggle to put healthy food on the table.
Everything in the Universe today was compressed into a tiny volume. But how small was it? “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play […]
Jess Bering sees our ability to summon arousing recollections as the reason human sexuality is unique among animals.
If you think federal funding for science is expensive, wait until you see the cost of not funding it. “For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as […]
Elon Musk’s new company will use “neural lace” technology to link human brains with machines.
Congress has voted to repeal online privacy rules that would have given consumers greater notice and control over their data. Internet Service Providers such as AT&T and Verizon will now be able to sell your browsing history, app usage, and geo-location.
Three autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) are being considered for this epic feat.
The state of nature isn’t a “war of all against all.” Even no-brainer bacteria “know” that sometimes the game is “Survival of the Friendliest”
It might be the nearest supernova humanity will ever see. What will happen when it goes off? “Without these supernova explosions, there are no mist-covered swamps, computer chips, trilobites, Mozart or […]
What if we build from the sky down? NYC architects release designs for a skyscraper that would hang from an asteroid and travel between hemispheres.
Say it should fall. It’ll cost over $1 trillion to rehabilitate the nation. Who’s going to pay for that?
Rachel Carson effectively stopped the usage of DDT. This has led to disastrous consequences, writes Paul Offit in his new book, Pandora’s Lab.
A blacker-than-black coating reveals how our senses totally fail without input they understand.
Seemingly impractical things include pleasure reading, an overactive imagination, and the liberal arts. Each is commonly derided by all too practical people. Each is vital to us all.
The answer lies billions of years in the past. “Dark matter or invisible element?You decide.” –Toba Beta When we look out at the luminous matter in the Universe — stars, galaxies, clusters of […]
New research reveals we frequently worry about aging. Ironically, as we become older and the effects of aging set in, we tend to become more optimistic about life.
Is coal on the way out? These new findings suggest that it is, but they suggest that for the first time one of the key drivers of this change is the free market.
A study finds that just 30 minutes of memory training per day, for 40 days, can reorganize your brain connectivity.
Ravenser Odd is just one of 29 towns swallowed by the North Sea
How are we preparing for the massive disruption that AI and automation will have on the workplace? We’re not. Despite a PwC report stating that 38% of American jobs may be automated in the near future, US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin states that losing jobs through AI is “not even on our radar screen.”
The 24/7 nudge economy is emerging. Once-quiet appliances that waited for you to push their buttons are now pushing yours.
Virtual reality and psychedelics are paving new paths for treating mental health.
A new study suggests you should show “sportsmanship” instead of complaining about problems at work.
What Hubble sees at its best is only a tease for what James Webb will deliver. “With the Hubble telescope and all the other things that are out there, I believe […]
A 17-year-old British schoolboy spots an error in the data from International Space Station’s radiation sensors.
Does the thought of death make you anxious? A new study suggests that the fear of mortality isn’t really about the afterlife at all.