Once again, the Wall Street Journal has published its annual ranking of economic forecasters. Using methods developed with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the newspaper calculated which forecasters made […]
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A study published this week that compared paper with tablets and e-readers showed negligible differences in reading comprehension. For older subjects, tablets beat out the other two media in terms of providing a faster and easier reading experience.
Henry Molaison, known for most of his life as H.M., was a medical oddity. Surgery to cure severe epilepsy in the 1950s led to the removal of his hippocampus, which […]
A new report predicts that humans will be outnumbered by smartphones, tablets, and other Internet-capable devices in 2013, putting increasing strain on existing networks.
Social science can be controversial, but it has established some facts beyond a reasonable doubt, which are now part of “what everybody knows.” Like the 20th century’s “great moderation” in […]
The Black Hornet — four inches long, weighing 16 grams — is designed for use by a single soldier for remote photo and video capture.
It’s strange to think how young the Internet is, considering its enormity and complexity, and yet how powerful it has become as a means to connect people from around the […]
Our robotic emissaries are probing space, not humans. Nonetheless, Neil deGrasse Tyson says he is content with living vicariously through the robots for now.
The student center at Brooklyn College will be abuzz Thursday evening at 6:30 when two speakers propose boycotting, divesting and applying sanctions on Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians. […]
Experiencing the “overview effect” appears to be transformational. Studies show that feelings of awe make subjects more patient, less materialistic, and more willing to volunteer to help others.
Last week, I had the honor of speaking at the second Computation + Journalism Symposium hosted by my alma mater, the Georgia Institute of Technology. The basic question asked by […]
A San Francisco robotics company has created a kit containing four devices, including a flying drone, that teachers can use in middle school and high school math classes.
Psychologist Madeline Levine offers savvy advice for courageous parenting at different stages of a child’s education.
Originally created just for fun, the RoboHand could open the door towards bringing affordable prostheses to more people. One of the first beneficiaries: A five-year-old boy.
Evidence has emerged that a bizarre and potentially inhumane treatment which originated in the US is now being used on children in the UK. The therapy involves a caregiver holding […]
The US military has awarded an unspecified sum to a California company to improve on binoculars that capture 3D images of faces and send them to an identification database.
With the help of Dutch government funding, a Danish company is developing exterior airbags that will protect the cyclist in the event of a collision.
When painter and showman Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre burst onto the scene in 1839 with his Daguerreotype—one of the earliest forms of photography—“Daguerreotypemania” quickly ensued. The art world quickly took notice of […]
Today’s Solomon Islands earthquake, along with several in the not-too-distant past, occurred in ways that suggest current models underestimate potential danger.
For the last three months, and for the first time ever, they’ve produced more electricity than any other source of power currently being used.
We aren’t doing enough. The human race is in more danger than it might seem.
I’m pretty certain that the New York Mets won the ’86 World Series because I refused to put my feet on the ground. Perched on the edge of my bed, […]
Nothing says I Love You like exsanguination, whipping, and the sweet nothing whispered in the ear of a mutual pledge not to machete each other to death. Or so an […]
As the US government evaluates nanomaterials used in consumer products, a survey sent to over 2,500 food companies about their use returned only a fraction of responses.
After September 11, 2001, Congress gave extraordinary powers to the executive branch to combat terrorism. Is the pendulum finally swinging back?
Although the exoplanets themselves may have a high proportion of rock, the atmospheric layer is so deep, hot, and hydrogen-rich that they may never become Earth-like.
Images from NASA’s Cassini probe show a weather phenomenon that’s never been observed on any other planet in the solar system, including ours.
Cancer deaths in the US are down 20% since they peaked in 1991, a new American Cancer Association study reports. That’s very good news, no matter how you assess the data. […]
YouTube, Facebook, and similar companies looking to grow outside of the US and Europe are finding a good fit in a country with a culture that’s already extra-social.
According to a new survey, nearly two-thirds of Facebook users have taken a voluntary break from the site in the past, and over a quarter plan to reduce their usage this year.