December 2, 2013

Amazon Unveils Octocopter Delivery Drones

Amazon, the world’s largest retailer, is developing systems to deliver products to customers in 30 minutes or less. How will they accomplish this? With drones, such as the “octocopter” pictured above.

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A visual simulation of two objects orbiting and merging, distorting a red-orange grid representing spacetime—illustrating gravitational waves once thought to be the worst prediction in science.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Can we fix the worst prediction in all of science?

The measured value of the cosmological constant is 120 orders of magnitude smaller than what’s predicted. How can this paradox be resolved?

Split-screen image: left side has the words "an excerpt from" on a pale blue background; right side shows the book cover of "After the Spike," which explores how population and environment shape our future, by Dean Spears and Michael Geruso.

Books

More people, more pollution? Dispelling an environmental myth

In “After the Spike,” Dean Spears and Michael Geruso show why policy, rather than high population density, has the most significant impact on the environment.

Collage featuring photos of wildlife, ancient stone carvings, and a camel, with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top on a gray grid background—an homage to Sean B. Carroll’s explorations of nature and history.

Business

The hidden rules of business — according to nature

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A radio telescope points at the night sky, where stars are arranged in the shape of a large question mark.

The Fermi Paradox has a terrifying answer: The Dark Forest

“We’ve sent out one or two little messages, but we certainly aren’t investing billions of dollars shouting out into the cosmos saying, “Hey, we are here. Come say hi.””

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13 min

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David Kipping

Starts With A Bang

Jupiter endangers Earth, and may have extincted the dinosaurs

65 million years ago, a massive asteroid struck Earth. Not only did Jupiter not stop it, but it most likely caused the impact itself.

Up Next

Do You Hate Politics? Blame Biology

Francis Fukuyama: We are programmed to favor friends and family, and this is the default mode of politics.