June 21, 2013

You’re Not a Lunatic. You DO See a Supermoon Rising

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Tonight is the closest the Moon will be to us all year, so it will appear bigger and brighter than usual. So we are hoping for clear skies for the arrival of the 2013 supermoon. The best way to see it is at moonrise or moonset, when it is on horizon.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A wooden box filled with assorted old black-and-white photographs and postcards.

Neuropsych

What makes a memory real?

Changing the narrative on false memories might be surprisingly simple.

A large telescope is housed inside an observatory dome, surrounded by people.

Starts With A Bang

Starts With A Bang podcast #110 – Optical Interferometry

Interferometry gave us a black hole’s event horizon, but that was in the radio. What can we accomplish with a new optical interferometer?

Two Guy Fawkes masks in a pixelated, digital art style with one mask smiling and the other frowning, set against a dark background with faint green patterns.

The Future

Will AI supercharge hacking — if it hasn’t already?

Hackers are in an arms race with cyber defenders. Will AI tip the balance?

Collaged image of text and a black-and-white scene with a dinosaur and mountainous backdrop. The year "1950" is visible in the bottom left corner.

The Past

How the search for dinosaurs on Venus exposed a warning for Earth

Dinosaurs and other beasts were once thought to be the “undisputed masters” of Venus.

Three versions of a buttercup flower: left is yellow in visible light, middle is pinkish in ultraviolet, and right is colorless in infrared—a glimpse into the diverse sensory umwelt surrounding us.

Business

How “umwelt” can make you more creative and productive

If you’re out on a walk, you will see a different world than your dog, a bee, or an ant. Here are three reasons why that matters.

Up Next

Surprising Science

Can Medical Devices Be Hacked?

A recent US Homeland Security alert calls attention to the vulnerability of pacemakers, insulin pumps, and other health equipment to malicious attacks. As devices become smaller and more efficient, more attention must be paid.