Jupiter’s moon Io—the solar system’s most volcanic world—has inspired a new way to find distant exoplanets. As the moon orbits Jupiter, it tugs on the planet’s magnetic field, generating bright auroras in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Even if we couldn’t see Io itself, the enormous auroras, pulsing to the beat of a hidden orbiting body, would tell…
Tag: Science
How to Clean Your Smartphone and Keyboard the Right Way
It’s always a good idea to maintain good hygiene, but especially so in the midst of the ongoing spread of Covid-19. But while you’re hopefully already washing your hands—and not touching your face—make sure to extend those efforts to the phones, tablets, and laptops you handle every day.The science shows that bacteria are very happy…
AI is An Ideology, Not A Technology
A leading anxiety in both the technology and foreign policy worlds today is China’s purported edge in the artificial intelligence race. The usual narrative goes like this: Without the constraints on data collection that liberal democracies impose and with the capacity to centrally direct greater resource allocation, the Chinese will outstrip the West. AI is…
Greta Thunberg urges climate protests to move online because of coronavirus outbreaks
Greta Thunberg is calling on other young climate activists to avoid big protests and move their demonstrations online amid efforts to contain the novel coronavirus. Over the past year and a half, Thunberg has incited thousands of students across the globe to protest inaction on climate change. She’s inspired many to join massive demonstrations like…
Our (slightly doomed) flight to an atmospheric river
A few weeks back, I found myself on a cramped and loud C130 cargo plane, flying headlong out to the middle of the North Pacific Ocean. The plane and crew were part of the Air Force’s fabled “Hurricane Hunters” — they fly into hurricanes to collect crucial data on the storms. On this mission, they…
The Smithsonian has released more than 2.8 million images you can use for free
The Smithsonian Institution is releasing 2.8 million high-res images from its massive collection into the public domain, putting them online for anyone to use and download for free. The open-access online platform will include 2D and 3D images from its 19 museums, nine research centers, archives, libraries, and the National Zoo, Smithsonian Magazine reports. “Being…
A SoftBank-owned company used Theranos patents to sue over COVID-19 tests
The ghost of Theranos is still haunting the biotech industry, even in the middle of a pandemic. A shell company called Labrador Diagnostics LLC, which says it holds the rights to two Theranos patents, sued a company making COVID-19 tests for patent infringement. The lawsuit asked the court to force the company, BioFire, to stop…
Devs spins a Silicon Valley murder mystery into something unsettling and strange
Devs is not a show that’s out to confuse you. The miniseries — which is billed as an FX show but airs exclusively on Hulu — bears a lot of the hallmarks of extremely cerebral, puzzle-box television. There is strange imagery: a massive, towering statue of a young girl delighted at the forests around her.…
Fearful reactions to the new coronavirus can put lives at risk
People in the US are worried about the new coronavirus outbreak. That concern is warranted: the virus is a scary new threat, it can cause serious harm, and there aren’t any medications that can stop it. That’s not to mention the cancellations of schools, popular events, and the general disruption to people’s lives it’s causing.…
As universities shut their doors, international students are left in limbo
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images Students are still unsure how (and where) they’ll finish their semester On March 11th, the University of Southern California sent an email to its students, faculty, and staff. “Students who are leaving campus for Spring Recess may not return until at least Monday, April 13.” The university had previously planned…