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Tech NewsA Town’s Famous Bioluminescent Bay Is Going Dark and No One Knows Why
For those who’ve seen it—and photographs don’t do it justice—the bioluminescent Mosquito Bay is one of the world’s most spectacular natural sights. Tiny plankton known as dinoflagellates light up the water like a glow stick at night. But since January, the glow has faded, throwing the entire Puerto Rican town into a panic. Vieques is … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
SciencePhysics & Chemistry
How Atomic Bombs Help Unmask Counterfeit Wine
As long as rich men are willing to pay exorbitant amounts for old, fermented juice, there will be schemers willing to dupe them out of their money. But if you’re dropping a cool half million on four bottles of wine supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson (true story), you want to make sure you have the … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
ScienceHealth
Mystery Illnesses Could Now Be Diagnosed With a Rapid DNA Test
When we think of medicine, we usually think of the treatment: drugs, surgery, therapy. But before all that comes the diagnosis—a tricky proposition when symptoms are confusing and information scant. Now for the first time ever, doctors were able to use rapid DNA sequencing to identify an obscure bacterium in time to save a boy’s … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
China Is Literally Moving Mountains to Build New Cities
China is on a giant building spree and nothing is going to stop it—not even mountains. Entire mountaintops are being razed to fill in valleys, paving the way for future cities. The problem is that no one really knows what they’re doing. “[E]arth-moving on this scale without scientific support is folly,” warn three Chinese engineering … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
io9Books & Comics
Yep, Harvard Really Does Have a Book Bound in Human Skin
This past April brought disappointing (but relieving?) news that a book long suspected to be bound in human skin in Harvard’s library was, in fact, bound in sheepskin. Nothing here, move along, right? But no! Now Harvard has confirmed, for the first time ever, one of its other books is indeed sheathed in human skin. … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
Iron Man Exosuit Will Look for 2000-Year-Old Computer Underwater
Remember that nutso Exosuit—basically a wearable submarine—we showed you back in February? The Exosuit is about to embark on its first real mission: the hunt for one of the world’s oldest computers in the Aegean Sea. It’s a quest that has paralyzed and, in one case, even killed divers in the past, but the Exosuit … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
Michigan Is Getting a Fake City for Testing Automated Cars
The center of U.S. car innovation may have shifted toward California lately (*ahem* Google, Tesla), but Michigan carmakers aren’t giving up. The University of Michigan is building a test city and highway just for automated cars—a 30-acre facility complete with traffic lights, construction zones, and a “mechanical pedestrian.” The Mobility Transformation Facility will open this … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
Justice! The Fire Hydrant That Earned NYC $33,000 a Year Is No More
Last month, we told you about one ambiguously marked fire hydrant that netted New York City $33,000 a year in parking tickets. (Yup, that’s more than minimal wage! For a fire hydrant!) Thanks to open data and sleuthing by I Quant NY’s Ben Wellington, the city has repainted the block. As Ben describes in his … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
Dragons in Game of Thrones Are Like Nuclear Weapons in the Real World
Because we all need a good dose of geopolitics in between sword fights, White Walkers, and boobs, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientistshas a thorough analysis of all the ways dragons are just like nuclear weapons. It’s actually a stunningly obvious comparison once you get down to it. Here be spoilers. And dragons. George R. R. … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
The Cutting-Edge Tech That Will Finally Bring Desalination to the U.S.
In case you haven’t heard, California is screwed. The drought has turned our perennially water-challenged state into a desiccated husk. In these dire times, we look toward desalination, an idea long-promised but never quite delivered in the U.S. But a spate of new technologies—graphene, solar mirrors, and more—could finally make desalination viable for our freshwater … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
Could We Build Electricity-Storing Houses Out of Supercapacitors?
What’s your wall doing right now—holding up your posters? Being leaned against by the bookshelf? What about storing the energy that powers all your kitchen appliances? New research into structural supercapacitors, which can withstand the stress and vibrations of bearing weight, could eventually inspire such an energy-storing house. This is all, admittedly, pretty far off, … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech NewsDad Invents Kid’s Seat For Bike Shares—Promptly Gets Cease and Desist
There are many perks to bike shares, but there’s a distinct advantage for the entrepreneurially minded: you’re not allowed to make the bike better. Not by giving it an electric motor. Not by adding a seat to take your kid to school. Nope nope nope. Should bike shares really be keeping such a tight reign … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech NewsSploidMega-sandstorm turns Tehran into apocalyptic landscape, kills four
In a freakish and honestly terrifying turn of events, a giant cloud of sand enveloped Tehran today. The temperature plunged from over 90 F to the 60s in minutes. Winds whipped at 70 mile per hour. Trees fell. The power went out. Tehran looked like an apocalyptic horror show. Although this sandstorm was especially severe, … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
EartherClimate Change
How Obama’s Power Plant Regulations Will Transform Our Electric Grid
President Obama and the EPA have just taken their biggest and boldest step ever to fight climate change. The Clean Power Plan, unveiled by the EPA today, is far more important than the Keystone XL pipeline—if also far less sexy to slap on a poster. But these carbon-cutting regulations have the potential to transform energy … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
In this week’s Landscape Reads, we learn all about Yellowstone’s “Zone of Death,” the bitter rivalry of pallet companies (yes, pallet companies), the ultimate cause behind Alaska’s Funny River fire, and more. How to Get Away With Murder in Yellowstone There is a 50 square mile “Zone of Death” in Yellowstone because, you see, funny … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
ScienceHealthCan YouTube Help Doctors Study the Science of Faceplanting?
When YouTube arrived at the beginning of this millennium, viral videos were not so different from what had long entertained us on America’s Funniest Home Videos: adorable pets, funny kids, and painful accidents. And so we have faceplant gifs and faceplant supercuts and now, a scientific journal article based on a faceplant video on YouTube. … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech NewsHow to Hack a Car and Control It From 1500 Miles Away
Imagine this: You’re cruising along when the car suddenly brakes. The doors lock. It starts accelerating backward. A hacker hundreds of miles away has taken control of your car over the cellular network. This is how it happens, as explained by a video from the good folks at Motherboard. “When you are driving an automobile … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech NewsHere’s How a 1984 Macintosh Tutorial Taught People to Use a Mouse
A generation of us grew up interacting with computers through a mouse—but that has not always case and will not always be the case. (Hi there toddlers on iPads!) When the Macintosh 128K debuted in 1984, it had to teach users how to point, click, and drag with a charming, game-filled mouse tutorial. Apple’s Lisa … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
An Algorithm Revealed 200 Lost Paintings on Angkor Wat’s Ancient Walls
Even a building as famous and photographed as Angkor Wat has its secrets. With the help of an image enhancement algorithm, a sharp-eyed rock-art researcher has revealed that unassuming smears of pigment are actually faded drawings. It could be graffiti—or it could be the remnants of a concerted 16th century restoration program. Noel Hidalgo Tan, … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
ScienceHealth
A Simple Blast of Laser Could Help Your Teeth Grow Back
Teeth don’t grow back, as your dentist might like to remind you while revving up the drill for a root canal. But scientists have now found a way to regenerate dentin, the hard stuff in the middle of the tooth, right in the mouth. It’s surprisingly simple, too—all it takes is a blast of laser. … Continued
By Sarah Zhang
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