Mark Strauss

The USS Enterprise Is Being Shut Down

It’s the beginning of the end for the USS Enterprise. After 50 years of service, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is going dark at the same shipyard where it was first built. Around 600 sailors and 1,200 employees at the Newport News shipyard in Virginia have been tasked with completing the “inactivation.” As the…

A handful of Brooklyn Law students working out of a tech-oriented legal clinic forced a patent troll to drop a meritless lawsuit. If more law schools set up pro bono patent litigation clinics, they could be potent anti-troll weapons — especially since many start-ups would rather settle lawsuits than pay huge legal fees.

Are Millennials Compatible With U.S. Military Culture?

An editorial in a magazine published by the U.S. Naval Institute grouses about the behavior of Millennials: their constant texting ignores the chain of command and they’re way too laid back to serve in the military. A Millennial naval officer has responded online—and he blew those complaints out of the water. The opening salvo in…

Here’s What Your 1.1 Million Comments On Net Neutrality Look Like

When the Federal Communications Commission asked the public to send their views on network neutrality, it got an earful. The response was so huge that the deadline was extended due to technical problems. Those comments were recently published online as a 1.4 GB file, and NPR has posted this visualization of what they said. NPR…

CIA Analysis Of The War Of 1812 Finds Same Failures That Led To 9/11

This month is the 200th anniversary of the British capture of Washington, DC, and the torching of the White House. How did this disaster happen, despite ample warnings? A CIA analyst who pored through historical documents blames the same types of intelligence failures that preceded Pearl Harbor and September 11th. The British invasion of Washington,…

“Fair Trade” Cocaine Is A Thing Now

The rapid growth of online drug vendors has transformed the way illegal narcotics are sold and marketed. How do dealers compete in a virtual world where violence and intimidation are no longer options? As with any other product, through customer service, promotional campaigns and pledges of social responsibility. Indeed, ten months after the FBI shut…

Iran’s parliament has banned vasectomies, saying that more babies will “strengthen national identity” and counter “undesirable aspects of Western lifestyles.” Reformists see the law as part of a drive by conservatives to keep Iran’s highly educated female population in traditional roles as wives and mothers.

The Technological Decision That Doomed Richard Nixon

A botched burglary, lies, cover-ups, abuse of power—all of these things culminated in the resignation of President Richard Nixon forty years ago. But history could have turned out differently if the scandal-ridden president had not made a fateful decision years earlier. [Image: Library of Congress] Less than a week into his presidency, Nixon was anxious…

The Earth Looks Like A Living Creature In This Amazing NASA Video

We’ve all seen images of extreme weather from space. But none of those could prepare us for this video just released by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. Using real data, this simulation’s volume-rendered clouds depict seven days in 2005 when a category-4 typhoon developed off the coast of China. [Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio]

“Atheist TV adheres to nasty stereotypes about atheism—smugness, gleeful disregard for others’ beliefs—to a degree that’s close to unwatchable,” writes Daniel D’Addario in Salon. The network could learn a lot from Cosmos, which “inspired awe by presenting something in which to believe—the majesty of the universe.”

Should We Be Exploring The Oceans Instead Of Space?

For some, the irony is almost too much to bear. While Congress is eager to fund a $2 billion expedition to search for oceans beneath Europa, some 95% of Earth’s oceans are unexplored. Given the role of oceans in regulating climate, and their untapped potential for food and health, is it time to rethink our…

New High-Def Video Of NASA’s “Flying Saucer” Test Will Blow You Away

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has just released never-before-seen video footage shot from cameras on board its Low Density Supersonic Decelerator during its test over Hawaii. Turn off the lights, put it on full screen and buckle up.

In case you were ever curious about the proper way to pack and ship suspected Ebola specimens, the CDC has posted a primer for medical professionals. The guidelines reiterate OSHA standards for handling bloodborne pathogens. Here’s one especially good CDC safety tip: for Ebola, use plastic not glass containers.

Should Robotics Companies Help The Workers They Displace?

The Pew Research Internet Project has just published a major survey of tech experts, asking whether they thought robotic devices would displace significant numbers of blue- and white-collar workers. Opinions are divided, with 52% saying no, and 48% warning that we could see a new underclass of unemployable people. What’s striking about this study is…

Reality Check: Most Scientists Never Believed In “Global Cooling”

Climate-change deniers like to remind us how, in the 1970s, scientists all believed the Earth was heading for another ice age. So why should we believe the doomsayers who now claim the opposite? Here’s why: Most scientists rejected the “global cooling” theory and, even then, were convinced the real problem was global warming. Unfortunately, the…

Why We Need To Stop Saying Cyberattacks Are An “Existential” Threat

Leaders from Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, the FBI and other government agencies warn that the U.S. is vulnerable to cyberattacks that could threaten the country’s very existence. But one adviser to the White House argues that such statements exaggerate the danger and distract the government from the actual risks. In an interview with Inside Cybersecurity,…

Images of Charon Orbiting Pluto Guide A Spacecraft To Its Destination

An animation of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, was created using a series of images captured by the New Horizons spacecraft as it continues its long journey to the distant planetoid. Taken from a distance of 422-429 million km, the images are not for scientific study, but for optical navigation between worlds. Think of…

The Chemistry Of Fake Tan Lotion Could Ruin Your Appetite For Bacon

Have you ever wondered how fake tan lotion manages to turn people’s skin brown without subjecting them to UV radiation exposure? Actually, it’s a chemical reaction that you observe all the time…whenever someone is cooking meat. Writing over at his blog, Compound Interest [rimshot], British chemistry teacher Andy Brunning has put together this nifty infographic…

Are We There, Yet? The Challenges Of Landing On A Comet

After traveling for more than ten years and four billion miles, Rosetta became the first spacecraft in history to rendezvous with a comet. But, it some ways, the spacecraft’s work has only just begun. One of the next challenges will be selecting a safe spot for Rosetta’s lander, Philae. [Image: NASA] [Image: ESA] Over the…

A Student Film Suppressed By Anti-Vaxxers Has Finally Been Released

Two years ago, students at Carlsbad High School began filming a documentary, The Invisible Threat—a report on the “science of disease and the risks facing a society that is under-vaccinated.” But it is only now that the public is able to see the film, which became the target of a national anti-vaxxer campaign. The 40-minute…