Mark Strauss

A Disturbing Visualization of Global Small Arms Trade

Countries in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa are witnessing a surge in violence. But as this astonishing interactive infographic reveals, many of the countries trying to curb this violence are also the ones making it possible by selling small arms and light weapons to the aggressors. While overall rates of gun violence are…

The Air Force is simplifying how it grades nuclear-missile officers who are authorized to key in launch codes. The service has “made the monthly [certification] test pass-fail,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh announced, though he declined to say what percentage of correct answers would be needed to pass.

The Dark Side Of The Moon Is A Spacecraft Graveyard

Last week, NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) ended its mission as planned, by smashing into the far side of the moon. But even though LADEE is deceased, it’s not alone. Other spacecraft — including parts of some we might not know about — share the same resting place. “The total is six…

Manhattan Might Be Underwater Sooner Than We Expected

Maximum water levels in New York harbor during major storms have risen by nearly two-and-a-half feet since the mid-19th century. That means the chances of water spilling over the Manhattan seawall are at least 20 times greater than they were 170 years ago. Stefan Talke—an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Portland State…

What’s Your Favorite Comedy Episode Of A Dramatic TV Show?

Just about every dramatic series has its funny moments. But every so often, the writers decide to lighten up a bit, and write an entire comedic episode. Usually, this works best when the show has been on for a while, and we’re comfortable enough with the characters that we can fully appreciate seeing them in…

The 10 Weirdest Calculations You Can Make Online Right Now

Chances are, you’ve used one of the many useful calculating tools available online: How much would a monthly mortgage cost me with today’s interest rates? What time is it on another continent? But there are far more exotic and weird calculators on the Internet. Here are ten of the most unusual. 1) Build Your Home…

Medieval Manuscripts Depict The Taxonomy Of Dragons

The British Library is commemorating St. George’s Day with an extraordinary gallery of dragon illustrations culled from its digitized medieval manuscript collection. The online bestiary reveals dragons in all their forms, ranging from the familiar Smaug variety to lizard-like animals with duck feet to winged leonine creatures. Dragons were near-ubiquitous in medieval manuscripts, serving as…

Physics Students Try To Create A “Street Fighter” Hadouken Fireball

Anybody who has played Street Fighter is familiar with the awesome power of the “Surge Fist” attack, otherwise known as the Hadouken Fireball. While some of us might be intimidated by the thought of tapping into this primal energy, a group of students are determined to recreate it—by setting a dodgeball on fire. Okay, so…

Creationists Say Smithsonian Is Pushing “Religion of Naturalism”

Young-Earth creationist Ken Ham—whose non-profit organization has benefited from millions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks—says that the Smithsonian’s recent acquisition of a nearly complete T-Rex fossil is an egregious use of American tax dollars to fund “the religion of naturalism.” The T-Rex—delivered to Washington, D.C. last week—was discovered in 1988 by a Montana…

These Eavesdropping Drone Tanks Have Something to Tell You

If you want to get an up close and personal feel for what it means to live in a surveillance society, then pay a visit to the Berlinische Galerie, where, in a cavernous gallery, German artist Nik Nowak has set loose a pair of drones to snoop on museum-goers. Nowak has made a career out…

This Map Shows Why the US Is Critical to China’s Energy Needs

In recent years, China has awakened to a growing dilemma. The country is increasingly dependent on energy imported through maritime straits that are kept secure by other navies — notably the United States in the Persian Gulf. As a new report published by the Brookings Institution notes, China’s extraordinary economic growth has led to a…

Virginia’s top court has ruled against global warming skeptics trying to obtain emails written by climate scientist Michael Mann when he was a UVA professor. The judge stated that the emails are proprietary and exempt from FOIA requests — and that releasing them would impair academic “free thought and expression.”

Special Ops “Casting Call” Could Reveal US Military Plans

U.S. Special Operations Command has posted an ad that they’re looking to hire 25 civilian actors to provide “role player support,” pretending to be terrorists in a special Marine Corps training exercise. The job announcement inadvertently reveals some clues about national security. As military analyst Joseph Trevithick observes, we don’t know where the Marines are…

The Supreme Court Will Consider What Defines “Pregnancy”

Can a corporation claim to have religious beliefs? The Supreme Court will rule on that contentious question later this year. To answer, the justices may also have to address whether human life begins when an egg is fertilized, or when that egg is implanted in a womb. The case, Sebelius vs. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc.,…

The GMO Mass Suicides Are a Myth

Of the many horror stories we hear about GMOs, few are as heart-rending as the one about how nearly 300,000 Indian farmers have killed themselves over failed cotton crops. What’s also horrible is that the story is a complete fabrication. Typical of the tales told by anti-GMO activists, the chief villain here is Monsanto— the…

15% of the American public has doubts about the safety and efficacy of childhood vaccines; 51% question the validity of the Big Bang theory. These are among the most noteworthy findings from a newly-published survey that asked people to rate their confidence in several statements about science and medicine.

What If Other Planets Orbited Earth At The Same Distance As The Moon?

There are many ways that I could convey the size of Neptune relative to Earth. I could tell you that Neptune is 3.9 times larger. Or, that you could fit about 57 Earths inside of Neptune. Or, best of all, I could show you how Neptune would appear if it were orbiting our planet. Fortunately,…

The U.S. Army Is Using a Chatbot to Recruit New Soldiers

He hasn’t served in any military campaigns. He’s never won a medal. Heck, he’s not even alive. But to millions of people, Sgt. Star, the Army’s recruitment chatbot, is one of the most recognizable soldiers in America. And he’s gathering a lot of personal data. But, what does he do with all the information that…

The Weird U.S. Government Projects That Have Been Named BATMAN

Government researchers must have a Batman fetish. Perhaps that explains why so many have named their projects after him—it’s federally-funded cosplay. The question is why this odd bunch of projects bear the Dark Knight’s name. There’s no denying that, among superheroes, the Dark Knight ranks especially high on the “coolness” factor. After all, he’s rich,…

Why Were There So Many Giant Insects in the 1950s?

Hollywood produced some 500 science fiction movies during the 1950s, and the stars of many of them were colossal mutant insects. Why were people in the mid-twentieth century obsessed with giant bugs? One economist sums up the dominant theories. In some ways, this debate echoes the current discussion over what makes the zombie genre so…