George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

This Stupid Tick Managed to Get Itself Wrapped in Spider Silk—and Then Fossilized in Amber

Around 100 million years ago, a tick ran into some bad luck. It had the misfortune of wandering onto a spider’s web, causing the proprietor to spring into action and wrap the interloping bug in a tomb made of silk. The situation then took a turn for the worse when the tick came into contact…

Biology George Dvorsky

New Evacuation Plan in Place as Third Kilauea Lava Flow Reaches Ocean

US Marine Corps stationed in Hawaii are now on standby to help with evacuations should lava flows cut off the only remaining escape route from the beleaguered Puna neighborhood. The latest threat comes as the Big Island enters its fourth week of eruptions, and as a third lava flow reaches the ocean. At a base…

Tech News George Dvorsky

New Evidence Points to an Unbroken, Million-Year-Long Ice Core in Antarctica

Imagine an unbroken chronological record, dating back a million years, of temperature and atmospheric conditions on Earth. Such a thing could indeed exist in the form of an ancient and undisturbed Antarctic ice core, according to a recent survey. Ice cores are like a window to the past, allowing scientists to observe and document climatic…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Wild New Theory Suggests Pluto Formed From a Billion Comets

Pluto may not be a planet, but it remains one of the most intriguing objects in the outer Solar System. Its unexpected chemical composition has confounded scientists for years, but a new theory may finally hold the answer. Pluto, according to a pair of Southwest Research Institute scientists, is basically an overgrown comet. One of…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Is Able to Drill Holes Into Rocks Again

That’s one small hole for a probe, but one giant leap for NASA. This past weekend, the space agency jerry-rigged Curiosity’s malfunctioning drill, allowing the rover to bore into Martian rock for the first time in over a year. Curiosity’s drill has been giving NASA fits for quite some time now. Electrical issues caused problems…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Pterodactyls Probably Didn’t Fly Like We Think They Did

The popular conception of pterodactyl flight shows them in a pose with wings and legs spread far apart similar to the way bats do it. But as new research shows, it’s very unlikely that flying reptiles were able to move their joints and hind legs in such a manner—a finding that could influence the way…

Biology George Dvorsky

Haunting Timelapse Shows Hawaii’s Glowing Kilauea Volcano From Above

The recent images of Hawaii’s erupting Kilauea volcano are as fascinating as they are disturbing, but as this new timelapse video taken from the top of nearby Mauna Kea shows, the view from above the cloud tops is just as dramatic. Normally, the wide-angle camera at the Gemini North telescope is used to monitor atmospheric…

Tech News George Dvorsky

A Bizarre Bone Ritual Followed a Grisly Iron Age Battle in Denmark

To the victor go the spoils, or in some cases, the bodies of a vanquished enemy, as the discovery of remnants from an Iron Age battle in Denmark demonstrates. New research published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that Alken Enge, a 185-acre archaeological site in Denmark’s Jutland peninsula, was…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Creeping Lava Now Threatens Major Hawaiian Power Plant

Molten lava from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has entered the grounds of Puna Geothermal Venture, a geothermal power plant that provides about 25 percent of the Big Island’s power. The 38 Megawatt Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) power plant, which is located in the east rift zone of the Kilauea volcano, was shut down soon after the…

Tech News George Dvorsky

How Smart Was T. Rex? And Other Dino Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask

At the age of 34, American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Steve Brusatte has already accomplished more in his field than some scientists hope to over their entire careers. Born in Ottawa, Illinois, he attended the University of Chicago, where he studied under the tutelage of renowned paleontologist Paul Sereno. Now at the University of Edinburgh,…

Biology George Dvorsky

Hubble’s Latest Batch of Space Porn Is Some of the Best We’ve Ever Seen

Space is mind-bogglingly vast, and it’s practically impossible for our puny brains to comprehend just how huge it really is. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers has completed an exhaustive survey of star-forming galaxies in the local Universe. The resulting catalog won’t help you fathom the immensity of the cosmos, but…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Curiosity Rover’s Busted Jackhammer Could Soon Get a Fix

In late 2016, the drill used by NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity began to malfunction due to an apparent mechanical failure. This Saturday, NASA will test a new method that could restore the drill’s critical jackhammering capability, and by consequence, the rover’s ability to analyze Martian rock samples. To bore into Martian rock, Curiosity’s drill uses…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Six Baby Squirrels With Tails Hopelessly Tangled Together Rescued in Nebraska

Ever heard of a “rat king”? As urban legend tells us, that’s what happens when the tails of rats get knotted together. Well, apparently the same thing can happen to squirrels, as the startled residents of a Nebraska town learned last week. “I heard a screech, and it was a noise I had never heard…

Biology George Dvorsky

Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Is Now Spewing Large ‘Ballistic’ Rocks

As if the residents of Hawaii’s Big Island don’t have enough to worry about already, the US Geological Survey is now warning residents of yet another threat: large rocks shooting from Kilauea’s crater. Several rocks, including one measuring two feet wide, have already fallen— but the situation could get even worse. It’s been two weeks…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Lizards With Toxic Green Blood Are Super Freaky

Lurking quietly in the deep dark jungles of New Guinea are a group of lizards who share a rather striking feature: green blood. It’s a rare trait for vertebrates to have, but new insights into this strange blood could lead to innovative medical treatments. According to Star Trek lore, Spock’s blood was green because it…

Biology George Dvorsky

Alarming Study Suggests Bitcoin Consumes an Astonishing Amount of Energy and It’s Only Getting Worse

It takes a lot of electricity to mine bitcoins, and as more miners try to cash in on the crypto craze, the amount of energy required to win new coins increases accordingly. New research suggests the entire bitcoin network could consume as much as 7.7 gigawatts of electricity by the end of this year—enough to…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Scientists Match Pollution in Greenland’s Ice Sheet to Events from Ancient Greece and Rome

We tend to associate industrial pollution with the modern era, but human civilizations have been contaminating the planet for thousands of years. By drilling deep into Greenland’s ice sheet, an interdisciplinary team of researchers has chronicled the industrial waste produced by the ancient Greeks and Romans over a 1,900-year period, linking pollution to economic booms,…

Tech News George Dvorsky

The Hungriest Black Hole Ever Detected Gobbles a Sun-Sized Star Every Two Days

Supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies can get absurdly huge, sometimes reaching masses billions of times greater than our Sun. The rate at which black holes grow can vary, but Australian astronomers have detected one such object with an unusually intense appetite, making it the fastest-growing black hole ever detected in the observable…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

The World Health Organization Just Declared War on Trans Fats

The World Health Organization has announced a comprehensive plan to eliminate industrially produced trans-fatty acids from the global food supply by 2023. It’s a good idea—but the five-year plan may be overly ambitious. The plan, called REPLACE, urges global governments to eliminate the use of industrially produced trans fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils…

Health George Dvorsky

Australian Badass Sets Speed Record for Climbing Tallest Mountain on Every Continent

Four years after enduring an accident that nearly left him paralyzed, Australian mountaineer Steve Plain is now the fastest person to reach the top of the tallest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents, shattering the previous record by eight days. Earlier this morning, Plain, along with his guides Jon Gupta and Pemba Sherpa,…

Tech News George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky

This Stupid Tick Managed to Get Itself Wrapped in Spider Silk—and Then Fossilized in Amber

New Evacuation Plan in Place as Third Kilauea Lava Flow Reaches Ocean

New Evidence Points to an Unbroken, Million-Year-Long Ice Core in Antarctica

Wild New Theory Suggests Pluto Formed From a Billion Comets

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Is Able to Drill Holes Into Rocks Again

Pterodactyls Probably Didn’t Fly Like We Think They Did

Haunting Timelapse Shows Hawaii’s Glowing Kilauea Volcano From Above

A Bizarre Bone Ritual Followed a Grisly Iron Age Battle in Denmark

Creeping Lava Now Threatens Major Hawaiian Power Plant

How Smart Was T. Rex? And Other Dino Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask

Hubble’s Latest Batch of Space Porn Is Some of the Best We’ve Ever Seen

Curiosity Rover’s Busted Jackhammer Could Soon Get a Fix

Six Baby Squirrels With Tails Hopelessly Tangled Together Rescued in Nebraska

Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Is Now Spewing Large ‘Ballistic’ Rocks

Lizards With Toxic Green Blood Are Super Freaky

Alarming Study Suggests Bitcoin Consumes an Astonishing Amount of Energy and It’s Only Getting Worse

Scientists Match Pollution in Greenland’s Ice Sheet to Events from Ancient Greece and Rome

The Hungriest Black Hole Ever Detected Gobbles a Sun-Sized Star Every Two Days

The World Health Organization Just Declared War on Trans Fats

Australian Badass Sets Speed Record for Climbing Tallest Mountain on Every Continent

‘Butt Birth’-ing Rhinoceros from Ace Ventura Sequel Sold at Auction for a Whopping $60,000

The Ryan Gosling Sci-Fi Streak Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Study Challenges Popular Theory on Why Primordial Bugs Were So Darn Huge

Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway’s Mystery’s Sci-Fi Film Has Its First Trailer

Scientists Just Found the Salt Limit That Pushes Your Heart to the Breaking Point

White House Social Media Just Had Its Covfefe Moment

Roborock F25 Ultra Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Is Now at Its Lowest Price, but Only During the Spring Sale Window

This $450 Semi-Dumb Phone Is Barely Even a Phone

Startup Successfully Ignites World’s First Fusion Rocket

Shokz OpenDots One Earbuds Hit Their Lowest Price Yet Across All Color Options, Including the New Ones

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees