George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

Monster 78-Foot Wave Recorded in the Southern Ocean

At 78 feet tall, and churned by a fierce storm, it’s the largest wave ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, New Zealand scientists report. “This is a very exciting event and to our knowledge it is largest wave ever recorded in the southern hemisphere,” said Tom Durrant, a senior oceanographer with MetOcean Solutions, in a…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Oh Great, Boston Dynamics Has Unleashed Its Atlas Robot to the Great Outdoors

Boston Dynamics, the company voted most likely to spawn the Robopocalypse, has released a pair of new videos showcasing the latest abilities of its synthetic creations. A freakishly realistic humanoid robot running effortlessly through grassy fields and managing challenging terrain. A dog-like machine autonomously navigating the complex maze of an office and lab facility. What…

Tech News George Dvorsky

And Now the White House Has Climbed Aboard the AI Bandwagon

Yesterday, the White House announced the creation of a new committee that will coordinate federal efforts related to artificial intelligence. The move makes sense given the rapid rise of AI, but the new group better be prepared to tackle all that AI has to offer—both the good and the bad. Michael Kratsios, deputy CTO at…

Artificial Intelligence George Dvorsky

Genetic Analysis Suggests Squirrels Contributed to the Global Spread of Leprosy

Leprosy is one of the oldest known diseases to afflict humans, yet its origin is mired in controversy. A new study, in which 10 strains of the disease were detected in the remains medieval Europeans, is now complicating the picture even further by pointing to western Europe as a potential launching point for leprosy. What’s…

Health George Dvorsky

Satellite Analysis Shows North Korea’s 2017 Nuclear Test Literally Moved a Mountain

By combining satellite radar with seismic data, an international team of researchers has re-assessed the effects of North Korea’s most recent nuclear test at Mount Mantap, offering disturbing new estimates for the strength of the device used and its influence on the mountain itself. In 2003, the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea became the…

Tech News George Dvorsky

The Ancient Ancestors of Blue Whales Hunted the Oceans With Surprisingly Sharp Teeth

Modern filter-feeding baleen whales use comb-like structures in their mouths to scoop up large volumes of itsy-bitsy animals and microorganisms. But as new research reveals, their ancestors were remarkably different, featuring sharp teeth that they used to attack prey. Baleen whales, a group that includes humpback and blue whales, are the largest animals on Earth,…

Biology George Dvorsky

New York Court Says Chimps Aren’t People—But a Judge Is Not Happy About It

The five year long struggle to free a pair of captive chimps in the state of New York has finally come to an end. Yesterday, New York’s highest court denied an appeal by the Nonhuman Rights Project, but one of the judges was clearly unsatisfied with the ruling, pointing out deficiencies in the legal system’s…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Strong Hurricanes Intensify Faster Now Than They Did in the 1980s

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was brutal, featuring strong weather systems that morphed into severe and treacherous hurricanes in a remarkably short period of time. This phenomenon, known as rapid intensification, is now happening with greater ferocity than it did three decades ago, according to new research. With the names Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Are Jupiter and Venus Messing With Earth’s Climate?

Our planet is in a remarkably circular orbit around the Sun, but as new research points out, Earth’s orbit sometimes experiences a slight jolt, thanks to the combined gravitational influence of Jupiter and Venus. Incredibly, this cycle has been going on for at least 215 million years—and one scientist suggests it could possibly have influenced…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

On This Saturn-Like Exoplanet, the Forecast Always Calls for Clear Skies [Updated]

Astronomers have detected an exoplanet whose sodium-rich atmosphere is completely devoid of clouds—a strange celestial feature that until this point only existed in theory. The planet is called WASP-96b, and it’s located about 980 light-years from Earth. This distant world is what astronomers call a hot-Saturn—a planet with a mass comparable to our own Saturn…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

NASA’s Tiny, Mars-Bound Satellites Have Successfully Signaled Home

NASA’s InSight lander is on its way to Mars following Saturday’s successful launch of an Atlas V rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. But the lander is not alone—it has a pair of twin communication CubeSats in tow. Called MarCO-A and MarCO-B, the tiny machines have already passed the first important milestone…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

There’s No Secret Chamber Behind King Tut’s Tomb, Investigation Concludes

Using ground-penetrating radar, three independent teams of researchers failed to detect the presence of doors or empty spaces behind the walls of King Tut’s funeral chamber. It’s a disappointing result, as archaeologists were hoping to find the final resting place of Queen Nefertiti. “We conclude, with a very high level of confidence, that the hypothesis…

Tech News George Dvorsky

What Scientists Saw When They Put a Crocodile in an MRI Scanner and Played Classical Music

In a scientific first, researchers have used an MRI scanner to study the brains of Nile crocodiles. Sounds weird—and even a bit dangerous—but the experiment is revealing new insights into the evolution of brains and how mammals and birds acquired the capacity to comprehend complex sounds. Our brains are the product of millions of years…

Biology George Dvorsky

How Hibernating Squirrels Could Ease the Organ Shortage Crisis

Squirrels and other hibernating animals have an almost magical ability to withstand frigid temperatures. New research has uncovered the biological factors involved in keeping cellular structures intact during hibernation—a finding that could eventually be used to preserve human organs prior to transplantation. There’s no question that something needs to be done about the ongoing organ…

Health George Dvorsky

Eruption of Kilauea Volcano Triggers Mandatory Evacuations on Hawaii’s Big Island

The governor of Hawaii has declared a local state of emergency in the vicinity of the Mount Kilauea volcano following an eruption late yesterday on the state’s Big Island. Dramatic video footage of the eruption showed plumes of magma shooting into the air, while lava poured from a fissure that opened up near a residential…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Plants Complain to Their Friends When the Neighborhood Gets Too Crowded

Plants don’t like to be touched. For these immobile organisms, it means they’re likely growing too close to a neighboring plant, and that their access to available sunlight is under threat. New research shows that touch-sensitive plants can communicate a warning message to their related neighbors, advising them to adjust their growth patterns accordingly. Plants…

Tech News George Dvorsky

The First Exoplanet Known to Contain Helium Is a Truly Alien World

In addition to filling balloons at birthday parties, helium can be found scattered throughout the cosmos. To date, however, scientists have struggled to detect the ubiquitous element on distant worlds, even though the gas is certain to be there. But that’s now changed, thanks to the discovery of helium on a Jupiter-sized world located 200…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

This Is the Longest Straight Path You Could Travel on Water Without Hitting Land

Back in 2012, a Reddit user posted a map claiming to show the longest straight line that could be traversed across the ocean without hitting land. Intrigued, a pair of computer scientists have developed an algorithm that corroborates the route, while also demonstrating the longest straight line that can be taken on land. The researchers,…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Lunar Meteorite Found in Africa Points to Ice Beneath the Moon’s Surface

Good news, future lunar colonists! Scientists have discovered traces of moganite in a lunar meteorite that was discovered 13 years ago in Africa. This mineral requires water to form, so its discovery is being taken as potential confirmation that frozen water exists beneath the Moon’s dusty surface. Though it floats teasingly in the sky above…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Stunning Discovery Shows Early Humans Were Hunting Rhinos in the Philippines Over 700,000 Years Ago

Our species, Homo sapiens, weren’t the first humans to leave Africa—not by a long shot. The remarkable discovery of a 709,000-year-old butchered rhino fossil in the Philippines shows that so-called archaic humans were romping around the islands of southeast Asia a full 400,000 years before our species even existed. That premodern humans had made their…

Tech News George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky

Monster 78-Foot Wave Recorded in the Southern Ocean

Oh Great, Boston Dynamics Has Unleashed Its Atlas Robot to the Great Outdoors

And Now the White House Has Climbed Aboard the AI Bandwagon

Genetic Analysis Suggests Squirrels Contributed to the Global Spread of Leprosy

Satellite Analysis Shows North Korea’s 2017 Nuclear Test Literally Moved a Mountain

The Ancient Ancestors of Blue Whales Hunted the Oceans With Surprisingly Sharp Teeth

New York Court Says Chimps Aren’t People—But a Judge Is Not Happy About It

Strong Hurricanes Intensify Faster Now Than They Did in the 1980s

Are Jupiter and Venus Messing With Earth’s Climate?

On This Saturn-Like Exoplanet, the Forecast Always Calls for Clear Skies [Updated]

NASA’s Tiny, Mars-Bound Satellites Have Successfully Signaled Home

There’s No Secret Chamber Behind King Tut’s Tomb, Investigation Concludes

What Scientists Saw When They Put a Crocodile in an MRI Scanner and Played Classical Music

How Hibernating Squirrels Could Ease the Organ Shortage Crisis

Eruption of Kilauea Volcano Triggers Mandatory Evacuations on Hawaii’s Big Island

Plants Complain to Their Friends When the Neighborhood Gets Too Crowded

The First Exoplanet Known to Contain Helium Is a Truly Alien World

This Is the Longest Straight Path You Could Travel on Water Without Hitting Land

Lunar Meteorite Found in Africa Points to Ice Beneath the Moon’s Surface

Stunning Discovery Shows Early Humans Were Hunting Rhinos in the Philippines Over 700,000 Years Ago

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

INIU Portable Power Bank Is Small in Size and Smaller in Price for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (45W, 10,000mAh)

Humans Were Already Dog People 16,000 Years Ago, DNA Suggests

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