George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

Trump’s Border Wall Could Threaten More Than a Hundred Endangered Species, Ecologist Warns

It looks like President Donald Trump might get his stupid wall after all. Last week, the House approved a $1.6 billion spending bill that funds the construction of a “contiguous and impassable wall” along the Mexican border, and just yesterday the Department of Homeland security issued an environmental waiver to expedite border construction projects in…

Tech News George Dvorsky Aug 2 '17

This 10-Hour Video of Planet Earth Cityscapes Is Strangely Hypnotic

In what is now the sixth installment of a stunning and weirdly addictive series, the BBC has released 10 full hours of video shot during the filming of the Planet Earth II “Cities” episode. The beauty of this video, aside from the sheer volume of it all, is that it’s delivered without any commentary and…

Sploid George Dvorsky Aug 1 '17

Signs of Alzheimer’s Detected in Brains of Chimps For First Time

Humans are the only animals known to develop Alzheimer’s disease, an age-related brain disorder that causes impaired cognitive functioning and other behavioral problems. Or at least, that’s what we thought. For the first time ever, researchers are claiming to have found signs of the disease in the brains of elderly chimps—a discovery that could yield…

Tech News George Dvorsky Aug 1 '17

Magnificent Sandstone Statue Uncovered Near Legendary Cambodian Temple

Describing it as something that only happens in the movies, a team of Cambodian archaeologists have uncovered an 800-year-old sandstone statue weighing 440 pounds. Experts say it’s the most significant statue to be discovered in the famous archaeological site of Angkor Park in years. Archaeologists and looters have been sifting through the dirt of Cambodia’s…

Tech News George Dvorsky Aug 1 '17

Freaky New Sea Snake Has a Terrifying Hunting Strategy

A new subspecies of sea snake has been discovered off the coast of Costa Rica, and it’s got a unique hunting style that’s never been seen before in aquatic reptiles. Hanging from the surface like a coiled spring, it preys upon unsuspecting fish as they swim below. As described in the science journal ZooKeys, the…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 31 '17

New Technique Creates Stunning 3D Images of Live Insects

When taking high-resolution 3D scans of insects, scientists typically have to kill their test subjects, which isn’t always ideal. By taking advantage of an insect’s ability to survive oxygen-poor conditions, scientists have now used carbon dioxide to keep bugs in a state of suspended animation for upwards of seven hours at a time—and with no…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 31 '17

FDA Considering Forcing Companies to Reduce Nicotine in Cigarettes to Non-Addictive Levels

In an effort to reduce tobacco-related disease and death, the US Food and Drug Administration says it’s considering a plan to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes—a major regulatory shift that’s already causing turmoil for conventional cigarettes companies at the stock market. Announced earlier today, the FDA’s new regulatory plan places nicotine and the issue of…

Health George Dvorsky Jul 28 '17

Unethical Breeding Is Creating Serious Health Problems for German Shepherds

German Shepherds are among the most popular breeds in the world, but their numbers have started to decline. New research suggests the decreasing demand for German Shepherds may have something to do with the breed’s propensity for health problems—likely the result of selective breeding for cosmetic traits. A relatively recent shift in the way German…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 28 '17

How Scientifically Plausible Is the ‘Simian Flu’ in Planet of the Apes?

The Planet of the Apes prequels did much to explain how humans lost their status as the dominant species on the planet—a cataclysmic set of events fueled by a global pandemic known as the “Simian Flu.” This virus, the product of a medical experiment gone horribly wrong, wiped out the vast majority of humans, but…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 28 '17

Doctors Slam New Recommendation That We Should Stop Antibiotic Treatments Early

Scientists from the UK caused quite a stir this week, when they announced that we don’t necessarily need to complete a full course of antibiotics in order to treat infections properly. It’s a provocative message, but skeptics say their advice is grossly premature—and even reckless. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not caused by putting an early…

Health George Dvorsky Jul 27 '17

This Newly-Discovered Dinosaur Looks Just Like a Modern Day Cassowary

As virtually every school-aged child knows, birds are descended from dinosaurs. But holy toledo, does this newly discovered oviratporid ever look like a modern cassowary—right from the dramatic crest atop its head through to its long neck and ostrich-like shape. The paleontologists who discovered the dino are now studying modern cassowaries to get a better…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 27 '17

Wild Rabbits Caught Hitchhiking on Sheep to Escape Flood

Well here’s something you don’t see everyday—wild rabbits riding on the backs of sheep to flee rising floodwaters. The remarkable scene was captured by a New Zealand farmer who said he’s never witnessed anything quite like it. As reported in the Associated Press, the event was captured by Ferg Horne, 64, on July 22 on…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 26 '17

The Year’s Best Astronomy Photos Will Transport You to Another World

The Royal Observatory Greenwich in the UK has shortlisted its nominees for its annual Insight Astronomer of the Year competition. From stunning aurora and shooting stars through to solar flares and distant nebulae, these images are guaranteed to astound. This competition is now in its ninth year, and it only seems to be getting better.…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Jul 26 '17

Sperm Counts Have Plummeted Among Western Men, Scientists Confirm

Something weird is going on with human sperm production. For decades, scientists have warned that sperm counts are dropping among Western men, but no one has really been able to prove it. In what is now the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, scientists have presented compelling evidence in support of this rather…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 25 '17

How the Dragonfly’s Surprisingly Complex Brain Makes it a Deadly Hunter

Like a baseball player running to make a catch, dragonflies are also capable of predicting the trajectory of a moving object, typically its next meal. New research is revealing the mechanisms behind this complex cognitive task, which was once thought to be exclusive to mammals. It’s hoped that these insights will lead to innovations in…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 25 '17

Even a Tiny Dip in Measles Vaccinations Could Have Disastrous Consequences

Modest reductions in measles vaccination rates among US children are poised to produce an inordinate number of new cases of the disease, while increasing annual public health expenditures by at least $2.1 million, according to new research. “I think our study is a wake-up call for what we can expect in the coming months and…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 24 '17

Hundreds of Sheep Killed After Bear Chases Flock Off 650-Foot Cliff

A lone brown bear is being blamed for a horrifying incident in which 209 panicked sheep plunged off a cliff in the Pyrenees near the border between France and Spain. It’s not the first time this has happened, and local farmers are pissed that brown bears are being reintroduced to the pastoral, mountain region. As…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 24 '17

Antarctica’s Massive Iceberg Is Starting to Disintegrate

Last week, the Larsen C Ice Shelf gave birth to a trillion pound baby, an iceberg now dubbed A68. The latest observations suggest this big berg has moved 1.5 miles from its starting point, and that it’s already starting to crack up. The 5,800-square-kilometer iceberg A68 finally calved on July 12th, and scientists are now closely…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 21 '17

Incredible Self-Folding Robots Work Without Batteries or Wires

Inspired by the traditional Japanese art of origami, self-folding robots can go places and do things traditional robots cannot. A major drawback to these devices, however, has been the need to equip them with batteries or wires. Researchers from Harvard have found a new way to overcome this problem, by designing folding robots that can…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 21 '17

NASA Captures Impossible Glimpse of Kuiper Belt Object Billions of Miles Away

In about a year and a half from now, the New Horizons Spacecraft will whiz past a distant Kuiper Belt object named 2014 MU69. This rocky relic of the ancient Solar System—which is located about four billion miles away—just passed in front of a distant star, resulting in one of the more extraordinary eclipses ever…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Jul 20 '17

George Dvorsky

Trump’s Border Wall Could Threaten More Than a Hundred Endangered Species, Ecologist Warns

This 10-Hour Video of Planet Earth Cityscapes Is Strangely Hypnotic

Signs of Alzheimer’s Detected in Brains of Chimps For First Time

Magnificent Sandstone Statue Uncovered Near Legendary Cambodian Temple

Freaky New Sea Snake Has a Terrifying Hunting Strategy

New Technique Creates Stunning 3D Images of Live Insects

FDA Considering Forcing Companies to Reduce Nicotine in Cigarettes to Non-Addictive Levels

Unethical Breeding Is Creating Serious Health Problems for German Shepherds

How Scientifically Plausible Is the ‘Simian Flu’ in Planet of the Apes?

Doctors Slam New Recommendation That We Should Stop Antibiotic Treatments Early

This Newly-Discovered Dinosaur Looks Just Like a Modern Day Cassowary

Wild Rabbits Caught Hitchhiking on Sheep to Escape Flood

The Year’s Best Astronomy Photos Will Transport You to Another World

Sperm Counts Have Plummeted Among Western Men, Scientists Confirm

How the Dragonfly’s Surprisingly Complex Brain Makes it a Deadly Hunter

Even a Tiny Dip in Measles Vaccinations Could Have Disastrous Consequences

Hundreds of Sheep Killed After Bear Chases Flock Off 650-Foot Cliff

Antarctica’s Massive Iceberg Is Starting to Disintegrate

Incredible Self-Folding Robots Work Without Batteries or Wires

NASA Captures Impossible Glimpse of Kuiper Belt Object Billions of Miles Away

‘Rogue One’ Becomes a True ‘Andor’ Finale With This Fan Project

Amazon Drops This Roborock Robot Vacuum to Less Than Five Hours of a House Cleaner

This Anker Bluetooth Speaker Has 150,000 Reviews and Amazon Just Dropped It to Nearly Its Lowest Price Ever

Seagate Clears Out 22TB Stock at 2 Cents Per GB, Now Cheaper Than a No-Name Drive

Forget Traveling With Multiple Chargers, This Ugreen 65W GaN Block Is Going for Pocket Change

Trump to Reportedly Spend TikTok Settlement Money on His D.C. ‘Beautification’ Goals

Amazon Makes This 7,250 MB/s Gen4 SSD Cheaper Than Last Gen, WD Black Nearly Hits an All-Time Low

This 49-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor Is Now Cheaper Than Two Decent Screens, Samsung Drops the Odyssey G9

DC May Be Ready to Breathe Some Life Into the Deathstroke and Bane Movie

The Dyson Multi-Styler Just Dropped on Amazon, Now Cheaper Than Two Visits to Your Hair Salon

JBL Live 780NC Review: Solid Wireless Headphones You Can Live Without

Acer’s Swift 16 AI (2026) Gets a Lot Right, But I Can’t Get Past the Trackpad

Samsung Galaxy A57 5G Review: Not Worth It at Full Price

Logitech G G512 X Review: The Tasting Menu of a Pro Gaming Keyboard

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone Review: AI Can’t Save This Robot Vacuum

The Best Tech Gifts for Mother’s Day 2026

Asus’ Dual-Display Gaming Laptop Will Ruin Your Single-Screen Lifestyle

Steam Controller Review: Trackpads Change Everything for PC Gaming

Soundcore Space 2 Review: A Shockingly Stellar Value for Budget ANC Wireless Headphones

Anker’s UV Printer Can Handle Almost Anything… If You Know What You’re Doing