George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

This Piece of Paper Can Diagnose Zika Incredibly Fast

Researchers have demonstrated a paper-based device that can detect the Zika virus within two to three hours. It’s affordable, effective, and practical for widespread use—particularly in countries with underdeveloped healthcare infrastructures. As the Zika virus continues to ravage parts of South and Central America, healthcare workers are having a hard time knowing who’s infected and…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 6 '16

We’re Totally Wrong About Why Babies Make Funny Faces

Newborn infants are supposed to be capable of imitating our facial expressions, like sticking out our tongues and opening our mouths. A new study in Current Biology suggests there’s no actual imitating going on—and that it’s all in our heads. Parents are just going to have to accept the fact that this long-held truism about…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 6 '16

Mesmerizing Animation Shows Which Countries Sent the Most Immigrants to the US Since 1820

Immigration is a hot topic in the United States right now, thanks in part to a rather blustery presidential candidate. But as this animated map created by Metrocosm reminds us, migrants have been a defining aspect of the U.S. for centuries. This interactive visualization was created by Max Galka, an entrepreneur and data wonk based…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 6 '16

The Best Data Visualizations of the Year Are Absolutely Incredible

The winners of the inaugural Data Stories Competition, which highlights some of the most creative and fascinating scientific data visualizations of the past year, have just been announced. Sponsored by the Advancement of Science (AAAS), entries ranged from planetary science and oceanography to neuroscience and climate change. Three expert judges evaluated the submissions based on…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 5 '16

Artificial Wombs Just Got One Step Closer to Reality

Scientists have sustained human embryos in a petri dish for 13 days, shattering the previous record of nine days. The breakthrough will allow researchers to study early fetal development in unprecedented detail, and brings us one step closer to viable “artificial wombs.” But it’s adding fuel to an already heated ethical debate. Two separate papers…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 5 '16

Spreading Wildfires Spawn Hell on Earth Scenario

The mass exodus from the Fort McMurray area in Alberta has widened as wildfires continue to spread in and around the ravaged oil town. Officials have had to re-evacuate fleeing residents, while relocating its emergency headquarters some 200 miles south of the city. A state of emergency has been declared in the province of Alberta…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 5 '16

Thousands of Homes Destroyed as Wildfires Continue to Ravage Canadian Oil Town

As firefighters continue to battle a devastating wildfire burning inside the city of Fort McMurray, images are starting to emerge about the tremendous scale of the devastation. City officials fear that the entire city could be lost. Over 80,000 residents of Fort McMurray have been displaced by the wildfire, which continues to be fueled by…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 4 '16

Terrifying Wildfires Prompt the Evacuation of an Entire Canadian City

Residents of Fort McMurray, Alberta—home to 83,000 people—have been ordered to leave as an out-of-control wildfire swept into the city. It’s the largest fire evacuation in the province’s history. Fire officials in Fort McMurray are bracing themselves for what will undoubtedly be another challenging day. Fueled by record-breaking temperatures that hit 90 degrees F (32…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 4 '16

Microscopic Tubes Inside Beating Heart Cells Work Like Shock Absorbers

Using state-of-the art microscopy, scientists have peered inside cardiac cells while they beat, revealing tube-like structures that buckle and then snap back into shape, much like shock absorbers. The details now appear in Science. Inside each heart muscle cell are tiny structures called microtubules. Using high-resolution, high-speed microscopes, researchers from Perelman School of Medicine in…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 3 '16

Consciousness Uploading Goes Horribly Wrong in This Creepy New Sci-Fi Short

In this new short written and directed by the Brothers Lynch, a pioneering mind transfer procedure offers a quadriplegic soldier the opportunity to start a new life. Naturally, things don’t go quite as planned. This teaser short, titled Trial, is a miniature version of an intended full-length sci-fi action thriller called Residual. Backed by Creative…

io9 George Dvorsky May 3 '16

Why Your Labrador Retriever Loses Its Mind Around Food

As a breed, labrador retrievers often have serious food-related issues—a behavioral quirk that often leads to over-eating and canine obesity. Researchers have finally figured out why, and the answer could influence the way we treat human obesity. Many years ago, I had a friend who owned a labrador retriever. This dog was constantly begging for…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 3 '16

Gravitational Wave Scientists Win $3 Million For Being Awesome

Earlier this year, scientists confirmed the presence of gravitational waves, a cosmological feature first predicted by Albert Einstein. In recognition of this remarkable achievement, the scientists involved in the study have won the $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize. The Special Breakthrough Prize was created by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner along with several technology pioneers, including…

Physics & Chemistry George Dvorsky May 3 '16

Extreme Heat Will Make Parts of the Middle East and Africa Uninhabitable by 2050

New research shows that temperatures are set to skyrocket in parts of the Middle East and Africa, making human habitation next to impossible. In a region that’s home to 500 million people, that could trigger a climate-exodus of epic proportions. These new climate projections, compiled by researchers from the Max Planck Institute, tell an incredibly…

Climate Change George Dvorsky May 2 '16

The Airplane Seating Arrangement that Triggers ‘Air Rage’

New research shows that the mere presence of a first class cabin on an airplane—plus the added experience of having to shuffle through this cabin while boarding—contributes to “air rage,” both among economy and first class passengers. Air rage typically describes disruptive or violent behavior committed by passengers and airplane crew. Flight attendants often have…

Tech News George Dvorsky May 2 '16

This Stunning Map of Pluto’s Frozen Landscape Is the Most Complete Yet

It’s been eight months since New Horizons made its historic flyby of Pluto, but data keeps on trickling in from the intrepid space probe. Scientists have now produced a new composite map, creating the sharpest and most detailed look at the dwarf planet yet. The updated black-and-white global map of Pluto includes all resolved images…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky May 2 '16

This US Oil Field is Single-Handedly Raising Global Greenhouse Gas Levels

A single shale oil field in the United States is responsible for a significant upsurge in global atmospheric levels of ethane, a dangerous gas that has been linked to climate change and pollution. It’s yet more evidence that fracking is screwing up our planet. Researchers from the University of Michigan have determined that the Bakken…

Climate Change George Dvorsky Apr 29 '16

This Deep Sea Jellyfish Looks Like It Came From Outer Space

Researchers working near the Mariana Trench have captured footage of a jellyfish that boggles the imagination. Earlier this week, researchers working on the NOAA’s ship Okeanos Explorer dispatched their remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer to the Enigma Seamount, a ridge located just west of the Mariana Trench. At a depth of 2.3 miles (3.7 km),…

Tech News George Dvorsky Apr 29 '16

These Are the Most Serious Catastrophic Threats Faced by Humanity

Oxford’s Global Priorities Project has compiled a list of catastrophes—both natural and self-inflicted—that could kill off 10 percent or more of the human population. It’s a real buzzkill of a report and it says that any of these catastrophes could happen within the next five years. Titled “Global Catastrophic Risks 2016,” the report ranks the…

Climate Change George Dvorsky Apr 28 '16

Distant Dwarf Planet Makemake Has Its Very Own Moon

Researchers working with the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a moon in orbit around Makemake, a distant minor-planet that’s about two-thirds the size of Pluto. Discovered in 2005, Makemake (pronounced mak-eh, mak-eh) is one of the brightest and largest objects in the Kuiper Belt. It’s one of several large trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) known to astronomers,…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Apr 28 '16

British Scientists Think Vaping Has ‘Huge Potential’

A new British report concludes that e-cigarettes are a blessing rather than a curse, arguing that the potential health benefits greatly outweigh the risks. It’s a position that runs in stark contrast to the dire warnings put out in the United States. After taking a look at the growing body of scientific evidence, researchers at…

Health George Dvorsky Apr 28 '16

George Dvorsky

This Piece of Paper Can Diagnose Zika Incredibly Fast

We’re Totally Wrong About Why Babies Make Funny Faces

Mesmerizing Animation Shows Which Countries Sent the Most Immigrants to the US Since 1820

The Best Data Visualizations of the Year Are Absolutely Incredible

Artificial Wombs Just Got One Step Closer to Reality

Spreading Wildfires Spawn Hell on Earth Scenario

Thousands of Homes Destroyed as Wildfires Continue to Ravage Canadian Oil Town

Terrifying Wildfires Prompt the Evacuation of an Entire Canadian City

Microscopic Tubes Inside Beating Heart Cells Work Like Shock Absorbers

Consciousness Uploading Goes Horribly Wrong in This Creepy New Sci-Fi Short

Why Your Labrador Retriever Loses Its Mind Around Food

Gravitational Wave Scientists Win $3 Million For Being Awesome

Extreme Heat Will Make Parts of the Middle East and Africa Uninhabitable by 2050

The Airplane Seating Arrangement that Triggers ‘Air Rage’

This Stunning Map of Pluto’s Frozen Landscape Is the Most Complete Yet

This US Oil Field is Single-Handedly Raising Global Greenhouse Gas Levels

This Deep Sea Jellyfish Looks Like It Came From Outer Space

These Are the Most Serious Catastrophic Threats Faced by Humanity

Distant Dwarf Planet Makemake Has Its Very Own Moon

British Scientists Think Vaping Has ‘Huge Potential’

Amazon Offloads DJI Mini 3 Combo at Record Low, RC With Built-In Screen Included

‘Matrix Resurrections’ Lawsuit Ends With a $57 Million Payout for Warner Bros.

Amazon Drops the 4.8-Rated LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle for the Third Time in a Month

LEGO Takes a Hit, Millennium Falcon Set Drops Back to Its All-Time Low on Amazon

iBuyPower’s Trace X Gaming PC Is the Fishbowl You Want to Swim In

Amazon Quietly Offloads Its Dolby Atmos Soundbar With Built-In Subwoofer at a Near Record Low

Govee Ceiling Light Ultra Review: AI Art Ain’t It

FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem

Galaxy Z Fold7 Drops to a Near Record Low as Samsung Clears Stock Ahead of the Fold8

Apple Offloads MacBook Air via Amazon at a Near Record Low, Full Price on the Apple Store

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