George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

New Evidence Suggests Link Between Mosquito-Borne Virus and Birth Defects

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are raising the alarm about a potential link between a mosquito-borne virus called Zika and a dramatic increase in Brazilian babies born with microcephaly—a rare condition that results in abnormally small heads. Since October 2015, 3,530 babies have been born with microcephaly in Brazil. During…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Why We Become Such Assholes When We’re Behind the Wheel

I hate being tailgated. Once, I surprised the hell out of myself when I initiated an exceptionally dangerous game of tit-for-tat with an offending tailgater that involved high speeds and some rather dangerous cutting-off maneuvers. After a few minutes, I snapped out of it and let the driver go. But the incident rattled me. That…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Thanks to El Niño, Rare Tropical Storms Signal a Wacky Start to 2016

For the first time since records began, two tropical storms—one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific—have appeared at the same time in January. Named Alex and Pali, these storms are being fueled by unusually warm surface waters. On their own, these early storms are rare occurrences. But the fact that they’re appearing at…

Climate Change George Dvorsky

Rock Rings Reveal Surprising New Insights About North America’s Climate Past

By studying growth rings inside of rocks, researchers from Berkeley have devised a new technique for measuring long term changes to climate and precipitation—and this new technique is already revealing new insights into North America’s climate history. When tracking geological changes over time, scientists typically source ice cores, lake and ocean sediments, and the interior…

Climate Change George Dvorsky

Sunken Bronze Age Settlement Is the ‘Pompeii’ of Britain

Archaeologists in Britain have uncovered the charred remains of a 3,000-year-old stilted wooden structure that plunged into the river after it caught fire. The remarkably well-preserved roundhouse is offering an unprecedented glimpse into what domestic life was like during the Bronze Age. This remarkable settlement in East Anglia was occupied at the end of the…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Mysterious Wow! Signal Came From Comets, Not Aliens, Claims Scientist

In 1977, astronomer Jerry R. Ehman observed a data signal so unique he drew a red circle around it and wrote “Wow!” to emphasize the discovery. The source of the signal was never identified, leading some to say it was aliens. But a new study suggests it wasn’t aliens at all—but rather a hydrogen cloud…

Tech News George Dvorsky

A Massive Solar Power Plant Is Taking Shape in the Sahara Desert

Construction for the first phase of Morocco’s Noor 1 power plant is nearing completion. Once complete in 2020, the solar farm will be the largest of its kind in the world. But even now, the plant’s half-million solar mirrors are already visible from space. There’s no question that solar power is the future, an energy…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Researchers Can Now Grow Fallopian Tubes in the Lab

Researchers in Germany have have grown the innermost layer of human fallopian tubes in a lab. The new technique is offering fresh insights into this essential component of the female reproductive system, while also hinting at potential new directions for the treatment of various reproductive disorders. The fallopian tubes, or oviducts, play a crucial role…

Tech News George Dvorsky

A Fossilized Ancient Ant Queen Emerges From a 46-Million-Year-Old Rock

This fossil of an ancient winged ant queen was recently discovered along the banks of the Flathead River in Montana. It’s the first of its kind ever discovered, and it’s forcing scientists to rethink when these creatures first appeared on Earth. Called Crematogaster aurora, it’s a species of ant that lived in Montana 46 million…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Diabolical Falcons Trap Living Birds in Rocks For Future Meals

A team of ornithologists were working on a small Moroccan island when they observed some rather bizarre behavior in adult falcons. The raptors appeared to be imprisoning tiny birds in the crevasses of rocks in an effort to keep them fresh for a later meal. As reported in New Scientist, University of Rabat ornithologist Abdeljebbar…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Can You Spot the Imposter Bug?

Redditor muppaphone was forced to do a double take earlier this week while browsing through the insect collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. We see what they did there. Apparently this is a thing. As a number of Reddit commenters have pointed out, clever museum gags like this one are quite common. [Laughing…

Tech News George Dvorsky

NASA’s New Photos Bring Pluto’s Surface Into Sharp Focus

Combining data from two instruments on board the New Horizons spacecraft, NASA scientists have produced a detailed composite image of Pluto’s Viking Terra region. NASA has also released a photo of the Sputnik Planum region which it says is the sharpest view yet of the Plutonian surface. To make this image of Viking Terra, scientists…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

A Traffic Camera Captured This Gorgeous Shot of a Snowy Owl in Flight

Traffic cameras aren’t really known for taking particularly interesting images of the local wildlife (or anything interesting for that matter), but as this jaw-dropping photo attests, sometimes the nature comes to you. The image, one of three jaw-dropping frames captured on January 3, 2016, shows the owl in flight, spreading its white and black-spotted wings…

Tech News George Dvorsky

New Evidence Suggests Human Beings Are a Geological Force of Nature

For years, the term “Anthropocene” has been used to informally describe the human era on Earth. But new evidence suggests there’s nothing informal about it. We’re a true force of nature — and there’s good reason to believe we’ve sparked a new and unprecedented geological epoch. A team of international geoscientists say the time has…

Climate Change George Dvorsky

Geologists Found a Rock That’s ‘Older Than Earth’ in the Australian Outback

Geologists working in Australia have recovered a primordial meteorite that fell to Earth this past November. Using an extensive camera system and some pretty sophisticated math, the researchers recovered the 4.5-billion-year-old rock just moments before heavy rains would have washed it away. The meteorite, which fell to Earth on November 27, 2015, was witnessed by…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Users Are Suing Fitbit Over Inaccurate Heart Monitors

Just days after its shares dropped a whopping 18%, Fitbit just took another big hit. The wearables company has been slapped with a class-action lawsuit alleging that its heart rate monitoring technology is inaccurate, and that the company is knowingly misleading users. A trio of users launched the lawsuit and claim that Fitbit’s PurePulse heart…

Tech News George Dvorsky

See Curiosity Cruise Around Gigantic Martian Dunes in These Stunning New Panoramas

NASA’s Curiosity rover is currently investigating a chain of Martian sand dunes, offering an unprecedented glimpse of these dynamic—but strangely familiar—features. Over the past several weeks, Curiosity has been investigating the Bagnold Dunes, a series of dark sand dunes that run across the northwestern flank of Mt. Sharp. These dunes are considered “true” dunes because…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Newly Discovered Worm’s Mouth Morphs Into Five Radically Different Shapes

A German research team recently discovered what they thought were five distinct species of nematode worms on account of significant facial differences. But it turns out they’re a single species of worm—a fascinating creature that changes the shape of its mouth depending on what food is available. The newly described nematode worm, a roundworm dubbed…

Tech News George Dvorsky

This Is What the Historic Flooding of the Mississippi River Looks Like

Unusually heavy rainfall and severe storms in parts of Missouri and Illinois late last month are now causing the Mississippi River to surge, threatening a number of communities with severe flooding. Between December 26 and December 28, 2015, some six inches of rain fell on 50- to 75-mile-wide region of middle America. Some areas recorded…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Gene-Editing, Aliens, and More: Experts Identify the Most Exciting Science of 2016

Each year, Edge.org editor John Brockman poses a provocative question to a select group of thinkers. For this year’s installment, nearly 200 brainy contributors were asked: “What do you consider the most recent scientific news?” Here’s what they had to say. As Brockman notes, “We now live in a world in which the rate of…

Tech News George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky

New Evidence Suggests Link Between Mosquito-Borne Virus and Birth Defects

Why We Become Such Assholes When We’re Behind the Wheel

Thanks to El Niño, Rare Tropical Storms Signal a Wacky Start to 2016

Rock Rings Reveal Surprising New Insights About North America’s Climate Past

Sunken Bronze Age Settlement Is the ‘Pompeii’ of Britain

Mysterious Wow! Signal Came From Comets, Not Aliens, Claims Scientist

A Massive Solar Power Plant Is Taking Shape in the Sahara Desert

Researchers Can Now Grow Fallopian Tubes in the Lab

A Fossilized Ancient Ant Queen Emerges From a 46-Million-Year-Old Rock

Diabolical Falcons Trap Living Birds in Rocks For Future Meals

Can You Spot the Imposter Bug?

NASA’s New Photos Bring Pluto’s Surface Into Sharp Focus

A Traffic Camera Captured This Gorgeous Shot of a Snowy Owl in Flight

New Evidence Suggests Human Beings Are a Geological Force of Nature

Geologists Found a Rock That’s ‘Older Than Earth’ in the Australian Outback

Users Are Suing Fitbit Over Inaccurate Heart Monitors

See Curiosity Cruise Around Gigantic Martian Dunes in These Stunning New Panoramas

Newly Discovered Worm’s Mouth Morphs Into Five Radically Different Shapes

This Is What the Historic Flooding of the Mississippi River Looks Like

Gene-Editing, Aliens, and More: Experts Identify the Most Exciting Science of 2016

Why ‘For All Mankind’ Season 5 Is the Key to the Rest of the Series

ASUS ZenScreen 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor Is Now Cheaper Than Black Friday in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Early Wildfires Are Surging Across the US—and Trump’s New Fire Agency Isn’t Ready

INIU Brings Another Power Bank to the Spring Sale as SnapGo Keychain Portable Charger Drops to Its Lowest Price

Attorney Hit With Historic Fine for Citing AI-Generated Cases

Travelers Experiencing the Longest Security Lines in TSA History

Could There Be a ‘Project Hail Mary’ Sequel?

Meta Has More Smart Glasses Coming Whether You Want Them or Not

Apple Requires Device-Level Age Verification in the UK Now. Could the US Be Next?

Astronomers Say Recent Rash of Meteor Sightings ‘Warrants Serious Investigation’

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