George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

Proposed FDA Guidelines Remind Us How Terrible Tanning Booths Are For Our Health

The US Food and Drug Administration is proposing that minors be restricted from using tanning beds, and that adults sign a waiver acknowledging the risks. Given similar guidelines elsewhere in the world, and in consideration of the many health risks involved, these measures are long overdue. Under the proposed guidelines, tanning beds would be outlawed…

Health George Dvorsky

King Tut’s Mask is Back On Display Following That Botched Repair Attempt

King Tut’s iconic burial mask was damaged in 2014 during a failed attempt to reattach the mask’s beard with glue. Now, after a $110,000 restoration, the iconic relic has been put back on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. To quickly recap, the Egyptian Museum admitted last year that members of its staff accidentally…

Tech News George Dvorsky

The Most Futuristic Predictions That Came True in 2015

It’s time to reflect on the most futuristic breakthroughs and developments of the past year. This year’s crop features a slew of remarkable scientific and technological achievements, from an actual working hoverboard to cyborgized brains. Here are 18 predictions that finally came true in 2015. AI Warnings Went Prime Time Artificial intelligence isn’t a threat…

Artificial Intelligence George Dvorsky

This Chart of Every Execution in US History Shows How Capital Punishment Has Changed

Time Magazine has put together an eye-popping chart showing every execution performed in the United States since 1770, and how each deed was done. The interactive chart, which can be found here, was compiled by Chris Wilson with help from Emily Maltby and Lon Tweeten. When browsing the chart, mouseover actions call up the figures…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Astronomers Have Predicted an Exploding Star’s Appearance For the First Time Ever

Stars explode on a fairly regular basis, but they’re virtually impossible to predict. Now, for the first time ever, astronomers have captured an image of supernova they knew was coming. Here’s how they did it. It may sound weird, but this is the third time that astronomers have observed this particular supernova. Owing to a…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Why Expectant Mothers Shouldn’t Panic About Taking Antidepressants

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that women who take antidepressants during the mid-to-late stages of their pregnancy experience an 87% increased risk of having a child diagnosed with autism. Here’s what the study actually found and why there’s no immediate cause for alarm. Pregnant women who…

Health George Dvorsky

This Mesmerizing Simulation Shows How Americans Spend a Typical Day

When it comes to a “typical” day, most of us are too wrapped up in our own routines to think about what others might be doing. Thankfully, this fascinating visualization by statistician Nathan Yau shows exactly how America runs—right down to the minute. This simulation can be found at FlowingData, and it captures the representative…

Tech News George Dvorsky

New XPrize Encourages Robotic Ocean Exploration

We know surprisingly little about our oceans. To help with this glaring blind spot, the XPrize has announced a new $7 million contest to foster innovations in ocean exploration technology. Announced today at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, the $7 million award will incentivize teams to create solutions that…

Tech News George Dvorsky

A Single Typo Nearly Killed the Paris Climate Accord

Hours before the historic Paris climate accord was to be ratified in a final vote, someone noticed that a word had been changed in the final draft of the text—a single word that threatened to derail the entire deal. As reported in the Washington Post, someone changed the word “should” to “shall.” Now, it seems…

Climate Change George Dvorsky

A Large Asteroid Will Zoom Past Earth on Christmas Eve

Fresh off the heels of Spooky the Halloween Asteroid comes news of yet another celestial object coming to pay us a visit during an important calendar event. But have no fear, this space rock won’t be the Grinch that annihilated Christmas. Asteroid 2003 SD220, also known as asteroid 163899, is scheduled to make its closest…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Electron “Lifespan” is at Least 5 Quintillion Times the Age of the Universe

Basic physics suggests that electrons are essentially immortal. A fascinating experiment recently failed to overthrow this fundamental assumption. But the effort has produced a revised minimum lifespan for electrons: 60,000 yottayears, which is — get this — about five-quintillion times the current age of the Universe. That’s a Yotta Years An electron is the lightest…

Physics & Chemistry George Dvorsky

For the First Time Ever, a Rover Has Ventured Onto a Martian Sand Dune

NASA’s Curiosity rover has boldly gone where no robotic probe has gone before: a Martian sand dune. NASA’s probe is currently exploring a section of the “Bagnold Dunes,” which is located along the northwestern flank of Mount Sharp. It’s the first time in history that a robotic probe has studied a Martian sand dune up…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Fires Caused These Massive Plumes of Carbon Monoxide to Appear Over Indonesia

Tens of thousands of wildfires ravaged Indonesia in September and October. A sizable portion of these blazes was smoldering subterranean peat fires, which sent toxic gas and particulate matter into the atmosphere. This new map shows the extensive spread of one particularly nasty gas: carbon monoxide. Wildfires in Indonesia are particularly troublesome. Unlike “conventional” forest…

Health George Dvorsky

Could There Be Massive Planets in the Far Reaches of Our Solar System?

A pair of new studies claim to have discovered two of the most distant objects ever seen in the outer reaches of the Solar System, including a “Super Earth” located six times further away than Pluto. It’s an extraordinary claim — and it’s also highly unlikely. Before we dive in, it’s important to point out…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

What Would a Futuristic Low-Carbon Tech World Actually Look Like?

Let’s face it, if we’re going to save the planet from ourselves, we’re going to have to develop cleaner technologies. Here’s what the future has in store once we make the transition to a high-tech, low-carbon world. Our world is steadily transitioning to a low-carbon economy. And it’s not just because of climate change. Other…

Climate Change George Dvorsky

The FDA Just Approved Transgenic Chickens That Make Medicine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the thumbs up to a genetically modified chicken that produces a drug in its eggs. It’s the latest addition to a growing area in medicine known as “farmaceuticals.” The drug is called Kanuma, or sebelipase alfa, and it’s used to treat a rare and devastating disease known…

Tech News George Dvorsky

These Are the First Puppies Ever Produced By In Vitro Fertilization

In vitro fertilization for humans has been around since the late 1970s, but the same can’t be said for our canine companions. But now, after decades of research, scientists have finally produced the first live, healthy puppies from frozen embryos. The seven healthy puppies, brought to life by a team of researchers from the Smithsonian…

Tech News George Dvorsky

FDA Approves Device That Can Plug Gunshot Wounds in 15 Seconds

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the use of the XSTAT 30—an innovative sponge-filled gunshot wound dressing device—for use in the general population. Approved last year for battlefield use, the device can plug a gunshot wound in just 15 seconds. The XSTAT Rapid Hemostasis System is an expandable, multi-sponge dressing that’s used to…

Tech News George Dvorsky

French Scientist Claims the “Real” Mona Lisa Is Hidden Underneath the Famous Painting

After a decade of work, French scientist Pascal Cotte claims there are hidden portraits underneath the Mona Lisa—including one of a distinctly different woman. Art experts are skeptical. As the BBC reports, Cotte used a technique called Layer Amplification Method (LAM) to analyze the da Vinci masterpiece, which was painted between 1503 and 1517. After…

Tech News George Dvorsky

A Fifth of Americans Say They’re “Almost Constantly” Online

A new poll by the Pew Research Center is affirming something most of us already know: Americans are spending an increasing amount of time on the internet—and 21 percent of us now report being online pretty much all the time. The Pew Research Center says this is the first time that the response “almost constantly”…

Tech News George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky

Proposed FDA Guidelines Remind Us How Terrible Tanning Booths Are For Our Health

King Tut’s Mask is Back On Display Following That Botched Repair Attempt

The Most Futuristic Predictions That Came True in 2015

This Chart of Every Execution in US History Shows How Capital Punishment Has Changed

Astronomers Have Predicted an Exploding Star’s Appearance For the First Time Ever

Why Expectant Mothers Shouldn’t Panic About Taking Antidepressants

This Mesmerizing Simulation Shows How Americans Spend a Typical Day

New XPrize Encourages Robotic Ocean Exploration

A Single Typo Nearly Killed the Paris Climate Accord

A Large Asteroid Will Zoom Past Earth on Christmas Eve

Electron “Lifespan” is at Least 5 Quintillion Times the Age of the Universe

For the First Time Ever, a Rover Has Ventured Onto a Martian Sand Dune

Fires Caused These Massive Plumes of Carbon Monoxide to Appear Over Indonesia

Could There Be Massive Planets in the Far Reaches of Our Solar System?

What Would a Futuristic Low-Carbon Tech World Actually Look Like?

The FDA Just Approved Transgenic Chickens That Make Medicine

These Are the First Puppies Ever Produced By In Vitro Fertilization

FDA Approves Device That Can Plug Gunshot Wounds in 15 Seconds

French Scientist Claims the “Real” Mona Lisa Is Hidden Underneath the Famous Painting

A Fifth of Americans Say They’re “Almost Constantly” Online

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’

Did AMD Just Make the Best CPU for Gamers and Creators?

AI Just One-Shotted Another CEO

6 Magic School Anime and Manga to Discover Instead of Thinking About ‘Harry Potter’ Ever Again

Unprecedented Images Show Sperm Whales Acting as Midwives to Help a Mom Give Birth

‘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

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