George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

How Apples Sparked an Evolutionary Domino Effect Among Insects

When it comes to the emergence of new lifeforms, we typically think of a single species evolving into another. But as a new study of fruit flies and parasitic wasps demonstrates, the emergence of a new species can set off a domino effect that, in this case, creates not one, but several new species. An…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Watch the First Footage of the Planet’s Most Elusive Whale

An international team of marine biologists has made the first-ever field observations of rare Omura’s whales—one of the least known species of whales in the world — while working off the coast of Madagascar. Omura’s whales are so rare that scientists are not sure exactly how many exist. “Over the years, there have been a…

Tech News George Dvorsky

This Extinct Species is Changing What We Know About Early Ape Evolution

Meet Pliobates catalonia, an extinct species of ape that roamed the jungles of Catalonia some 11.5 million years ago. Because of this ancient creature’s many surprising physical characteristics, researchers are having to revise their conceptions of what the last common ancestor of all living apes—humans included—might have looked like. Pliobates lived long after a time…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Astronomers Have Discovered a Previously Unknown Feature of the Milky Way

Using the VISTA telescope, astronomers in Chile have discovered a previously undetected band of young stars hidden away behind thick clouds of dust in the central bulge of the Milky Way. Sometimes observation leads to some unforeseen discoveries, as in the case of this study. Our Solar System is parked inside the Milky Way, which…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Ancient Greek Warrior’s Tomb Yields Eye-Popping Treasures

An American husband-and-wife team working in Greece has uncovered the 3,500-year-old remains of a prominent ancient warrior who was buried alongside an assortment of riches. It’s being called the most important discovery made in continental Greece in over 65 years. The undisturbed tomb, found in southwestern Greece by University of Cincinnati archaeologists Sharon Stocker and…

Tech News George Dvorsky

That So-Called Alien Megastructure Could Just Be a Distorted Star

The Kepler Space Telescope recently picked up unprecedented flickering behavior from a distant star, leading to speculation that—among other things—it might be an alien megastructure. Now, some astronomers are saying it might just be caused by a rapidly spinning and irregularly shaped star. Star KIC 8462852—recently dubbed “Tabby’s Star”—is emitting a transit signature that defies…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Theranos CEO Agrees to Publish Data Proving Reliability of Its Blood Tests

Elizabeth Holmes, the beleaguered founder-and-chief of Theranos, has agreed to publish scientific data that will supposedly affirm the accuracy and reliability of its blood tests. But as a recent FDA inspection report points out, things don’t look good. Theranos, the makers of an innovative needle-free blood test, has been under intense scrutiny since the recent…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Incredible Video Shows an Orca Whale Hurling a Seal 80 Feet Into the Air

A film crew working off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia, has captured remarkable footage of a transient killer whale using its tail to launch a Pacific harbor seal some 80 feet (20 meters) into the air. The footage was captured by Mike Walker, owner of Roll.Focus.Productions, who was filming a promotional video for a…

Tech News George Dvorsky

How to Watch This Week’s Rare Conjunction of Venus, Mars and Jupiter

Over the next several nights, skywatchers will be treated to a cool celestial sight as Venus, Mars, and Jupiter hang out together in the morning sky. Here’s what you need to know about the rare conjunction and how to watch. From now until the first week of November, the brightest planets in the night sky—Venus,…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Panic Over Processed Meats Causing Cancer

A startling report by an international team of scientists suggests that processed meats like hotdogs and bacon are a definite cause of cancer, while red meat is a probable cause. Here’s what this means to your health and why you have no reason to panic. Eating processed meats like hotdogs, sausages, and bacon causes bowel…

Health George Dvorsky

Approaching Zero: How West Africa is Crushing the Ebola Epidemic

The West African Ebola outbreak is finally starting to approach manageable levels, after nearly 18 excruciating months and over 11,000 lost lives. Here’s what the current situation on the ground looks like and how the battle against Ebola finally might be won. This is the largest and longest Ebola outbreak in human history. At its…

Tech News George Dvorsky

These Are Some of the Most Ancient and Distant Galaxies Ever Discovered—And They’re Glorious

It’s time to update your desktop wallpaper, folks. The Hubble Space Telescope has captured some of the most remarkable images ever seen of the faintest and earliest known galaxies in the Universe. Using a technique called gravitational lensing—a phenomenon whereby intense gravitational forces can be leveraged as a kind of cosmic-scale magnifying glass—an international team…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

The Plague Has Been Around For a Lot Longer Than We Thought

The Black Death wiped out nearly half the population of Europe during the 14th Century, a blight that swept through the continent in the gut of fleas. But a new analysis of ancient human DNA shows that the dreaded bacteria emerged at least 3,000 years before the first plague pandemic—a time before it mutated into…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Rare Nazi Enigma Machine Smashes Record at Auction

An exceptionally rare and fully-functional Nazi Enigma M4 enciphering machine used during the Second World War has sold for a whopping $365,000, setting a new world record at auction. The item, sold yesterday at Bonham’s “Conflicts of the 20th Century” event, went to an unnamed private collector. At $365,000, it’s the single largest sum ever…

Tech News George Dvorsky

The Makers of That “Miracle” Needle-Free Blood Test Are On The Defensive

Theranos seemed to be offering a miraculous new service: a single finger pinprick could yield the results of up to 200 different blood tests. But a scathing report in the The Wall Street Journal punctured these claims. Now Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has come to her company’s defense. https://gizmodo.com/every-walgreens-is-about-to-offer-cheap-painless-blood-1660078785 The California-based health-tech firm, valued at…

Tech News George Dvorsky

These Star-Crossed Stellar Lovers Are Heading for a Disaster of Cosmic Proportions

Behold VFTS 352, the hottest and most massive “overcontact binary” star system ever discovered. The two stars, which are so close that they’re touching, feature a combined mass 57 times that of our Sun. Astronomers say it’s a unique stellar relationship that will culminate in a rather dramatic finish. This unusually large contact binary was…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Satellite Images Reveal a Massive 60 Million-Ton Avalanche in Canada

Early last week, around 45 megatons of ice and rock plunged down the southeast flank of Mount Steele in Canada’s Yukon Territory. The avalanche, which occurred in a remote and unpopulated area, was so large that it was initially detected by earthquake seismometers. The Mount Steele avalanche happened on October 12 and was detected by…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Gene-Edited Dogs With Jacked-Up Muscles Are a World’s First

Researchers in China are reportedly the first to use a powerful gene editing tool to produce super-muscled dogs. The goal is to create test subjects that mimic degenerative human diseases, but the breakthrough also raises the prospect of customized pets. A cheap and powerful gene editing technique called CRISPR is taking the science world by…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Unexpected Asteroid to Zip Past Earth On Halloween

We can expect a totally different kind of trick-or-treater this coming Halloween. A rather large asteroid—discovered less than three weeks ago—is set to to fly past the Earth at a distance not seen in nearly a decade. The asteroid, dubbed 2015 TB145, was discovered on October 10 by astronomers using the Pan-STARRS telescope. The object…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Chemistry Lab Found Hidden Behind Wall

Conservators working at the University of Virginia’s Rotunda have inadvertently uncovered a chemical hearth designed by Thomas Jefferson. The discovery is offering fresh insights into how chemistry was taught over 200 years ago. The iconic Rotunda, constructed in 1826, is located on The Lawn of the original grounds of the University of Virginia and is…

Tech News George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky

How Apples Sparked an Evolutionary Domino Effect Among Insects

Watch the First Footage of the Planet’s Most Elusive Whale

This Extinct Species is Changing What We Know About Early Ape Evolution

Astronomers Have Discovered a Previously Unknown Feature of the Milky Way

Ancient Greek Warrior’s Tomb Yields Eye-Popping Treasures

That So-Called Alien Megastructure Could Just Be a Distorted Star

Theranos CEO Agrees to Publish Data Proving Reliability of Its Blood Tests

Incredible Video Shows an Orca Whale Hurling a Seal 80 Feet Into the Air

How to Watch This Week’s Rare Conjunction of Venus, Mars and Jupiter

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Panic Over Processed Meats Causing Cancer

Approaching Zero: How West Africa is Crushing the Ebola Epidemic

These Are Some of the Most Ancient and Distant Galaxies Ever Discovered—And They’re Glorious

The Plague Has Been Around For a Lot Longer Than We Thought

Rare Nazi Enigma Machine Smashes Record at Auction

The Makers of That “Miracle” Needle-Free Blood Test Are On The Defensive

These Star-Crossed Stellar Lovers Are Heading for a Disaster of Cosmic Proportions

Satellite Images Reveal a Massive 60 Million-Ton Avalanche in Canada

Gene-Edited Dogs With Jacked-Up Muscles Are a World’s First

Unexpected Asteroid to Zip Past Earth On Halloween

Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Chemistry Lab Found Hidden Behind Wall

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