George Dvorsky

The Drought Will Put Major Strain On The Western U.S. Power Grid

Drought and extreme heat may significantly increase the risk of power shortages in the Western U.S. unless its utilities adopt “climate-proofing” measures, according to new research. Western regions in the United States are particularly susceptible to climate change. Extreme heat and drought are expected to bring changes in precipitation, air and water temperature, air density,…

The Mysterious Balancing Boulders Of Rosetta’s Comet 

Using the OSIRIS camera aboard the Rosetta spacecraft, ESA scientists have discovered a strange formation of what appears to be balancing boulders on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The three objects are located in the Aker region of the comet. The largest (labelled 3), which measures approximately 100 feet (30 meters) in diameter, appears to be making very…

A Map Showing The “Most Distinctive” Causes Of Death By State

For the most part, the things that kill Americans are fairly consistent from state to state. But as this new map by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clearly shows, not all states are equal when it comes to certain risks. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are among the leading causes of…

A Gorgeously Detailed View Of Antarctica’s Churning Ocean Currents

Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have created a highly detailed visualization showing ocean currents and eddies around the frozen Antarctic continent. The high-res simulation, courtesy of the Lab’s MPAS-Ocean Model, includes 90 million grid cells ranging from 6 to 19 miles (10 to 30 km) in horizontal width. Colors are representative of current…

Watch These Nimble Robotic Arms Perform Surgery On A Grape

Robots are poised to revolutionize surgery, as demonstrated by this astounding—and even touching—promotional video showcasing the da Vinci Surgical System as it sutures a damaged grape. There’s a reason these robotic arms’ actions look human-like. Though it’s referred to as a robot, the system can’t move or operate autonomously; a surgeon is 100% in control.…

New Timelapse Shows The Neptune System As Never Before

Dwarf planets, comets, and asteroids are all the rage these days, but we shouldn’t neglect our Solar System’s outer gas planets and their moons. In this new NASA video, 70 days of Neptunian activity was compressed down to 34 seconds — and the effect is pretty damned cool. The video, which was compiled from 101,580…

Deceptive Photo Makes This Eel Look Taller Than A Double Decker Bus

Fishermen working off the coast of Plymouth in Britain snagged a 7-foot-long (2.1 meters) conger eel by mistake after it got tangled in their nets. Weighing in at just over 133 pounds (59 kg), it’s a near-record catch — but this clever optical illusion makes it look much longer than it really is. As reported…

Behold The First Fully Warm-Blooded Fish Known To Science

Of all the fish in the world, only a few have the capacity to maintain warmth in specific parts of their bodies. But as new research reveals, the deepwater opah has the unprecedented ability to circulate heated blood throughout its entire body, making it the only known fully warm-blooded fish. Top image: Elevated temperature in…

An Artificial Intelligence Is Being Taught To Simulate Anger

Data scientists from New Zealand are teaching an AI to learn anger. Sounds crazy, but the idea is to help companies deal with common customer complaints. Tech firm Touchpoint Group is using machine learning to help its AI system recognize — and even simulate — anger. Called Radiant (a name taken from Isaac Asimov’s Foundation…

Squarepusher’s Trippy New VR Video Puts You In Control Of The View

UK-based electronic musician Tom Jenkinson — a.k.a. Squarepusher — has released a highly entertaining, and at times bizarre, fully immersive virtual reality video for “Stor Eiglass,” the latest single from his new album, Damogen Furies. In the video, you take on the POV of a headless woman as she ventures through a fantastically surreal environment…

To Escape Predators, Trap-Jaw Ants Turn Their Face Into Pogo Sticks

Scientists have shown that body-flinging escape jumps by trap-jaw ants are more than just a neat insectoid party trick. As its name implies, the trap-jaw ant has an incredibly powerful chomp. As they bite down, their mandibles travel at an astonishing rate of 130 feet per second (40 m/s), with a total elapsed time of…

A Map Of Colonial Africa Just Before The Outbreak Of World War I

By the turn of the 20th Century, Africa had been invaded, occupied, and colonized by several European nations. This wonderful map by redditor whiplashoo21 shows how the Scramble for Africa divided the Dark Continent. Image credit: whiplashoo21. European powers were slow to realize the benefits of grabbing African territories, but once the mad rush to…

Watch This Volcano Erupt As People Stand Just A Few Feet Away

Yikes, that’s a little too close for comfort. Nicaragua’s Telica volcano began erupting late last week, hurling hot rocks, ash, and gas into the air. The Nicaraguan Geological Institute has since recorded dozens of small eruptions, none of them posing any kind of threat to local inhabitants. No evacuation has been ordered. That said, the…

Popular Exercises To Avoid At All Costs—Unless You Do Them Right

Many popular exercises are performed incorrectly, often by people who probably shouldn’t be attempting them in the first place. This can result in injuries and futility at the gym. We talked to the experts to find out which exercises are the most problematic, and how to do them correctly. Illustration by Tara Jacoby When it…

A Strange Underwater Landslide Causes Serious Damage In Norway

This past weekend, a rare underwater landslide in the town of Sørkjosen, Norway, resulted in extensive damage to a wharf, some buildings, and a sea wall. Local authorities have shut down a major road for fear it too could be sucked into the sea, resulting in a 435-mile (700-km) detour. As reported in the American…

A Remarkable Direct Image Of A Nearby Super-Jupiter

You’re looking at the closest exoplanet ever directly imaged from Earth. To date, astronomers have catalogued nearly 2,000 extrasolar planets. Of these, a precious few have actually been photographed. That red blotch you see above is now the closest exoplanet for which a direct image and spectrum has been obtained. Typically, exoplanets are observed indirectly…

Cornell University’s Institute for Pale Blue Dots has a new name. Now called the Carl Sagan Institute: Pale Blue Dot and Beyond, the multidisciplinary research institute is dedicated to investigating the life-harboring potential of other planets, and to acquiring a richer understanding of our own. Image: Jason Koski/University Photography

NASA Is Considering The Use Of Soft Robotic Squids To Explore Europa

NASA has chosen its next batch of proposals under its advanced concepts program, including the use of soft-robotic rovers for exploring gas-giant moons, and autonomous robots capable of crawling, hopping, and rolling around the surface of the Moon. Under Phase I of NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, selected participants are given $100,000 to fund…

Many Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummies Aren’t What They Appear To Be

An extensive scanning project has revealed that about one-third of all ancient Egyptian animal mummies are devoid of animal remains, and are instead bundles of cloth filled with mud, sticks, and reeds. As reported in the BBC, the scanning project, in which more than 800 animal mummies were analyzed with X-rays and CT scans, was…

19th Century Schooner Uncovered At Toronto’s Historic Waterfront

In preparation for construction work, a routine archaeological dig at the site of Toronto’s former waterfront has resulted in the discovery of a 200-year-old schooner. It’s one of the oldest ships ever found in the city. The remains of the schooner, which may date back to the 1830s, were found at a Concord Adex construction…