George Dvorsky

It Should Be Legal To Hack Your DNA

A group of geneticists has called for a moratorium on research into modifying heritable human DNA — a practice that could lead to so-called “designer babies.” But as scientists consider this drastic proposal, they should also recognize the potential benefits this technology could afford – and the risks of an outright ban. Before we begin,…

Aussie Scientists Say This Is The Largest Asteroid Impact Area On Earth

Measuring 250 miles (400 km) wide, the now-buried crater in Australia was ground zero for a cataclysmic impact that occurred some 300 million years ago. But is it really the largest on Earth? According to a new study published in the geology journal Tectonophysics, the asteroid broke into two before it struck the ground. When…

Currents in the Atlantic Ocean are slowing to dangerous levels. The Gulf Stream system is now weaker than at any time before 1901, likely due to global warming. Climate scientists warn that waning circulation could dramatically change weather in Europe, cause sea level rise along the U.S. East Coast, and impact marine ecosystems. Image: NASA…

Jupiter May Have Destroyed The Solar System’s First Planets

It is becoming increasingly obvious that our Solar System — with its inner collection of small rocky planets and an outer region buffeted by gas planets — is quite uncommon. According to a remarkable new study, the reason may have to do with Jupiter and an ancient migratory journey that kickstarted the destruction of our…

Here’s Your Opportunity To Help Name The Features Of Pluto And Charon

In July, New Horizons will pay a visit to Pluto and Charon. The historic flyby is expected to reveal surface features of these objects in extraordinary detail. Now, NASA and the SETI Institute, along with the International Astronomical Union, want your help naming these features. Image: Artist impression of Pluto and Charon (NASA/New Horizons/SETI Institute)…

Scientists Have Transplanted Mammoth DNA Into Elephant Cells

For the first time in over 3,000 years, the functional components of wooly mammoth DNA have been brought to life (albeit in a petri dish). The achievement represents an important step towards potential efforts to bring the extinct species back. The experiment was performed by accomplished geneticist George Church of Harvard University. To do it,…

The 9 Weirdest Implications Of The Many Worlds Interpretation

According to the Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum physics, we live in an infinite web of alternate timelines. It’s a serious claim that carries some rather serious scientific, philosophical, and existential baggage. And here are the nine weirdest possible implications. Illustration by Tara Jacoby. A few years ago we did an explainer on the Many…

A Secret Nazi Hideout May Have Been Discovered In An Argentine Jungle

A new discovery suggests the Nazis made it further into the jungles of South America than previously realized. A team of Argentine archaeologists say they’ve stumbled upon a secret German lair built by the Nazis during the Second World War. As the Clarin newspaper is reporting, archaeologists from the University of Buenos Aires have discovered…

Molecular Nitrogen On Rosetta Points To The Comet’s Frigid Origins

For the first time ever, scientists have detected molecular nitrogen on a comet. The discovery is sheds light on the nature of the pre-Solar System environment in which Comet 67P/C-G formed. Top photo: Comet 67P/C-G on 14 March 2015 (ESA) Prior to this discovery, nitrogen had only ever been detected bound up in other compounds,…

These 500,000-Year-Old Tools Still Contain Traces Of Animal Fat

Archaeologists working in Israel have made an extraordinary discovery — the earliest instance of Lower Paleolithic-Acheulian stone bifaces and scrapers with the residue of elephant fat still on them. It’s considered an archaeological first. Top image: The flint biface. The blue dots represent the location of the fatty residue. The tools, a flint biface hand…

This Viral Photo Of Yesterday’s Eclipse From Space Is Fake. Duh.

Thousands of people were duped into thinking this image — supposedly taken from the International Space Station — was real.

This Piranha Feeding Frenzy Is The Stuff Of Nightmares

Whoa. This new video showing piranhas being fed in a Brazilian river is absolutely horrifying. As terrifying as this video appears, piranhas are rarely dangerous to humans. But as University of Nevada biology professor Zeb Hogan explains in National Geographic, they can be dangerous if they’re trapped in a backwater without food. And as demonstrated…

Subterranean Lava Tubes Should Be Stable Enough For Future Moon Bases

Scientists speculate that massive underground cavities may exist under the lunar surface. And it turns out these so-called “lava tubes” should also be safe enough for a future moon base, according researchers presenting at this week’s 46th Lunary and Planetary Conference in Texas. It’s going to be tough to keep a colony on the moon,…

Why Whale Songs Are Still One Of Science’s Greatest Mysteries

Humpback whales are renowned for their ability to produce songs of remarkable beauty, complexity, and duration. But despite decades of research, scientists still aren’t sure why these whales engage in such elaborate acoustic displays. Here’s what we know — and have yet to learn — about the humpback whale’s song. Photo: Ethan Daniels/Shutterstock The first…

These Historic American WWII Posters Haven’t Been Seen Since 1954

Grove City College archivist Hilary Walczak recently stumbled upon 175 American propaganda posters locked away in a library cabinet. Dating back to the Second World War, they haven’t been seen since the library opened over 60 years ago. “I found these cabinets,” Walczak is quoted as saying at CBS news. “They were all locked. And…

This Week’s Aurora Was Even More Spectacular From Space

Earlier this week, a particularly powerful geomagnetic storm produced beautiful auroral displays around the globe. But while most people looked up, NASA astronaut Terry Virts was able to catch this extraordinary glimpse from the International Space Station.

An Artist Collaborated With Bees To Create These Amazing Honeycomb Maps

Who needs paint and canvas when you can use bees and honeycombs? Such is the thinking of Chinese artist Ren Ri, whose amazing maps are now on display at Hong Kong’s Pearl Lam Gallery. The sculpture series is called “Yauansu I: The Origin of Geometry.” Yuan means “element,” and su means “mold,” so Yuansu loosely…

Our Planet Just Experienced The Warmest Start To The Year On Record

The climate figures for February are out, and it doesn’t look good. According to a new NOAA report, global average temperature over both land and ocean surfaces for February was the second highest for the month since recordkeeping began. What’s more, we just experienced the warmest year-to-date (Jan-Feb) on record. This, despite the fact that…

Astronomers May Have Detected Rings Around Minor Planet Chiron

Researchers at MIT have detected features around Chiron — a centaur in orbit between Saturn and Uranus — that indicate a ring system, or possibly jets or a shell of dust. If confirmed, it would only be the second minor planet in our Solar System known to host rings. Chiron, more formally known as 2060…

A Robotic Arm So Advanced It Helps To Build Copies Of Itself

Behold the new UR3 robotic arm. Smaller, lighter, and more nimble than its predecessors, the Universal Robot-built arm can be programmed for a wide variety of tasks — including the construction of its own parts. Photo: Universal Robots Based out of Odense, Denmark, Universal Robots has added UR3 to its impressive line of industrial robotic…