George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

These Color Swatches Could Help Us Find Alien Life

For the first time ever, scientists have created a detailed catalogue of color swatches that correspond to nearly 140 known microorganisms, including those that can live in the most extreme environments. Armed with this knowledge, astrobiologists can now scan the atmospheres of distant exoplanets in hopes of finding a match. “This database gives us the…

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MESSENGER’s Latest Shots Of Mercury Are Some Of The Best We’ve Seen

After four years in orbit around Mercury, NASA’s MESSENGER mission is sadly coming to an end. But before it plunges to its doom, mission controllers are taking full advantage of the spacecraft’s close proximity to the surface. Here are some of the most detailed and vivid images ever taken of the Solar System’s innermost planet.…

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Watch This Bipedal Robot Get Hammered With Dodgeballs

Introducing ATRIAS, a bipedal robot designed and built by Dynamic Robotics Labs. Its developers are optimistic that it’ll eventually become the world’s fastest two-legged robot. Until then, it’ll have to endure the physical abuse typically afforded robots these days. ATRIAS stands for “Assume The Robot Is A Sphere.” Alternately, the robot could have been named…

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No, The Yeti Legend Was Not Inspired By a Prehistoric Bear

A couple of years ago, a DNA analysis of an ostensible sample of Yeti hair indicated that it may have belonged to a previously undiscovered ancestor of modern bears. A new genetic analysis now refutes this claim. Back in 2013, Oxford University professor Bryan Sykes studied two different hair samples taken from a pair of…

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Yes, Dangerously Low Vaccination Rates Are Fueling The Measles Outbreak

A new research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics is the first to positively link low vaccination rates to the Disneyland measles outbreak that emerged in California late last year. The new research also shows how frighteningly fast measles can spread in a population that’s insufficiently immunized against the highly contagious virus. Calculations made by a…

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Activists Stage Anti-AI Protest At SXSW

With chants of “I say robot, you say no-bot!”, a group of protesters took to the streets in Austin, Texas to warn against the rise of artificial intelligence. The movement, though small in number, may be the start of a larger trend. As reported in USA Today, yesterday’s march took place just outside the Convention…

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Our First Glimpse Of Earth’s Brand New South Pacific Island

Late last year, a new volcanic island formed in the South Pacific. Located about 40 miles (65 km) from the region’s main island of Tongatapu, the island could become Tonga’s latest tourist attraction. But scientists warn it could still be unstable and dangerous. All photos Gianpiero Orbassano This past weekend, hotel owner Gianpiero Orbassano arrived…

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There May Be More Water On Jupiter’s Largest Moon Than On Earth

By studying the subtle shifts of aurorae on Ganymede, scientists working with the Hubble Space Telescope have concluded that Jupiter’s largest moon hosts a massive subterranean ocean. Quite suddenly, the outer reaches of our solar system appear to be a very wet place, indeed. Ganymede, in addition to being the largest moon in the solar…

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Ukraine Is Just The Beginning: Welcome To The Age Of Shadow Wars

Confused about what’s been going on between Russia and Ukraine? You’re not alone. And that’s sort of the point — this conflict serves as a case study in the effectiveness of shadowy, “hybrid” warfare, which is hard to understand from the outside. And the effectiveness of this strategy means it could be the future of…

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Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Egyptian Tombs With Stunning Murals

An American team of archaeologists have discovered two ancient Egyptian tombs near Luxor. Incredibly, its beautifully adorned walls, though 3,500 years old, have retained their vivid colors, allowing us to see these amazing murals in what is practically their original glory. The tombs were unearthed by archaeologists from the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE)…

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This Crazy-Looking Creature Was The Ocean’s First Filter-Feeding Giant

Behold Aegirocassis benmoulae, an extinct creature that swam through the Earth’s oceans some 480-million years ago. Discovered by paleontologists in Morocco, it possessed modified legs, gills on its back — and a filter system for feeding. Remarkably, it’s the oldest known animal to fill an ecological niche now occupied by whales. The creature, which measured…

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Neanderthals Used Eagle Talons To Make Some Seriously Badass Jewelry

Archaeologists have identified a remarkable piece of Neanderthal jewelry comprised of eight white-tailed eagle talons. Worn 130,000 years ago, the discovery shows that Neanderthals were capable of making sophisticated ornaments long before modern humans appeared on the scene. This item of jewelry, found in a former Neanderthal cave more than 100 years ago, consists of…

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A Warm Seafloor On Enceladus Makes It A Prime Candidate For Life

A new analysis of Cassini spacecraft data points to the distinct possibility that Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus exhibits hydrothermal activity on its seafloor. It’s a discovery that significantly bolsters the moon’s status as a potentially habitable object. Enceladus has been an intriguing object of study ever since plumes of escaping water vapor were discovered in…

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Disturbing Satellite Images Show How The Lights Have Gone Out In Syria

The ongoing civil war in Syria is literally sending the country back to the dark ages. New satellite imagery reveals that 83% of nighttime illumination has disappeared in Syria since the start of the four-year conflict that has claimed the lives of 200,000 people and displaced nearly half its population. These images were put together…

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New “Senolytic” Drugs Can Dramatically Increase Healthy Lifespan

Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute and the Mayo Clinic have developed a new class of drugs that were shown to significantly slow the aging process in animal models. Remarkably, dramatic improvements were noticeable just days after treatment. The research was only carried out on mice, but the introduction of an entirely new class of…

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The 14 Most Loathsome Figures Of The Second World War

World War II is remembered for its cruelty and ferocious violence, a global conflict that claimed the lives of nearly 60 million people. It was a war that featured no shortage of heinous individuals — these 14 being among the very worst. Top image: Hitler and Himmler inspecting the troops in 1938. (Image: Getty) When…

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The Quest To Find Another Saturn Just Got One Step Closer

If our solar system is any indication, planets with rings around them are quite common, but finding extrasolar ringed planets has proven difficult. Now astronomers have developed a surprisingly simple method for detecting these distant “exorings.” It’ll only be a matter of time before we find the next Saturn. Despite the hundreds of exoplanetary discoveries,…

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Cockroaches Have Personalities, Too

Unlike ants and termites, individual cockroaches exhibit dynamic character traits, such as bravery and sociability. This may explain why cockroaches are such excellent survivors, capable of adapting to inhospitable and often unpredictable environments. This research was led by entomologist Issac Planas who studies the behavior of the American cockroach at the Université Libre de Bruxelles.…

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This Is The Week That Philae Could Return From The Dead

It has been nearly four months since Philae landed on Comet 67P. Because the probe landed in the shadow of a cliff, it couldn’t draw sufficient energy from the sun. But later this week, there’s a slim chance the probe could awaken and send a signal to the Rosetta spacecraft. Comet 67P is currently 320…

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Excessive Parental Praise Could Be Turning Our Kids Into Narcissists

A longstanding theory in psychoanalytic theory contends that cold and unloving parents contribute to the rise of narcissistic tendencies in their children. A new study is now throwing this idea on its head by suggesting too much praise is the problem. According to the prevailing theory, children who lack warmth and attention from their parents…

io9 George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky

These Color Swatches Could Help Us Find Alien Life

MESSENGER’s Latest Shots Of Mercury Are Some Of The Best We’ve Seen

Watch This Bipedal Robot Get Hammered With Dodgeballs

No, The Yeti Legend Was Not Inspired By a Prehistoric Bear

Yes, Dangerously Low Vaccination Rates Are Fueling The Measles Outbreak

Activists Stage Anti-AI Protest At SXSW

Our First Glimpse Of Earth’s Brand New South Pacific Island

There May Be More Water On Jupiter’s Largest Moon Than On Earth

Ukraine Is Just The Beginning: Welcome To The Age Of Shadow Wars

Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Egyptian Tombs With Stunning Murals

This Crazy-Looking Creature Was The Ocean’s First Filter-Feeding Giant

Neanderthals Used Eagle Talons To Make Some Seriously Badass Jewelry

A Warm Seafloor On Enceladus Makes It A Prime Candidate For Life

Disturbing Satellite Images Show How The Lights Have Gone Out In Syria

New “Senolytic” Drugs Can Dramatically Increase Healthy Lifespan

The 14 Most Loathsome Figures Of The Second World War

The Quest To Find Another Saturn Just Got One Step Closer

Cockroaches Have Personalities, Too

This Is The Week That Philae Could Return From The Dead

Excessive Parental Praise Could Be Turning Our Kids Into Narcissists

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

California Regulator Says Tesla’s ‘Robotaxis’ Are More Like a Limo in the Eyes of the Law

Dyson Airwrap Falls to an All-Time Low in Amazon’s Spring Sale, Lowering the Barrier for This Premium Multi-Styler

The ‘Tales from ’85’ Trailer Wants You Back in ‘Stranger Things’ Already

Forget Ray-Ban Meta, XREAL 1S AR/XR Virtual Screen Smart Glasses Drop to Record Low on Amazon

Pixel Buds Pro 2 Hit Record Low as Google Continues Its Clearance-Like Price Cuts Following Smartphone Deals

DJI Now Has a Cheaper 360 Drone Than Insta360, but the U.S. Won’t Get It

Amazon Clears Out Apple Watch Series 9 With Silver Stainless Steel Case at 48% Off During Spring Sale

What Do You Mean Fox McCloud Is in the ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Movie

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