George Dvorsky

The U.S. Experiences One of the Worst Flu And Cold Seasons In Years

On any given day last month, an average of 4% of Americans said they were sick with the flu and 11.6% said they had a cold. That’s the highest these figures have ever been since Gallup first starting keeping track back in 2008. Typically, reports of the flu are highest in January or February. So…

The First Photo Ever Taken Of An Oceanic Shark Giving Birth

Marine biologists working off the coast of the Philippines have captured an image of an incredibly elusive sight — a free-swimming oceanic shark giving birth. Along with colleague A. E. Bicskos Kaszo, the extraordinary photo was taken by Simon Oliver from the University of Chester, who told the BBC that this was “the first record…

An Autopsy On A 700-Year-Old Mummy Confirms He Was Murdered

Using modern forensic techniques, a team of archaeologists have conducted an autopsy on the naturally preserved mummy of Cangrande della Scala. As suspected, the researchers have confirmed that the medieval Italian warlord was in fact assassinated. Cangrande died suddenly in 1329 at the age of 38. He was a big deal at the time, the…

This Newly-Discovered Bat Has Fangs That Will Haunt Your Dreams

Introducing Hypsugo dolichodon, a rather horrific-looking new species of bat discovered in the rainforests of Vietnam and Lao PDR. Translated, the name means “the long-toothed pipistrelle,” which judging from these photos seems like a perfectly appropriate moniker. As reported in Mongabay, the bat was actually discovered back in 1997 by Charles M. Francis and Antonio…

An Irreverent Guide To Transhumanism And The Singularity

Futurists R.U. Sirius and Jay Cornell have published a witty, snide, and incredibly informative new book titled, Transcendence: The Disinformation Encyclopedia of Transhumanism and the Singularity. We spoke to the authors to learn more about the project and their own personal visions of the future. Many of you will remember R.U. Sirius — aka Ken…

Panda Bear’s New Music Video Is The Trippiest Thing You’ll See All Day

Musical artist Panda Bear — a.k.a. Noah Lennox from Animal Collective — is renowned for creating some of the most daring and experimental electronic music today. His new animated video for “Boys Latin” captures these psychedelic moods perfectly. This track is a single from Panda Bear’s upcoming album, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. In…

An Astonishingly Long Spiral Arm May Encircle The Entire Milky Way

Chinese astronomers have discovered a new spiral arm at the outer reaches of the Milky Way. But it might be an extension of a distant arm discovered back in 2011, suggesting that a majestic spiral arm encircles the entire galaxy. Our understanding of what the Milky Way looks like is inhibited by the fact that…

NASA’S First Glimpse Inside Eta Carinae Uncovers Surprising Features

The Eta Carinae binary star system erupted twice in the 19th century, creating a stunning and rapidly expanding debris cloud. Now, for the first time ever, NASA has peered past the dusty clouds to catch a glimpse of its interior. The system is located about 7,500 light-years from Earth, and it comprises two massive stars…

This Is The First Video Ever Taken Of Rare “Type D” Orcas

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, while monitoring the activities of a poaching vessel in the South Indian Ocean, has captured unprecedented footage of an entire pod of rare “Ecotype D” orca whales. As reported in Discovery News, the 13-whale pod swam alongside the ship, named the Bob Barker, for more than an hour. The conservation…

These Are The Science Stories That Will Be Making News In 2015

The coming year is shaping up to be a rather extraordinary one. Over the next 12 months, we’ll be visiting dwarf planets, unlocking the secrets of a 400,000-year-old genome, and resuming the hunt for exotic particles. Here are the science stories to look out for in 2015. Above: Artistic depiction of Pluto’s surface with Charon…

An Ancient Musical Instrument Has Been Discovered In China

Chinese archaeologists working in Hubei province’s Zaoyang City have unearthed an ancient stringed instrument dating back thousands of years. It’s said to be the earliest ever found in China. Above: a “qin-type” instrument, which closely resembles a se. Credit: silkqin. It’s called a “se” and it was found near a frame that holds chime bells.…

A microbe found in a grassy field appears to contain a remarkably powerful antibiotic. Called teixobactin, it kills dangerous pathogens without any observable resistance (at least not yet). Moreover, it destroys many types of drug-resistant bacteria and it’s safe in mammals. Its use may be limited, but it could represent a new class of antibiotics.…

Kepler Has Spotted Two Of The Most Earth-Like Planets Yet

The amazing Kepler Space Telescope has now catalogued over 1,000 exoplanets. Among them are eight new planets located within habitable zones, including two that astronomers say are the most Earth-like planets yet. Here’s what we know about Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b. Illustration: David A. Aguilar (CfA) Prior to yesterday’s announcement by scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center…

A Mitochondrial DNA Transplant Could Help Treat Hundreds Of Diseases

For the first time ever, researchers in New Zealand have shown that mitochondrial DNA can move between cells in an animal tumor. It’s an extraordinary finding that could lead to an entirely new field of synthetic biology and the treatment of hundreds of diseases. Top image: The dark field image on the left highlights the…

How to Make Your Willpower Stronger — According to Science

The holiday season is over, so it’s time to get serious about your New Year’s resolutions. But those fine intentions are only as good as your self-control. Here’s what you need to know about the neuroscience of willpower — and what you can do to make your will even stronger. Illustration by Tara Jacoby Willpower,…

Discovery Of Dinosaur “Death Trap” Suggests Utahraptors Hunted In Packs

Paleontologists working in Utah have stumbled upon a remarkable Cretaceous scene preserved in sandstone. It appears that an entire pack of Utahraptors — a species closely related to Velociraptors — got stuck in quicksand and died together while hunting. Illustration: Julius T. Csotonyi. As Brian Switek reports in National Geographic, the discovery shows that the…

Our Best Glimpse Yet Of The Andromeda Galaxy

You’re looking at the biggest and sharpest image ever taken of the Andromeda Galaxy. Though it only includes one third of the massive celestial object, the image contains a jaw-dropping 1.5 billion pixels. At that resolution, it would require more than 600 high-definition television screens to display the entire image. The full size original image…

Researchers Turn DNA Into Robotic “Transformers”

Inspired by full-sized mechanical parts like hinges and pistons, researchers at Ohio State University have designed pieces of DNA that could eventually be used to construct nano-scale robots. The new paper, which now appears in PNAS, is the first to show that macroscale design principles can also be applied to DNA to produce intricate, dynamic,…

A new study could explain why we often get sick when it’s cold outside. Researchers have learned that the virus for the common cold replicates more efficiently at cooler temperatures — especiallyinside our noses. The finding suggests we should keep our nose warm and avoid cold air when we’re infected. Photo: vesna cvorovic/Shutterstock.

This Curiosity Image Suggests Microbial Life Once Existed On Mars

It may not look like much — just an old rock with dust on it. But after careful examination of this and other images taken of the Martian surface, a geobiologist is now claiming that these distinctive surface features could have only come from one source: microbes. This isn’t proof that life once existed on…