George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

This pill will permanently lower your IQ

Perhaps the advocates of human enhancement have it all wrong. Maybe we’d all be happier and considerably more content if we were stupider. The answer to our woes, it would seem, might come in the form of a pill that permanently lowers our IQ. Creative firm Sleepthinker put out this whacked fake commercial (in case…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 20

A Baggins Bonsai Fit For a Pocket-Sized Hobbit

As if Hobbit homes weren’t small enough, check out this fantastically detailed bonsai created by English artist Chris Guise. All artwork and photography by Chris Guise. Guise, who’s a mechanical engineer by trade, has an extensive collection of bonsai trees that he’s cultivated himself. This one, which he calls Bag End Bonsai Trayscape, recreates the…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 20

11 of the Weirdest Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

Most people take it for granted that we have yet to make contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. Trouble is, the numbers don’t add up. Our Galaxy is so old that every corner of it should have been visited many, many times over by now. No theory to date has satisfactorily explained away this Great Silence,…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 20

Geneticists: Giant squid are “very weird”

The most comprehensive analysis ever conducted on giant squid DNA has cast some interesting light on these elusive deep sea cephalopods. Despite their global reach, it now appears that there is only one species of giant squid — and they’re all “basically identical.” The giant squid, Architeuthis, is one of the planet’s largest invertebrates. But…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 20

Researchers Sequence Full Neanderthal Genome

By extracting the DNA from a well-preserved toe, scientists in Germany have completed the first high-quality sequencing of a Neanderthal genome. It’s a significant improvement over a partial attempt made in 2010 — one that is now freely available online for other geneticists to study. It’s difficult to know if the newly completed Neanderthal genome…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 20

What it’s like growing up with a futurist mother

Science writer Veronique Greenwood has written a really cool article about her mom, a techno-happy early adopter. While there was never a dull moment having a futurist for a mom, it was also a bit disconcerting, living at “that knife’s edge between the next big thing and a truly embarrassing evolutionary dead-end.” Greenwood describes futurists…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 19

What Earth would look like with its oceans and landmasses swapped

This is the map we’ve all dreamed of seeing. It’s a depiction of Earth in which its primary geological features have been inverted, showcasing a planet with a sprawling landmass that extends across two-thirds of its surface. We’ve featured the work of Swedish artist Sanna Dullaway (aka Mygrapefruit on DeviantART) before, including her incredible re-imagining…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 19

Scientists build ‘phasers’ out of sound

By using an electromechanical resonator, scientists have produced a phonon laser — or what’s being dubbed a phaser for short. But unlike the phasers of Star Trek lore, this new technology will leverage particles of sound for good and not evil, resulting in devices that could be used in ultrasound medical imaging, computer parts, and…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 19

Katrina-like hurricanes could become 10 times more likely

For the past century, a storm like Katrina could be expected to hit about once every 20 years or so. But as a new computer simulation suggests, our warming climate could result in a dramatic increase in these extreme hurricanes — and the devastating storm surges they bring along with them. The latest research to…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 19

Quadcopters now have eagle-like talons to snatch prey — er, objects

Now that BigDog can throw concrete slabs like it’s nobody’s business, it would be a mistake to assume that the humble quadrotor isn’t going through a similar evolution in form and function. Watch as this avian-inspired micro UAV uses its talons to snatch objects like an eagle. To get the quadrotor to do this, engineers…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 19

The deepest part of the ocean is “teeming” with microbes

Marine biologists have discovered a vibrant community of ecologically important microbes living at the bottom of the 7 mile (11 km) Mariana Trench — the deepest part of the Earth’s surface. Back in 2010, scientists sent an unmanned submersible to an area in the trench known as the Challenger Deep. It scooped up some muddy…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 18

Is China selectively breeding a new generation of genius babies?

There’s a provocative and somewhat disturbing article over at Vice about China’s recent foray into genetics and the country’s unabashed attempt to boost the collective IQ of its citizens. In it, Aleks Eror interviews NYU evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller, who donated DNA to help a Chinese biotech firm identify the genetic markers for intelligence. According…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 18

Autistic children are 28 times more likely to be suicidal

A recent study conducted by Penn State researchers has revealed that children with autism are significantly more prone to suicidal thoughts and attempts than typical children. The question now is, why? For the study, researchers looked at the frequency of suicide ideation and attempts in over 1,000 children ranging in age from 1 to 16.…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 18

Introducing the 2035 ZAIRE all-terrain concept car

No, this isn’t Batman out on safari. It’s the 2035 ZAIRE concept car, an advanced all-terrain vehicle designed for National Geographic’s photography team. Assuming this badboy actually gets developed, it’ll help the photographers traverse the often challenging and unpredictable African terrain. All images via Yanko Design. Designed by Dong Man Joo. The car can seat…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 18

Most gold deposits were produced by earthquakes

A new study by Australian geologists has shown that over 80% the world’s commercial gold deposits were generated in a flash process, the result of depressurizing earthquakes that rapidly converted mineral-rich fluids into precious veins of gold. The process is called flash vaporization. Deep below the Earth’s crust, at depths ranging from three to 18…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 18

Does the new Pope believe in evolution?

The answer is actually yes. And in fact, the Roman Catholic Church has recognized Darwinian evolution for the past 60 years. It openly rejects Intelligent Design and Young Earth Creationism saying that it “pretends to be science.” But the Church’s unique take on the theory, what it calls theistic evolution, still shows that Catholics have…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 16

How Much Longer Until Humanity Becomes A Hive Mind?

Last month, researchers created an electronic link between the brains of two rats separated by thousands of miles. This was just another reminder that technology will one day make us telepaths. But how far will this transformation go? And how long will it take before humans evolve into a fully-fledged hive mind? We spoke to…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 15

50,000 bubonic plague victims may still be buried beneath London’s streets

Archaeologists working on London’s £14.8 billion ($22 billion) Crossrail Project have discovered a burial ground in Farringdon, a historic part of the city. According to experts, there may be as many as 50,000 people buried in this so-called “no man’s land” — victims of the Black Plague that swept through the region in 1348. During…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 15

First a baby, now 14 adults “functionally cured” of HIV

Earlier this month, doctors announced that a baby had been cured of an HIV infection. Now, using a similar technique, it appears that 14 adults have likewise been successfully treated for the disease. The trick, say the scientists, is to tackle the infection early. The research was conducted by Asier Sáez-Cirión of the Pasteur Institute…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 15

Google Glass Ushers in the Next Wave of Cybernetic Hate Crimes

Last week, a cafe in Seattle banned the use of Google Glass, a reflection of the growing concern about the ways this cutting-edge technology might be abused. But the critics are ignoring the technology’s potential to make our lives safer and more democratic. Worse, by stigmatizing its use, the Glass-haters are spawning an entirely new…

io9 George Dvorsky Mar 14

George Dvorsky

This pill will permanently lower your IQ

A Baggins Bonsai Fit For a Pocket-Sized Hobbit

11 of the Weirdest Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

Geneticists: Giant squid are “very weird”

Researchers Sequence Full Neanderthal Genome

What it’s like growing up with a futurist mother

What Earth would look like with its oceans and landmasses swapped

Scientists build ‘phasers’ out of sound

Katrina-like hurricanes could become 10 times more likely

Quadcopters now have eagle-like talons to snatch prey — er, objects

The deepest part of the ocean is “teeming” with microbes

Is China selectively breeding a new generation of genius babies?

Autistic children are 28 times more likely to be suicidal

Introducing the 2035 ZAIRE all-terrain concept car

Most gold deposits were produced by earthquakes

Does the new Pope believe in evolution?

How Much Longer Until Humanity Becomes A Hive Mind?

50,000 bubonic plague victims may still be buried beneath London’s streets

First a baby, now 14 adults “functionally cured” of HIV

Google Glass Ushers in the Next Wave of Cybernetic Hate Crimes

Anker’s 240W USB-C Charging Station Hits an All-Time Low on Amazon, No Need to Wait for Prime Day

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