George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

An entire pod of orca whales may be hopelessly trapped under arctic sea ice [UPDATED]

A dozen orca whales have become enclosed and trapped in arctic sea ice in Hudson’s Bay about 30 kilometers (19 miles) off the coast of Inukjuak, Quebec. The whales are currently sharing a small hole in the ice in order to breathe — but it’s starting to rapidly shrink. Locals are calling on the Canadian…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 10

Baby sharks may be the key to the ultimate shark repellent

Marine biologist Ryan Kempster noticed a very strange thing when he brought an electrical field close to the egg case of an embryonic shark: The unborn — and highly vulnerable — baby altered its movements by ceasing its gill function. It’s a strategy, he believes, that helps baby sharks to sense when a predator is…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 9

It’s official: 2012 was the hottest year ever in the U.S.

Last year was pretty messed up as far as weather was concerned in the United States, and now we have the numbers to show why. According to the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., the average temperature in 2012 was 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit (12.94 degrees Celcius) — an entire degree higher than the previous…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 9

The 12 cognitive biases that prevent you from being rational

The human brain is capable of 1016 processes per second, which makes it far more powerful than any computer currently in existence. But that doesn’t mean our brains don’t have major limitations. The lowly calculator can do math thousands of times better than we can, and our memories are often less than useless — plus,…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 9

Finally, an explanation for why our fingers and toes get all pruny when they’re wet

Shriveled fingers and toes are something we’re all familiar with, yet scientists have struggled to explain why it happens. A longstanding theory is that wrinkles are the result of water passing through the outer layer of the skin, causing it to swell. But as neuroscientist Mark Changizi pointed out a few years ago, it’s clearly…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 9

A disturbing glimpse of Australia’s wildfires as seen from space

International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield has snapped a series of images that capture the scale and devastation of wildfires that are currently blazing through parts of Australia. The bushfires, which have been burning since Friday, are being fueled by record high temperatures. And in fact, Australian meteorologists have added an extra color to its…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 9

Is Stephen Hawking ‘more machine now than man’?

There’s a great piece over at Wired by anthropologist Hélène Mialet about Stephen Hawking and the various ways he’s learned to adapt to — and even transcend — his severe physical limitations. While it would be tempting to merely discuss his infrared activated voice synthesizer and robotic wheelchair, Mialet points out that there’s more to…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 8

New video of Machine Perception Lab’s creepy robot baby shows that it is indeed creepy

We’ve known about Machine Perception Lab‘s super-realistic robot baby for quite some time now, but we’ve never actually seen it in action — at least until now. As this new video shows, roboticists appear to be getting perilously close to crossing the uncanny valley — while scaring the crap out of the good children of…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 8

Astronomers say there are at least 17 billion Earth-sized planets in the Milky Way

Back in June of last year, astronomers working with the Kepler space telescope made the bold proclamation that all stars have planets. While this is all fine-and-well (if not intuitively obvious), what was not known is how many Earth-sized planets are out there. But now, a new analysis of Kepler data may be providing the…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 8

Simulated mission to Mars made astronauts sleepy, lethargic, and less motivated

Back in November 2011, a multinational crew of six ended their 17-month long simulation to Mars and back. Confined to a trailer for 520 days, the pretend-astronauts had every detail of their lifestyle tracked, including their sleep-wake cycles, physical movements, intellectual activities, and light exposure. Now, looking at the results, it appears that the simulated…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 8

This massive Triassic Era sea monster picked on prey its own size

Paleontologists have confirmed the existence of a new species of ichthyosaur, a group of marine reptiles that terrorized the world’s oceans during the dinosaur era — and this one was an absolute monster. Called Thalattoarchon saurophagis — meaning “lizard-eating sovereign of the sea” — it measured 28 feet (8.6 meters) in length and featured an…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 8

Apple rejects video game about civil war in Syria

A new video game called Endgame:Syria has been rejected by Apple for inclusion into the App Store because it violates its guidelines strictly forbidding content that “solely target[s] a specific race, culture, a real government or corporation, or any other real entity.” The game’s developer, Auroch Digital, defends the app, saying that it’s not so…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 7

Dinosaurs probably shook their tail feathers and “struck a pose” to attract mates

After studying a curious feature in the tail section of oviraptor fossils, a paleontologist from the University of Alberta has concluded that these small dinosaurs must have used their tail plumage to attract mates, a strong indication that these creatures were more sophisticated, elegant — and daintier than previously thought. The theory also adds further…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 7

This dinosaur-era bird had a full set of teeth for crushing armored prey

In an unprecedented discovery, paleontologists working in China have found the fossilized remains of an ancient bird with ornamented tooth enamel. Called Sulcavis geeorum, the bird lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 121 to 125 million years ago. And as its fine row of robust teeth indicate, it likely had a highly specialized diet…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 7

15-year old whiz kid has research on dwarf galaxies published in Nature

For many scientists, having their research published in a major journal is about as good as it gets — especially if that publication happens to be the prestigious journal Nature. But for 15-year old Neil Ibata, it’s already a case of “been there, done that.” Working with a team of astronomers, including his father Rodrigo…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 7

NASA considers plan to capture an asteroid and turn it into a space station

The White House’s Office of Science and Technology is currently mulling over a proposal from Caltech scientists that describes a plan to capture a near-Earth asteroid and bring it into the moon’s orbit. If approved, the $2.6 billion plan would see the development of a robotic spacecraft that would transport a 500-ton asteroid to the…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 7

What’s the penalty for smuggling dinosaur bones? A lot more than you’d think

A man who illegally exported a Tyrannosaurus skeleton from Mongolia has plead guilty to all charges and now faces up to 17 years in prison. As magistrate judge Ronald L. Ellis’ ruling suggests, it’s no small matter to engage in fraud of this kind. The skeleton, which sold for more than $1 million via Heritage…

io9 George Dvorsky Dec 28

The Most Futuristic Predictions That Came True in 2012

Yesterday we told you about the biggest scientific breakthroughs of 2012. But now we turn our attention to those developments that make us realize just how futuristic things are quickly becoming. https://gizmodo.com/the-biggest-scientific-breakthroughs-of-2012-5971542 And the past year provided no shortage of futureshock. We watched a cyborg compete at the Olympic Games, and marveled at the news…

io9 George Dvorsky Dec 28

Behold the world’s most spectacular crater lakes

Photo blog Love These Pics has compiled an impressive gallery of 42 of the world’s most beautiful crater lakes. Typically formed inside the cone of an extinct volcano, crater lakes are unusually gorgeous, mostly on account of their remarkable circular symmetry and often stunning environmental backdrops. They often feature water that is at times a…

io9 George Dvorsky Dec 28

Shout Out Louds release a record made entirely from ice

It’s been three years since we last heard from Swedish indie rockers Shout Out Louds, but their latest single, “Blue Ice,” is certainly bound to draw some renewed attention. In collaboration with ad agency TBWA Stockholm, they have produced 10 limited edition kits that can produce a functional album out of frozen water. And it…

io9 George Dvorsky Dec 28

George Dvorsky

An entire pod of orca whales may be hopelessly trapped under arctic sea ice [UPDATED]

Baby sharks may be the key to the ultimate shark repellent

It’s official: 2012 was the hottest year ever in the U.S.

The 12 cognitive biases that prevent you from being rational

Finally, an explanation for why our fingers and toes get all pruny when they’re wet

A disturbing glimpse of Australia’s wildfires as seen from space

Is Stephen Hawking ‘more machine now than man’?

New video of Machine Perception Lab’s creepy robot baby shows that it is indeed creepy

Astronomers say there are at least 17 billion Earth-sized planets in the Milky Way

Simulated mission to Mars made astronauts sleepy, lethargic, and less motivated

This massive Triassic Era sea monster picked on prey its own size

Apple rejects video game about civil war in Syria

Dinosaurs probably shook their tail feathers and “struck a pose” to attract mates

This dinosaur-era bird had a full set of teeth for crushing armored prey

15-year old whiz kid has research on dwarf galaxies published in Nature

NASA considers plan to capture an asteroid and turn it into a space station

What’s the penalty for smuggling dinosaur bones? A lot more than you’d think

The Most Futuristic Predictions That Came True in 2012

Behold the world’s most spectacular crater lakes

Shout Out Louds release a record made entirely from ice

Scientists Found Literal Ink From Ballpoint Pens in Martian Meteorites

The ‘Galaxy’s Edge’ Han Solo Proves You Really Can’t Replace Harrison Ford

BYD Is Rolling Out 5-Minute Charging on Several Popular EVs

Jury Does What Trump’s DOJ Wouldn’t, Deems Ticketmaster a Monopoly

Govee RGBIC TV Smart Light Bars Go on Clearance, Bringing Each Down to Under $25 on Amazon

EU Is Rolling Out an Online Age Verification App That Could Become the Global Blueprint

16 Underrated Anime That Deserve Your Love

The West Finally Got Some Snow, but It’s Too Little, Too Late

Elon Musk Scores a Victory Against Free Speech

Alienware’s $350 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Nixes Everything for a Pretty Screen

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice