George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

10 supplements you can take today to enhance your intelligence

One day, we may be able to make ourselves superintelligent with futuristic biotechnology. We’re not there yet, but for the impatient among us there are still some things we can do to give us that little extra bit of brain power. By supplementing with so-called ‘nootropics,’ you may not become the next Stephen Hawking, but…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 23

Dazzling new art display pays homage to Carl Sagan with 12,000 LEDs of swirling light

A brand new art installation honoring the memory and work of astronomer Carl Sagan has been unveiled at the Cornell University Campus. Designed by artist Leo Villareal, the dynamic light display is located on the ceiling of the Sherry and Joel Mallin Sculpture Court — what can be seen on campus and from within the…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 23

New implant allows the blind to stream Braille directly onto their retinas

In a medical first, researchers have streamed Braille patterns directly onto a blind person’s retina, allowing him or her to read letters and words visually, with almost 90% accuracy. Developed by researchers at Second Sight, the headset-like device is set to revolutionize the way degenerative eye diseases like Retinitis Pigmentosa are treated. To help us…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 22

Australian geologists prove that a South Pacific island does not exist

A South Pacific island that’s been on scientific charts for at least a decade — including Google Earth and Google Maps — has just been undiscovered. Eager to check out “Sandy Island” for the first time, a group of Australian scientists recently ventured to the spot where it was supposed to be, and were instead…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 22

Here’s China’s impossible plan to build the world’s tallest building in a mere 90 days

By next March, a 220-floor skyscraper will stand in Changsha that will measure 838 meters (2,749 feet) in height, what will be the world’s tallest building. And amazingly, construction hasn’t even begun. While it took Dubai more than five years to build the Burj Khalifa building — what is currently the world’s tallest at a…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 22

How modern technologies made the fighting in Gaza even worse

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas extends into its second week, it has become quite clear that the renewed hostilities are markedly different that that ones that came before. Unlike previous engagements, this war has been characterized by the innovative use of new technologies — including rockets that target rockets, unmanned drones, and even…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 21

Is this what students in Louisiana are learning about evolution?

Earlier this week, The New Star published an article questioning the way Louisiana goes about its funding of nonpublic schools. According to the state’s constitution, all nonpublic schools must certify that it has “curriculum or specialized course of study of quality at least equal to that prescribed for similar public schools.” This has prompted some…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 21

How fungus could help us win the war on bed bugs

Cities across North America and Europe are in the midst of a bed bug epidemic, a plague of bloodsucking parasites that are infesting bedrooms and hotel rooms across the nations. And they are so gross, leaving unwary victims with irritated skin and a profound case of the willies. It’s gotten so bad that the U.S.…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 21

Cluster balloonist re-creates the floating house from Up in preparation for trans-Atlantic crossing

This past weekend, Jonathan Trappe successfully lifted a Pixar-esque house to a height of 20,000 feet over Leon, Mexico, by using a cluster of helium-filled balloons. Trappe has performed similar stunts before, including toy balloon rides over the Alps, Lake Michigan, and the English Channel. But this latest feat was in preparation for something far…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 21

When times get tough, algae can steal energy from other plants

Scientists know that worms, bacteria, and various fungi can eat plants and use the vegetable cellulose as a source of carbon for their growth. Plants, on the other hand, simply sit back and photosynthesize carbon dioxide, water, and light. But now, as German researchers have discovered, algae don’t always need to draw their power from…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 21

Researchers design a robot to explore the moon’s mysterious volcanic caverns

Three years ago, Japanese researchers discovered a cavern on the moon using the SELENE satellite. It’s estimated that the subterranean structure is 65 meters wide and at least 80 meters in depth. Given that it’s too deep to be a crater, and that it was likely carved by lava, it’s a natural cavern that’s just…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 20

Hitler’s forgotten attempt to build the world’s largest Olympic stadium

On September 7, 1937, German construction workers laid the cornerstone for what was to become the world’s largest stadium — one that would hold over 400,000 spectators. Designed by Hitler’s close adviser Albert Speer, the monumental structure drew as much inspiration from the Greek Panathenaic Stadium of Athens as it did from Hitler’s brazen megalomania.…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 20

Is someone on a dolphin-killing rampage?

It’s almost impossible to believe, but authorities along the northern Gulf of Mexico are having to investigate a rash of violent attacks on dolphins after bodies were found with gunshot wounds, cuts, and missing tails. With no leads or apparent motives, officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are asking locals to be on…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 20

This ‘grave robbing’ mammal outsmarted the dinosaurs by going underground

Back during the late Cretaceous period there lived a stocky, mole-like mammal that spent its days burrowing tunnels underground. Called Necrolestes patagonensis, it managed to survive the Age of the Dinosaurs and live for another 45 million years before finally dying out. And as scientists have recently learned, Necrolestes was neither placental or marsupial, instead…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 20

Astronomers discover a planet so massive it defies classification

Scientists using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii have discovered a “super-Jupiter” orbiting around the bright star Kappa Andromedae. The planet, which is about 13 times the size of Jupiter, glows with a reddish color and skirts the line between planet and star on account of its tremendous mass. Moreover, its parent star now holds the…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 20

Paralyzed dogs walk again after nose cell transplants

A 10-year old dachshund named Jasper has regained the use of his hind legs after being injected with cells grown from the lining of his nose — cells that are showing a remarkable potential to replace damaged nerves. The procedure, which was conducted on a total of 23 dogs, is set to revolutionize the way…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 19

Rash of robot sightings could be a sign of the impending robopocalypse — or an elaborate hoax

Robots of various shapes and sizes have been seen making their way through a number of cities in the United States without any apparent human oversight. Sightings have been reported in Pasadena, Los Angeles, and along Hollywood Boulevard, as well as some undisclosed subway stations and industrial parks. Now, while it’s very possible that this…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 19

Mars once had water warm enough to sustain life

We know that Mars once had lots of water, considered a prerequisite for habitability. What hasn’t been known, however, is just how friendly — or unfriendly — this water might have been to life, as the temperature and chemical conditions of ancient Martian water has remained a complete mystery. But as a new analysis of…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 19

A microscopic organism that eats DNA instead of having sex

For the past 80 million years, a tiny water-borne organism called the bdelloid rotifer has lived and thrived without the benefits of sexual reproduction. Now, while asexual reproduction is nothing new to science, the way that these rotifers go about it is particularly unique: They eat DNA found in organic debris. The discovery shows that…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 19

When does an animal count as a person?

A grassroots movement has recently emerged in which a number of scientists, philosophers, ethicists and legal experts have rallied together in support of the idea that some nonhuman animals are persons and thus deserving of human-like legal protections. Their efforts have subsequently thrown conventional notions of personhood into question by suggesting that humans aren’t the…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 16

George Dvorsky

10 supplements you can take today to enhance your intelligence

Dazzling new art display pays homage to Carl Sagan with 12,000 LEDs of swirling light

New implant allows the blind to stream Braille directly onto their retinas

Australian geologists prove that a South Pacific island does not exist

Here’s China’s impossible plan to build the world’s tallest building in a mere 90 days

How modern technologies made the fighting in Gaza even worse

Is this what students in Louisiana are learning about evolution?

How fungus could help us win the war on bed bugs

Cluster balloonist re-creates the floating house from Up in preparation for trans-Atlantic crossing

When times get tough, algae can steal energy from other plants

Researchers design a robot to explore the moon’s mysterious volcanic caverns

Hitler’s forgotten attempt to build the world’s largest Olympic stadium

Is someone on a dolphin-killing rampage?

This ‘grave robbing’ mammal outsmarted the dinosaurs by going underground

Astronomers discover a planet so massive it defies classification

Paralyzed dogs walk again after nose cell transplants

Rash of robot sightings could be a sign of the impending robopocalypse — or an elaborate hoax

Mars once had water warm enough to sustain life

A microscopic organism that eats DNA instead of having sex

When does an animal count as a person?

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