George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

Satellite Reveals Massive Saharan Dust Cloud Over the Atlantic Ocean

A dust cloud began to drift across the Atlantic last week. It’s a development that could stall the formation of dangerous tropical storms in what’s expected to be an active season, at least for the time being. A new NASA animation tracks the movement of an unusually large Saharan dust plume over the Atlantic ocean…

Earth Science George Dvorsky

Gigantic Circular Structure Found Near Stonehenge

A surprisingly large pit structure has been discovered around Durrington Walls Henge, which is less than 2 miles away from Stonehenge. Dated at 4,500 years old, it’s the biggest prehistoric structure ever found in Britain. Located on Salisbury Plain in the United Kingdom, the circular structure consists of at least 20 carefully positioned pits. Now…

Human History George Dvorsky

Genome Analysis Points to Incest Among Ireland’s Prehistoric Rulers

Evidence of incest and inbreeding has been uncovered at an elite prehistoric Irish burial site, in a new paper that reads like a Game of Thrones subplot. New research published in Nature investigates the genetic profiles of 42 people from Ireland’s Neolithic period, along with two individuals from the preceding Mesolithic period. Dating back to…

Human History George Dvorsky

Early Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Sea Monsters Laid Squishy Eggs

New research suggests early dinosaurs laid eggs with soft shells, and mosasaurs—gigantic marine reptiles—did so, too, laying soft-shelled eggs of massive proportions. Birds and crocodiles lay eggs with hard, heavily calcified shells, while most lizards, snakes, and turtles lay eggs that are soft and leathery. Soft-shelled eggs appeared first, but paleontologists have struggled to understand…

Biology George Dvorsky

A Green Glow Has Been Detected in the Martian Atmosphere

The Red Planet has a touch of green, according to atmospheric observations performed by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. It’s the first time this effect has been documented on a planet other than Earth. Like Earth, Mars features green airglow emissions in its dayside atmosphere, according to new research published in Nature Astronomy. The green…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Ominous Green Fireball Lights Up Skies Over Australian Outback

A greenish-blue fireball streaked across the skies over Australia last night, in an event captured by awe-struck observers on the ground. The object appeared shortly before 1:00 a.m. local time, with witness accounts reported from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Northern Territory, and South Australia, reports ABC News. The nature of the object has…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

The Solar Orbiter Has Entered a Thrilling New Phase of Its Journey to the Sun

The Solar Orbiter project, a collaboration between the European Space Agency and NASA, has begun a critical new stage of the mission after the probe’s first close encounter with the Sun. Earlier today, the Solar Orbiter completed its first close approach of the Sun, or perihelion, coming to within 48 million miles (77 million kilometers)…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

NASA’s New Horizons Probe Is So Far Away, It Now Sees Stars in Different Positions Than We Do

A NASA parallax experiment involving New Horizons shows the probe now sees some stars in slightly different positions than we do on Earth, revealing just how far the spacecraft is from home. You can actually replicate this effect at home, kids. Fully extend your arm away from your face and raise a finger (anyone, you…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Archery Could Date Back 48,000 Years in South Asia

Ancient bow-and-arrow technology dating back some 48,000 years has been discovered in a Sri Lankan cave, making it the oldest evidence of archery to be found in this part of the world. Ornamental beads, tools to fashion clothes, and projectile points for bows and arrows have been unearthed at Fa-Hien Lena, a cave in southwest…

Human History George Dvorsky

Long-Delayed James Webb Space Telescope Is Again Delayed

We’re going to have a wait even longer for NASA’s next-generation James Webb Space Telescope to leave Earth, owing to delays caused by the covid-19 pandemic. Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA’s science directorate, broke the bad news yesterday during a virtual meeting for the Space Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Ancient Two-Legged Crocodile Left Behind These Awesome Footprints

Modern crocodiles are known for their sprawling four-legged gait, but this Cretaceous crocodilian walked on two legs as it prowled prehistoric shores, as evidenced by well-preserved footprints it left behind. This remarkable trace fossil, called Batrachopus grandis, was discovered at the Sacheon Jahye-ri tracksite in South Korea, which dates back to around 110 million to…

Biology George Dvorsky

Some Chimpanzees Have a Bone in Their Heart—and Some Humans Might, Too

Scientists in the United Kingdom have discovered a rare bone, called the os cordis, in chimpanzees with a common heart condition. The implications of this finding could extend to humans, who share a close genetic relationship to chimps. Cattle, buffalo, and sheep have it. So do otters, camels, and dogs. Primates, not so much—at least…

Biology George Dvorsky

Siberian Officials Say Huge Diesel Spill Has Reached a Sensitive Arctic Lake

A major diesel spill from a power plant in Siberia has reached a fragile freshwater lake that leads to the Arctic Ocean, according to regional officials. That could create an ecological catastrophe. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Krasnoyarsk Territory Governor Alexander Uss said the spilled fuel has reached Lake Pyasino. “This is a beautiful…

Earther George Dvorsky

Ancient Roman Board Game Found in Norwegian Burial Mound

A 1,700-year-old board game, including rare elongated dice, dating back to the Roman Iron Age has been unearthed in Norway. Found near an important sea route, the game was likely used to forge relationships among long-distance traders. A total of 18 distinct playing pieces, similar to chips used in checkers, were found in a circular…

Human History George Dvorsky

Saturn’s Best Moon Is Drifting Away Quicker Than We Thought

Titan is migrating away from its host planet at a rate 100 times faster than the previous estimate. The discovery is shaking our understanding of Saturn and the origin of its natural satellites. Titan, the only moon in our solar system with an atmosphere, is pulling away from Saturn at a rate of 11 centimeters…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Ground-Penetrating Radar Reveals Entire Ancient Roman City

For the first time ever, archaeologists have used ground-penetrating radar to map an entire city while it’s still beneath the ground. A preliminary map of Falerii Novi, an ancient Roman city located 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Rome, has been compiled with data taken from ground-penetrating radar. It’s “preliminary” because it wasn’t humanly possible…

Human History George Dvorsky

Repeating Cosmic Radio Burst Follows Bizarre 157-Day Cycle

Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, have transfixed astronomers for over a decade, but their origin remains unclear. A newly concluded survey identifies an unexpected and unusually long 157-day cycle for a known repeating FRB, in a discovery that’s redefining what we know about these mysterious intergalactic pulses. Something—we don’t know what—is shooting short, high-energy radio…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Surreal Landslide Sweeps Several Homes Into Norwegian Fjord

Whoa, here’s something you certainly don’t see everyday: A large chunk of land fell into and temporarily drifted atop a Norwegian fjord earlier this week. Footage taken during the disaster has to be seen to be believed. The landslide happened the morning of Wednesday June 3 in the northern Norwegian town of Alta, reports the…

Earth Science George Dvorsky

NASA Astronaut Calls Out ‘Propaganda’ in Space-Themed Trump Ad That Broke NASA Rules

Donald Trump’s re-election campaign team has removed a political ad, titled “Make Space Great Again,” after the U.S. president was accused of falsely taking credit for the recently completed SpaceX Demo-2 launch and possibly for violating NASA ad regulations. The video was posted to YouTube on Wednesday June 3, but by Thursday evening it was…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Catastrophic Diesel Fuel Spill in Siberia Prompts State of Emergency

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a state of emergency after an estimated 20,000 tons of diesel fuel poured out of a fuel tank and into a nearby river. The spill—possibly the worst of its kind in the Arctic region—is being attributed to melting permafrost, yet another sad impact of climate change. The diesel spill…

Earther George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky

Satellite Reveals Massive Saharan Dust Cloud Over the Atlantic Ocean

Gigantic Circular Structure Found Near Stonehenge

Genome Analysis Points to Incest Among Ireland’s Prehistoric Rulers

Early Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Sea Monsters Laid Squishy Eggs

A Green Glow Has Been Detected in the Martian Atmosphere

Ominous Green Fireball Lights Up Skies Over Australian Outback

The Solar Orbiter Has Entered a Thrilling New Phase of Its Journey to the Sun

NASA’s New Horizons Probe Is So Far Away, It Now Sees Stars in Different Positions Than We Do

Archery Could Date Back 48,000 Years in South Asia

Long-Delayed James Webb Space Telescope Is Again Delayed

Ancient Two-Legged Crocodile Left Behind These Awesome Footprints

Some Chimpanzees Have a Bone in Their Heart—and Some Humans Might, Too

Siberian Officials Say Huge Diesel Spill Has Reached a Sensitive Arctic Lake

Ancient Roman Board Game Found in Norwegian Burial Mound

Saturn’s Best Moon Is Drifting Away Quicker Than We Thought

Ground-Penetrating Radar Reveals Entire Ancient Roman City

Repeating Cosmic Radio Burst Follows Bizarre 157-Day Cycle

Surreal Landslide Sweeps Several Homes Into Norwegian Fjord

NASA Astronaut Calls Out ‘Propaganda’ in Space-Themed Trump Ad That Broke NASA Rules

Catastrophic Diesel Fuel Spill in Siberia Prompts State of Emergency

Apple Offers Rare Olive Branch to Liquid Glass Haters

Mamdani Lifts NYC TikTok Ban for City Employees, but with Some Unusual Restrictions

Tesla Goes Ahead and Admits Its Robotaxis Are Sometimes Fully Human-Controlled

School Forced to Replace Toilets After Kids Flush Vapes

‘Scream 7’ Just Won’t Stop Making Money as ‘Scream 8’ Gets Started

The Curtain Has Closed on Meta’s Movie Rating-Inspired Content Filters

Good News! You Can Finally Change That Ridiculous Gmail Address

ExpressVPN Just Launched ExpressAI: Your Prompts Are Now Invisible

VR Just Took Another Massive Body Blow

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

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