George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

More Evidence That Mars Once Had a Ring—and Will Again

New research offers an explanation for the unusual orbit of Mars’ moon Deimos, one that bolsters the hypothesis that the Red Planet periodically features a Saturn-like ring. Mars has two very ugly moons, Phobos and Deimos. In addition to their potato-like appearance, both moons have exceptionally circular orbits aligned above Mars’s equatorial plane. Actually, that’s…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Lost Monument of Early Maya Civilization Discovered in Mexico

The surprising discovery of a 2,800-year-old monumental structure in Tabasco, Mexico, is shaking our conceptions of Maya civilization and its emergence as a cultural force. Using a technology called lidar, in which lasers are used to map hidden surface features from above, archaeologists discovered a previously unknown monumental structure at the Aguada Fénix site in…

Human History George Dvorsky

Fossilized Stomach Contents of Armored Dinosaur Reveal Its Last Meal

A 110-million-year-old fossil found nine years ago at an open pit mine in Alberta is providing fascinating new details about the dietary habits of plant-eating armored dinosaurs and the environments in which they lived. “This is one of the best-preserved dinosaurs in the world,” Caleb Brown, a paleontologist at Royal Tyrrell Museum, told Gizmodo back…

Biology George Dvorsky

Evidence of Ritualistic Cannabis Use Found in Ancient Jewish Temple

Archaeologists in Israel have detected traces of cannabis on a 2,700-year-old altar found in an ancient Jewish shrine. The finding suggests ancient Israelites used mind-altering substances during religious ceremonies, in what is an unprecedented discovery for the region. Ancient Israelites burned cannabis mixed with animal dung on altars during ritual ceremonies, according to new research…

Human History George Dvorsky

Would Your Dog Rescue You? Scientists Made a Test to Find Out

Inside every dog there’s a hero waiting to be unleashed, or at least, that’s what we’d like to believe about our canine companions. New research suggests dogs truly want to rescue us when we’re in a bad situation, but they have to know how to help. From Lassie and The Littlest Hobo to Bolt and…

Biology George Dvorsky

Watch Live: SpaceX’s Second Try to Launch NASA Astronauts to the Space Station [Updated]

Update, 4:31 p.m. ET: After canceling a planned launch earlier this week due to bad weather, SpaceX successfully launched NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley into orbit on the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft Saturday. Today was a day of firsts. It was the first launch of NASA astronauts from U.S. soil…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Dino-Killing Asteroid Spawned a Huge Magma Chamber That Lasted Millions of Years

When the dinosaur-snuffing asteroid hit Earth some 66 million years ago, it produced a subterranean pool of magma roughly nine times larger than the current caldera at Yellowstone National Park, according to new research. The Chicxulub impact event of the Late Cretaceous extinguished 75 percent of life on Earth, including all non-avian dinosaurs, but it…

Earth Science George Dvorsky

Intergalactic Pulses Solve Mystery of Universe’s Missing Matter

Scientists have spent three decades trying to locate half of all the “normal” matter that’s supposed to exist in the universe. A new paper is claiming to have finally found this missing stuff, in a discovery made possible by measuring incoming fast radio bursts. “We know from measurements of the Big Bang how much matter…

Physics & Chemistry George Dvorsky

Mining Company Blows Up 46,000-Year-Old Aboriginal Site, Expresses No Regrets

A culturally important archaeological site in Western Australia was destroyed this past weekend during the expansion of an iron ore mine. Upsettingly, the mining company responsible for the incident did so with state permission, exposing Australia’s weak and bigoted heritage conservation laws. The Juukan 1 and Juukan 2 rock shelters in the Pilbara region of…

Earther George Dvorsky

Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Struck Earth at ‘Deadliest Possible Angle,’ New Research Suggests

When the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs hit Earth, it struck at an angle that maximized its destructive potential, according to new computer simulations of the catastrophic event. The findings, published in new paper on Tuesday in Nature Communications, show that the dino-killing asteroid came from the northeast at an angle of between 45…

Earth Science George Dvorsky

Watch SpaceX Launch NASA Astronauts to Space Live Right Here [Updated]

The day has finally arrived. This afternoon, NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon and fly to the International Space Station. You can watch this historic launch live right here. Update, 4:21 p.m. ET: Today’s launch was postponed on account of weather. NASA and SpaceX will…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Turns Out That ‘Active’ Object in Jupiter’s Orbit Is a Comet in Disguise

Astronomers were abuzz last week following the discovery of an active asteroid in Jupiter’s orbit, in what was thought to be a new type of celestial object. Follow-up investigations have revealed it to be a regular comet, albeit one in a misleading orbit. As Gizmodo reported last week, object 2019 LD2 was initially identified as…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Scientists Record Rarely Heard Sounds Made by Narwhals

Marine biologists, with help from Inuit whalers, have assembled an unprecedented collection of narwhal vocalizations, offering fresh insights into the behaviors of these near-mythical creatures. Narwhals, the so-called unicorns of the sea, are notoriously difficult to study owing to their skittish nature and uncongenial habitats. Normally, narwhals are found deep below the Arctic Ocean surface,…

Biology George Dvorsky

Miniature Rock Art Found in Australia May Have Been Stenciled by Children

Archaeologists working at a rockshelter in northern Australia have discovered a trove of unusual miniaturized rock art made using stencils. This rare form of rock art may have served an ominous supernatural purpose—or it might be whimsical doodles made by children. Nearly 60 small-scale stencils have been documented at the Yilbilinji 1 rockshelter at Limmen…

Human History George Dvorsky

Millions of Noisy Cicadas to Emerge This Year After 17 Years Underground

A brood of periodic cicadas not seen since 2003 is expected to emerge this year in parts of the United States. Farmers are being told to plan accordingly, as the insects pose a threat to fruit and ornamental crops. Like clockwork, periodic cicadas from brood IX will be emerging across southwestern Virginia, parts of North…

Biology George Dvorsky

NASA and SpaceX Are ‘Go’ For Historic Launch of Crew Dragon With Astronauts on Board

On Wednesday, NASA and SpaceX will launch two astronauts into orbit on a Crew Dragon spacecraft in what’s the most anticipated launch of the year. When the Space Shuttle Atlantis took off from Kennedy Space Center on July 8, 2011, few of us would’ve imagined that the next crewed launch from U.S. soil wouldn’t happen…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Michigan Dam Collapse Video Shows a ‘Classic’ Example of Earthworks Failure

As residents of Michigan’s Midland county scramble to recover from devastating floods, a video has emerged showing the critical moment when Eden dam collapsed, in a failure experts are attributing to shoddy maintenance and climate change. Two dams failed in Michigan this week, the first in Edenville on Tuesday, and the second in Sanford, which…

Earther George Dvorsky

Incoming Space Junk Caused a Dramatic Light Show Over Australia Last Night

Incredible video taken last night in Australia shows what was likely the late-stage of a Russian rocket burning up on re-entry, in a light show that was seen across the southeast portions of the country. Australians living in parts of Victoria and Tasmania were treated to a remarkable spectacle last night, as a fireball soared…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Freaky ‘Active’ Object in Jupiter’s Orbit Is First of Its Kind Seen by Astronomers

It’s neither an asteroid nor a comet but something in between. It’s also parked within Jupiter’s orbit, making this object the first of its kind to ever be detected. Update, 5/27/2020, 10:35 a.m.: Astronomers have conducted further analysis since this post published, revealing that this object is a true comet and not a member of…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky

Prisoners’ Tools Found Hidden in Chimney at Auschwitz

A team working to restore a historic building at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland have stumbled upon numerous items hidden by prisoners inside a chimney. Forks, knives, scissors and a host of other items were found at the Auschwitz main camp in late April, according to a press release put out by the National…

Human History George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky

More Evidence That Mars Once Had a Ring—and Will Again

Lost Monument of Early Maya Civilization Discovered in Mexico

Fossilized Stomach Contents of Armored Dinosaur Reveal Its Last Meal

Evidence of Ritualistic Cannabis Use Found in Ancient Jewish Temple

Would Your Dog Rescue You? Scientists Made a Test to Find Out

Watch Live: SpaceX’s Second Try to Launch NASA Astronauts to the Space Station [Updated]

Dino-Killing Asteroid Spawned a Huge Magma Chamber That Lasted Millions of Years

Intergalactic Pulses Solve Mystery of Universe’s Missing Matter

Mining Company Blows Up 46,000-Year-Old Aboriginal Site, Expresses No Regrets

Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Struck Earth at ‘Deadliest Possible Angle,’ New Research Suggests

Watch SpaceX Launch NASA Astronauts to Space Live Right Here [Updated]

Turns Out That ‘Active’ Object in Jupiter’s Orbit Is a Comet in Disguise

Scientists Record Rarely Heard Sounds Made by Narwhals

Miniature Rock Art Found in Australia May Have Been Stenciled by Children

Millions of Noisy Cicadas to Emerge This Year After 17 Years Underground

NASA and SpaceX Are ‘Go’ For Historic Launch of Crew Dragon With Astronauts on Board

Michigan Dam Collapse Video Shows a ‘Classic’ Example of Earthworks Failure

Incoming Space Junk Caused a Dramatic Light Show Over Australia Last Night

Freaky ‘Active’ Object in Jupiter’s Orbit Is First of Its Kind Seen by Astronomers

Prisoners’ Tools Found Hidden in Chimney at Auschwitz

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