George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

Humanity’s Origin Story Just Got More Complicated

Human evolution was messy, with multiple human species living and interbreeding at the same time, in a convoluted process that eventually led to us. Such is the emerging narrative in anthropology, and it’s a theory now bolstered by three fascinating new studies released today. Not too long ago, anthropology and archaeology students were told that…

Human History George Dvorsky Apr 1

Florida’s Ancient Calusa Kingdom Was Powered by Ingenious Fish Corrals

Despite having no agriculture, the Calusa managed to dominate southwest Florida for centuries. New research suggests this inventive Native American civilization built “watercourts” to capture and store live fish, resulting in a bountiful surplus of food that facilitated sociopolitical complexity and ambitious construction projects. Appearing around 2,000 years ago, the expansive Calusa kingdom of Florida…

Human History George Dvorsky Mar 31

New Research Exposes Horrific Conditions at Britain’s Forgotten Nazi Concentration Camp

An archaeological survey of a former Nazi concentration camp on the British island of Alderney has revealed the frightful conditions endured by forced laborers and political prisoners during the Second World War. Following the fall of France in June 1940, German forces occupied the British Channel Islands, but these would be the only patches of…

Human History George Dvorsky Mar 30

SpaceX Rival OneWeb Files for Bankruptcy, Citing Covid-19 as a Factor

Telecommunications firm OneWeb has filed for bankruptcy, leaving the status of its orbital internet constellation, which currently consists of 74 satellites, in doubt. The debt-stricken company said it failed to secure required funding on account of the covid-19 pandemic. OneWeb announced on Friday that it is filing for bankruptcy protection, the same day the firm…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 30

A Newly Discovered Microbe Feasts on a Particularly Problematic Plastic

Like other forms of discarded plastic, polyurethane waste threatens the environment and human health. In an encouraging new development, European scientists have stumbled upon a hardy strain of bacteria that appears to thrive off the stuff. New research published in Frontiers in Microbiology describes a newly identified strain of soil bacterium that’s capable of breaking…

Conservation George Dvorsky Mar 27

Hundreds of Bottles of Toxic Beer Found Hidden Beneath Victorian-Era Staircase

Archaeologists in Leeds, England discovered more than 600 beer bottles at the site of an old Victorian brewery. Stacked neatly beneath a cellar staircase, the beer inside these 19th-century bottles contains dangerous concentrations of lead. The bottles were found beneath the remains of what used to be the Scarborough Castle Inn, in the cellar of…

Human History George Dvorsky Mar 27

Neanderthals Enjoyed Seafood, Too, New Evidence Suggests

Neanderthals living in Portugal during the last ice age consumed copious amounts of seafood, according to new archaeological evidence. The discovery suggests Neanderthals, like our modern human ancestors, made the most of marine resources. Marine food resources such as fish, eel, mollusk, and crab were staples of the Iberian Neanderthal diet for tens of thousands…

Human History George Dvorsky Mar 26

Ferocious Raptor Discovered in New Mexico Was a Speedy Hunter

As the Jurassic Park films made abundantly clear, raptors were not to be trifled with, owing to their medium build, speed, and agility. A newly discovered raptor from New Mexico is further reinforcing our perceptions of these extinct predators. Give a warm welcome to Dineobellator notohesperus, an entirely new species of dromaeosaurid, a group of…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 26

Snake Venom Didn’t Evolve for Self-Defense, New Study Finds

Snakes use their venom for both offensive and defensive purposes, but new research suggests this ability initially appeared as a strategy for attacking prey, not for self-defense. An unresolved question about the evolutionary origin of snake venom is whether these limbless reptiles initially acquired their toxic powers for offensive or defensive purposes. That their venom…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 26

Ancient Mercury Had the Right Stuff For Life, Surprising New Research Suggests

Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, is one of the last places we think about when considering the potential for life in the solar system. New research suggests the planet’s interior once contained the basic ingredients for life, a finding that could change the way we view this toasty, tortured planet. Despite having no…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 25

Glowing Deep-Sea Squid Have a Complex Form of Communication, New Evidence Suggests

New research could finally explain how highly social deep-sea squid, with their glowing bodies and bioluminescent flashes, are able to coordinate their actions despite living in near-total blackness. Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) are top predators of the low-light pelagic zone, hunting fish and other marine animals at depths of over 450 meters (1,500 feet). Also…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 24

NASA’s New View of Asteroid Bennu Transports Us Far Away From Our Troubles

To prepare for OSIRIS-REx’s pending touchdown onto the surface of Bennu, NASA used the spacecraft to photograph every nook and cranny of the weirdly shaped asteroid. The purpose of this exercise was to catalog potentially hazardous geological features, but a side benefit is that we have a gorgeous new view of the asteroid’s tortured surface.…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 23

Can Drugs for Malaria, HIV, and Ebola Treat Covid-19? New WHO Trial Aims to Find Out

The World Health Organization is launching a multinational clinical trial in which four existing drugs will be used to treat patients with covid-19. The project currently includes 10 countries and will potentially involve thousands of patients currently battling the coronavirus-caused disease. Vaccines to inoculate humans against covid-19 may not arrive for a year or more,…

Health George Dvorsky Mar 23

China Gives Half-Assed Apology for Reprimanding Whistleblower Doctor Killed by Covid-19

A Chinese doctor who was castigated for warning of the novel coronavirus during the early days of the epidemic has been exonerated, in a report prepared by Chinese government investigators. Unsurprisingly, the report does not go far enough in identifying those responsible for this atrocious and mind-bendingly irresponsible incident. Ophthalmologist Li Wenliang from the Central…

Health George Dvorsky Mar 20

Covid-19 Means NASA’s Moon Mission Might Have to Wait

Effective immediately, NASA is halting the production and testing of its next-gen rocket and crew module in response to the covid-19 pandemic. The space agency wants to use both pieces of hardware in 2024, when it hopes to land American astronauts to the Moon—a target date that now appears to be in serious jeopardy. Updates…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 20

Study: Soot From Massive Wildfires Led to Dino-Killing Mass Extinction

When a gigantic asteroid struck the Earth some 66 million years ago, it triggered an “impact winter” that extinguished over 75 percent of all species on Earth. New research suggests it was the resulting low light, and not frigid temperatures, that drove this horrific mass extinction. The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction event was so bad…

Earth Science George Dvorsky Mar 19

Vampire Bats Will Share Blood With a Friend, but Only After Vigorous Grooming

To prevent starvation, vampire bats will share their blood meals with an underfed friend. New research uncovers the steps leading up to this remarkable prosocial behavior and the importance of mutual grooming. Vampire bats share their blood meals, but they don’t do this with just any ol’ bat. These flying mammals are known to form…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 19

Urban Coyotes Live Off Trash, Fruit, and Cats

A multi-year survey in the Los Angeles metropolitan area shows that nearly two-thirds of an urban coyote’s diet comes from human-related sources—including a surprising amount of cats. Cities are an unmitigated disaster for most animals, but a select few have found human habitats to be a veritable cornucopia of culinary delights. Raccoons, mice, and rats…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 18

Fossil Reveals ‘Wonderchicken,’ the Earliest Known Modern Bird

A fantastic fossil found in Belgium is offering new insights into the ancient birds that gave rise to the ones still around today. The researchers who analyzed the fossil, a team led by paleontologist Daniel Field from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, have dubbed it “Wonderchicken,” but their formal paper on the…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 18

Discovery in Tomb Reveals Ancient Game of Donkey Polo

Archaeologists in China have unearthed a tomb belonging to a 9th-century noblewoman who was buried alongside her donkeys, which she likely rode while playing an ancient version of polo. New research published this week in Antiquity describes the tomb of Cui Shi, an Imperial Chinese noblewoman who died in 878 CE. Her tomb was found…

Human History George Dvorsky Mar 17

George Dvorsky

Humanity’s Origin Story Just Got More Complicated

Florida’s Ancient Calusa Kingdom Was Powered by Ingenious Fish Corrals

New Research Exposes Horrific Conditions at Britain’s Forgotten Nazi Concentration Camp

SpaceX Rival OneWeb Files for Bankruptcy, Citing Covid-19 as a Factor

A Newly Discovered Microbe Feasts on a Particularly Problematic Plastic

Hundreds of Bottles of Toxic Beer Found Hidden Beneath Victorian-Era Staircase

Neanderthals Enjoyed Seafood, Too, New Evidence Suggests

Ferocious Raptor Discovered in New Mexico Was a Speedy Hunter

Snake Venom Didn’t Evolve for Self-Defense, New Study Finds

Ancient Mercury Had the Right Stuff For Life, Surprising New Research Suggests

Glowing Deep-Sea Squid Have a Complex Form of Communication, New Evidence Suggests

NASA’s New View of Asteroid Bennu Transports Us Far Away From Our Troubles

Can Drugs for Malaria, HIV, and Ebola Treat Covid-19? New WHO Trial Aims to Find Out

China Gives Half-Assed Apology for Reprimanding Whistleblower Doctor Killed by Covid-19

Covid-19 Means NASA’s Moon Mission Might Have to Wait

Study: Soot From Massive Wildfires Led to Dino-Killing Mass Extinction

Vampire Bats Will Share Blood With a Friend, but Only After Vigorous Grooming

Urban Coyotes Live Off Trash, Fruit, and Cats

Fossil Reveals ‘Wonderchicken,’ the Earliest Known Modern Bird

Discovery in Tomb Reveals Ancient Game of Donkey Polo

First Statewide Data Center Ban Passed by Maine Legislature

FCC Exempts Netgear from Foreign-Made Router Ban for Some Reason

Jamie Dornan Is Your New Aragorn in ‘The Hunt for Gollum’

Trump’s Fed Pick Is Knee Deep in Tech and Crypto Investments

The First Trailer for ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Takes Terror Stateside

The Trump Phone Still Looks Like Total Trash

‘Masters of the Universe’ Really, Really Wants to Be the Next ‘Barbie’

Samsung’s Micro RGB TVs Provide So Much Color It May Be Too Much

The Crypto Bros Want to Get Their Hands on Anthropic’s ‘Super Dangerous’ Model

This Is What a Music Industry ‘Plant’ Looks Like in 2026

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

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