George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

Spooky ‘Black Hole’ on Jupiter Is Just a Big Shadow

NASA’s Juno spacecraft recently caught this ominous view of Jupiter, which shows a massive black spot atop the gas giant’s churning clouds. Looks scary, but there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation: It’s a shadow cast by Jupiter’s extremely volcanic moon, Io. Juno captured this stunning series of images on September 12, while participating in its 22nd…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Sep 20

Submerged for Decades, Spanish ‘Stonehenge’ Reemerges After Drought

Receding water levels in Spain’s Valdecañas Reservoir has exposed a stone monument dating back to between 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Unusually warm weather produced drought conditions across much of Europe this past summer, including Spain. The lack of rain, while a headache for farmers and gardeners, has resulted in the complete re-emergence of an…

Human History George Dvorsky Sep 19

Facial Reconstruction Shows What the Enigmatic Denisovans Might Have Looked Like

A pinky finger bone, some teeth, and a lower jaw. That’s all the physical evidence we have of the mysterious Denisovans, an extinct group of hominins closely related to the Neanderthals. Remarkable new research offers a physical reconstruction of the Denisovans based on genetic evidence, providing our first potential glimpse of this ancient human species.…

Human History George Dvorsky Sep 19

The World Is ‘Grossly’ Unprepared for the Next Major Pandemic, Watchdog Finds

A report compiled by an independent group of experts claims that governments and NGOs are woefully unprepared for the next big pandemic, while subsequently warning of a “very real threat” for a global-scale pandemic to kill 50 million to 80 million people. “The world is at acute risk for devastating regional or global disease epidemics…

Health George Dvorsky Sep 18

Smoke-Filled Satellite Images Reveal the Disturbing Extent of Wildfires in Indonesia

As wildfires continue to rage in the Amazon, Indonesians and their neighbors are are struggling to cope with excessive smoke caused by burning forests and peatlands. New satellite images show the extent of the blazes, with Borneo barely visible under a thick blanket of noxious smoke. This incredible image, taken on September 15, 2019, was…

Earth Science George Dvorsky Sep 18

U.S. Air Force Warns There’s a Chance an American and Russian Satellite Could Collide Overnight

Earlier today, the private American firm Bigelow Aerospace was notified by the U.S. Air Force that its Genesis II spacecraft has a slim chance of smashing into a dead Russian spy satellite. News of the potential orbital smash-up came via Bigelow Aerospace’s Twitter account. “Today, we were notified by the US Air Force that there…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Sep 17

The Biggest Volcano on Jupiter’s Molten Moon Io Is Likely to Erupt at Any Moment

Observational data collected over the years suggests the largest volcano on Jupiter’s moon Io—the most geologically active object in the Solar System—will erupt in mid-September, which is pretty much any moment now. When it comes to eruptions, volcanoes tend to operate on their own unpredictable schedules. Such is not the case for Loki, however, the…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Sep 17

Image: NASA / JPL-Caltech / R. Hurt (IPAC)

Wild New Theory Blames a Disintegrating Moon for Star’s Mysterious Dimming

Of the nearly 1 million stars chronicled by the Kepler telescope, few have captured as much attention as KIC 8462852, otherwise known as Boyajian’s Star. New research suggests its sporadic dimming is not caused by swarms of comets or an alien megastructure, but rather an abandoned exomoon caught in the throes of annihilation. Boyajian’s Star,…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Sep 17

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Are Breeding in Brazil, Despite Biotech Firm’s Assurances to the Contrary

An experimental trial to reduce the number of mosquitoes in a Brazilian town by releasing genetically modified mosquitoes has not gone as planned. Traces of the mutated insects have been detected in the natural population of mosquitoes, which was never supposed to happen. The deliberate release of 450,000 transgenic mosquitoes in Jacobina, Brazil has resulted…

Biology George Dvorsky Sep 16

The Hole in the Ozone Layer Is Being Super Weird—but in a Good Way

‘Tis the season for the hole in the ozone layer to undergo its annual growth spurt in the skies high above Antarctica. It’s still early days, but scientists say this year’s version is behaving unusually and that it has the potential to be the smallest hole observed in over three decades. Today on this International…

Earth Science George Dvorsky Sep 16

Famous ‘Lovers of Modena’ Skeletons Were Young Men, New Analysis Finds

A new analysis of the Lovers of Modena—a pair of 1,600-year-old skeletons found buried with their hands clasped together—reveals the pair as being male, in a discovery unique to archaeology. Found 10 years ago in an Italian Late Antiquity cemetery, the Lovers of Modena were initially presumed to be a male and female couple. That…

Human History George Dvorsky Sep 13

Magnetic Roaches, Cubed Poop, and Dirty Money: The Wonderful Winners of the 2019 Ig Nobel Prize

The winners of the 2019 Ig Nobel Prize—an annual contest that satirizes ridiculous science—have been announced. This is the 29th running of the contest, which pokes fun at the quirkiest, weirdest, and least necessary scientific research. The competition, such that it is, is organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, a science-based humor magazine. As…

Tech News George Dvorsky Sep 13

Howl in Delight at Some of the Best Astronomy Photographs of 2019

The winners of the 2019 Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year have been announced. This year’s crop features a stunning images, from auroras and sunspots to galaxies and nebulas—along with a perspective of a lunar eclipse unlike anything we’ve seen before. This is the 11th running of the contest, which is held by the…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Sep 12

Scientists Taught Rats to Play Hide-and-Seek, and They’re Actually Pretty Good at It

New research suggests rats are capable of learning to play hide-and-go-seek with humans—and they appeared to legitimately enjoy the game. Rats, as this new research demonstrates, just wanna have fun. Fascinating new research published today in Science describes how neuroscientists in Berlin taught rats to play the classic children’s game, hide-and-seek. Incredibly, the rats were capable…

Biology George Dvorsky Sep 12

The dwellings of an uncontacted tribe in Brazil.

Defender of Brazil’s Indigenous Tribes Murdered ‘Execution-Style’ in Amazon Town

Maxciel Pereira dos Santos, a veteran defender of Brazil’s indigenous people, has reportedly been shot dead in a remote Amazon town while riding his motorcycle. The BBC reports Santos was shot twice in the head while riding his motorcycle down the main street of Tabatinga, a Brazilian city near the border of Colombia and Peru,…

Environmental Justice George Dvorsky Sep 12

Water Vapor Detected in the Atmosphere of a Potentially Habitable Super-Earth

For the first time ever, astronomers have detected water vapor in the atmosphere of a rocky exoplanet. Intriguingly, the planet is in the so-called habitable zone of its star, making it one of the most promising places in the galaxy to look for signs of extraterrestrial life. Located 110 light-years away, planet K2-18b was discovered…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Sep 11

Fukushima’s Radioactive Water Will Have to Be Dumped in the Ocean, Japan’s Environment Minister Predicts

A remark by Japanese environment minister Yoshiaki Harada about dumping wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant directly into the Pacific Ocean has sparked outrage among Japanese fishermen and environmental groups. Harada made the comments earlier today during a press briefing in Tokyo, reports the Japan Times. Responding to a question, Harada said Tokyo…

Tech News George Dvorsky Sep 10

Trove of Neanderthal Footprints Provide an Unprecedented Glimpse Into Prehistoric Life

Scientists in France have discovered hundreds of fossilized footprints belonging to a single group of Neanderthals. At 80,000 years old, the prints chronicle a single, precious moment in the lives of these extinct hominins. Meticulous excavations at the Le Rozel Site in Normandy, France, from 2012 to 2017 have revealed 257 fossilized Neanderthal footprints, an…

Human History George Dvorsky Sep 10

Meet the ‘Cold Dragon of the North Winds,’ a Gigantic Canadian Pterosaur

An updated analysis of a 77-million-year-old fossil found in Alberta, Canada has resulted in the creation of a new genus and species of pterosaur. The newly named flying reptile, dubbed Cryodrakon boreas, featured an impressive 32-foot wingspan (but probably not the Canadian flag colors depicted above). When this species was first discovered in 1992, paleontologists…

Biology George Dvorsky Sep 9

The Best Wildlife Photos of 2019 Reveal Nature’s Beauty and Ferocity

The finalists have been announced for this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. This year’s crop features some stunning—and gut wrenching—images. From animals fighting for their lives to the subtle beauty of a bird drinking from an icicle, these photographs are nothing short of remarkable. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, now in…

Conservation George Dvorsky Sep 9

George Dvorsky

Spooky ‘Black Hole’ on Jupiter Is Just a Big Shadow

Submerged for Decades, Spanish ‘Stonehenge’ Reemerges After Drought

Facial Reconstruction Shows What the Enigmatic Denisovans Might Have Looked Like

The World Is ‘Grossly’ Unprepared for the Next Major Pandemic, Watchdog Finds

Smoke-Filled Satellite Images Reveal the Disturbing Extent of Wildfires in Indonesia

U.S. Air Force Warns There’s a Chance an American and Russian Satellite Could Collide Overnight

The Biggest Volcano on Jupiter’s Molten Moon Io Is Likely to Erupt at Any Moment

Wild New Theory Blames a Disintegrating Moon for Star’s Mysterious Dimming

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Are Breeding in Brazil, Despite Biotech Firm’s Assurances to the Contrary

The Hole in the Ozone Layer Is Being Super Weird—but in a Good Way

Famous ‘Lovers of Modena’ Skeletons Were Young Men, New Analysis Finds

Magnetic Roaches, Cubed Poop, and Dirty Money: The Wonderful Winners of the 2019 Ig Nobel Prize

Howl in Delight at Some of the Best Astronomy Photographs of 2019

Scientists Taught Rats to Play Hide-and-Seek, and They’re Actually Pretty Good at It

Defender of Brazil’s Indigenous Tribes Murdered ‘Execution-Style’ in Amazon Town

Water Vapor Detected in the Atmosphere of a Potentially Habitable Super-Earth

Fukushima’s Radioactive Water Will Have to Be Dumped in the Ocean, Japan’s Environment Minister Predicts

Trove of Neanderthal Footprints Provide an Unprecedented Glimpse Into Prehistoric Life

Meet the ‘Cold Dragon of the North Winds,’ a Gigantic Canadian Pterosaur

The Best Wildlife Photos of 2019 Reveal Nature’s Beauty and Ferocity

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

As Starship V3 Lags Behind, Blue Origin Prepares Third Launch of New Glenn

The New Movie From Takashi Yamazaki Could Be the New ‘Pacific Rim’

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