George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

Unknown Species of Ancient Four-Legged Whale Uncovered in Peru

The discovery of a fossilized, 42-million-year-old, four-legged whale is shedding new light on the evolution and geographical spread of these aquatic mammals. The ancestors of modern whales and dolphins evolved from a small, four-limbed hoofed animal that lived in south Asia around 50 million years ago, during the Eocene. Fossil evidence suggests these aquatic mammalian…

Biology George Dvorsky Apr 4

Scientists Talked to Cats to Figure Out If They Know Their Own Names

Plenty of cat owners will happily tell you their felines are capable of responding to their own names, but the scientific jury remains ambivalent on the matter. A fascinating new experiment suggests this might actually be true for some cats, and it’s a capacity very much tied to the social environment in which the cat…

Biology George Dvorsky Apr 4

Photo: Excavation Committee of the Ancient City of Laodicea

Stunning 10-Foot Statue of Roman Emperor Found Under Ancient Fountain in Turkey

Archaeologists working in the ancient Turkish city of Laodicea have discovered a monumental statue of Trajan, a famed Roman emperor who led the empire to its greatest geographical extent. The extravagant, imposing statue of Trajan was discovered by researchers from the Excavation Committee of the Ancient City of Laodicea, a project led by Pamukkale University…

Human History George Dvorsky Apr 3

NASA Chief Says Trip to the Moon Will Get Us to Mars Faster, but It’ll Cost Ya

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told a Congressional committee on Tuesday that President Trump’s accelerated timeline to put humans back on the Moon is within the space agency’s capabilities, and that a revved-up lunar mission will improve the odds of American astronauts reaching Mars by 2033. For that to happen, however, Bridenstine said Congress will have…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Apr 2

NASA: Debris Field Created by India’s Anti-Satellite Test Threatens the ISS

India’s first successful test of an anti-satellite weapon has produced an orbiting debris field consisting of at least 400 pieces, according to NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. This debris now threatens the ISS, he said, calling India’s actions “not compatible with the future of human spaceflight.” Bridenstine made the comments yesterday while speaking to NASA employees…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Apr 2

Curiosity Rover Detected Methane on Mars in 2013, a New Analysis Confirms

NASA’s Curiosity rover shook the science community six years ago when it apparently detected traces of methane—an important chemical linked to life—on Mars. Researchers failed to confirm these results in the years that followed, but that’s now changed thanks to a re-analysis of data collected from orbit. New research published today in Nature Geoscience confirms…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Apr 1

Rare 14th-Century Baby Bootie Uncovered in Switzerland

Archaeologists working in the Swiss town of Saint-Ursanne have discovered a remarkably well-preserved leather bootie dating back to the Middle Ages. Located in northwest Switzerland near the French border, the picturesque town of Saint-Ursanne has managed to retain its medieval character. Construction work to improve the town’s sewage system began in 2016, resulting in a…

Human History George Dvorsky Apr 1

Climate Change Drove Neanderthals to Cannibalism, New Research Suggests

Neanderthals are famous for having lived through the last major ice age, yet for a period of around 14,000 years they had to endure the effects of a naturally occurring global warming cycle. Struggling to adapt to the changing conditions, the Neanderthals turned to cannibalism in desperation, according to a provocative and timely new study.…

Human History George Dvorsky Mar 29

NASA’s Mars-Bound Helicopter Passes Critical Flight Tests In Extreme Conditions

Six-wheeled rovers on Mars are great, but imagine a helicopter flying through the thin Martian air. Darting from location to location, the craft would give us a bird’s eye view of the Red Planet. To test the feasibility of this idea, NASA will be sending a rotary-wing aircraft to Mars, and as recently concluded flight…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 29

Wildly Spinning Asteroid Caught In the Throes of Self-Destruction

With its long, bright tail, this object bears an uncanny resemblance to a comet, but it’s actually an active asteroid. New observations suggest the asteroid is spinning so quickly that it’s starting to break down and crumble, in what is a relatively rare cosmological phenomenon. The object in question is known as asteroid (6478) Gault,…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 28

Saturn’s Ravioli-Shaped ‘Ring Moons’ May Have Formed From a Giant Impact

During the final days of the legendary Cassini mission, the NASA spacecraft performed a series of ring-skimming orbits around Saturn, snapping unprecedented images of the gas giant’s enigmatic ring moons. These photos and other data have now been analyzed by astronomers, shedding new light on these elusive objects and the origin of Saturn’s majestic rings.…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 28

Dogs Detect Seizures by Smelling Them, New Evidence Suggests

Trained assistance dogs have shown that they can sniff out an assortment of diseases, but the canine ability to smell seizures has never been thoroughly examined—nor has the existence of a distinct seizure scent ever been proven. An encouraging new study suggests dogs are indeed capable of the feat—and they’re actually amazing at it. Previous…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 28

India Declares Itself a ‘Space Power’ After Shooting Down Its Own Satellite

In a surprise televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s first successful test of an anti-satellite weapon, which the government used to destroy its own satellite. Modi said the test signifies India as a “space power,” but critics claim it’s a regrettable and reckless step toward the ongoing weaponization of space.…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 27

Gene-Editing Record Smashed With Over 13,000 Changes Made to a Single Human Cell

Using a modified version of CRISPR, a team of geneticists has successfully triggered 13,200 genetic changes to a single human cell. That’s a new record, by a long shot. This sweeping new editing process could eventually be used to strip DNA of useless or dangerous genetic information—or create entirely new kinds of life. New research…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 26

NASA: All-Women Space Walk Is ‘Inevitable,’ but Sorry, Not the Right Spacesuits This Time

Astronauts on the International Space Station have completed 214 spacewalks in the past 21 years, but none have been all-women endeavors. So it was very exciting earlier this month when NASA publicized what was supposed to be the first all-female spacewalk in history. But just days before the planned walk, a spacesuit sizing problem means…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Mar 26

Formation of Dark Vortex on Neptune Captured For the Very First Time

Late last year, astronomers detected the sixth known dark vortex on Neptune. This time, however, scientists were able to chronicle the formation of this swirling storm over the course of several years, offering new insights into these enigmatic and ephemeral weather features. The discovery of Neptune’s latest dark vortex, and the appearance of a dramatic…

Tech News George Dvorsky Mar 25

Gigantic T. Rex Skeleton Found in Canada Is Officially World’s Biggest

Updated measurements of a large fossil found in Saskatchewan nearly 30 years ago confirm it as the world’s largest known Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. Remarkably, the new work suggests T. rex and other dinosaurs grew to a greater size than is typically appreciated. New research published last week in The Anatomical Record describes “Scotty,” a T.…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 25

Ancient Bird Fossil Includes Evidence of an Unlaid Egg

Paleontologists in China have detected traces of an unlaid egg in a 110-million-year-old bird fossil from the Cretaceous period, in what’s considered the first discovery of its kind. And in an ironic twist, it appears the egg is what killed the mother bird. Say hello to Avimaia schweitzerae, a newly described bird species from the…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 20

Humans Built Complex Societies Before They Invented Moral Gods

The appearance of moralizing gods in religion occurred after—and not before—the emergence of large, complex societies, according to new research. This finding upturns conventional thinking on the matter, in which moralizing gods are typically cited as a prerequisite for social complexity. Gods who punish people for their anti-social indiscretions appeared in religions after the emergence…

Tech News George Dvorsky Mar 20

New Horizons Team Shares Amazing New Details About Kuiper Belt Object MU69

Scientists with the New Horizons mission gathered together in Texas yesterday to discuss the latest findings about MU69. This distant Kuiper Belt object—which bears a striking resemblance to a flattened snowman—is turning out to be even weirder than we imagined. After NASA’s New Horizons zipped past Pluto on July 14, 2015, mission planners sent the…

Tech News George Dvorsky Mar 19

George Dvorsky

Unknown Species of Ancient Four-Legged Whale Uncovered in Peru

Scientists Talked to Cats to Figure Out If They Know Their Own Names

Stunning 10-Foot Statue of Roman Emperor Found Under Ancient Fountain in Turkey

NASA Chief Says Trip to the Moon Will Get Us to Mars Faster, but It’ll Cost Ya

NASA: Debris Field Created by India’s Anti-Satellite Test Threatens the ISS

Curiosity Rover Detected Methane on Mars in 2013, a New Analysis Confirms

Rare 14th-Century Baby Bootie Uncovered in Switzerland

Climate Change Drove Neanderthals to Cannibalism, New Research Suggests

NASA’s Mars-Bound Helicopter Passes Critical Flight Tests In Extreme Conditions

Wildly Spinning Asteroid Caught In the Throes of Self-Destruction

Saturn’s Ravioli-Shaped ‘Ring Moons’ May Have Formed From a Giant Impact

Dogs Detect Seizures by Smelling Them, New Evidence Suggests

India Declares Itself a ‘Space Power’ After Shooting Down Its Own Satellite

Gene-Editing Record Smashed With Over 13,000 Changes Made to a Single Human Cell

NASA: All-Women Space Walk Is ‘Inevitable,’ but Sorry, Not the Right Spacesuits This Time

Formation of Dark Vortex on Neptune Captured For the Very First Time

Gigantic T. Rex Skeleton Found in Canada Is Officially World’s Biggest

Ancient Bird Fossil Includes Evidence of an Unlaid Egg

Humans Built Complex Societies Before They Invented Moral Gods

New Horizons Team Shares Amazing New Details About Kuiper Belt Object MU69

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

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