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Graphic: Ryan F. Mandelbaum; Raven: Wikimedia user CanadianWikilover; Crow: Wikimedia user Mdf; Sky: Wikimedia user Mohammed Tawsif Salam, Screenshot via Nintendo

Crows Are Officially More Badass Than Ravens, Citizen Scientists Report

Crows and ravens are hard to tell apart, but basically, the common raven is bigger than the American and Northwestern crow. So, you might think that ravens would win in a fight. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. One thing you might not know about bird nerds is that many of us are…

Biology Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jul 5

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Captain America Is a Timely Story About Steve Rogers and the Country We Live In

Captain America is not just a superhero or the Avengers’ on-again, off-again leader. He’s a symbol, both in Marvel’s comics and here in the real world, for all of the potential the US has to be an agent of justice and change in the larger world. io9 recently spoke with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates about the…

Books & Comics Charles Pulliam-Moore Jul 5

So Long, Scandal Boy

Scott Pruitt, man of many scandals, has resigned. He had one heck of a run. On Thursday afternoon, President Trump tweeted that the embattled head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had turned in his resignation, and that his deputy would take over for him as acting EPA administrator on Monday. It comes after a…

Environmental Justice Brian Kahn Jul 5

You Should Visit a Rainforest

I’m as hopelessly plugged in as the next person, but every so often I dream of giving up Twitter and Amazon Prime for good, and getting lost in a tropical rainforest. My love affair with the tropics began at age 19, when I jetted off to Ecuador for a summer paid for with my saved-up…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jul 5

California’s Strong Net Neutrality Bill Is Back

It’s been a roller-coaster ride for one California lawmaker over the past month as he’s tried to push a comprehensive net neutrality bill through the state’s legislature. In mid-June, it seemed as if Sen. Scott Wiener’s bill, S.B. 822, would get watered down once it combined with another bill introduced by a colleague. Days later,…

Tech News Dell Cameron Jul 5

This Brain Part Could Explain Why Parrots Are so Much Smarter Than Other Birds

Parrots are known for their intelligence, but why they should be so much smarter than other birds isn’t entirely clear. New research suggests parrots have an enlarged brain circuit responsible for higher-order thinking—a brain circuit with strikingly mammalian-like characteristics. With all due respect to the indisputable brilliance of corvids, parrots are probably the smartest birds…

Biology George Dvorsky Jul 5

Your Very Own Lifesize Replica of BB-8 Will Cost You Almost $4,000

Considering how he steals almost every scene he’s in, it didn’t take long for BB-8 to become a fan favorite, and for everyone obsessed with Star Wars to want a rolling droid of their own. Sideshow Collectibles is about to make that dream come true, or at least as close as possible, with a new…

Toys & Collectibles Andrew Liszewski Jul 5

Sydney Airport Kicks Off Test to Replace IDs With Facial Recognition

This week, some passengers traveling through the international airport in Sydney, Australia will be the first guinea pigs in a program that intends to replace the passport with facial scans. The check-in process may surely become less of a headache, but at what price? Select passengers flying with Qantas Airways will have the chance to…

Tech News Rhett Jones Jul 5

America’s First Dogs Were Wiped Out by Europeans, but Their Genetic Legacy Lives on as a Sexually Transmitted Cancer

The evolutionary journey of how dogs came to occupy millions of human living rooms is a complicated one, filled with detours and false starts. A new study out Thursday in Science seems to better illuminate one of these detours. It suggests the first domesticated dogs to come to the Americas were brought by humans migrating…

Biology Ed Cara Jul 5

Jupiter’s Moons Leave Signature Spots in Its Aurorae

Despite being wildly different from Earth in almost every way, Jupiter does feature some familiar phenomena—including aurorae, what we call the Northern and Southern lights. But Jupiter’s aurorae have something Earth’s don’t: strange features caused by the Jovian moons. Scientists analyzing data from the Juno spacecraft spotted some of these anomalies in action. They saw…

Space & Spaceflight Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jul 5

It’s Ridiculously Hot and Smoky in Siberia Right Now

Heat over Siberia and parts of the Arctic Ocean is wreaking havoc on forests and could have impacts on sea ice. It’s possible that temperatures could crack the 90s in Siberia to end the week, which is bad news because the region is already a smoldering, smoky mess. It’s the second time in two months…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jul 5

This May Be Stanley Kubrick Himself Explaining the End of 2001: A Space Odyssey

A video has surfaced which appears to feature Stanley Kubrick himself explaining the end of 1968’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Allow us to explain. Much like the Star Child of the film, the origins of this video are a little complicated and weird. Kubrick doesn’t appear in person in the video, just his voice, so…

Movies Germain Lussier Jul 5

Alexa, Is My House on Fire?

Many devices are now pulling double-duty these days. Game consoles are entertainment streaming devices. Smartwatches tell you the time while also telling you which of your coworkers is demanding your attention. Lightbulbs are burglar deterrents, at least when they’re not setting the mood. So Onelink’s Safe and Sound, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm with…

Home Entertainment & Smart Home Patrick Lucas Austin Jul 5

Last Night’s Steven Universe Was a Groundbreaking Moment for the Show

This week Steven Universe has returned with what is rapidly becoming one of its most compelling storylines so far, as the Crystal Gems come to terms with the shocking revelations surrounding Rose. Last night’s “The Question” not only gave us one of the show’s sweetest episodes, but also a major milestone in the series’ championing…

Television James Whitbrook Jul 5

My 15 Favorite Science and Tech Books for Smart Beach Reading

Summer is finally upon us, which means it’s time to put together a reading list, whether it’s for the beach, your cottage, or the hammock in your backyard. Here are 15 science and technology books that will keep your nerdy brains engaged and titillated. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of…

Artificial Intelligence George Dvorsky Jul 5

Facebook Says It’s Sorry for Removing a Part of the Declaration of Independence That Includes a Racial Slur

The Vindicator, a news outlet in Liberty, Texas, wanted to help its followers read the entire U.S. Declaration of Independence before the Fourth of July, so it posted excerpts on its Facebook page. But something in one of the most significant documents in modern history triggered Facebook’s filters. The outlet broke the Declaration up into…

Social Media Jennings Brown Jul 5

Hacking Firm’s Ex-Employee Made Off With Menacing Spy Tools, Israel Says

Israeli hacking firm NSO Group is mostly known for peddling top-shelf malware capable of remotely cracking into iPhones. But according to Israeli authorities, the company’s invasive mobile spy tools could have wound up in the hands of someone equally, if not far more, devious than its typical government clients. A 38-year-old former NSO employee has…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron Jul 5

Are You Ready for Even More Expensive Netflix Options? [Update]

Netflix is reportedly testing a new “Ultra” pricing tier that gives potential subscribers access to 4K “Ultra HD” and HDR streaming. Unfortunately, with this new tier Premium subscribers might be getting the short end of the stick, having some of their perks removed in the process, according to Italian smartphone site Tutto Android. Today, Premium-tier…

Tech News Patrick Lucas Austin Jul 5

Travel Through Time With This New Book About the Mysterious Evolution of Whales

Whales have an unfinished story. The plot so far has been enthralling; they’ve evolved from four-legged dog-like terrestrial animals to up to 200-ton marine behemoths. But when you begin to ponder how these giants came to be and where they’re going, you’re left with more questions than answers. How did whales become so enormous in…

Earth Science Paola Rosa-Aquino Jul 5

Threat of Heavy Rains Could Force Emergency Evacuation of Boys Trapped in Thai Cave

As 12 boys and their soccer coach wait to be rescued from a submerged cave in northern Thailand, officials may be forced into action due to expected heavy rains in the coming days. The situation is grave, given a medical assessment claiming the boys and coach are too weak to attempt such a physically demanding…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jul 5

Crows Are Officially More Badass Than Ravens, Citizen Scientists Report

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Captain America Is a Timely Story About Steve Rogers and the Country We Live In

So Long, Scandal Boy

You Should Visit a Rainforest

California’s Strong Net Neutrality Bill Is Back

This Brain Part Could Explain Why Parrots Are so Much Smarter Than Other Birds

Your Very Own Lifesize Replica of BB-8 Will Cost You Almost $4,000

Sydney Airport Kicks Off Test to Replace IDs With Facial Recognition

America’s First Dogs Were Wiped Out by Europeans, but Their Genetic Legacy Lives on as a Sexually Transmitted Cancer

Jupiter’s Moons Leave Signature Spots in Its Aurorae

It’s Ridiculously Hot and Smoky in Siberia Right Now

This May Be Stanley Kubrick Himself Explaining the End of 2001: A Space Odyssey

Alexa, Is My House on Fire?

Last Night’s Steven Universe Was a Groundbreaking Moment for the Show

My 15 Favorite Science and Tech Books for Smart Beach Reading

Facebook Says It’s Sorry for Removing a Part of the Declaration of Independence That Includes a Racial Slur

Hacking Firm’s Ex-Employee Made Off With Menacing Spy Tools, Israel Says

Are You Ready for Even More Expensive Netflix Options? [Update]

Travel Through Time With This New Book About the Mysterious Evolution of Whales

Threat of Heavy Rains Could Force Emergency Evacuation of Boys Trapped in Thai Cave

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