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This well-known Egyptian symbol is actually an early math problem

Chances are you’ve seen this symbol before, because it’s one of the most well-known Egyptian symbols. It’s called the Eye of Horus. It’s been in the background of plenty of mummy movies, and been turned into a lot of necklace charms. Some people think it’s writing. Actually, it’s math. Top image: Jose Ignacio Soto/Shutterstock.com The…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Which data storage method will be the next to die?

The world is full of weird and obsolete old data storage forms, and they’re a huge problem for archivists and libraries. The changing types of data storage are a particularly large thorn in the side of libraries catering to the preservation of the written word in the early decades of the digital age, like the…

io9 Keith Veronese

Why You’re Biologically Inclined to Spill Your Coffee

Sometimes it feels like spilling coffee from your mug is inevitable. In fact, it turns out that hunch might be correct: scientists have shown that humans are biologically built to spill. In what sounds like incredibly frivolous research, a team of mechanical engineers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, has been investigating why people…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

OS X Bug Exposes Lion Log-In Details in Clear Text

With a recent Lion security update which was part of Mac OS X 10.7.3, Apple managed to roll out a debug file that—with some very specific configurations—can leave passwords stored in a log file in clear text. Fortunately, few people will be affected. To be hit by the problem, you’ll need to have used FileVault…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

Scientists switch mouse’s genes off and on with radio waves

Some laboratory mice were given specially engineered insuling-producing genes. These genes were then remotely activated using radio waves. This could mean a whole new field of medical procedures in which we turn genes on and off at will. This breakthrough is the work of geneticists at New York’s Rockefeller University. It’s a pretty circuitous path…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

How to stop an asteroid using nothing but “pebbles”

Let’s say we detect an asteroid about to hit Earth and for some reason we can’t throw Bruce Willis at it. (My problem-solving strategies generally involve throwing Bruce Willis.) Well, a swarm of tiny spacecraft could also do the job. That’s the finding of Alison Gibbings and Massimiliano Vasile, a pair of aerospace engineers at…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Drop the base to make bagels more delectable

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is a strong base, capable of destroying or eroding things on contact. It’s so caustic, it’s used to dispose of human remains. You might have used it to unclog a drain or clean your oven – NaOH is a major ingredient in Drano and Easy-Off. You might be enjoying a bit of…

io9 DrRubidium

Get off your email! You might live longer.

Want to lower your stress level and stay focused at work? Maybe you should give email a rest. In an “urban office setting”, UC Irvine and U.S. Army researchers monitored worker heart rates and how often workers switched windows. Workers that checked their emails hit a state of “high alert” more often — and stayed…

io9 DrRubidium

Tantalum is the most important element you’ve never heard of

You have likely never paid much attention to tantalum when you’ve gazed at the periodic table. It sits there, in the middle of a sea of transition metals, kind of out of the way and in the corner. And yet, tantalum is increasingly important in the 21st Century, because it plays a large role in…

io9 Keith Veronese

The 21st Century version of “blood diamonds” are in our electronics

Most people are familiar with the illicit trade of “blood diamonds”, but few are aware of the “other” blood trade: illegally sold minerals. These minerals are crucial to the aerospace, electronics, and manufacturing industries, and their illegal sales are used to finance political militias that murder civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).…

io9 George Dvorsky

Emotion Is Reversed in the Brains of Left Handers

Psychologists have always assumed that the way emotions are organized in the brain is the same for all of us. But now, a new study suggests that left-handers process emotion in the opposite side of the brain to right-handers—which could change the way we think about and treat mental disorders. The research, carried out at…

Health Jamie Condliffe

New study could put anti-aging pill back on the shelf

New research coming out of the National Institutes of Health and the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research is contradicting a 2010 claim by the National Institutes for Aging that resveratrol does not extend lifespan. The NIA research had dashed hopes for the development of an anti-aging pill, but it now appears that resveratrol — a…

io9 George Dvorsky

How will we build an artificial human brain?

There’s an ongoing debate among neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, and even philosophers as to whether or not we could ever construct or reverse engineer the human brain. Some suggest it’s not possible, others argue about the best way to do it, and still others have already begun working on it. Regardless, it’s fair to say that…

io9 George Dvorsky

Your Dating Success Depends on How You Use Pronouns

While there’s no denying that your ability to get the partner of your dreams might require some smooth talking, it’s always seemed somewhat of an imprecise science. Now, research suggests that the secret to success lies in the way you use your pronouns. James Pennbeaker, a psychologist from the University of Texas Austin, has long…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

Too Little Sleep Activates Genes That Make You Fat

People that sleep a lot are fat and lazy, right? Nope: toss that old idea out right now, because a new study suggests that sleeping for less than seven hours promotes genetic influences associated with weight gain. We’ve known for a while that there are genetic influences that can contribute to obesity; things like glucose…

Health Jamie Condliffe

Solar realignment could spell decades of cooler temperatures on Earth

Looks like the Sun is up to some more crazy stunts. The website Asahi Shimbun reports that the Sun may soon have four poles, according to research by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Riken Research Foundation. This, in turn, could lead to much colder temperatures on Earth… starting as soon as May…

io9 George Dvorsky

Could psychedelic drugs save your life some day?

Mention psychedelics to almost anyone and inevitably you get the usual associations to spaced-out hippies and back-alley junkies. There’s little question that the current impression of psychedelics is a very negative one, and for those who choose to use them, it can often carry a fairly heavy social stigma. But as Sarah Seltzer noted in…

io9 George Dvorsky

Could a single pill save your marriage?

Your relationship is on the rocks. Begrudgingly, you and your significant other visit a marriage counselor in the hopes that there’s still something left to salvage in your relationship. You both spill your guts and admit that the love is gone. The counselor listens attentively, nodding her head every now and then in complete understanding.…

io9 George Dvorsky

Does Chewing Gum Make You Dumb?

If you thought that chewing gum helped you concentrate, it might be time to reassess. While some old research has suggested that it can help you with abstract reasoning and logic puzzles, new research reveals that it can completely screw up your short-term memory. https://lifehacker.com/chewing-gum-can-boost-mental-performance-5863589 The new study, carried out at the University of Cardiff…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

Residential Buildings in London Will House Surface-to-Air Missiles During the Olympics

Large-scale, international events like the Olympics are often considered as targets for terrorist attacks. The UK’s Ministry of Defence is taking that extremely seriously: it’s placing surface-to-air missiles on a residential apartment building during the summer’s sporting event. The BBC reports that people living in a residential area in east London, near the Olympic site,…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

This well-known Egyptian symbol is actually an early math problem

Which data storage method will be the next to die?

Why You’re Biologically Inclined to Spill Your Coffee

OS X Bug Exposes Lion Log-In Details in Clear Text

Scientists switch mouse’s genes off and on with radio waves

How to stop an asteroid using nothing but “pebbles”

Drop the base to make bagels more delectable

Get off your email! You might live longer.

Tantalum is the most important element you’ve never heard of

The 21st Century version of “blood diamonds” are in our electronics

Emotion Is Reversed in the Brains of Left Handers

New study could put anti-aging pill back on the shelf

How will we build an artificial human brain?

Your Dating Success Depends on How You Use Pronouns

Too Little Sleep Activates Genes That Make You Fat

Solar realignment could spell decades of cooler temperatures on Earth

Could psychedelic drugs save your life some day?

Could a single pill save your marriage?

Does Chewing Gum Make You Dumb?

Residential Buildings in London Will House Surface-to-Air Missiles During the Olympics

‘The Mummy 4’ Is Getting the Family Back Together

JD Vance Says UFOs Are Actually Demons

Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine Hits Its Lowest Price of the Year for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, Cut Your Daily Coffee Costs at Home

Amazon Clears Out Govee LED Smart Light Bulbs (2-Pack) at a Record Low, Each Bulb Costs Just a Few Dollars

The First Proper ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Trailer Is a ’90s Anime Fever Dream

JBL PartyBox Club 120 Speaker Drops Back to Black Friday Pricing for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale Only

YouTuber Resolves Fraternal Disagreement With Excavator and Hilariously Large Sword

Should We Be Hyped—or Freaked Out—About Nuclear Microreactors?

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

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

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