Shutterstock

UV-Powered Blood Test Could Make Universal Cancer Detection Possible

Early detection is the best tool to fight cancer, but biopsies can be painful and inconclusive. New research shows a simple blood test can detect cancers by blasting white blood cells with UV and seeing how they respond. Painless, universal cancer detection could be a drop of blood away. Researchers at England’s University of Bradford…

A Nanotech-Powered AIDS-Killing Condom Is Closer than Ever

Correctly used, condoms do a damn good job of preventing STDs (and pregnancy!). But nobody’s gonna say no to an improvement that ups those odds. Say, a condom coated in antiviral gel that kills up t0 99.9% of HIV, genital herpes, and human papillomavirus. Australia just said yes, and hopefully the U.S. isn’t far behind.…

Comcast Internal Memo: That Service Rep From Hell Was Following Orders

Remember that agonizing phone call Ryan Block recorded last week, when a Comcast rep spent 20+ minutes trying to will Block not to cancel his account? Even a Comcast executive thought the call was “painful;” but also that the rep was doing just what they’d asked him to do. In an internal memo posted to…

Your Skin Has a Sense of Smell, and Sandalwood Aroma Makes it Heal

Ready for some weird science? Some of the same olfactory sensing equipment that give your nose its sense of smell can be found in your skin cells. In other words, your skin has a sense of smell. And researchers have just figured out that your skin loves the scent of sandalwood—in fact, the aroma revs…

Tonight’s Supermoon Will Be Almost as Glorious as Next Month’s

Have you heard? There’s gonna be a Supermoon tonight! It’s a very cool sight to see, especially on a clear night. But it’s way more common than you might think. In fact, the next three full moons this summer will be Supermoons. And astronomers are kind of puzzled as to why we seem to only…

The Surprising Science in a Single Drop of Regular Ol’ Tap Water

Tap water: we drink it, we bathe in it, we wash our clothes and dishes with it, and we cook with it. We probably take it for granted. But delivering clean, safe water to every kitchen and bathroom in America is no easy task, as Wired explains in this eye-opening little explanation into the secret…

Why Smooth Surfaces Make Your City Sizzle in Summer

It’s not just you, city-dwellers. Urban areas actually do get noticeably hotter than the rural areas around them, and that’s especially problematic in summertime. Why does that happen? Well, a new study says it all has to do with the aerodynamic shape of your city. In other words, the smoother your skyline, the hotter you’ll…

The TSA Is On the Lookout For Electronics That Won’t Turn On

The Transportation Security Administration, our wand-waving friends on the other side of the airport security line, have a new target: cellphones and other electronics that won’t power up. At certain airports, if your device won’t turn on, it—and maybe you—won’t get on that plane. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the new screening measure will…

The Books Everyone Starts and No One Finishes, According to Amazon

Picking up a book is gratifying: look at me, not reading dumb listicles on the internet! Finishing a book, however, is a challenge. Which of this summer’s top-selling books have the highest reader attrition? The WSJ features Dr. Jordan Ellenberg’s semi-scientific way to find out, using buyer-generated info from Amazon to identify this year’s most…

Maybe it’s Ducking Time to Get Rid of Autocorrect

Welcome to Reading List, Gizmodo’s Saturday afternoon collection of the best articles from around the web this week. What have we got today? Good stuff from Slate, The New Yorker, Outside Magazine, National Geographic, and more. Autocorrect: it’s great for putting apostrophes in the right place, but it’s a ducking pain when it garbles your…

A Mutant Cocaine-Eating Enzyme Could Cure Addiction and Overdoses

Ready for some weird science? Certain bacteria found in the dirt near coca plants are powered by an enzyme that eats cocaine. Unfortunately, the enzyme breaks down quickly at body temperature, meaning it can’t be used to treat human overdoses or addiction. Now, though, researchers have designed a version that can survive body temps—and more…

New Android Feature Wakes You Up For Your Bus or Subway Stop

Android Police just discovered a cool new Google Now feature: when you’re taking public transportation, you can set an alarm to make sure you don’t sleep through your stop. No more waking up stranded at the end of the line! Apparently, you just open Google Now while you’re on the train or bus, and it’ll…

Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder: Why Do People Get SAD in Summer?

By now you’ve probably heard of SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. Each winter, some people become a little bit melancholy, perhaps owing to the decrease in daylight hours. But there’s a second group of people who become sad in the summer. How does that work? When I tell my friends that I prefer dark, cold,…

What Would Change If Politicians Wrote Laws Based on Internet Polls?

A new political party, designed by software devs and engineers, is joining the race in California. If elected, PlaceAVote‘s Congressional candidates vow to decide on every bill based on the majority vote of their constituents—as measured via online polling. Could that sort of direct, digital democracy improve how Congress works? Would it make government more…

This Chart Reveals How Much Your Salary Is Worth In Different Cities

Where is your salary worth the most and where is it worth the least? This interactive chart has the answer. Salaries tend to be a little higher in areas where the cost of living is also higher, but that doesn’t always mean that you have more purchasing power there. The chart — which is the…

Shutterstock, the subscription-based stock photo company behind a lot of the generic (or weird) stock photography you see online, is now offering stock music for video producers and the like. [Shutterstock via Mashable]

Just Like Stupid Humans, Fish Get Cocky When They Drink

We humans love booze as liquid courage, but we’re not the only ones who feel extra capable after a few swigs. New research shows that a tipsy zebra fish will swim faster than the sober fish in its school—like a big showoff. And just like humans, the sober fish will speed up rather than be…

LifeLock’s Wallet App Will Nuke Your Data Due to Security Concerns

LifeLock announced in a blog post that the company’s Wallet app for Android and iOS may not be fully compliant with PCI security standards. Because of this, LifeLock has pulled the app—and set it to automatically delete users’ data the next time it’s opened. Talk about a thorough cleaning. On his blog, LifeLock CEO Todd…

IBM Lab Accidentally Makes New Type of Super-Strong, Recyclable Polymer

Strong, durable materials are hard to recycle—they’re designed to stand up to abuse. But research chemists at an IBM laboratory just published their discovery of a never-before-seen family of polymers that’s super strong, self-healing, lightweight, and easy to recycle. And it was discovered completely by accident. Dr. Jeannette Garcia was mixing up a standard recipe…

These Are The Surprising Jobs You’ll Be Doing By The 2030s

As our technological and sociological realities change, so too do our jobs. But just what, exactly, will we be doing 15 years from now? Here are some completely unexpected jobs you’ve almost certainly never heard of—but likely will soon. Indeed, the landscape of careers is changing. But knowing which vocations are around the corner is…