Here Comes the Sun—to End Civilization
Every so often, our star fires off a plasma bomb in a random direction. Our best hope the next time Earth is in the crosshairs? Capacitors......»»
First contact: Global team to simulate message from extraterrestrial intelligence to Earth
What would happen if we received a message from an extraterrestrial civilization? Daniela de Paulis, an established interdisciplinary artist and licensed radio operator who currently serves as Artist in Residence at the SETI Institute and the Green B.....»»
Saving humanity: Here"s a radical approach to building a sustainable and just society
Collectively, we are driving Earth and civilization towards collapse. Human activities have exceeded planetary boundaries. We are changing the climate, losing biodiversity, degrading land, contaminating freshwater, and damaging the nitrogen and phosp.....»»
New tool to guide efficient energy extraction from quantum sources
The idea that energy is a fundamental driver of societal progress has led to the concept that a civilization's level of technological development can be measured by its ability to harness and use energy. Based on this, Russian astrophysicist Nikolai.....»»
Tropical fruits are vulnerable to climate change. Can we make them resilient in time?
Plants provide almost every calorie of food we eat. Grains like rice, wheat and corn make civilization possible. For millennia, farmers have bred grains, fruit and vegetable varieties to get larger harvests and plants better able to tolerate differen.....»»
Even if there"s life on TRAPPIST-1, we probably can"t detect it
If we ever find life on other worlds, it is unlikely to be a powerful message from space. It's certainly possible that an alien civilization specifically sends us a radio message like a scene out of Contact, but the more likely scenario is that we ob.....»»
Elon Musk warns AI could cause "civilization destruction" even as he invests in it
Elon Musk warned in a new interview that artificial intelligence could lead to "civilization destruction," even as he remains deeply involved in the growth of AI through his many companies, including a rumored new venture......»»
Opinion: Racist and sexist depictions of human evolution still permeate science, education and popular culture today
Systemic racism and sexism have permeated civilization since the rise of agriculture, when people started living in one place for a long time. Early Western scientists, such as Aristotle in ancient Greece, were indoctrinated with the ethnocentric and.....»»
Study reveals influencing factors on global dumpsite distribution
With the advancement of global civilization, monitoring and managing dumpsites have become essential parts of environmental governance worldwide. However, dumpsite locations are difficult to pinpoint in a timely manner by local government agencies an.....»»
Ancient DNA is restoring the origin story of the Swahili people of the East African coast
The legacy of the medieval Swahili civilization is a source of extraordinary pride in East Africa, as reflected in its language being the official tongue of Kenya, Tanzania and even inland countries like Uganda and Rwanda, far from the Indian Ocean s.....»»
Would building a Dyson sphere be worth it? We ran the numbers.
Here's the math behind making a star-encompassing megastructure. Enlarge (credit: Kevin Gill (CC BY 2.0)) In 1960, visionary physicist Freeman Dyson proposed that an advanced alien civilization would someday quit fooling.....»»
Dance and games offer glimpses of life, and death, in ancient Italy
Tomb and urn images shed light on the intricacies of Etruscan and Roman civilization at least 2,000 years ago, reviving it for modern times......»»
Archaeologists dug for evidence of the Rosetta Stone"s ancient Egyptian rebellion—here"s what they found
The Rosetta Stone is not known for its content, but as a lexicon of Egyptian hieroglyphics. The decree inscribed on the stone, however, discusses a violent revolt—largely lost to history—that shaped the trajectory of western civilization......»»
Slime molds are not actually fungi at all, but they are brainless predators
In HBO's post-apocalyptic drama "The Last of Us," human civilization has fallen in the face of a fungal takeover triggered by climate change......»»
Why are polders an important part of China"s water heritage?
As a civilization originating from rivers, China possesses one of the world's largest water resources and has a long history of water management. It is particularly the case in the Yangtze River Delta, where many rivers and lakes connect, requiring a.....»»
Fungal enzymes developed with microfluidics may be new organic tool in fight against crop-killers
Fungus is getting a pretty bad rap in pop culture right now thanks to HBO's hit zombie TV show "The Last of Us," in which a fungal mutation spread through the global food supply leads to the collapse of civilization. But its critical role in the heal.....»»
Climate change may have toppled Hittite Empire: study
Three years of extreme drought may have brought about the collapse of the mighty Hittite Empire around 1200 BC, researchers have said, linking the plight of the fallen civilization to the modern world's climate crisis......»»
Video: Why calcium hydroxide + corn is key to understanding Western civilization and tacos
In the world of corn tortillas, a fierce debate rages: Is it okay to make them from pre-made corn flour, or do you need to go all the way back to dried corn kernels to make truly "from scratch" tortillas?.....»»
Does failing to detect aliens mean we"ll never be contacted?
In a recent paper submitted to The Astronomical Journal in November 2022, a scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne quantifies how the Earth has not heard a radio signal from an extraterrestrial technological civilization sinc.....»»
Researchers unveil evolution of paleodiet at Neolithic Qujialing site
The sustainable development of agriculture has laid a solid foundation for the birth of human civilization and countries. Early agriculture has long been a focus of archaeology. China is the only country in the world with two independent agricultural.....»»
Steam"s annual Autumn Sale aims to keep you entertained during the holidays
Front page highlights include 75 percent off Doom Eternal, a full 85 percent off Tekken 7 and a whopping 90 percent off Sid Meier's Civilization VI......»»