Journalist plugs in unknown USB drive mailed to him—it exploded in his face
Explosives replace malware as the scariest thing a USB stick may hide. Enlarge / Ecuadorian police tweeted this picture of officials investigating a drive mailed to a journalist in Guayaquil. (credit: Policía Ecuador/Twitter).....»»
How plant coverage is affecting the Arctic carbon cycle
Researchers at Columbia University's Department of Earth and Environment Science have discovered new implications for the Arctic carbon cycle in the face of climate change. Their paper, published in Communications Biology, shows how differing plant c.....»»
Viewpoint: In the face of DEI backlash, belonging plays a key role to future success
Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have become increasingly visible in U.S. workplaces, especially over the past five years. However, DEI has recently come under attack, with companies scaling back their DEI plans......»»
How gravitational waves could help detect Star Trek-style warp drive spaceships
How much do we really know about what else is out there in the universe?.....»»
Hybrids, crossovers drive Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia to August U.S. sales gains
U.S. auto sales are projected to rise 7 to 8 percent last month, analysts estimated, with average transaction prices falling as inventory rises and incentives increase......»»
Tropical forests face increased soil carbon loss due to climate change
Tropical forests account for more than 50% of the global terrestrial carbon sink, but climate change threatens to alter the carbon balance of these ecosystems......»»
Cops’ favorite face image search engine fined $33M for privacy violation
Clearview AI insists Dutch fine is "unlawful" but missed its chance to appeal. Enlarge (credit: EyeEm Mobile GmbH | iStock / Getty Images Plus) A controversial facial recognition tech company behind a vast face image sea.....»»
Hawk defies expectations in the face of habitat decline
Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis) that spend their winters in California seem to be going up in number, yet their preferred grassland habitat has been declining for over 20 years. Most other grassland bird species are, sadly, doing the expected: plum.....»»
VW warns of plant closures, forced lay offs in Germany in cost-cutting drive
VW considers one large vehicle plant and one component factory in Germany to be obsolete, according to the automaker's works council......»»
Data from space probes show that Alfvén waves drive the acceleration and heating of the solar wind
By studying data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe and the ESA Solar Orbiter, an international team of astrophysicists has found that Alfvén waves drive the acceleration and heating of the solar wind......»»
GM must face big class action over faulty transmissions
A class action suit claims GM violated laws of 26 U.S. states by knowingly selling several hundred thousand vehicles with faulty transmissions......»»
Lack of competition between petrol stations hits households most in poorest areas: Study
Households in low-income areas face significantly higher increases in petrol prices when rival fuel stations close compared to high-income areas, according to new research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA)......»»
Promising antibiotic candidates discovered in microbes deep in the Arctic Sea
Antibiotics are the linchpin of modern medicine: without them, anyone with open wounds or needing to undergo surgery would be at constant risk of dangerous infections. Yet we continue to face a global antibiotics crisis, as more and more resistant st.....»»
macOS 15.1 to let users download Mac App Store apps right to an external drive
With macOS Sequoia, which was announced at WWDC 2024 and is currently available as a beta for users, Apple has eased the storage requirements for downloading apps from the Mac App Store. Now with the latest beta of macOS 15.1, users will also gain th.....»»
Apple stuck between a rock and a hard place tackling nonconsensual porn generators
Apple seems unable to stop influx of so-called "dual use" apps that look innocent on the surface but help users create deepfake porn — at a steep price.Altered image found in face swap adApple takes pride in regulating the App Store, and part of th.....»»
California legislature passes controversial “kill switch” AI safety bill
Governor will balance worries about "over-regulation" with calls from AI luminaries. Enlarge / California governor Gavin Newsom will likely soon face a decision on whether to sign SB-1047. (credit: Ray Chavez/The Mercury News via.....»»
Spectroscopy study reveals electrons in cocatalyst periphery drive photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Synchronizing periodic excitations of photocatalysts with a Michelson interferometer on operando FT–IR spectroscopy, researchers led by Toshiki Sugimoto succeeded in observing and identifying the reactive electron species for photocatalytic hydroge.....»»
International consortium with NASA reveals hidden impact of spaceflight on gut health
Scientists have uncovered how spaceflight profoundly alters the gut microbiome, revealing previously unknown effects on host physiology that could shape the future of long-duration space missions......»»
South Africa"s coal workers face uncertainty—study shows they"re being left out of the green transition
South Africa is on the path to decarbonization—doing away with burning coal and other fossil fuels and moving towards renewable, clean energy, such as solar and wind power. However, the coal industry employs 91,000 people. If these workers lost the.....»»
What if you flew your warp drive spaceship into a black hole?
Warp drives have a long history of not existing, despite their ubiquitous presence in science fiction. Writer John Campbell first introduced the idea in a science fiction novel called Islands of Space......»»
Larger ant colonies drive the evolution of worker castes: Division of labor is key to life"s complexity, says study
Just like human societies, ant societies have a division of labor. Within a colony, some individuals feed the young while others are soldiers who protect the colony from intruders. New research across 794 ant species, published in Nature Ecology & Ev.....»»