What would signal life on another planet?
The James Webb Space Telescope may help us find the answer. Enlarge / Surveying the atmospheres of planets beyond the solar system, such as those in the TRAPPIST-1 system (artist’s concept of four of the system’s seven plane.....»»
Happy Martian New Year!
The Martian new year arrives with the Red Planet’s vernal equinox. Explaining why requires a deep dive into celestial mechanics and Earth’s calendrical history.....»»
Generative AI Could Generate Millions More Tons of E-Waste by 2030
Generative AI could saddle the planet with heaps more hazardous waste.....»»
Half-Life 2 pushed Steam on the gaming masses… and the masses pushed back
Back in 2004, many players saw Valve’s new platform as nothing but “fancy DRM.” It's Half-Life 2 week at Ars Technica! This Saturday, November 16, is the 20th anniversary of.....»»
Research looks to see how hidden costs of Social Security claiming takes toll on widows
The timing of filing for Social Security benefits is one of the most important decisions senior Americans must make. But few think about the implications filing early or late in life has on widowed spouses, a segment of society that represents nearly.....»»
Q&A: Holobiont biology, a new concept for exploring how microbiome shapes evolution of visible life
Microorganisms—bacteria, viruses and other tiny life forms—may drive biological variation in visible life as much, if not more, than genetic mutations, creating new lineages and even new species of animals and plants, according to Seth Bordenstei.....»»
New study examines how extraterrestrial civilizations could become "stellivores"
One of the most challenging aspects of astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is anticipating what life and extraterrestrial civilizations will look like. Invariably, we have only one example of a planet that supports li.....»»
A new mission to Pluto could answer the questions raised by New Horizons
Pluto may have been downgraded from full-planet status, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hold a special place in scientist's hearts. There are practical and sentimental reasons for that—Pluto has tantalizing mysteries to unlock that New Horizons, t.....»»
Theoretical model explains the anomalous properties of water in extreme conditions
Water, a molecule essential for life, has unusual properties—known as anomalies—that define its behavior. However, there are still many enigmas about the molecular mechanisms that would explain the anomalies that make the water molecule unique. D.....»»
3 great BritBox shows you should watch in November 2024
From a moody detective show to a real-life scandal program, these British TV series are among the best shows available on BritBox......»»
Scientists say world"s largest coral found near Solomon Islands
Scientists say they have found the world's largest coral near the Pacific's Solomon Islands, announcing Thursday a major discovery "pulsing with life and color"......»»
Swift Observatory studies a pair of gas-churning monster black holes
Scientists using observations from NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory have discovered, for the first time, the signal from a pair of monster black holes disrupting a cloud of gas in the center of a galaxy......»»
Meteorite contains evidence of liquid water on Mars 742 million years ago
An asteroid struck Mars 11 million years ago and sent pieces of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these chunks of Mars eventually crashed into the Earth somewhere near Purdue University and is one of the few meteorites that can be traced.....»»
Planet saw its 2nd-warmest October in 175-year record: 2024 on pace to be world"s warmest year on record
Earth saw another unusually warm month, with October 2024 ranking as the second-warmest October in NOAA's 175-year global climate record......»»
Economic policies encourage the careless use of people and the planet. Creating caring economies is the answer
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change includes a Gender Action Plan, adopted in 2017. The plan aims to "enhance the gender responsiveness" of climate policy and climate action. It outlines specific actions and strategies to promot.....»»
Portable spectrophotometer approach predicts shelf life of strawberries in real time
Based on non-invasive technology, a research group at the University of Cordoba has created a tool to guarantee optimal strawberry quality and minimize food waste......»»
How Valve made Half-Life 2 and set a new standard for future games
From physics to greyboxing, Half-Life 2 broke a lot of new ground. It's Half-Life 2 week at Ars Technica! This Saturday, November 16, is the 20th anniversary of the release of Hal.....»»
New book arrives as the perfect gift for Ted Lasso fans
The holiday shopping season has arrived, and with it a great gift has just released for the Ted Lasso fans in your life (self-gifting is okay too). From The New York Times’ TV critic comes telling the full story of the biggest Apple TV+ hit. m.....»»
BLUETTI is launching an all-new 2 kWh portable power station for outdoor life
BLUETTI has long been committed to clean and sustainable energy, and is a market leader in green energy storage, both for indoor and outdoors. Today, BLUETTI is launching a new 2 kWh portable power station, breaking through traditional portable e.....»»
Dell XPS 13 (9350) review: better battery life, same design problems
The Dell XPS 13 9350 gets great battery life thanks to its Intel Lunar Lake chipset. It also has several design features that detract from the experience......»»
Spotify’s Car Thing, due for bricking, is getting an open source second life
It's more of a desktop thing now, but it has picked up some new features. Spotify has lost all enthusiasm for the little music devices it sold for just half a year. Firmware hacke.....»»