X-ray emissions from black hole jets vary unexpectedly, challenging leading model of particle acceleration
Researchers discovered only relatively recently that black hole jets emit X-rays, and how the jets accelerate particles to this high-energy state is still a mystery. Surprising new findings in Nature Astronomy appear to rule out one leading theory, o.....»»
Philosopher Daniel Dennett dead at 82
Part of the "New Atheist" movement, best known for work on consciousness, free will. Enlarge / Daniel Dennett, a leading philosopher with provocative takes on consciousness, free will, and AI, has died at 82. (credit: Alonso Nich.....»»
3 underrated Netflix shows you should watch this weekend (April 19-21)
From one of the scariest shows ever made to a pitch black comedy, these underrated Netflix shows prove there's plenty to watch on the service this weekend......»»
Long-lost model of the USS Enterprise returned to Roddenberry family
It showed up in an eBay listing; now Roddenberry's son wants to show it to fans. Enlarge / This mysterious model appeared on eBay with little fanfare. (credit: eBay) The first-ever model of Star Trek's USS Enterprise NCC.....»»
Smart to show midsize #5 concept at Beijing show
The midsize #5 will be Smart's biggest model. It will launch in Europe in 2025......»»
Bill to undo relaxed EPA tailpipe emissions rule fails in Senate
A bill that would prohibit the EPA from enforcing its finalized rule on tailpipe emissions vehicles failed in the U.S. Senate on Thursday......»»
Modder packs an entire Nintendo Wii into a box the size of a pack of cards
There's no disc drive, but there are still ports for GameCube controllers. Enlarge / Its creator calls the "Short Stack" the world's smallest scale model replica of the Nintendo Wii (bottom). (credit: James Smith) The m.....»»
Two NASA sounding rockets launch from Alaska during solar flare
Two Black Brant IX sounding rockets launched from Poker Flat Research Range in Fairbanks, Alaska, April 17, 2024, during an M-class solar flare for NASA's sounding rocket solar flare campaign......»»
Merging nuclear physics experiments and astronomical observations to advance equation-of-state research
For most stars, neutron stars and black holes are their final resting places. When a supergiant star runs out of fuel, it expands and then rapidly collapses on itself. This act creates a neutron star—an object denser than our sun crammed into a spa.....»»
A hydrocarbon molecule as supplier and energy storage solution for solar energy
Until now, the generation and storage of electricity from solar energy has been dependent on various devices, leading to conversion losses. That may change soon, as chemists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and other resea.....»»
Scotland is ditching its flagship 2030 climate goal—why legally binding targets really matter
The Scottish government has rescinded its 2030 target of a 75% emissions cut to greenhouse gas emissions, relative to 1990. The target was statutory, meaning it had been set in law in the Emissions Reduction Targets Act of 2019......»»
Researchers reveal sources of black carbon in southeastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau
Black carbon (BC) is the result of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, with strong light absorption. It is second only to carbon dioxide as a climate-forcing factor for atmospheric warming. Deposition of BC on snow and ice surfaces red.....»»
Microsoft’s VASA-1 can deepfake a person with one photo and one audio track
YouTube videos of 6K celebrities helped train AI model to animate photos in real time. Enlarge / A sample image from Microsoft for "VASA-1: Lifelike Audio-Driven Talking Faces Generated in Real Time." (credit: Microsoft).....»»
Ghost particle on the scales: Research offers more precise determination of neutrino mass
What is the mass of a neutrino at rest? This is one of the big unanswered questions in physics. Neutrinos play a central role in nature. A team led by Klaus Blaum, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, has now made a.....»»
Hospital prices for the same emergency care vary up to 16X, study finds
Hospitals' "trauma activation fees" are unregulated and extremely variable. Enlarge / Miami Beach, Fire Rescue ambulance at Mt. Sinai Medical Center hospital. ] (credit: Getty | Jeffrey Greenberg/) Since 2021, federal la.....»»
Biggest stellar black hole to date discovered in our galaxy
Astronomers have discovered a large stellar mass black hole which weighs in at 33 times the mass of the sun and is located just 2,000 light-years away......»»
Meta’s new $199 Quest 2 price is a steal for the VR-curious
Move comes as support winds down for the original Quest headset. Enlarge / For just $199, you could be having as much fun as this paid model. Meta has announced it's permanently lowering the price of its aging Quest 2 h.....»»
LLMs keep leaping with Llama 3, Meta’s newest open-weights AI model
Zuckerberg says new AI model "was still learning" when Meta stopped training. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Benj Edwards) On Thursday, Meta unveiled early versions of its Llama 3 open-weights AI model that can be used.....»»
Smoother surfaces make for better accelerators
With every new particle accelerator built for research, scientists have an opportunity to push the limits of discovery. But this is only true if new particle accelerators deliver the desired performance—no small feat in a world where each new machi.....»»
The 31 best Netflix drama shows right now (April 2024)
The best Netflix drama shows include Black Sails, Killing Eve, One Day, The Resident, The Gentlemen, Madam Secretary, The Blacklist, and many others......»»
States sue to block U.S. rules curbing tailpipe emissions in cars, light trucks
Republican attorneys general from 25 states on Thursday sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to block rules intended to reduce planet-warming emissions from cars and light trucks and encourage electric vehicle manufacturing, arguing the agen.....»»