NASA Just Proved It Can Navigate Space Using Pulsars. Where to Now?
Half a century ago, astronomers observed their first pulsar: a dead, distant, ludicrously dense star that emitted pulses of radiation with remarkable regularity. So consistent was the object's signal that astronomers jokingly nicknamed it LGM-1, short for "little green men." It wasn't long before scientists detected more signals like LGM-1. That decreased the odds that…
While You Were Offline: That's One Way to Stop Trump's Wall
Even by 2019 standards, this last week has been a doozy; we've had police allege Empire actor Jussie Smollett faked his attack in an attempt to promote his career, a new election called in North Carolina, and another potential government revolt in the UK over Brexit, which has also resulted in the formation of a…
NASA’s Jim Bridenstine Agrees Humans Are Responsible for Climate Change
It's no secret that the Trump administration has filled cabinet positions and other senior staff jobs with people who reject or ignore established climate science. On Monday, for example, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters at the National Press Club in Washington that he’s “not going to get into the climate debate.” He also said…
Making a Stormtrooper Out of Bodies Is Easier Than You'd Think
If the work of Pilobolus looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen them on the Oscars. Or on YouTube. Though the dance troupe was founded in 1971 at Dartmouth College, the group’s most recent spate of notoriety comes from its projected shadow play routines, multi-person performances done behind a screen that give the illusion that…
With Some Structure, Stem Cells Might Still Stop Vision Loss
Getting older is supposed to give you perspective. But for one out of five people over the age of 65, it does the opposite. Macular degeneration is a common progressive eye condition, one that thins and breaks down a tissue behind the center of the retina. Without that tissue, the light-sensing cells it supports atrophy…
Frozen 2 Trailer: Twitter Asks, Where Is Elsa's Girlfriend?
One hour. That's all it took for the tweets to start coming in. No sooner had Disney dropped the trailer for Frozen 2 than the question started popping up: Where was Elsa's girlfriend? Was she gonna be a lesbian, or nah? Disney fans and LGBTQ advocates alike were demanding: Make Elsa Gay, Dammit. Related Stories…
Researchers Restore Elusive Sixth Sense to Lost Limbs
The bionic hand closes slowly. Its slender metal digits whirr as they jitter into a loose fist, as though they are wrapping around an invisible baton. "OK, closed," says the test subject. The test subject is Amanda Kitts. In 2006, a Ford F350 hit her Mercedes sedan head-on. The collision rent the truck's tire from…
The Tetris Effect and Our Boundaryless Digital Future
The videogames of Tetsuya Mizuguchi have chased a singular, mystical effect—one the celebrated designer first experienced 30 years ago, in 1988, when he wandered into an arcade in Tokyo. A young college student at the time, Mizuguchi enjoyed the shooters and racing games but was mesmerized by a colorful, musical waterfall of 2-D blocks. “I…
Catching up With Pepper, the Surprisingly Helpful Humanoid Robot
Listen, humans are great and all, but sometimes they’re horrible. That’s especially true if you’ve just spent 12 hours stuck in a flying aluminum tube with a few hundred of them. Now all you want to do is lock yourself in a hotel room, and for the love of all that is holy get away…
Netflix's Umbrella Academy Is Your New X-Men—Ugh
Superhero TV follows a Betty Crocker recipe. Throw some unlikely ingredients into a stylish receptacle. Add a binder. Beat on high until everything doubles in size. Stir in some supporting flavors. Finally, bake in villainous fires until goodness rises. Delicious! Related Stories People simply keep eating. The reliable satisfactions of superhero stories continue to attract…