Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people

— Carl Sagan

Scientific American.com

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Updated: 5 hours 36 min ago

There’s a Missing Human in Misinformation Fixes

Tue, 05/21/2024 - 7:00am

Misinformation solutions target a rational, ethical ideal who doesn’t exist; to combat misinfo, we need to start with a richer concept of the human

Categories: Astronomy

‘Self-Cleaning’ Paint Could Break Down Pollutants on Surfaces and from the Air

Tue, 05/21/2024 - 6:45am

Recycled materials contribute to a potential pollutant-neutralizing paint

Categories: Astronomy

A Widely Used Criminal Justice Algorithm For Assessing Child Pornography Recidivism Is Flawed

Mon, 05/20/2024 - 3:00pm

The CPORT algorithm, commonly used to estimate the risk that a child pornography offender will offend again, hasn’t been validated for use in the U.S.

Categories: Astronomy

Is CBD Safe for Cats and Dogs?

Mon, 05/20/2024 - 8:00am

Although studies are still mixed and products are often inconsistent, many scientists have hope that cannabidiol can help furry patients with arthritis, allergies and anxiety

Categories: Astronomy

Quantum Internet Demonstrations Debut in Three Cities

Mon, 05/20/2024 - 7:00am

It’s a “big deal” to demonstrate entangled quantum networks outside a lab

Categories: Astronomy

Bird Flu Makes Raw Milk Riskier, and Geomagnetic Storms Cause Colorful Skies

Mon, 05/20/2024 - 6:00am

A rare geomagnetic storm lit up skies, eerie AI demonstrations and a cautionary word about raw milk.

Categories: Astronomy

Chemists Chase ‘Clean’ Ammonia to Replace Shipping Fuel

Sun, 05/19/2024 - 9:00am

President Biden’s climate law is funding “green ammonia” projects in hopes of using the chemical to more cleanly power the grid, fuel cargo ships and make fertilizer

Categories: Astronomy

What Is Pasteurization, and How Does It Keep Milk Safe?

Sat, 05/18/2024 - 10:00am

The pasteurization process was invented in the 1860s and continues to keep people safe from a range of foodborne illnesses

Categories: Astronomy

Hurricanes Caused Lost Income among at Least Half of Local Residents

Sat, 05/18/2024 - 9:00am

Nearly half of residents lost income after a hurricane, a new study shows. Most were low-paid hourly workers in storefront shops

Categories: Astronomy

There Is Too Much Trash in Space

Fri, 05/17/2024 - 3:00pm

Debris from spacecraft threatens the burgeoning space economy. We need a global agreement to keep space clean

Categories: Astronomy

Slow Response to Bird Flu in Cows Worries Scientists

Fri, 05/17/2024 - 2:30pm

The H5N1 virus is a long way from becoming adapted to humans, but limited testing and tracking mean we could miss danger signs

Categories: Astronomy

Proposed Plastics Law Could Slash Wasteful Packaging

Fri, 05/17/2024 - 1:00pm

A law proposed in New York State seeks to reduce plastic packaging, ban certain plastic chemicals and mandate that producers of packaged consumer goods fund the recycling or disposal of what they sell

Categories: Astronomy

How Does ChatGPT ‘Think’? Psychology and Neuroscience Crack Open AI Large Language Models

Fri, 05/17/2024 - 12:00pm

Researchers are striving to reverse-engineer artificial intelligence and scan the “brains” of LLMs to deduce the how any why of that they are doing

Categories: Astronomy

This Year’s La Niña Could Worsen Atlantic Hurricane Season

Fri, 05/17/2024 - 9:00am

Earth is shifting into a La Niña period, changing climate patterns all around the globe

Categories: Astronomy

AI Tool Predicts Whether Online Health Misinformation Will Cause Real-World Harm

Fri, 05/17/2024 - 7:30am

A new AI-based analytical technique reveals that specific language phrasing in Reddit misinformation posts foretold people rejecting COVID vaccinations

Categories: Astronomy

How Can You ‘See’ a Black Hole?

Fri, 05/17/2024 - 6:45am

How do astronomers find the darkest objects in the universe?

Categories: Astronomy

What’s Turning Cape Cod’s Water ‘Pea-Soup Green’?

Fri, 05/17/2024 - 6:00am

Cape Cod’s water is turning “pea-soup green”—and after decades of scientific detective work, we know why.

Categories: Astronomy

Egypt’s Famed Pyramids Overlooked a Long-Lost Branch of the Nile

Thu, 05/16/2024 - 12:30pm

A former stretch of the Nile River, now buried beneath the Sahara Desert, may help scientists understand how Egyptians built the pyramids and adapted to a drying landscape

Categories: Astronomy

Device Decodes ‘Internal Speech’ in the Brain

Thu, 05/16/2024 - 11:30am

Technology that enables researchers to interpret brain signals could one day allow people to talk using only their thoughts

Categories: Astronomy

Do We Have Enough Bird Flu Vaccines for a Potential Pandemic?

Thu, 05/16/2024 - 11:15am

The U.S. government has a stockpile of H5N1 vaccines, and several companies could make millions more if needed. But scaling up the supply could take time

Categories: Astronomy