Watch Kanzi the bonobo pretend to have a tea party
Little kids hosting make-believe tea parties is a fixture of childhood playtime and long presumed to be exclusively a human ability. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University presented evidence in a…
2026
OpenAI is hoppin’ mad about Anthropic’s new Super Bowl TV ads
On Wednesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch complained on X after rival AI lab Anthropic released four commercials, two of which will run during the…
This black hole “burps” with Death Star energy
Back in 2022, astronomers were puzzled by a so-called “tidal disruption event” (TDE), dubbed AT2018hyz, that had faded when it was first noticed three years earlier, only to unexpectedly reanimate…
In 1916, hybrid cars could’ve changed history. But Ford wouldn’t allow it.
In October 1914, as gas cars were tightening their grip on America’s roads, Frank W. Smith, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of America, stood before a convention in Philadelphia…
Museums incorporate “scent of the afterlife” into Egyptian exhibits
In 2023, scientists identified the compounds in the balms used to mummify the organs of an ancient Egyptian noblewoman, suggesting that the recipes were unusually complex and used ingredients not…
Man solves ceiling fans’ most annoying problem
Anyone who’s used an overhead ceiling fan knows it can be a pain to work. Yanking its chain gets the motor running, but there’s no easy visual indication of what…
Microsoft releases urgent Office patch. Russian-state hackers pounce.
Russian-state hackers wasted no time exploiting a critical Microsoft Office vulnerability that allowed them to compromise the devices inside diplomatic, maritime, and transport organizations in more than half a dozen…
Fungi help turn old mattresses into insulation
Shopping for a new mattress can be stressful—this is something you plan to sleep on for years to come, after all. But your old one can be its own problem…
Should AI chatbots have ads? Anthropic says no.
On Wednesday, Anthropic announced that its AI chatbot, Claude, will remain free of advertisements, drawing a sharp line between itself and rival OpenAI, which began testing ads in a low-cost…
How do you check a hummingbird for broken bones? Very carefully.
Like clockwork, ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) start showing up at wildlife hospitals throughout the eastern United States every spring. The jewel-toned birds are often brought in after crashing into windows…