RIP social media. What comes next is messy.
Last fall, we featured an extensive interview with Petter Törnberg of the University of Amsterdam, who studies the underlying mechanisms of social media that give rise to its worst aspects:…
Tech
SpaceX is starting to move on from the world’s most successful rocket
It is far too soon to mention retirement, but astute observers of the space industry have noticed SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket is not launching as often as it used…
Want stronger concrete? Just add oysters.
Concrete is everywhere, and that’s a problem. Manufacturing the essential material accounts for around eight percent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions, making it one of the single biggest contributors…
The world’s largest explosion lab is ready for big booms. And yes, it’s in Texas.
Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes its controlled detonations. Texas A&M University recently revealed what they say is the world’s largest controlled explosion lab, where researchers can fill…
A medieval Scot rocked a 20-carat gold dental bridge
Today, extensive tooth repair or replacement often requires the installation of a dental bridge made from durable resin and metal. That said, the procedure is nothing new. Archaeological examples of…
Here’s what has to happen if NASA wants to land on the Moon every month
NASA’s goal of reaching the Moon’s surface as many as 21 times over the next two and a half years will require an overhaul of the agency’s approach to buying…
Man 3D prints a chatty C-3PO head powered by AI
Convincing, uncannily humanoid robots are no longer the stuff of Star Wars. Sure, you may not have a protocol droid at your ready like the iconic (if neurotic) C-3PO,but you…
Widely used Daemon Tools disk app backdoored in monthlong supply-chain attack
Daemon Tools, a widely used app for mounting disk images, has been backdoored in a monthlong compromise that has pushed malicious updates from the servers of its developer, researchers said…
NASA’s new supersonic X-59 aircraft shows off its dizzying acrobatics in new video
It’s been over a decade since engineers officially got to work on the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST). Designed in collaboration with NASA, Lockheed Martin’s state-of-the-art aircraft is built to…
Why Reddit blocked my daily visit to its mobile website
I’ve recently developed a daily habit—perhaps one I should cut back on—of visiting several subreddits to keep up on things like audio production and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But…