NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is raising big questions about the early universe. In its first images, JWST captured what appeared to be huge galaxies in the ancient universe. In fact, those galaxies looked much too big to fit scientists’ current theory of how the universe grew up. This has raised some concerns that the history…
Digital footprint (noun, “DIH-jih-tuhl FOOT-print”) Your digital footprint is all of the information about you that is available online. Posting on social media, visiting websites and signing up for apps adds to your footprint. But this digital “trail” doesn’t just include the information you post online. It also includes the data that websites collect when…
In a humid coastal rainforest, a litter of pink, hairless babies snuggle with their mom. They stir and squeak for milk and drink from their mother until they are full. But these are no puppies or cubs. They are snake-shaped amphibians, far closer to frogs than to foxes. Mammals are named for their ability to…
It’s an ordinary day in Minecraft … until a bot walks into a village and starts destroying a house. The bot was trained to collect resources and craft items. So why is it attacking? To the bot, the beam in a house looks just like a tree, explains Karolis Ramanauskas. He’s a PhD student in…
“How can I help you today?” asks ChatGPT in a pleasing, agreeable manner. This bot can assist with just about anything — from writing a thank-you note to explaining confusing computer code. But it won’t help people build bombs, hack bank accounts or tell racist jokes. At least, it’s not supposed to. Yet some people…
With a little help from the sun, blue jeans are going “green.” By accident, researchers stumbled on a new way to give jeans their iconic blue hue. The light-driven process could help dye denim with fewer harsh chemicals. Denim is usually dyed with indigo. But this compound doesn’t easily dissolve in water. So harsh chemicals…
Scientists have long thought that when it comes to mammals, males tend to be larger than females. That may not be true after all, it now appears. A new study looked at hundreds of mammal species. In just over half, females are as big as or bigger than males. Researchers shared their new findings March 12…
Supercontinent (noun, “SOOP-er-con-ten-ent”) A supercontinent is a continent containing most or all of Earth’s land. When a continent contains at least 75 percent of the Earth’s land, researchers call it a supercontinent. None of the landmasses on Earth today qualify as supercontinents. But Earth’s continents haven’t always looked this way. Throughout our planet’s history, continents…
Imagine scrolling through TikTok and seeing famous YouTuber MrBeast pop up. He says he’s giving away brand-new iPhones. “Click the link below to claim yours now!” Do you click? Maybe. It sure looks and sounds like MrBeast. But it’s actually a deepfake — a phony clip created by artificial intelligence, or AI. Last October, this…
Allergy sufferers may one day be able to erase the source of their sniffles, itchy skin and swelling. A newfound subtype of immune cells seems to underlie long-lasting allergies. The finding could lead to new ways to diagnose, treat or even cure allergies. Memory B cells are important for long-lasting protection against infectious diseases. The…
Gumdrop with an earring. That’s what pops to mind when I look at photos of a creature Sebastian Hess found in a mossy pond in Germany. It’s kind of plump and has only one cell. It’s also violent. This shape-shifting, amoeba-like cell prowls for algal cells to attack. It curls a long strand called a…
If you’ve ever cooked with someone, you know it requires coordination. One person chops this. The other mixes that. Sometimes, you might hand each other ingredients or tools when you’d like something done. But how might a robot handle this type of teamwork? A recent study offers some clues. Artificial intelligence, or AI, watched people…
