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The ‘amnesia tax’: How frictionless payments fuel mindless spending
The rise of frictionless payment technology may be making it easier for consumers to lose track of their spending, contributing to what the author calls “budget amnesia,” The Washington Post reports. One single mother with $80,000 in student debt reviewed a year of bank statements and discovered that her finances weren’t being undermined by major […]
10 stars who were discovered in unexpected ways
Not every star is discovered in an audition room. EW rounds up 10 famous actors, like Janet Leigh and Charlize Theron, who got their big break when they least expected it.
Drug developed for lung disease may slow biological aging in surprising ‘bonus’
Rentosertib, an AI-discovered drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, made patients appear three to four years biologically younger in a clinical trial.
Scientists Discover Bacteria That Can Make Testosterone Near the Prostate, With Potential Implications for Cancer
A newly discovered bacterial pathway turns a common steroid precursor into testosterone.
Scientists find a huge 10-sided pattern in the clouds over Saturn's south pole
Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn's south pole
Six decades of politics (but little government)
The first aired episode of “Star Trek,” entitled “The Man Trap,” premiered on September 8, 1966 — 60 years ago today. I’m actually editing a political science fiction issue of The Forum right now, and it’s prompted to me think a lot about the ways that Trek deals with politics and government and what it’s offered us as commentary. The @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe The original TV series ran from 1966 to 1969. It had a loyal but modest following, but the audience grew substantially with the series in syndication for years after that. The franchise developed its first motion picture in 1979, followed by five sequels, and then a whole other series of films built around the “Next Generation” series that first aired in 1987. In recent decades, several more TV series have built up around it, including the current “Strange New Worlds,” now in its fourth season. Throughout the past six decades, the franchise has offered us a good many insights into US politics and international relations, although often disguised as science fiction yarns. The original series was largely a Cold War fable, with the United Federation of Planets (a stand-in for the US) perpetually at odds with the Klingon Empire (a stand-in for the USSR). The “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” episode (1969) posited a planet divided into two races, largely indistinguishable to outsiders, but nonetheless constituting a brutal racial hierarchy. “Patterns of Force” (1968) showed a struggling planet where the leader had attempted to construct a benevolent dictatorship — literally Nazism without bigotry — and found that authoritarianism could not exist apart from hierarchy and oppression. (Relatedly, I’d put “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” high on a list of dad films about the end of the Cold War, near “The Hunt for Red October.”) Get 20% off for 1 year Indeed, the original series itself was something of a political statement, with a multi-racial crew running the Enterprise, a diverse and largely peaceful Federation mostly free from want and oppression, and protected by Starfleet, an armed force whose scientific mission was at least as important as its military one. Famously, when Nichelle Nichols wanted to walk away from the role of Uhura on the original series, none other than Martin Luther King, Jr. met with her and urged her to remain on the show, discussing the importance of viewers seeing an intelligent Black woman as part of the command team three centuries hence. Later series in the Trek franchise offered a good deal of political commentary on their own, but probably none as explicitly and incisively as “Deep Space Nine,” which ran from 1993 to 1999. The episodes surrounding the Dominion War, especially the “In The Pale Moonlight” (1998), showed the compromises, sacrifices, and moral rot associated with winning even a just war — probably better than any series would until “Andor” (2022-25). In “Far Beyond The Stars” (1998), Captain Benjamin Sisko is somehow transplanted to the role of a science fiction writer in 1950s New York. The writer is frequently sidelined and his ideas stolen because publishers don’t want to credit a Black writer. Several series have depicted the secretive Section 31 — an unacknowledged black ops security force operating within Starfleet. These episodes often end up using Section 31 as a foil to show the dangers of a lawless group within a lawful society, even (especially) when that group posits itself as essential for everyone else’s freedom to continue. The current “Strange New Worlds” has played with a few political themes. I found the first two seasons of this show among the best that the Trek franchise has produced in decades, but this season and the last have really been struggling for ideas. Yet one interesting thread is the idea that the diplomatic and enlightened leadership style of Captain Christopher Pike will not work in all situations. “A Quality of Mercy” (2022), which I wrote about here, puts Pike in the middle of a battle with a Romulan vessel in an alternate timeline, and finds that Pike’s conciliatory style would actually make a lengthy and deadly war more likely, while a quick and more violent approach might have prevented the war. This season’s opener, “Valles Marineris,” shows a pre-lightspeed civilization locked in a war to the death with a neighboring planet. The idea of an alliance or a federation hasn’t even occurred to them — their ship’s commander is curious but doesn’t see it as an option. For a franchise as political as “Star Trek,” one thing we almost never see is the government. We get occasional glimpses of Starfleet’s council — mostly uniformed people at a rectangular table — but almost no sense of how the Federation is governed. Are there elections? Who is in the legislature? How much power does the president have? What kind of factional divisions do they wrestle with and how? The shows and films are pretty silent on this. We’ve seen a few military tribunals within Starfleet, but little about how civilians deal with crime and injustice. With recent years seeing some of the franchise’s more interesting plot lines and casts, it seems clear that Star Trek is still full of energy and ideas. Given the erosion of American democracy and the reshuffling of the international order, there’s no shortage of material for future shows to comment on. I’m not sure we should toast to 60 more years, but cheers to a show that continues to teach us about ourselves. Share
Scientists discover a powerful new antivenom hidden in rattlesnake blood
Researchers discovered that combinations of toxin-blocking proteins naturally found in rattlesnake blood can powerfully neutralize venom from several dangerous snake species. In lab tests, the mixtures were about 10 times more potent than a current commercial antivenom, pointing toward a new generation of nature-inspired snakebite treatments.
Ubisoft, Square Enix Opt Out of XBOX Disc to Digital Program
Ubisoft and Square Enix are not participating in XBOX's disc to digital program, players have discovered, with rumors of more big absences.
A.I. Models Built a Computer Worm That Could Rapidly Hack WeChat Accounts
The attack, discovered by A.I. researchers, could have compromised hundreds of millions of devices within hours, experts said.
A.I. Models Built a Computer Worm That Could Rapidly Hack WeChat Accounts
The attack, discovered by A.I. researchers, could have compromised hundreds of millions of devices within hours, experts said.
Who is Taylor McGregor? Meet the New ESPN Superstar
College football fans have apparently discovered Taylor McGregor. And, judging by the internet’s reaction, they are not handling it particularly well. With Molly McGrath moving on to the NFL, somebody had to step into the college football sideline reporter spotlight. Enter McGregor. And suddenly every Saturday afternoon has a new reason to check Twitter. McGregor…
Researchers identify new therapeutic target for salt-sensitive hypertension
The researchers discovered that a signaling pathway called AP-1 complex links dietary sodium to immune-driven salt-sensitive hypertension.
Scientists Discover Soil Bacteria Enzyme that Breaks Down Both Plastic and Antibiotics
Biologists studying how bacteria break down a new generation of plant-based bioplastics -- long-chain aliphatic polyesters -- have discovered an enzyme that can dismantle both plastic and antibiotics.
Meet Lindsey Stallworth: A 16-Year-Old Who Accidentally Discovered A 34-Million-Year-Old Whale On Her Family's Alabama Farm - Futura-Sciences
The thing that identified the animal was a single tooth, and it is the same feature that corrected the same mistake in Alabama nearly two centuries ago. Lindsey Stallworth had been picking up shark teeth and fossil shells on her family’s timber property in Monroe County, Alabama, since she was...
Scientists discovered an underwater city of 20,000 octopus nests deep inside California coast; largest known nursery on the planet
Researchers have located the planet's largest known octopus nursery deep off the Californian coast, documenting 5,718 animals in 2.5 hectares and estimating about 20,000 around Davidson Seamount. Known as the Octopus Garden, the nursery is located about 10,500 feet below the surface off Central California.
Scientists Identify a Nose-to-Brain Circuit That Links Anxiety And Breathing
A new mechanism discovered in mice.
Scientists Identify a Nose-to-Brain Circuit That Links Anxiety And Breathing
A new mechanism discovered in mice.
The core anti-Pangram constituency is phony writers
Welcome to The Closing Argument, our verdict on the news, plus everything The Argument published and appeared in this week. The Verdict, by Kelsey Piper A lot of people hate AI for drowning the internet in slop and displacing human creatives. You might think that these people would be thrilled by a program that can identify and flag AI-generated work. But many people who hate AI also hate Pangram, an impressively accurate AI detector that produces very few false positives, according to high-quality independent research. This loathing found its most recent expression in a bizarre Wired article that amplifies a wide range of false arguments from Pangram skeptics: that AI detectors are racist (they’re not) or ableist (they’re not)1 or don’t work (this one does)2. Rather than starting from the premise that it would be really valuable to have a working AI detector and scrutinizing Pangram to make sure it lives up to that promise, the article starts from the premise that Pangram obviously has bad vibes and sets out to discover why. (One answer: The CEO microwaved lunch during an interview!) Why aren’t writers who resent Pangram more eager to distinguish themselves from posters who are having ChatGPT ghostwrite all their work? There are a few different things at play, but I think one key dynamic is this: These are often the same people. A core constituency for arguments like Wired’s is “writers” who are using AI to write their posts but resent this fact being made public. They stand to lose from AI detectors because AI detectors call them out. Share When Substack announced a partnership with Pangram, a sizable fraction of the platform’s authors rose up in outrage. Some people had experience with other AI detectors that didn’t work, and some felt that AI writing ought to be encouraged — both of which are fair enough. But the fury was fueled by authors passionately insisting that Pangram kept wrongly accusing them on almost every post they published. Pangram can be wrong, especially on short passages. But in the overwhelming majority of cases where Pangram looked at a whole blog post rather than a single paragraph, the program correctly detected work as AI. Even if we can’t be 100% sure in any individual case, we can notice the trend in the aggregate. Wired quotes Sam Illingworth, a professor of critical AI literacy at Edinburgh Napier University, who said, “I don’t think [AI detectors] work. … I think that detectors are prejudiced against certain people.” This spring, he said that he used AI for research and editing; this summer he acknowledged that in addition to research and editing, he also uses it “now and then for a turn of phrase I keep.” Pangram informs us that most of his posts are 100% AI-written (some are mixed AI-and-human) and that 100% AI-written posts started appearing last year. The favorable interpretation is that, as someone whose recent work Pangram consistently mistakes for AI, Illingworth sees Pangram’s flaws firsthand. The unfavorable interpretation is that the tool’s credibility trades off against his own, because its account of who writes his posts is not consistent with his. Illingworth is not alone in insisting the detector does not work. “It’s a Monday night in late July, and I’m pasting my own Substack draft into an AI detector for the first time. Not because I’m worried. Because I’m curious. I wrote every word of it myself, the way I write everything, out loud in my head first, in a rhythm that still carries the accent of a language I learned to think in before I learned to write in this one,” begins one Substack post by an author indignant that Pangram flags her writing as AI. “That’s the part I had to sit with before I could write this.” If you, like me, have worked with AIs a lot, you won’t even need Pangram there. The author of that piece is AI. It is obviously AI! I checked 10 other posts on the blog, and they were also obviously AI! “I have spent 22 years as an award-winning author and essayist. And now this bullshit tool that learned from MY writing is going to accuse me of plagiarism,” popular Substack writer Carlyn Beccia wrote in an anti-Pangram post. “For the last and final time, AI DETECTORS DO NOT WORK.” Here’s what her writing sounded like in 2020: “Most success stories revolve around one person who believed enough in you to say — give it a try. We call these people muses, but they are so much more than that. They are the strong man giants whose shoulders we stand on so we can see the horizon. Throughout the editing process, I am sure my editor felt less like a giant of greatness and more like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.” Pangram says it was 100% human-written. (So were other articles of hers in 2020.) And here’s what it sounds like now: “And then there is the reshuffling, which sounds like paperwork until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork. The Trump regime recently moved special education oversight from the Education Department to HHS. That is not a minor bureaucratic transfer. It changes the frame.”3 Pangram says this is mostly AI. I am not convinced that Pangram is wrong. In my own experience, Pangram is very effective on long texts — if it marks a long essay as AI, the essay was either written by AI or deliberately written to sound like AI. On tweet-length or paragraph-length texts, it’s not perfectly reliable. It seems to work just as well for non-native English speakers as for native speakers. While I have seen dozens of claims of pre-2022 text returning a positive result on Pangram, I have tried repeatedly to corroborate those and have never once succeeded. To be clear, I’m absolutely not saying that complaining about Pangram suggests a writer is a cheat. There are plenty of other concerns. Most are mistakenly premised, such as the false claim that Pangram trains on work you put into it, but others are reasonable: It’s unreliable on sufficiently short text segments; it creates an internet witch-hunt mentality when there are defensible uses of AI; people who are open about their AI use are sometimes blamed, when the only people really doing something wrong are the ones who hide it; and it isn’t perfect, so a single positive result shouldn’t be taken as decisive proof of misconduct. I’m happy to concede that Pangram is imperfect and possible to over-rely on. If an author’s posts are mostly non-AI and one scans as partially AI, this could be a mistake. It’s also possible to defeat Pangram with intentional effort. If you think we need something more robust and more reliable, fine! But if you don’t like AI and don’t like Pangram, your attitude really ought to be that it’s a shame that our existing tools for AI detection are imperfect, and it’s important to invent better ones. If your stance is instead that AI is evil and so is looking for AI, then ultimately you’re contributing to the sloppification of the internet. You’re making it harder for people who write their own text to distinguish themselves, and providing cover for authors who are definitely not writing their own text. Subscribe Top stories this week, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs Commentators often worry that the decline of reading could mean the decline of liberal democracy — but deliberative governance actually predated widespread literacy. This week, Maibritt Henkel pointed out that many liberal cultures thrive on a culture of raucous, interactive debate, which can happen in-person as easily, if not more so, than in text. Read on, dear reader, to learn more. It may actually cheer you up: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) [ Reading won’t save liberalism ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) Maibritt Henkel · Sep 1 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) It used to be bad to downplay climate change (if we mean denying its reality). Today, it’s actually good to downplay climate change (if we mean keeping the issue out of political fights so we can make real progress). This counterintuitive view is called “climate hushing,” and contributor Alex Trembath argued that it’s the key to enacting good policy going forward. Get up to speed on the latest in climate politics: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) [ We won’t stop climate change by talking about it ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Alex Trembath · Sep 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up for the forces of liberalism against Donald Trump’s assault on our closest ally. So, why is one prominent left-wing commenter attacking Carney? Columnist Matthew Yglesias explains: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) [ When "economic liberty" means central planning ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) Matthew Yglesias · Aug 31 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) 🌟Abundance Wins of the Week🌟 Shout out to my home state of California, whose legislature passed two housing bills this week. One requires a housing density minimum in transit-oriented areas of the state’s most transit-rich cities (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach). Another bill closes two common loopholes used by third parties to delay housing projects, including an opportunity to challenge maps of a given lot created by the developer after a project has been approved. Shout out to our big-state rival, Texas, where pro-housing SB 785 took effect this week. The new state law requires municipalities to have at least one district permitted for manufactured housing without a special permit. This will promote zoning changes in 44% of municipalities. The company Fervo Energy signed a deal with Google for what is set to be the world’s largest enhanced geothermal facility, proving a technology can work at a scale that could be crucial to a decarbonized, energy-abundant economy. Share Worth watching… This week, forecasting legend Nate Silver joined Jerusalem, Matt, and Jeremiah on a crowded episode of the pod. It was a party. And speaking of parties, our round table debated the factional lines within the Democratic Party: Is it possible to be center-left and also anti-establishment? Watch or listen to find out: The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the areas that swung hardest toward Trump in 2024, but musician Bobby Pulido is running to flip it back. Right now, The Argument/Split Ticket’s model has him running 1.1 points behind his Republican opponent in a district Trump won by 18 points. Tune in to find out how he differs from national Democrats and what he thinks he can to do win this seat. On Thursday, Bernie Sanders was among the first politicians to call for a ban on superintelligence. My guest this week, Andrea Miotti, has been lobbying to ban superintelligence for several years, most recently in the U.K., U.S., and Canada. I asked him how he gets legislators to take speculative risks seriously, and we dug into what plans might look like to actually pass a ban. Listen to learn more: What’s News with The Argument The Argument recommends, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs If we ever lose track of Justin Zuckerman, I’ll have the team split up and check all the movie theaters in the city. I’m shocked (and a little jealous) at how often he gets out to see good cinema. This week, he brings us It Ends, a “horror-ish movie,” which he described as a “Gen Z Waiting for Godot.” I was intrigued before he added that it was “funny, dark and existential” — at which point I was fully locked in. I guess I also had existential themes on the mind this week. One morning, a single line from a poem I read long ago just came to me: “Is death a stretch of time in which a life is just a flash?” The poem is called “From 20,000 Feet” by Heather McHugh. I suggest the version in The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, which, by tradition, my best friend and I always bring backpacking, extra weight be damned. We’ll stay thematically dark for just one more rec from senior editor John Robert Thomason, whose upcoming trip to Baltimore reminded him to suggest Michael Clune’s memoir White Out (about being addicted to heroin in Baltimore in the 1990s). Ben Lerner’s blurb called it _“_Disturbing, brilliant, hilarious—it’s as if Proust had written Jesus’ Son.” John told me this “seems accurate, with the caveat that I’ve never read Proust.” I, personally, have also shelved Proust until retirement. At this point, I was a little concerned for the team since all of us tossed out such psychologically grim material — maybe we’re all down about the end of summer — but thankfully, at least a few of us were into more upbeat selections. Milan Singh recommended Made In’s 5-quart stainless clad saucier, suggesting he had some fun in the kitchen. Jeremiah Johnson asked if he could recommend yet more Carly Rae Jepsen. Once denied, he offered up Game Changer instead_,_ calling it “the most wildly creative game show, maybe in the entire history of the genre.” Eli Richman mentioned _Lucky, “_a B-tier show with an A-tier cast and an S-tier theme song.” I suppose he was recommending the song, Horns of a Bull. Still, despite these cheerier recs, I couldn’t help but be concerned that we were subconsciously worried about racing toward summer’s end — the end of swim trunks and splashing around. Then a message landed reminding me of the three-day weekend to come. A whole extra day for sunshine. One more swim in the lake. I was grateful this called to mind yet another line from a poem, one by Mary Oliver, the patron saint of every gorgeous summer day (and about whom a documentary is now out). Speaking to God in the poem “Thirst,” she wrote: grant me, in your mercy,a little more time. Love for the earthand love for you are having such a longconversation in my heart. We have merch! We have quarter-zips, keychains, hats, and stickers. Each one is a great conversation starter in its own way. Buy them here. Subscribe More to read: [ The Opening Argument ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite)[ Seeing like an elite ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) Kobe Yank-Jacobs · Sep 4 What do Americans hear when they watch Sen. Bernie Sanders or Vice President JD Vance rail against the elite? Are they thinking of right-wing tech billionaires? Imperious college professors? Liberal magazine writers? [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) [ The Weekly Scroll ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline)[ God is back on the timeline ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) Jeremiah Johnson · Sep 5 This week, we’re talking about Substack’s new religious debates, the continuing MAGA influencer scandal, how to retire from YouTube, and aura battles. [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) 1 This was a legitimate thing to worry about, but doesn’t seem to be a problem given the actual technology: Marijke Van Vlasselaer, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, and Bram Spruyt’s 2026 paper looks at whether Pangram is less accurate when evaluating the work of non-native speakers of English. It isn’t. That’s because Pangram isn’t really looking at how “unusual” a piece of writing is but whether it has the characteristic patterns of LLMs. The Wired article makes an odd gesture at a different Pangram-is-racist argument. There were several controversies this summer during which upcoming books were canceled after being discovered to be AI-written: “The three novels mentioned earlier — Shy Girl, Daggermouth, and Call Me, easily publishing’s biggest AI-detection scandals — were all written by writers of color.” But come on! As Zvi Mowshowitz put it: “They were not primarily written by people of color. They were primarily written by AIs.” That’s the whole problem! And as my colleague Jeremiah Johnson recently observed with respect to Cambridge’s Arday scandal, a community being unwilling to call out fraud if it’s perpetuated by people of color is not an anti-racist tendency; it is ultimately quite racist. 2 Many non-Pangram detectors don’t work, but many possible airplane designs also don’t work, and no one considers this a general argument against aviation; the thing that matters is whether any detection works. 3 The phrase “empires have always loved” mysteriously became all the rage in the last few years. See here, here, here, here and here. Before 2025, the only use of that phrase I have been able to find is a single Tweet. The logic of the sentence, too, is incoherent in an AI-characteristic way. “...sounds like paperwork, until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork”? Does remembering that make it sound less like paperwork? It’s a craft-ful sentence, but what is it actually saying??
Scientists find a huge 10-sided wave pattern swirling in the clouds over Saturn’s south pole
This photo provided by NASA/ESA/A. Sánchez-Lavega (Basque Country University) shows a pattern of clouds around the Saturn’s south pole on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (NASA/ESA/A. Sánchez-Lavega, Basque Country University, EHU, via AP)By MARCIA DUNN CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn’s south pole. The spinning, meandering decagon appears to...
Study Reveals New Details About Death Of Largest T Rex Ever Discovered
The prehistoric autopsy helped researchers determine that Scotty died from injuries suffered during a fight with another dinosaur.
In 1879, Edwin Hall discovered an electrical effect thought to need a perpendicular magnetic field; 147 years later, scientists have shown it can work with the field in-plane
For more than a century, the Hall effect has been taught with a simple picture that electricity flows through a material, a magnetic field pushes the moving charges sideways, and a voltage appears across the material. Now, scientists have found a way to make that familiar phenomenon work in a direction once thought impossible.
Scientists find a huge 10-sided wave pattern swirling in the clouds over Saturn’s south pole
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn's south pole.
Have scientists discovered a dark matter particle?
Dark matter is an invisible substance that is said to bind the universe; scientists may have found new signs of it.
A ‘devil flower’ with no leaves, no branches, no green part has been discovered in a Thai forest, scientists say its bizarre appearance is hiding an even stranger secret
It has no leaves, no branches and no green parts, and spends much of its life concealed beneath fallen leaves on the forest floor. Scientists have now described a bizarre new flowering plant from Thailand, naming it Thismia daemona, the “devil flower”, for its dark, horn-like appearance.
Meet the ‘Devil Flower,’ a Creepy New Plant Scientists Just Discovered
The bizarre parasitic plant has black flesh, horn-like structures and fewer than 50 known individuals left in the wild.
Apple working on new surround sound, Party Mode features for HomePod
Apple has several new HomePod features in development, based on new code references discovered in audioOS 27. The code seemingly...
Used books are big business in CT again. ‘People are just reading more in general’.
Whether it’s about cost, availability or a rediscovered love of browsing and collecting, stores and book fairs that specialize in used or out-of-print books are booming.
Scientists reveal the hidden instructions that build the human brain
UCLA researchers have discovered two powerful influences that help guide how the human brain forms before birth. Radial glia, stem cells responsible for producing much of the cerebral cortex, change their behavior depending on how they process glucose and on physical contact with signals arriving from the thalamus. Those signals can alter which types of neurons are produced, including upper-layer neurons that are especially prominent in humans.
BBC Audio | BBC Inside Science | The quest for dark matter
Researchers may have discovered the signature of a bit of dark matter.
Lavish private bath used by Roman emperor and 'high-status residents' discovered at imperial palace in Serbia
The ancient bath complex was tucked in a tower in the corner of the royal palace and reveals unique architecture.
UWM helps student grow her love of science
In high school, a research project into a type of virus helped stir Ally Ruffino’s love for science. In college, she discovered a professor who worked with that same virus, and it spurred her into an academic path she loves.
Scientists just overturned a century-old physics assumption
Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered an unexpected form of the Hall effect, overturning the long-held assumption that this electrical response only appears when a magnetic field points perpendicular to a material. Beyond expanding a century-old principle of physics, the finding could eventually lead to simpler magnetic sensors for electronics, transportation, and medical technologies.
Ancient “living fossils” may reveal how complex life began
A newly discovered microbe living inside ancient stromatolite communities may offer a rare look at how complex life first emerged. Researchers captured the first direct images of an Asgard archaeon physically connected to a bacterium, with the two microbes appearing to exchange nutrients and other compounds. Scientists think similar partnerships billions of years ago may have helped produce the first complex cells.
Gong-Show Griswold’s latest data dump a disaster
Last week, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office discovered they exposed for weeks the addresses of more than 130,000 “confidential voters” — including victims of sexual assault, domestic violence — and her political opponent in the attorney general’s race, District Attorney Michael Allen. The act itself, another in a growing list of acts of […]
Scientists find 10-sided wave pattern swirling in the clouds over Saturn's south pole
Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn's south pole
Scientists find a churning decagon over Saturn's south pole
Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn's south pole.
Decagon on Saturn’s South Pole (Color)
Recent NASA Hubble Space Telescope images show the gas giant Saturn and its southern pole, where astronomers have discovered a 10-sided atmospheric wave. Observations show the decagon extends through multiple layers of Saturn’s atmosphere.
A strange, dark object is warping the Universe. Scientists still don’t know what it is | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
The lowest-mass dark object ever found in the Universe, discovered by using a global network of humanity's most powerful telescopes.
Apple’s First Foldable iPhone: The Latest News On Its Release Date
There’s a lot to be discovered about the foldable iPhone. Not least, when will it be released? Here’s the latest report.
Man rummaging in Polish junkyard finds a 1,800-year-old shield holding the cremated remains of a Vandal warrior
A 1,800-year-old shield filled with the cremated remains of Vandal warrior was discovered at junkyard in Poland.
Insight: Booming weight-loss drug demand in Brazil fuels thriving black market and health fears
When Brazilian customs agents opened jars of dulce de leche aboard a tourist bus arriving from Paraguay in April, they discovered hundreds of vials of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro, mixed inside the sweet spread.
Booming Weight-Loss Drug Demand in Brazil Fuels Thriving Black Market and Health Fears
By Luciana Magalhaes SAO PAULO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - When Brazilian customs agents opened jars of dulce de leche aboard a tourist bus arriving from Paraguay in April, they discovered hundreds of vials of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro, mixed inside the ...
Seven new frog species were hiding beneath Madagascar’s forest floor
Scientists have discovered seven new species of Madagascar’s elusive diamond frogs, using DNA from modern and century-old museum specimens to solve a long-running biological puzzle. The findings reveal surprising hidden diversity and could help protect these little-known amphibians as their forest habitats disappear.
Scientists turn one of the hardest plastics to recycle into high-performance engine lubricant
Researchers have discovered a way to turn notoriously difficult-to-recycle PVC plastic into a key ingredient used in high-performance lubricants such as engine oil. The technique could give mountains of plastic waste a valuable second life while making lubricant production more sustainable.
Australia’s red soil may be hiding a massive clean energy source
Researchers have discovered that Western Australia’s iron-rich rocks can naturally generate hydrogen and that the process may be boosted to produce much larger amounts. If it can be scaled up, the vast formations beneath the Pilbara could become a major new source of low-emission energy for Australia and potentially the world.
PaperCut releases second emergency patch for exploited flaws
PaperCut has released a second emergency security update for two actively exploited vulnerabilities in its PaperCut NG and MF print management software after researchers discovered multiple ways to bypass the initial fixes.
‘Snake Men’ by Zach St. George
Who gets to name a newly discovered species is an unsettled question in the world of biology. Conflicts over taxonomy can become venomous.
Jake Reiner details call from sister Romy after parents’ murders
Jake Reiner recalled the morning his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, were discovered dead, revealing that he declined a call from sister Romy.
Practicum experience enhances this MPH student’s research insights
By applying classroom learning to real-world research, Keya Chilka discovered new perspectives on public health and strengthened the skills needed to create meaningful change for vulnerable populations.
Florence Harding Photographed Taught Me About Women Partaking in Politics
What would Florence Kling Harding think now? A week or so ago when I cast my ballot at my designated polling place this thought crossed my mind. I imagine the former first lady would be pleased about how routine voting has become for women in the United States. But perhaps she would not be satisfied. Today, a published essay I wrote for In Pursuit spotlights a lesson in leadership demonstrated by First Lady Florence Harding. In my research, I discovered there’s a lot to be said about this strong female historic figure. But it was the blurry photograph capturing Mrs. Harding voting for her husband Warren G. Harding, one of two presidential candidates from Ohio, on Nov. 2, 1920—Election Day—that drew my attention. It was the first presidential election held in the United States after the ratification and certification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. Its 106th anniversary was marked on Wednesday. I remember thinking what a shame it was that her presence in the image was imperfect while the mostly men surrounding her were in sharp focus. Perhaps cynically I thought, “No surprise!” On further examination, though, the clear reaction of the people surrounding Mrs. Harding was equally important. In that snapshot of time, many of their expressions were serious. One man stood elevated above the rest with a slight smile as he caught a glimpse of history. Mr. Harding hovered over his wife’s shoulder closely observing the last seconds of her vote being cast. Their gazes were locked in on who would hours later become first lady. Subscribe The attention she drew is worth noting, mostly because, as I learned, Mrs. Harding understood the power her image could have on women across the country. She and I share in common a career in newspapers—hers the business side and mine on the editorial side. Nevertheless, it became clear to me as I write in the essay that she understood if she was seen voting, other women would follow suit. That wouldn’t necessarily be the case in that 1920 election, though, Karen Kedrowski, the director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University, explained to me. Florence Harding was a suffrage advocate. But, suffrage was a contentious issue and women were far from united at the time of the election. In fact, a substantial number of women and active anti-suffrage organizations thought women participating in elections was a “bad idea and antithetical to their roles in the private sphere as mothers and homemakers,” Kedrowski said, adding that women were also viewed as the moral compass for their husbands and sons. If women got involved in politics they would become contaminated by it. Suffragists, on the other hand, wanted to bring that moral presence into politics to help clean things up. Only about 30% of women voted in that 1920 presidential election. That was a start. More than 100 years later in the 2024 presidential election, 66.9% of eligible women voted (91.3 million), compared to 63.7% of men who voted (82.6 million), according to the League of Women Voters. Yes, Florence Harding would be pleased. Subscribe That imperfect Election Day image was important symbolism about women’s potential during what was known as the “Modern Woman” era and the growing public role women were taking in the 1920s. I imagine Florence Harding might agree with other succeeding first ladies when it comes to gender equality and the importance of the vote. Like Michelle Obama when she said in her memoir Becoming, “We all play a role in this democracy. We need to remember the power of every vote.” Or Hillary Clinton during her unsuccessful run for president in 2016 when she remarked on International Women’s Day: “We celebrate the progress we’ve made to advance the full participation of women in economies and societies. And most importantly, we recommit to finishing the unfinished work that remains …” I hope if you are reading this, you will also read my essay on Florence Harding’s leadership lesson for In Pursuit. And perhaps that will move you to dig deeper and read more about Florence Harding’s life circumstances in biographies like First Lady Florence Harding: Behind the Tragedy and Controversy by Katherine A. S. Sibley. No, I do not think Florence Harding would be satisfied despite how far women have come from that day she first entered her polling place. She once wrote to the Camp Fire Girls, “The part that women play in the world has been greatly changed … It has been broadened and enlarged …” It has. And as women continue to engage in civics it continues to be. I imagine Florence Harding would want women to keep meeting the moment. Read the In Pursuit essay Watch on C-SPAN Share East Wing Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
'An exciting surprise': Ancient shark 'graveyard' uncovered in Egyptian desert
Fossilized teeth from at least seven shark species have been discovered in the Egyptian desert, hinting at its complex, watery past.
Judge orders mental health evaluation for man found with gun at Trump golf course in LA
Judge ruled Jeanine John Taele, discovered with firearm days before Trump visit, was unfit to face felony charge
'Unlike anything seen before': Archaeologists unearth a unique, 11,000-year-old statue of a person riding a leopard from one of the world's earliest settlements
Archaeologists in southern Turkey discovered a unique statue of a person on the back of a leopard.
‘Object with no comparison’: first black hole star discovered
The brightness of a star, with the energy of a black hole
400-year-old 'vampire' grave discovered in Poland
The wealthy young woman was buried with a sickle over her neck and a padlock on her toe.
Ritual solstice structure 1,000 years older than Stonehenge unearthed in Czech Republic
Archaeologists have discovered a prehistoric ritual structure oriented to the sun and moon in the Czech Republic.
AirPods 5 to Launch as Early as Next Month
Apple is planning to announce two new AirPods 5 models as early as Wednesday, September 9, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Like the AirPods 4, the AirPods 5 will be available with and without active noise cancellation, he said. AirPods 5 references were already discovered in macOS 26.7 code last week. AirPods 5 references were already discovered in macOS 26.7 code last week.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
Climate scientists solve monsoon puzzle and warn of risks to fisheries
A new study has reconciled a long-standing paradox in the South Asian summer monsoon cycle. Climate scientists have discovered why geological records from land and sea have told opposite stories about ...
Scientists overturned hundreds of rocks in Barbados and finally found the world's smallest snake after 20 years
After nearly 20 years without a confirmed sighting, scientists in Barbados have finally rediscovered the world’s smallest-known snake. According to the Associated Press, the tiny Barbados threadsnake was found beneath a rock during an ecological survey in central Barbados, bringing an end to a search that had seen researchers turn over hundreds of rocks in the hope of finding the elusive reptile.
Scientists discover new 'immune hubs' in skull bone marrow
In mouse skull marrow, 'immune hubs' that actively defend the brain have been discovered. Similar cells exist in human skulls, but their role remains unclear.
Scientists discover a real-life “dragon” and name it after Syrax
Scientists discovered a small, yellowish mountain horned dragon in Thailand and named it Acanthosaura syrax after a dragon from House of the Dragon. Found only in a narrow band of high-elevation forest, the distinctive new species could become a flagship for protecting its rare mountain habitat.
JWST finds early galaxies may be 4 times more massive than thought
Astronomers using JWST have discovered that massive early galaxies contain far more small, faint stars than expected. That hidden population could make some of these galaxies three to four times more massive than previous estimates. The finding makes it even harder to explain how enormous, mature galaxies formed so soon after the Big Bang. It could also suggest that planets around low-mass stars were more common in the early universe than scientists realized.
A new snake species discovered in the jungle has been named after Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash; here’s why scientists chose the rock star’s name
A newly described snake from the forests of New Guinea has been given a name familiar to rock fans around the world. Scientists have named the non-venomous species Lielaphis slashi, or Slash’s groundsnake, after Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, whose real name is Saul Hudson.
Human remains found in Trumann, AR house
TRUMANN, Ark. — An investigation into a missing woman led to the discovery of human remains in a house Friday, police in Trumann, Arkansas say. Officers discovered the remains around 8:15 Friday mo…
Camera AirPods Code Reveals Image Capture Resolution, Status Light, Person Detection, and More
Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods, as indicated by various reports and a demo video of them in action discovered earlier this week. The video was found by MacRumors in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, but it turns out there are even more details in the code. MacRumors forum member mactracker has discovered a hidden macOS framework called "AccessorySensorManager" that manages sensor data from the AirPods when they are connected to a Mac.
Why scientists are stoked about mysterious black hole stars
You've heard of black holes. You've heard of stars. But have you heard of the newly discovered black hole stars that may explain multiple mysteries of the universe? We just did and we're honestly freaking out about it. Learn everything you need to know about it in this episode. Plus, hear some other cool stories fresh off the presses: Which exercise can help reduce your risk of dementia and how shrews shrink — and then regrow — parts of their body throughout the year.Interested in hearing more reporting on space, scientific mysteries or other emerging science? We want to know! Email us what you'd like us to talk about at shortwave@npr.org!Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Scientists discovered four snakes curled together in a burrow for 38 million years as the volcanic ash preserved their remarkable fossils
A snake fossil discovery in Wyoming has given palaeontologists an unusually close look at the lives of these ancient reptiles. Four complete skeletons belonging to a newly recognised species, have helped researchers understand an early member of the ‘boa family’ and the history of small, burrowing snakes in North America.
The global health aid architecture is collapsing. The faith economy isn't
“Washington has rediscovered faith as a delivery mechanism. The bigger opportunity is faith as a source of capital,” writes Dr. Alaa Murabit.
Newly-discovered immune hubs in our skull may keep our brain healthy
We may have clusters of immune cells at the back of our skull that help ward off conditions like brain cancer
Action 9 helps consumer get tax refund after double health insurance enrollment
A woman discovered she owed thousands of dollars for two health insurance policies after switching to private coverage.
Government Science Websites Shouldn’t Apologize for Scientists
The job of a government science website is to inform the public about what science has discovered, not to pass judgment on historical figures for their alleged failure to live up to contemporary progressive standards of opinion. Someone should make that distinction clear to the men and women at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
Breast cancer is surging among Asian American women — and scientists don’t know why
Breast cancer is rising rapidly among Asian American women, with some of the most alarming increases occurring in younger women and in aggressive or advanced cancers. Researchers say screening alone can't explain the surge, suggesting important risk factors may still be undiscovered.
Our Milky Way galaxy gobbled up a smaller galaxy about 11.8 billion years ago, scientists find
Scientists observing clusters of stars congregated near the Milky Way's centre have discovered evidence that our galaxy swallowed a smaller galaxy roughly 11.8 billion years ago, when the universe was less than 15 per cent of its current age.
Einstein’s biggest “mistake” came back
Einstein’s abandoned cosmological constant made a spectacular comeback when astronomers discovered that the universe’s expansion is accelerating. It now sits at the heart of our best cosmological model—a model that works extraordinarily well, yet may still be wrong.
Firefighters respond to blaze at Howell meat market, business remains open
A fire was discovered early Monday at a storage barn behind Great Lakes Custom Meats and More in Livingston County.
1,700-year-old church discovered under a lake in Turkey may be the location of the First Council of Nicaea
A small church discovered beneath a larger one may have hosted one of the most important meetings in the history of Christianity, but some scholars not involved with the excavation disagree.
Tiny graphene wrinkles create surprisingly powerful electrical effects
Scientists have discovered that tiny, sharply curved wrinkles in graphene can dramatically alter its electrical behavior, creating surprisingly strong charge separation. The finding suggests future electronics could be tuned by reshaping materials at the atomic scale instead of changing what they’re made of.
Science & Medicine: San Antonio's fungus lab is on the front line of a growing drug-resistance crisis
When doctors can't identify a fungal infection, they often turn to UT Health San Antonio's Fungus Testing Laboratory, which has discovered more than 60 new species since 2013. The lab is now racing to fight drug-resistant fungi while helping bring new antifungal treatments to market.
In 1948, scientists left a giant fossil on an Arctic island because they could not carry it; 78 years later it became a record-size new predator
Nearly 80 years ago, a British expedition discovered the battered remains of a giant fossil on the peak of an Arctic island. Unable to take it with them, they snapped some pictures, took some bones and left the fossil to be ravaged by the icy winds and rain.
Which building blocks of life have been found in space, and which haven't?
So far, researchers have found many signs of the building blocks of life in space, but what exactly have they discovered, and what remains to be found?
Scientists documented 1,121 previously unknown marine species in a single year — increasing the annual identification rate by 54 percent — yet the head of science at Ocean Census says researchers are still in a race against time, with estimates suggesting up to 90 percent of ocean species remain undiscovered.
Ocean Census documented 1,121 candidate marine species in one year, but its rapid discovery status is distinct from a completed formal taxonomic description.
Homeless man sues for $10M after he breaks into business and owner shoots him 3 times
The trial has begun of a homeless man who burglarized a Northeast Portland business, then discovered the owner was inside.
Immune cells flood into the aging brain, Stanford scientists discover
Scientists have discovered that the aging human brain may be far less isolated from the rest of the body than once believed. Stanford researchers found that large numbers of immune cells from the blood begin entering the brain as early as middle age, where they can transform into microglia, the brain’s specialized immune cells. The finding overturns a long-standing assumption that these cells remain largely separate from the body’s immune system throughout life.
A chance stop on campus led to life-changing Husker journey
Everyone has their own unique journey toward finding their Husker home. No one knows this better than Meredith Fontana, who discovered the University of Nebraska–Lincoln during a pit stop on a family road trip.
Why This Shark Glows in the Dark—and What Scientists Just Discovered About It - Futura-Sciences
The Glow of the Kitefin Shark The kitefin shark (Dalatias licha) is a master of the twilight zone, cruising the deep-sea gloom like a spectral submarine. Like many marine creatures, it produces its own blue-green light. Until recently, scientists believed this bioluminescence mainly helped the shark perform what’s called “counter-illumination”—by...
Mars may have been losing its water more than 4 billion years ago, oldest-known Martian meteorite suggests
The oldest known rock from Mars was discovered on Earth in 2022. Scientists are beginning to reveal its mysteries.
Have physicists finally discovered glueballs? New evidence points to yes.
“It’s the strongest evidence yet that particles dominated by a glueball component can exist in nature.”...
Discovering the Business Behind the Science
Parisian Salomé Aiach came to the College of Charleston to explore subjects and discovered an interest in mixing business with science.
Discovering the Business Behind the Science
Parisian Salomé Aiach came to the College of Charleston to explore subjects and discovered an interest in mixing business with science.
The adult brain can repair itself better than scientists thought
The adult brain may be far better at repairing itself than scientists once believed. In mice, researchers discovered a special group of support cells called astrocytes that respond to damaged brain tissue by rebuilding lost cellular networks. Rather than simply moving into the injured area, these cells perform a remarkable maneuver: they create new nuclei and send them traveling through long cellular extensions to repopulate damaged regions.
2,400-year-old grave of possible ancient pro wrestler discovered in Turkey
A tomb excavated in Aspendos, Turkey, revealed a skeleton buried with several coins featuring ancient wrestlers.
Q&A: Could better gut health help fight breast cancer?
UVA researchers discovered how an unhealthy gut may help breast cancer spread – and how an existing drug could potentially stop it.
Nearly 100 never-before-seen Nintendo cartridges found in Wisconsin game shop
A Wisconsin game shop discovered almost 100 copies of a never-before-seen version of Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt cartridges in storage.
Box of rare Nintendo games found in Waukesha could be worth millions
A box of old Nintendo games discovered in Waukesha could be worth millions of dollars.
1-of-1 1970 Plymouth GTX 440 Six Barrel 4-Speed Discovered In Canada
A trip into Canada has turned up an extraordinary piece of Mopar history: a 1970 Plymouth GTX equipped with the 440 Six Barrel V8, a four-speed manual, and an exceptionally rare factory-painted black roof. The ... Read more
Ice Age bird figurines discovered in German cave
The roughly 40,000-year-old figures show that humans were already watching bird behavior