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“I’ve been saying that it would be better if they were called vampire octopuses instead of vampire squid. It just would have been easier for everyone to keep straight,” says Christopher Whalen, a paleontologist and National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at Yale University and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). “It has the name it has because for a long time, it was one of these puzzling animals that sort of seemed like it was in between squids and octopuses....

It’s a bit hard to say, actually. “The short answer is that we don’t know much about orgasms in other species — in fact, scientists are still studying the significance/evolution of female orgasms in humans,” Marlene Zuk, a professor of ecology, evolution and behavior at the University of Minnesota, wrote me in an email. Unlike humans, animals can’t tell us they’re having orgasms, so we can’t truly know what their experience is like....

First up is Tuesday’s full blood moon lunar eclipse. Stargazers in North America, Central America, most of South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia will see the moon turn a reddish hue very early tomorrow morning. In the United States, stargazers in the western part of the country will get the best views. NASA predicts that at 3:02 a.m. EST, the moon will encounter Earth’s outer shadow in what’s called a penumbral eclipse....

Scientists at institutions in Chicago, Germany and Belgium used a super-powerful X-ray beam at the Argonne National Laboratory to do it. It uses a half-century-old technique, diamond anvil cells, by adding a set of micro-anvils. A diamond anvil cell uses two brilliant-cut diamonds, like the kind you would see in an engagement ring, but instead of a point at the bottom, they have flat surfaces. A sample goes between the two diamonds, which are then compressed together to create high pressures....

Rimac’s technology has become a highly sought-after commodity in recent years. The company has worked on development projects with Audi, Lamborghini, and Porsche, among others, and recently took control of Bugatti—a 113-year-old marque with a storied history of producing ultra-high-performance vehicles—from parent company Volkswagen. VW had reportedly considered shuttering the brand due to the expected expense involved in rolling out its next generation of vehicles, and when Rimac offered to develop a new hybrid hypercar for the company for less than it would have cost Bugatti to update their current architecture, VW proposed a merger that gave Rimac a controlling stake in the company....

These BPA-free silicone gloves come with a comfy, quilted cotton lining and withstand heat up to 450°F. They’re almost 15 inches long, which is enough to protect more than just your hands—your wrists and forearms are safe, too. A non-slip grip ensures that you won’t drop that giant pot of boiling water. Because they’re silicone, they’re easier to clean than cotton: just run them under warm water with a little bit of soap, and they’re ready to go....

Ron Blackwell of Santa Clara, Calif., was at Stanford’s medical school for treatment when this study was performed. Researchers working with his doctors were able to stimulate his brain and totally distort his perception of faces. “You just turned into somebody else. Your face metamorphosed,” he said, surprised. You can see his reaction in the video below. The brain centers are located in the fusiform gyrus, part of the temporal lobe....

Well, today, during an event about solar panels (designed by a different Musk-run company), the billionaire supervillain clarified his idea to terraform Mars. He doesn’t want to bomb Mars. He just wants to bomb the sky above Mars every few seconds. Mashable reports: Is that what all the solar panels are for, Elon Musk? Musk says that the two “tiny suns,” formed by fusion bombs, would warm up Mars’ frozen carbon dioxide so that it turns into gas that could help capture heat, creating a greenhouse effect on Mars....

It goes without saying that an emergency radio ought to function for long stretches of time during power outages. Any emergency radio worth its salt should be chargeable via hand crank or solar panel once its primary battery source is exhausted. Many have both options. This way, you don’t have to ration the use of your radio in times of need. Many emergency radios are multifunctional and can be used as device chargers, SOS signals, flashlights, and more....

Additional studies using the marshmallow test found that the children who could wait longer for rewards tended to have better life outcomes and show higher intelligence. More recently, the predictive powers of the test have come under scrutiny, but the experiment has historically been a way to study how individuals react to temptation. Humans aren’t the only ones undergoing this sweet test. This ability for self-control has also been linked to cuttlefish and chimpanzees’ intelligence, and now, it’s the birds’ turn....

This conference paves the way for countries to revise their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the global carbon reduction effort ahead of next year’s submission deadline. The policy focus of this year’s COP is ironing out Article 6 of the Paris Agreement Rulebook. This sets out the (legally non-binding) rules that will govern how we get from where we are now, in terms of emissions, to where we need to be to meet our Paris Agreement targets and hopefully slow climate change....

As expected, hardware was a secondary concern at WWDC, as Apple also announced the new versions of its various operating systems for its many devices. Coming this fall, the various software updates included iOS 16 for iPhones, macOS Ventura, iPad OS 16, and watchOS 9. Though there’s plenty of overlap, each system will have distinctive new features, including customization features for the iPhone lock screen, revamped multitasking on iPads, and more robust health tracking in Apple Watch....

If you’ve ever been through physical therapy, you may have used a balance board like this. It consists of a rectangular wooden plank that’s 17.5 inches long and 13.5 inches wide, and sits on top of two curved feet connected by a support across the middle. Your job is to stand on it without tipping over. You’ll quickly find that engaging your core muscles is key to finding that sweet spot where you’re able to stand perfectly balanced....

A Slower Speed of Light is built on top of Game Lab’s own custom-built, open-source relativistic game engine imbued with all of the strange effects of relativity. But rather than taking the user up to the speed of light, where these effects would be far easier observed, the game brings the speed of light down to the user. The player begins by making his or her way through a pretty standard game world, with the task of collecting 100 little orbs scattered throughout the map....

At a site the FAA set up for the event, complete with a GeoCities-era animated reflective logo and a “fly2sb50” url, people can find information about where not to fly. The “Notices to Airmen” specify that flights up to 17,999 feet and within a 32 nautical mile radius (or 37 statute miles) of Levi’s Stadium are off-limits for aircraft from 2pm to midnight on February 7th, the day of the game....

A Portal Go, the more casual of the company’s two new video-calling devices, fills the flex screen role nicely. With an extra-wide 10-inch display, a 12MP webcam with a 120-degree field-of-view, and strong stereo sound, it has everything you need for a very comfortable, easy-going video-call setup. It offers access to a limited app library, facilitating some secondary uses, including a portable smart speaker, digital photo frame, and web-enabled cookbook....

Phil explained radioactive isotopes and biological analogs in a series of DMs I’ll post here. I had read some conflicting information about whether biology would replace sodium or potassium with Cesium-137, and asked him to clear it up for me. Support Maki on Patreon

Europa, which is roughly the size of Earth’s moon, has a hard surface of ice 10 to 15 miles thick. Scientists think this frozen shell conceals a saltwater ocean that could reach depths of 100 miles. Since there is life virtually wherever there is water on Earth, this hidden ocean may be a promising target in the search for extraterrestrial life. In order to peek beneath the crust, humans would have to send a spacecraft to Europa, and risk landing on its mostly uncharted exterior....

With the Fujifilm instax Mini 9 you can instantly snap and print 2.13 x 3.4-inch photos to tuck in your wallet, save in your pocket, and share with friends. This bubbly camera comes in lime green, ocean blue, and eight other vibrant colors. And for Disney kids—or kids at heart—there are Toy Story, Star Wars, and Frozen limited editions. Each Instax bundle includes a mini twin film pack with 20 exposures so you can waste no time clicking away....

You’re sure that file is here somewhere. You saw it only the other day and now, for some reason, it seems to have vanished. Hunting down data stashed on your computer can be a frustrating experience—partly due to our untidy habits when it comes to saving files—but it doesn’t have to be. Both Windows and macOS come with helpful tools and tricks you can use to track down that missing file....