Posts

Scientists have long thought that seamounts lost to trawling could never return. But using robots capable of spending two days taking photographs deep underwater along with submersibles carrying humans, a team of researchers from Florida State University found signs of life on three locations in the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain. This discovery carries with it the possibility that seamounts, if allowed time, may bounce back from human destruction. The team looked at three spots that hadn’t been trawled in more than 30 years thanks to protections on their area....

Vampire Bat Blood Vision: These suckers can “see” blood thanks to heat-sensitive channels in their noses. Fat and juicy vessels emit warmth, and the flying mammals track those temperatures on food sources like tapirs, cattle, and chickens. Size: 3 in. Location: The Americas Prey: Birds, mammals, livestock Nemesis: Getting stepped on Heat Sensitivity Bat: 86°F Human: 109°F Dolphin Echo Utero: Soft materials like sand can’t hide a dolphin’s prey; their echolocation allows them to glimpse inside....

Although the aviation industry claims that it generates only 2 percent of global CO2 emissions, it’s one of the fastest-growing carbon polluters around. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that passenger levels will double in 10 years and perhaps triple by 2025. In 2004, air traffic grew at a rate of 14 percent, faster than at any time in the past quarter-century. All those extra miles in the air translate into more jet fuel, and every pound of jet fuel releases three pounds of carbon into the upper atmosphere....

In a new study published in JAMA on Monday, researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco found that among around 15,000 patients aged 16 to 25 who received opioids from their dentists, almost 7 percent went back to a healthcare provider for additional opioids between 3 and 12 months later. Nearly 6 percent were diagnosed with opioid abuse within one year after the initial prescription. In contrast, only 0....

The Justice Department, specifically, has announced a review of FBI cases to see if technicians misrepresented lab reports and testimonies that might have led to wrongful convictions. The DOJ will scour at least 21,000 cases conducted by the FBI Laboratory’s hair and fibers unit before 2000. But there’s another issue. About three dozen FBI agents trained 600 to 1,000 local and state technicians, and if the feds are using faulty methods, then it stands to reason that the local labs they trained with those methods aren’t doing much better....

To read the harrowing tales of death and destruction in Popular Science’s May 1962 story, “The Biggest Birds That Ever Flew”, it’s hard to imagine why so many passengers traveled so willingly aboard hydrogen-filled dirigibles. Part tribute, part eulogy, the 1962 story—penned by military historian A. A. Hoehling and Popular Science editor Martin Mann, and published on the 25th anniversary of the Hindenburg disaster—even opens with an epitaph: “The sky has never seen anything to match the giant Zeppelins....

Say you’re walking through the woods and encounter a grizzly bear. You see it and freeze that instant—even before your stomach drops with fear. “After all, you are likely to live longer if you immediately stop moving at the sight of a growling grizzly bear,” write researchers Kirsten Ruys and Diederik Stapel of The Netherlands’ Tilburg University, “and do not need full awareness for such a response to be instigated....

You can start your foray into future-proofing your career with these courses on sale. They typically cost thousands of dollars, but each is on sale for only $20 for only a few days. Take your pick: The Microsoft PowerShell Certification Bundle Composed of 3 courses, this bundle aims to help you become an automation expert using Microsoft PowerShell. Expect to learn how to automate small daily tasks, so you can boost your efficiency....

The best iOS games are seamless, with rounds that come in bite-sized bits. When you die, or when it’s time to enter the next round of play, it just happens; you barely notice between one play-through of the game and the next. I play games like this in transit, for the most part, and being able to put down or pick up one whenever I want is key to the experience....

It’s our lowest pricing ever for this product so don’t hesitate, because these Black Friday doorbuster deals will soon sell out. With 60% savings, you’ll join an incredible community of gamers on an ever-expanding and increasingly popular network platform. Find new gaming friends and competitors by exploring groups, swiftly expanding your social reach in the process. Use Xbox One and Xbox 360 to discover the latest innovations in gaming, streaming, and interacting within that advanced network....

The Early Access deals require a Prime membership (so sign up for a free 30-day trial if you haven’t already) and they will come and go like a deer in the woods, so we’ll update this list as sleeping bags sell out or Lightning Deals end. With that said, snag a product fast if you see a deal you like—they’re bound to sell out and get away from you, just like that salmon you tried catching years ago....

Lightning McQueen, the arrogant young protagonist race car, is astonished when he can’t make a left turn on a dirt track. When “Doc” explains that McQueen must turn right to go left, Lightning is annoyed and dumbfounded by the seemingly ridiculous logic of Doc’s proposition. But Doc is right (no pun intended). What he is describing is the phenomenon known as “drifting.” The video above shows some good examples of drifting — a popular technique among automotive thrill seekers (and recently featured on the big screen in movies like “Tokyo Drift”)....

WHAT’S NEW Each AudioBulb is essentially just a 10-watt-per-channel mini speaker embedded in a five-watt LED bulb (roughly the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent). You screw the lightbulb/speaker into your regular lightbulb socket, in a lamp or light fixture or whatever, and it provides light as well as sound. The system includes a docking station/router with an iPhone/iPod dock, as well as a 3.5mm jack (also known as a headphone jack) to accommodate non-Apple music players....

We’re not judging—we all collect content we may never read. But instead of letting that clutter slow down your browser, store it all in Google Chrome’s Reading List. If you’re running the latest version of Chrome on your computer, you’ve probably already seen the Reading List button—it’s right below your avatar in the top right corner of the browser, unmistakably labeled “Reading List.” Find it on an iPhone or iPad by tapping the three dots in the bottom right of the screen....

“A lot of what you hear about gorillas is they’re big and aggressive,” says Cambridge biological anthropologist Robin Morrison. In reality, though, they’re massive, peaceful vegetarians. “They’ve been called the cows of the forest,” she says. Gorillas are not only docile, but also incredibly collaborative. And according to a new study published this week, the primates have rich social lives that parallel the hierarchical structure of human societies wherein close-knit groups (families, for example) are nested, like Russian dolls, in increasingly larger communities....

According to the American Psychological Association, mindfulness benefits your overall well-being, especially in the areas of mental clarity, improved concentration, enhanced memory, stress reduction, and emotional intelligence. Mindfulness can help combat brain fog, too. But achieving true mindfulness involves some mental training, which you can, fortunately, get from the Mindfulness.com app. For a limited time, a lifetime subscription to the Plus Plan is over 80 percent off with our Back to Education Event....

A paperback may not be your fast-track ticket to being a billionaire or getting voted to power, but it can give you the knowledge to get there. But if you can’t quite squeeze some time for reading into your busy schedule, you can still consume the best books with the help of Mentorist. In our Back to Education event, you can grab a lifetime subscription for 90 percent off. Unlike other summary apps that only dole out quick bullet points on the key takeaways of books, Mentorist takes a step further by presenting you with actionable steps to apply the knowledge where you need it most....

A team of biologists from the UK and Australia compared footage of seals swimming with videos of humans swimming (with and without paddle surfboards). They then edited the clips to simulate a great white’s vision—the sharks are likely colorblind, and they can’t make out fine detail—and found that from the ocean inhabitant’s point of view, humans do indeed bear a strong resemblance to seals. The findings were published yesterday in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface....

@PopSci is the #mysteryanimal a baboon? And then I might say “if you think that’s a baboon, perhaps you are the baboon!” But probably not, because this is a positive environment and all guesses are welcome and also this is not a very common animal so guess whatever you want! The first person to get it right wins! We’ll retweet the answer from @PopSci, and also update this post so your amazing animal knowledge will be permanently etched onto the internet....