Category: 9. Sci/Tech

For centuries, the question of what consciousness is—where it comes from, and what it does—was left to philosophers and mystics. But now, scientists across biology, neuroscience, and physics are seriously looking at something once…

Devastating tornadoes cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and dozens of deaths…

Engineers in Singapore have developed a sustainable cooling tile made from mushrooms and bamboo. It’s a new biodegradable building material that mimics elephant skin and can keep buildings cool without relying on air conditioning or…

Social media influencers encouraging travellers to “stroke” sharks are behind a rise…

British scientists could experiment with techniques to block sunlight as part…

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine.

For computer scientists, solving problems is a bit like mountaineering. First they must choose a problem to solve—akin to identifying a peak to climb—and then they must develop a…

One in ten people suffers after eating a meal. Instead of sitting back to relax while feeling sated, nourished and full, these people associate finishing a dish with stomach cramps, bloating and problems emptying their bowels (either too quickly…

Ever since its formation around 4.5 billion years ago, Earth’s rotation has been gradually slowing down, and its days have gotten progressively longer as a result.

While Earth’s slowdown is not noticeable on human timescales, it’s enough to…

Most people think of tick bites as nuisances or, at worst, vectors for Lyme disease. But imagine waking up in the middle of the night with hives, your throat closing up, all because you ate some pork hours earlier.

That was Cathy…

Learning to control fire was a game-changer for ancient humans, who could use it to cook food, see at night, and endure cold weather, among other things.

This skill dates back at least a million years, and while fire has proven pivotal…