“Intelligence” is a concept we usually associate with, say, Sherlock Holmes. You know – he’s rational, logical, not necessarily good with people, but goshdarnit if he can’t solve an expert-level killer sudoku in record time, and that’s what’s really important in life. But that isn’t the only way we can be intelligent. Emotional intelligence – […]
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Who Was The Most Narcissistic President? Self-Absorbed Leaders Linked To Prolonged Wars
The more narcissistic the US president, the more prolonged their wars tend to be, according to a new study. In sum, the eight US leaders who scored above average for narcissism spent an average of 613 days at war, while the 11 least narcissistic presidents were at war for just 136 days. Study author John […]
Google Deepmind Scientist Warns AI Existential Catastrophe “Not Just Possible, But Likely”
A paper co-authored by a senior scientist at Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) research laboratory DeepMind has concluded that advanced AI could have “catastrophic consequences” if left to its own methods of achieving goals. The paper – also co-written by researchers from the University of Oxford – is centered around what happens if you leave AI […]
Food Delivery Robot Drives Right Through A Crime Scene
A food delivery robot has been caught on video happily ramming its way through a cordoned-off crime scene in Los Angeles. In a video widely seen on Twitter and Reddit, the robot doesn’t seem to care about the looks it gets from police officers. The footage appears to show a Serve Robotics model, described as […]
The USS Stein Monster: In 1978, A Massive Creature Attacked A Navy Frigate, Shredding Parts Of Its Hull
In 1978, the USS Stein, a US Navy frigate, suddenly had an emergency that resulted in an immediate reroute to its home base – the radar system responsible for identifying submarine threats suddenly went unserviceable (US). The Stein headed for land and reached dry dock so that the engineers could examine the fault, which likely laid […]
China Tests Floating Maglev Cars That Travel Up To 140 MPH
Taking inspiration from the floating trains that travel at incredible speeds, researchers from China have now tested Maglev cars that float above dedicated magnetic highways. Hovering 3.5 centimeters (1.4 inches) above the highway, the modified car wobbles its way through the course in what looks like a pretty uncomfortable ride. If the technology could […]
Brace Yourself For An Exceptionally Rare “Triple-Dip” La Niña Weather Phase
The mighty weather phenomenon La Niña will continue for the third year in a row and may last until early next year, according to World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This is set to have a knock-on effect on weather across the globe, from droughts in Africa to a wet and wild summer in Australia. In a […]
Einstein Is Right Again – Most Precise Measurement Of Free Fall Principle Confirms Theory
What weighs more: a kilogram of feathers or a kilogram of lead? This old joke is actually no joke to physicists – since the time of Galileo, they have been trying to demonstrate that objects in a gravitational field experience the same acceleration. This is the universality of free fall, and it has now proven […]
PCOS Is One Of The Most Common Causes Of Infertility – But What Is it?
The reproductive system is an essential part of the continuation of the human population. But, it is actually a very complex system and when it goes wrong… boy your body can let you know about it. September is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) awareness month – so, what exactly is PCOS, and are there any treatments? […]
The First Monkeypox Death In The US Has Been Confirmed
A person in Los Angeles has become the first confirmed death due to monkeypox in the US. The Los Angeles Department of Public Health announced the death in on September 12, noting that the patient was “severely immunocompromised” and had been hospitalized. Few other details were given. The statement notes that the death was “due […]
This Is How You Perform CPR In Space, According To An Astronaut
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving procedure that should be known more widely than it is. It has helped countless people around the world and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti has decided to show us online how it could also save lives in space. On Earth, CPR relies on us using our bodyweight to […]
Men With Psychopathic Traits Tend To Become “Parasitic” Fathers
Psychopaths are more likely to act as “parasitic” fathers should they have children, a study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science has found. Psychopaths are loosely defined as people with egocentric and antisocial personalities, showing little empathy for others. Because of this, you would expect that they would have little interest in having and […]
How Citizen Science Is Changing The World
Non-formally-trained scientists have been playing an increasingly revolutionary role over the last 15 years. The rise of Citizen Science has had impacts on every discipline, and every month new projects are launched to involve, inform, and ask the public for help in tackling mysteries at the cutting edge of human knowledge. By any metric, involving […]
USA Put On WHO Watchlist Of Countries With Circulating Polio
The US now meets the criteria to enter the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of countries where circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPVs) have been identified and are in circulation, the CDC announced on Tuesday. This is due to an ongoing outbreak in Rockland County, New York state, and surrounding areas. Joining them on the watchlist are […]
Perseverance Spies The First “Cat” On Mars
Pareidolia is the peculiar human behavior of seeing meaningful images in random patterns. We see faces in plug sockets, queens in clouds, and the entire world in funny-shaped rocks. Martian rocks are no exception, with everything from the famous “face” that turned out to be a hill to secret doors spotted on the Red Planet. […]
Everything You Need To Know About NASA Cashing A Spacecraft Into An Asteroid This Month
In just two weeks, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will test humanity’s capabilities to alter the path of an asteroid by slamming into Dimorphos, a small moonlet orbiting the larger asteroid Didymos. The asteroids pose no threat to Earth but will allow NASA to test a crucial approach to planetary defense in a way […]
Another New COVID Variant Is Spreading – Here’s What We Know About Omicron BA.4.6
BA.4.6, a subvariant of the omicron COVID variant which has been quickly gaining traction in the US, is now confirmed to be spreading in the UK. The latest briefing document on COVID variants from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) noted that during the week beginning August 14, BA.4.6 accounted for 3.3 percent of samples […]
Is Your Gas Stove Bad For Your Health?
Cooks love their gadgets, from countertop slow cookers to instant-read thermometers. Now, there’s increasing interest in magnetic induction cooktops – surfaces that cook much faster than conventional stoves, without igniting a flame or heating an electric coil. Some of this attention is overdue: Induction has long been popular in Europe and Asia, and it is […]
That Time The King’s Anus Changed Surgery Forever
It takes a lot to distinguish yourself if you are the fourteenth king named Louis. Louis XIV managed to do this in several ways: becoming one of the most powerful French monarchs and helping to bring surgery on the anus (and elsewhere) into the modern ages. Louis XIV had a number of illnesses, with recurring […]
How Much Is The Royal Family Worth?
The British Monarchy has been dominating headlines following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. After her majesty’s bejeweled, lead-lined coffin made its way across the UK, we find ourselves asking, yet again, just how much is the royal family worth? In true British nature, the royals aren’t big on disclosing their financial […]
