Maddie Stone

Tech News

There are at Least 11 Runaway Galaxies Screaming Across the Universe

Every now and then, astronomers spy a runaway star, one that’s hurling itself across its galaxy at breakneck speeds. But stars aren’t the only things that occasionally go beserker in the cosmic void: Galaxies themselves will sometimes depart home, never to return. In fact, astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have now spotted 11 … Continued

Tech News

A Clever Flip-Dot Display Uses Lego Brick Bitmaps 

Flip-dot displays certainly have an old-school charm about them, and they win extra points for energy efficiency. But I think I like them even better when they’re controlled by Lego bitmaps and built to spell out the word “awesome” like this one is. This clever display, the work “Ancient James,” is programmed by arranging single-unit … Continued

Tech NewsGoogle

Cost Obsessions Around the World, According to Google Autocomplete

If you ever wondered what sorts of things English-speakers are looking to buy in the Middle East, Russia or West Africa, look no further than Google, which has all of our data. That, at least, is what the cost guide website Fixr.com did, by examining the top Google autocomplete search terms for every country on … Continued

Tech News

UK Cinema Workers Can Earn $1500 For Catching “Cammers” In the Act

If you work at a UK movie theater, there’s never been a better time to go pirate hunting. Until June 30th, UK cinema employees can receive up to 1000 British pounds, or 1500 US dollars, for catching would-be bootleggers in the act. Movie theaters often find themselves a front line in the fight against pre-release … Continued

Tech News

Two Ways You Can Join Nepal’s Earthquake Relief Effort From a Computer

There are a few important ways you can contribute to the Nepal earthquake relief effort from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. http://gawker.com/more-than-700-people-killed-in-7-9-magnitude-earthquake-1700145641#_ga=1.259856138.1692697548.1425247164 Mapping Relief Routes If you’ve got a keen eye and a bit of patience, consider aiding the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) in their effort to trace disaster relief routes. HOT … Continued

Tech News

These Images Show the Night Sky That Hides Behind Our City Lights

If you live in LA, or any major city for that matter, you’ll know there’s something very unusual in the image above. It’s called the Milky Way, and it’s about as exotic as a cougar sighting. For most of human history, people could look up at the night sky just about anywhere on Earth and … Continued

Tech NewsGoogle

Google Deploys Person Finder Tool to Aid Victims of Nepal Earthquake

As reports of the devastation from this morning’s earthquake in Nepal continue to roll in, Google has launched Person Finder, a crowdsourced, missing persons database to help victims of the quake track down their loved ones. Rescuers clear the debris at Durbar Sqaure after an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 25, 2015. (AP Photo/ … Continued

Tech News

Here’s How to Turn Your Apple Watch Gold

Wanna look like a Wall Street tycoon who just purchased a $10 thousand dollar Apple Watch, but only got, say, $400 to show for yourself? Take a cue from Casey Neistat, who released this video yesterday showing us how any commoner with a steady hand can turn an ordinary Apple Watch gold. Sure, it may … Continued

ScienceBiology

This Tiny Shark Has Only Been Seen Once Before

This very small (and adorable) shark is only the second of its kind ever discovered, and he’s showing scientists how much we still have to learn about life under the sea. The first pocket shark find was 36 years ago off the coast of Peru. This second specimen, a 5.5 inch long juvenile, was discovered … Continued

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Medical Robots Can Be Hacked During Surgery, Researchers Find

Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle have just hijacked a teleoperated surgical robot, demonstrating major security weaknesses in the machines that may eventually replace a surgeon’s hands in hospitals worldwide. Yikes. When trained surgeons are a plane ride away, remotely operated surgical bots can save lives. Doctors have been performing telesurgical procedures since … Continued

Tech NewsDesign

Artist’s Trash Exhibitions Depict A Planet Colonized By Plastic

Landfills, E-waste piles, and ocean garbage patches are a part of our world we’d rather not see, but these eyesores aren’t going away. Rather than simply accept that our planet is being swallowed by garbage, one artist has started turning this discarded junk into something beautiful. The landscapes shown here are the work of Alejandro … Continued

ScienceSpace & Spaceflight

Sorry Trekkies, Tau Ceti Probably Doesn’t Harbor Alien Life

The number of exoplanets that might harbor alien life grows every year. But now, astronomers now think we can check one of science fiction’s most beloved staples off the list: Tau Ceti. Tau Ceti, a sun-like star system only 12 light years away, has long been considered one of the first places we might discover … Continued

Tech News

Norway Will Be the First Country to Turn Off FM Radio in 2017

Norway’s Minister of Culture announced this week that a national FM-radio switch off will commence in 2017, allowing the country to complete its transition over to digital radio. It’s the end of an era. As Radio.no notes, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) will provide Norwegian listeners more diverse radio channel content than ever before. Indeed, DAB … Continued

Tech NewsDesign

The 10 Most Pedestrian-Friendly Cities In America

For many of us, cities that are easier to traverse on foot are better places to live. If you’re one of those people, you might be curious to know which of America’s cities actually are the most walkable. A new study by the real estate and brokerage website Redfin breaks it down. Surprise! New York, … Continued

ScienceSpace & Spaceflight

Enceladus’s Ice Volcanoes Are Feeding Saturn’s Rings

Saturn’s ice moon Enceladus is being slowly devoured by the gas giant’s rings, according to a series of new NASA images that show ghostly tendrils escaping the moon’s cryo-volcanoes and shooting off into space. Whoa. Enceladus may be a 310-mile across baby of a moon, but it’s been enjoying a lot of buzz lately. Like … Continued

Tech News

Russian Siri Was a Homophobic Jerk Until a User Called Her Out

Welcome to Reading List, a weekly collection of great tech reads from around the web. This week explores how Russian Siri was a homophobic jerk (until Apple set her straight last week), how the digital era has transformed pregnancy, and more! Enjoy. Apple’s new Russian-language Siri was apparently treating “gay” like a swear word, until … Continued

ScienceHealth

New Self-Administered Blood Collection Device Could Replace Needles

Nobody really likes getting blood drawn. Best case, it’s painless and you’re out of the doctor’s office quickly. But then there are those instances where you end up killing an afternoon at the clinic, only to have an intern stab your arm in five different places before hitting a vein. A new DARPA-sponsored company would … Continued

ScienceSpace & Spaceflight

Battery-Powered Rocket Promises Cheap and Frequent Launches 

The world’s first battery-powered rocket not only sounds like something straight out of science fiction, it could very well upend the space industry by ushering in a new era of frequent and (relatively) low-cost rocket launches. The carbon composite “Electron,” unveiled last week by the Auckland-based company Rocket Lab, claims to be a radical departure … Continued

Tech News

Researchers Are Scanning Forests With Lasers to Monitor Their Health

It looks like a work of art, but the image shown above is the 3D structure of an actual forest, reconstructed from sophisticated laser scans that scientists now hope can be used to quickly check a forest’s vital signs. Kinda like a tricorder IRL. A research team based in Hungary and Vienna is fine-tuning an … Continued

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

FBI’s Ocean’s Eleven Ruse Went “Too Far,” Judge Says

On Friday, a federal judge ruled that FBI agents had gone too far last summer when they cut off the Internet service to Paul Phua’s Las Vegas hotel room, posed as repairmen, and entered the room without a search warrant. According to NBC News, the FBI received a tip last July that Phua, a 50-year … Continued