Volcanoes are erupting in The Philippines, but on-fire Australia received some welcome rain. The Iran war cries have been called off and The Donald’s military powers are about to be hamstrung by the Senate. Meanwhile, his impeachment trial is starting, and we’re all on Twitter for a front-row seat.
09/29/2021
DeepMind’s AI predicts almost exactly when and where it’s going to rain
The firm worked with UK weather forecasters to create a model that was better at making short term predictions than existing systems.
08/30/2021
How to navigate covid news without spiraling
As the pandemic changes so quickly, there’s a better way to think about getting and sharing the information you need.
08/13/2021
Don’t let “delta plus” confuse you. The strain hasn’t learned any new tricks.
Technical names are important for scientists tracking covid’s evolution—but there’s also a lot of confusion over new variants.
08/12/2021
Mathematicians are deploying algorithms to stop gerrymandering
With the 2020 US Census data release, states start the process of redrawing district maps. New computational tools will help hold politicians to account.
07/13/2021
Opinion: Why I’m a proud solutionist
History teaches us how to be brutally honest about a problem and yet optimistic for a technological solution.
05/24/2021
A blind man can perceive objects after a gene from algae was added to his eye
Researchers are trying to genetically reengineer people’s retinas to restore vision.
05/13/2021
Five reasons why you don’t need to panic about coronavirus variants
The hype around “scariants” is overblown. But we also shouldn’t be too complacent.
03/29/2021
Keeping covid vaccines cold isn’t easy. These ideas could help.
New formulas and off-grid approaches could help mRNA vaccines get to more places around the world.
02/14/2021
Bill Gates: Rich nations should shift entirely to synthetic beef
02/12/2021
Deepfake porn is ruining women’s lives. Now the law may finally ban it.
After years of activists fighting to protect victims of image-based sexual violence, deepfakes are finally forcing lawmakers to pay attention.
12/10/2020
Why more, earlier voting means greater election security—not less
Experts say expanded voting through early and mail-in ballots help ensure that elections are safer, despite claims to the contrary.
12/01/2020