Category: Technology

Quick Links Use a Third-Party App to Extract Audio From Video Use an Online Video to MP3 Converter Key Takeaways Extracting audio from video on your smartphone is quick and free with the right tools. You can use third-party apps on iOS and Android like MP3 Converter or Video to MP3 to extract audio from […]

Key Takeaways Using auto-enhance can provide quick editing solutions, especially for lighting adjustments. Auto-enhance is beneficial for generating editing inspiration and as a starting point, but not for every scenario. When clear editing directions are present, or for experimentation, portrait photos, or unique editing styles, auto-enhance may not be ideal. Auto-enhancing photos is an easy […]

If you’re using an older version of D-Link’s VPN router, you may want to think twice before keeping it connected to the internet. The manufacturer has confirmed that a severe exploit has been found in several devices that are no longer officially supported. As such, if you own one, you’ll want to change it ASAP. […]

Vignetting is a simple but effective way to make your smartphone photos look better, and you can use this effect on several kinds of images. I’ve experimented with vignettes on bright and overcast days, and in both urban areas and natural landscapes. Here’s how to make the most of this photo effect in different scenarios. […]

When you’re watching for digital scams, the last place you’d expect them is in your physical mail. However, some crafty scammers have found a way to trick people into installing malicious apps that steal their bank details, and it all begins with a hand-delivered letter. But how are they doing it, and how can you […]

Quick Links A Quick Overview of Stable Diffusion: Getting Good Images Writing a Detailed Description Key Takeaways Split prompts into categories like subject, lighting, art style, artist, and community. Use negative prompts to refine images: add words like “ugly” to avoid certain elements. Adjust keyword weighting in your prompt by adding brackets to emphasize words. […]

Quick Links 6. Icons8 Fugue​​​​​​ Legally sourcing music for your YouTube videos doesn’t have to be a minefield of copyrights and licenses. If you stick to these websites, you’re free to use any of these music tracks, so long as you attribute the creator. Navigating Copyright Don’t post a video on YouTube with background music […]

Quick Links Generating Social Media Posts With so many AI chatbots, choosing the right one for different tasks is challenging. Regardless of your pick, it’ll excel in some areas and fall short in others, so I tested Meta AI to see its biggest strengths. I have comprehensive experience with AI tools, such as Claude, Perplexity, […]

Do you want to find out exactly when you joined Facebook or how old your Facebook account is? Here’s a look at how to find out when you created your Facebook account. How to Find the Exact Date That You Joined Facebook The easiest way to find out when you joined Facebook is to use […]

Phishing emails are no longer exclusively sent by Nigerian princes needing financial assistance. Scammers are now tech-savvy criminals who leverage state-of-the-art tools to con their victims. But it’s not like they’re the only ones with an arsenal of tools to pull from. VirusTotal Most phishing emails will send you attached files and links or try […]

macOS Sequoia offers many new and useful features, but Windows 11 users may experience a sense of déjà vu. Here are five standout macOS Sequoia features already available on Windows 11. 1 Phone Mirroring One of the standout features of macOS Sequoia is phone mirroring, which allows users to launch and control their iPhones remotely […]

Facebook Marketplace has become a go-to platform for buying and selling locally. It offers easy access and a large audience of potential buyers and sellers. But is it the right platform for you? The Pros of Using Facebook Marketplace Not sure about using Facebook Marketplace? There are plenty of reasons why this is a Facebook […]

Did you know that WhatsApp for mobile didn’t have a drafts feature for all this time? If you’re now wondering where on earth the feature has been all this time, don’t fret; Meta has now added drafts to its messenger app, allowing you to create texts to send later. WhatsApp Finally Remembers to Send That […]

Social media algorithms are supposedly picking up what you’re putting down—that is to say, they’re designed to serve you with content you’ll like, based on what you’ve engaged with in the past. However, algorithms don’t always get it right. To address this, Meta’s Threads app is testing out a feature that lets you control your […]

Prime Video is getting over 150 free channels with its partnership with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). PBS is known for its high-quality and educational programs, and you can now watch its shows and channels on Prime Video under its ‘Watch for Free’ section. This is also the first time that PBS has partnered with […]

Quick Links Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode Drag and Drop Files While Using iPhone Mirroring Although macOS Sequoia 15.1 is a point release, it brings some handy features Mac users have been excited about since WWDC 2024. So, once your update your Mac to this build, make sure you check out these new additions. Writing Tools […]

Formatting external drives has never been possible on an iPhone or iPad. However, this changes with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, which introduce the ability to erase and format external drives using your iPhone or iPad. I’ll show you how to use this feature. Using the Files App to Format Drives on Your iPhone or […]

Key Takeaways Instead of keeping a to-do list, which can feel overwhelming and depressing, try creating a “done list” to focus on accomplishments instead. You can use any to-do app, or stick to pen and paper, to start your list. Keep it positive. Include small achievements to remind yourself of the steps you’re taking toward […]

Google’s Gemini AI model is great to use as a chatbot, but the company aims to roll it out to other devices to perform different jobs. Now, the tech giant is rolling out its powerful AI tool to Google Home, where the assistant can help you get even more out of your devices. Google Adds […]

Thanks to the rise of online shopping, you can order a didgeridoo from Australia, and it’ll turn up on your doorstep in Iceland within the week. But because international shipping doesn’t come cheap, it’ll probably cost you a fortune. Thankfully, several online shopping sites offer free international shipping. Depending on your location, you may still […]

Getting the schedules of your friends or colleagues to align for a video call is hard enough in itself—the technical part of it should be easy. Signal, a communication app known for its encrypted messaging, has finally simplified its group video meetings with a new call links feature. You Can Now Share Call Links on […]

Key Takeaways You can rotate photos to straighten angles, create new perspectives, or center the subject for a professional edit. Use 90 or 180-degree rotations for different orientations, custom angles for misalignments, and horizontal flips for mirrored images. Avoid over-rotating images and ignoring background text when flipping, and always crop images after rotation to maintain […]

Excel makes managing complex data easier, but a few common mistakes can turn that ease into frustration. These mistakes can lead to inaccurate results, make debugging errors difficult, or even cost you hours of work. So, what are some of these pitfalls you must avoid when working in Excel? 1 Relying on Hard-Coded Values As […]

The upfront—or recurring—cost of a premium warranty plan for smartphones can feel excessive. However, if you look at the larger picture, they make a lot of sense. Here are the top reasons why I recommend purchasing a premium warranty plan. 1 Your Device Will Be Covered for More Than a Year Most smartphone manufacturers cover […]

The iPhone 16 models come with a new button—the Camera Control. As the name implies, it revolves around the camera and aims to improve the user experience while allowing for new features. I’ll show you how you can make the most of it. Open Apps With Camera Control Out of the box, a single press […]

Key Takeaways At a list price of $70, the 1MORE Fit SE S31 offer budget-friendly open-style earbuds with good sound quality. Comfortable with around-ear hooks, the S31 have an IPX5 rating and offer a secure fit for exercise and activities. Max battery life of 30 hours and customizable options with the 1MORE app make the […]

Key Takeaways VPNs encrypt data for privacy, while firewalls actively monitor and block harmful traffic. VPNs cannot protect against all threats like malware, phishing, or tracking. Using both a VPN and firewall provides better security by combining privacy with active threat monitoring. Using a VPN alone won’t fully protect you online. Understanding how VPNs and […]

Your Windows clipboard is a powerful tool that can do much more than just copy and paste. From pinning frequent items to syncing them across devices, here are four amazing tips that will help you get the most out of the Windows clipboard. 1 Paste Clipboard Items Without Text Formatting When you copy text to […]

Android Your changes have been saved Follow Followed Follow with Notifications Follow Unfollow Link copied to clipboard Sign in to your MUO account Sanuj Bhatia / MakeUseOf For a while, Google has been telling Pixel owners that they’ll be getting an energy feature that extends the total lifespan of their batteries. If you’ve been looking […]

It’s been almost two years since the Matter standard has launched to make a more seamless smart home experience. But the rollout has been a bumpy ride. The latest update to the standard is here, but will it be enough to jump start progress? Matter 1.4 Features Better Interoperability Amazon The Matter standard is made […]

Like many people who write for a living, I’m notoriously anti-AI. However, a new tool from Perplexity is forcing me to reconsider the benefits of using AI as part of my productivity workflow. What Is Perplexity AI? Perplexity AI is billed as the “Swiss Army Knife of information discovery and curiosity.” Really, that’s a fancy […]

In December of 2021, I switched my personal computer from a Windows PC to a 14-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro. While it was an expensive purchase costing over $3000, I don’t regret it in the slightest, especially after becoming accustomed to macOS. 1 The Apple Ecosystem Is Simply Superior Andy Cormier / MakeUseOf One thing […]

As an audiophile, I’m super picky about headphones. I usually don’t want to drop cash on them unless I know they can deliver. Over the years, I’ve refined a checklist of quick tests you can do in-store or even at home that help me get a true sense of what a pair of headphones can […]

Contrary to popular belief, the New York Times does not have the monopoly on word puzzles. If you’re looking for more daily brain games or don’t want to spend $50 on full access to NYT Games, check out these five platforms that might surprise you. If you already source your articles from Apple News, you […]

Key Takeaways Use MagSafe stickers on Android for wireless charging with MagSafe chargers and accessories. These stickers work with any phone supporting wireless charging. Ensure proper sticker placement, the thickness of your case, and chargers for optimal functioning. Using MagSafe on Android might seem impossible since the technology is exclusive to Apple devices. However, I’ll […]

Anyone still using X (formerly known as Twitter) regularly needs to know that the way the block function works has changed. X is rolling out the change to the way blocking works now, and the change makes the function a lot less useful. Blocking Someone on X No Longer Hides Your Posts In September 2024, […]

Quick Links Today.com’s Good News Section Added 5 new sections Updated most screenshots Added new links Rewrote intro + conclusion Updated different parts of the existing sections 70% update New title: Feeling Down? The Top 10 Good News Websites to Cheer You Up New FI: Chaosamran_Studio / Jose Calsina / Shutterstock Most news stories are overwhelmingly negative, and […]

Quick Links Use the Google Docs Equation Editor Use Shortcuts to Write Math Notations Quickly Whether you’ve switched to Google Docs for typed notes or need to create a worksheet with complex mathematical notations, Google Docs has a built-in equation editor to make it easy. Use the Google Docs Equation Editor To get started, open […]

I love Google Chrome for its intuitive UI and versatility. However, it’s a notorious memory hog, and you might notice that it becomes sluggish after extended use. Thankfully, there are several simple ways to enhance Chrome’s performance. Update Your Chrome Browser One of the first things I check when Chrome’s performance is lagging is whether […]

Android tablets have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. Yet, I won’t give up on my iPad for an Android tablet. Android tablets might seem better than iPads on paper and offer great value for money, but they falter in key areas, leading to a poor user experience. 1 I Don’t Want to […]

Smart homes have gotten more intelligent over the years, but we still haven’t quite reached the same level as old sci-fi movies where people could talk directly to a house AI. Fortunately, if Google plays its cards right, this technology may come sooner than you think. The company is working on letting Gemini interact with […]

The introduction of color eReaders has brought about an entirely new dimension to the digital reading experience, but are they really as good as they are made out to be? As an avid reader and someone who still uses both traditional books and non-color eReaders, here are the main factors you should consider. There Are […]

Have you noticed how some devices get Android version updates sooner than others? If you’re not a fan of seeing other people get the patch before you, don’t fret. Google has confirmed when Android 16 will come out, and by the sounds of it, most compatible devices will get the update around the same time. […]

Whether you’re meeting friends, ensuring your loved ones can track your journey home, or sharing the GPS location of a place, WhatsApp’s location-sharing feature can be incredibly useful. Here’s how you can use WhatsApp’s various location-sharing options in different situations. How to Share Your Live Location on WhatsApp Sharing your live location on WhatsApp allows […]

With how far payment technology has come in the past few years, parents want it easier for their children to ask permission to purchase something. Fortunately, it seems that Google has something in the works. In 2025, the company is planning to allow kids to add their parents’ cards to Google Wallet, allowing them to […]

Key Takeaways The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds offer a rock-solid wireless connection with the included USB-C dongle. The earbuds include crystal-clear audio with noise cancellation. Other positives include tactile buttons and customizable app presets. Even when many of us have switched to earbuds for our wireless music and podcast listening, one activity has stayed firmly in […]

Google Chrome has a long and well-deserved reputation for hogging resources. However, its new and improved performance controls should help you keep Chrome under more control. That is as long as you’re not determined to keep hundreds of tabs open at once and then wonder why Chrome is hogging so many system resources. Google Launches […]

Quick Links The Problem With VPN Services Key Takeaways VPNs encrypt data and mask IP, adding security and anonymity when accessing the internet. Common misconceptions include full anonymity, protection against all hackers, and complete ISP privacy. VPNs are beneficial for accessing geo-restricted content and securing data on public networks. VPNs (virtual private networks) surged in […]

When browsing Amazon, it’s easy to jump straight to the five-star praise or the one-star warnings. But what if I told you you’re skipping over the most valuable insights in three-star reviews? Why 5-Star Reviews Are Often Overly Positive While it may seem natural to focus on five-star reviews first, it’s important to understand that […]

Footnotes are a handy way to provide extra information or cite sources without cluttering up the main body of your text. Whether you’re working on a research paper, an academic essay, or want to add additional context to your document, Google Docs makes it easy to insert and manage footnotes. If you’ve used word processors […]

A PC build kit lets you build a computer with training wheels on. These kits ship with all the components included, as well as the tools and support you’ll need, making building a custom PC simple for first-timers. Price: $999 to $3,699 Build Tools: Video instructions and toolkit included Support: FAQ, Web chat Ships to: […]

Another day, another social media fad. Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and their ilk are full of social media challenges and trends, but I won’t take part in any of them. And there are so many reasons you should avoid them too. 1 Challenges Can Be Dangerous A cursory glance at news items will tell you how […]

If you need a productivity device with an all-day battery life and solid performance, MacBooks are a popular choice. But if you prefer Windows to macOS, these Snapdragon X Elite laptops offer the performance and portability to rival Apple’s lineup. All listed prices are for the base device featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite SoC […]

Buying a phone for your child can be daunting, especially when you’re on a budget. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve scoured the market to find the best affordable phones that are perfect for kids and packed with features. 1 Google Pixel 7A Justin Duino / MakeUseOf If you’re looking for a phone […]

When you need your photos sized to a specific aspect ratio, cropping them down to fit it is easy, but cleanly expanding an image beyond its original borders is a lot harder. Fortunately, we have AI tools that can “imagine” what lies beyond an image’s edges and fill it in with a believable scene to […]

A personal knowledge management tool is essential for any professional looking for an effective way to capture, organize, and retrieve information. Logseq offers powerful features that make it a standout tool for organizing your thoughts. What Is Logseq? Logseq is an open-source personal knowledge management tool (PKM) that prioritizes user privacy by storing all your […]

TikTok is packed to the gills with short videos of all kinds, and if you go looking, you can find something that interests you. However, a feed that’s newly being opened up to everyone is much more worthy of your time and attention than the usual garbage you’ll find on the app. TikTok Turns Its […]

Most devices adjust their clocks automatically when Daylight Saving Time begins or ends. However, for my Mac, I ensure everything runs smoothly by adjusting a few settings so that it always updates right on time, whether we’re moving the clocks forward or back. Enable Automatic Date and Time in System Settings The first step in […]

Key Takeaways Symmetry and reflections elevate smartphone photos: use artificial light, water reflections, and leading lines. Think about what to capture, remove distractions, consider compositions, and take multiple shots. Use filters, find unique perspectives, and practice taking lots of photos. Have you heard countless people tell you that the only way to take great photos […]

One of the highlighting features of the iPhone 16 Pro models is their ability to shoot 4K videos at 120FPS. However, they only shoot at 60FPS out of the box. I’ll show you how to switch to the higher frame rate mode below, but know that comes with a catch. How to Shoot at 4K/120FPS […]

How often do you use the sitelinks search box when you Google something? If your response to that question was “What on earth is a sitelinks search box?” don’t worry—you’re not alone. In fact, Google has noticed that so few people use the tool that it’s now removing it after over ten years of service. […]

With so many VPNs, it can be challenging to know who to trust. Sometimes, the only way to know is by trying—but you can save yourself disappointment by avoiding sneaky VPN sales tactics. 1 Fake Reviews There are heaps of businesses using fake reviews to try and convince you to buy their products. You’ll see […]

My iPad is easily the best investment I’ve made for my studies. If you have one, it’s important to set it up to match your academic goals. Otherwise, you’ll end up procrastinating when you shouldn’t. Here’s how I’ve fine-tuned my setup to get the most out of my iPad academically. Setting Up My iPad Physically […]

Key Takeaways Excel allows you to lock specific areas of a sheet with a password or protect the entire workbook. You can also set an Excel file to open in read-only mode and require a password for modifications, enabling users to view but not edit the data. While password protection and encryption are excellent ways […]

When I switched from Windows to Mac, I was frustrated by the lack of basic features I had gotten used to. But after months of testing, I found these apps that filled those gaps perfectly, and now my Mac works exactly how I want it to. 1 AltTab Instead of using the Dock, I prefer […]

Excel is a powerful tool for handling data, but raw spreadsheets can often look dull and overwhelming. Luckily, a few simple formatting tricks can completely transform your data, making it more visually appealing and easier to interpret. 1 Hide Excel Gridlines Microsoft Excel displays a series of faint lines between cells, i.e. gridlines, by default. […]

The rise of generative AI is here, for better or worse. Sadly, among the biggest winners here are scammers and peddlers of misinformation. AI video generation is far from perfect, but has become good enough to make impersonating another person possible. How Do AI Video Call Scams Work? Zoom The premise is simple: use deepfake […]

Moving into a new house can be exciting, at least until you have to set up your Wi-Fi. If the thought of improper Wi-FI coverage, connection drops, and low speeds makes you frown, here are five things you can do to find the perfect spot for your Wi-Fi router in your home. 1 Start in […]

ChatGPT is the most popular AI chatbot service out there, but there has been a strange absence of an official Windows app over the past year or two. If you’ve been waiting on an app for your desktop, today is your lucky day, as OpenAI has released a test build of its ChatGPT Windows app—with […]

Key Takeaways Disable auto-fill and save password options to prevent unauthorized access. Activate “Do Not Track” to stop websites from tracking your online activities. Enable the pop-up blocker to prevent malware and phishing attempts. Your internet browser is the gateway to online activities, where you access email, browse social media, and make transactions. With so […]

Google Chrome is rolling out its long-awaited Manifest V3 update and removing several of your favorite browser extensions with it. The writing’s on the wall: It’s time to leave Google Chrome. Why Google Chrome Is Removing Browser Extensions Google is officially moving to Manifest V3, its updated Chrome extension specification. Manifest V2 extensions used an […]

I pay for Spotify Premium every month. Yes, there’s a free version, but for me, spending a comparatively small sum is worth it. Considering all I have access to, it’s great value and helps to support the entertainment industry. Here’s how I make sure I’m getting the best bang for my buck. Not Paying Out […]

If you use Instagram to advertise your business, or you just want to share your profile in a special way, there’s nothing better than making a card with your handle on it. If you want to make your own profile card but have no idea where to start, you’re in luck; you can now easily […]

Malware with a mythical name always spells bad news, and the resurgence of the Cerberus banking Trojan is certainly that. Researchers have spotted a new version of the dangerous Android malware making the rounds, but this time, it’s even more difficult to detect. Cerberus Has Left Hades and Is Coming For Your Smartphone Researchers for […]

Samsung’s smart TVs are finally set to receive its One UI, the unified operating system used throughout all its devices. Based on Samsung’s Tizen operating system, the update has been a long time coming, and will make it even easier to link your devices. Samsung Brings One UI to Tizen-Powered Smart TVs First spotted by […]

Key Takeaways Bright 3500 ANSI lumens make the JMGO N1S Ultimate 4K useable inside and outdoors (even when the sun is still partially up). Sharp and vibrant image with clear audio. The long throw distance limits the size of the projection in smaller rooms. Following hot on the heels of the N1S Pro and Ultra, […]

Quick Links Rather Have Someone Else Do the Work? If you’re not fond of replacing your hardware or you don’t want to pay the high cost of having an item repaired or replaced, you may want to take matters into your own hands—these sites help you do exactly that. iFixit is the most well-known site […]

Water-cooling your PC is a tempting upgrade, offering quiet performance, improved cooling, and a sleek look. However, water-cooling is more complicated than it seems at first glance. Now I have a water-cooled PC, and there are quite a few things I wish I’d known beforehand. 1 Understand the Difference Between AIOs and Custom Loops One […]

Quick Links What Are Android’s Theft Protection Features, and How Do They Work? How to Set Up Theft Protection on Android Having your phone stolen puts all your personal data at risk. Google is taking steps to address this issue by rolling out new theft protection features for Android, designed to safeguard personal information if […]

Quick Links What Is Opera GX’s Panic Button? Why Every Browser Should Have a Panic Button We’ve all had those moments where we’ve needed to close a tab quickly—maybe your boss walked by as you were reading through a travel blog, or your kids came in while you were researching a surprise birthday gift. In […]

Cloud gaming can be great if you want to play games on less powerful hardware, but some services only give you a strict selection of titles and won’t let you play with your own library. However, this may change soon for Xbox fans, as an insider has claimed that Microsoft will soon let you play […]

Quick Links Napkin Transcribes So You Don’t Have To Navigating Your Ideas on Napkin Key Takeaways Napkin is a flexible note-taking app, seemingly inspired by the spontaneity of jotting ideas down on a cocktail napkin. Napkin transcribes notes in various formats, including text, voice, and scanned images. The app automatically categorizes notes based on themes, […]

THE JAPANESE picture book “Soratobu medaka” tells the extraordinary tale of tiny stream-dwelling fish called medaka hitching a ride on an obliging bird to a far-off freshwater pool. The story has delighted children in the country since 1999, when it was first published, but now comes an even more delightful twist: it is true.

Solutions include bendy propellers and “acoustic black holes”

IT IS A recurring joke among chemists that the Nobel prize for chemistry is, more often than not, awarded for developments in biology. Recent examples include awards for the gene-editing tool CRISPR, in 2020; directed evolution of enzymes and antibodies, in 2018; and DNA repair mechanisms, in 2015. Some may view this year’s prize, which […]

NOBEL SCIENCE prizes are awarded in three areas: physics, chemistry and physiology or medicine. But occasionally some noteworthy discovery comes along that does not really fit into any of them. In 1973, for example, three pioneering students of animal behaviour, who worked on honeybees, geese and sticklebacks, were shoehorned into the physiology category.

Before the committee that awards the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine made its announcement on October 7th, the speculation about which discovery would win ranged from the revolution in the treatment of obesity to cancer-causing genes; from understanding the gut microbiome to perhaps even the mapping of the human genome itself—something that has still […]

For now, it is the most sophisticated connectome ever made

ISLAND LIFE is famously idyllic, but it’s long been known that islanders tend to experience disproportionately high rates of some rare genetically transmitted diseases. Faroe islanders, for example, who live on an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, have a much higher-than-average incidence of carnitine transporter deficiency (CTD), a condition that prevents the body from […]

NATIONAL CLIMATE policies are a relatively recent invention. In 1997, according to the Grantham Institute, a think-tank at the London School of Economics, there were 60; by 2022 the number had risen to almost 3,000. Their effectiveness has proved almost impossible to measure. In August, an international research group published the first global evaluation of […]

Traditional methods of diagnosing mental-health conditions require patients to speak directly to a psychiatrist. Sensible in theory, such assessments can, in practice, take months to schedule and ultimately lead to subjective diagnoses.

FOR MORE than 3,500 years the mummified remains of the Xiaohe people lay undisturbed in a desert cemetery in Xinjiang in western China. Then, in 1979, a team of archaeologists got their hands on them. Among the treasures they dug up were mysterious white lumps strewn across the mummies’ necks: chunks of the oldest preserved […]

NASA HAS big plans for the Moon. By the end of the decade, it wants to send humans back to the lunar surface. Before then, though, it intends to send probes to look for ice at its south pole. This ice carries enormous scientific value. It could shed light on how Earth acquired its liquid […]

IN JUNE, BLISTERINGLY hot temperatures and a prolonged dry spell plunged much of southern Italy into its worst drought in decades. Water shortages on glitzy Capri became so dire that local authorities temporarily banned ferries from offloading tourists on to the island. A lack of rainfall tells only half the story. Decrepit infrastructure is as […]

IN 2010 AN American girl called Emily Whitehead developed a form of leukaemia that is usually terminal. She was five years old. Two years later, she became the first paediatric patient to be offered a form of treatment called CAR–T, in which the body’s immune system is reprogrammed to attack cancerous cells. The treatment worked. […]

Despite a slowdown in electric-vehicle (EV) sales in some countries, demand for batteries was up by around 40% globally last year, and seems likely to continue at a similar pace. Consequently, the world’s appetite for lithium, the vital ingredient in the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that dominate the EV market, is expected to exceed 2.4m tonnes […]

IN THEir QUEST to build a better battery, researchers have blazed a trail through the elements of the periodic table. The earliest prototype cells ran on nickel and cadmium; successors have used everything from zinc and iron to sodium and lead.

Tweaks to software blunt the shortage of powerful hardware

THE MALAGASY baobab tree, whose thick trunks and tiny branches dot Madagascar’s landscape, should not, by rights, have survived to the present day. Scientists believe that its large seeds were once dispersed by the giant tortoises and gorilla-size giant lemurs that roamed the island. When these species went extinct over one thousand years ago owing […]

Could Earth once have had a planetary ring like the ones around Saturn? Scientists from Monash University in Australia think so. In a recent paper they identify 450m-year-old craters that lie close to Earth’s historical equator. They propose these were caused by the collapse of a ring of debris (possibly the remnants of a large […]

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY may be approaching its Mitchell moment. George Mitchell, a scrappy independent oilman, is known as the father of fracking. Nearly three decades ago, he defied Big Oil and the conventional wisdom of his industry by making practical the hitherto uneconomic technique of pumping liquids and sands into the ground to force out gas […]

IN A TALK she gave in 2016, Katie Hinde, a biologist from Arizona State University, lamented how little scientific attention was commanded by breast milk. Up until that point, she said, both wine and tomatoes had been far more heavily studied. Eight years on, alas, that remains true.

FOR MORE than 100 years scientists and companies have tried to create an artificial version of breast milk. Success has been limited. Early efforts, full of sugar or cheap corn syrup, fell woefully short. Even 20th-century formulas meant to emulate breast milk’s nutritional profile were a far cry from the real thing.

FOR THE discerning timekeeper, only an atomic clock will do. Whereas the best quartz timepieces will lose a millisecond every six weeks, an atomic clock might not lose a thousandth of one in a decade. Such devices underpin everything from GPS and the internet to stock-market trading. That may seem good enough for most. But […]

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS do not respond well to highly charged particles. Accelerated to near the speed of light by Earth’s magnetic field, such particles pack enough kinetic energy to cause damage. History offers ample evidence of the consequences: in 1859 a massive solar storm known as the Carrington event started fires at telegraph stations. A century […]

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS do not respond well to highly charged particles. Accelerated to near the speed of light by Earth’s magnetic field, such particles pack enough kinetic energy to cause damage. History offers ample evidence of the consequences: in 1859 a massive solar storm known as the Carrington event started fires at telegraph stations. A century […]

SUPERMAN ASIDE, peeking inside a living body requires advanced technology. But even with the most sophisticated imaging techniques the resulting pictures are often unclear. Some things are obscured while others cannot be seen at all. A doctor’s life would be so much easier if skin could be made transparent at will. It now turns out […]

In many parts of the world, the cool blast of an air-conditioner on a hot day is nowadays seen as a luxury rather than a necessity. Climate change is tipping the balance. Average global temperatures are now roughly 1.2°C higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution: by mid-century they are projected to be about […]

The effect is small but consistent

THE ENGLISH colonists who brought cattle to Australia in 1788 soon faced a malodorous problem. The dung heaps that gradually and tastefully vanished back home were not going anywhere. Instead, they were growing ever-larger, and becoming infested with bloodsucking flies that wounded the livestock.

Makers of Formula 1 cars and jet engines are leading the way

SCIENTISTS ARE no strangers to computer models. Some of the very first uses of computers to simulate reality, in fact, were built by physicists keen to understand the behaviour of subatomic particles, and meteorologists hoping to predict the weather. Over the 75 or so intervening years, computer modelling has become an integral part of scientific […]

WHEN A PASSENGER in search of a taxi orders an Uber, all it takes is a few taps on a smartphone to make a car appear, as if by magic. Traffic permitting, they are soon whisked to their final destination. But the magic tricks do not end there. As soon as that screen is pressed, […]

Flying on Elon Musk’s spaceship; sponsored by Doritos

Climate change is accelerating the blaze

Five DECADES of research into artificial neural networks have earned Geoffrey Hinton the moniker of the Godfather of artificial intelligence (AI). Work by his group at the University of Toronto laid the foundations for today’s headline-grabbing AI models, including ChatGPT and LaMDA. These can write coherent (if uninspiring) prose, diagnose illnesses from medical scans and […]

QUANTUM COMPUTERS, which exploit strange properties of the subatomic realm to crunch numbers in powerful new ways, do not actually work yet. But if and when they do start working, they will be able to break the cryptographic algorithms that currently protect online communications, financial transactions, medical records and corporate secrets.

Five DECADES of research into artificial neural networks have earned Geoffrey Hinton the moniker of the Godfather of artificial intelligence (AI). Work by his group at the University of Toronto laid the foundations for today’s headline-grabbing AI models, including ChatGPT and LaMDA. These can write coherent (if uninspiring) prose, diagnose illnesses from medical scans and […]

THE MISSION is simple. Arrive on foreign soil, blend in and wait. Then, when the time is right, emerge from the shadows and take over. This procedure, familiar from spy fiction as the preserve of sleeper agents, is also the modus operandi of certain invasive plant species.

It aims to make research and tinkering more accessible to the public

BASKING IN THE sun has been considered a health hazard for at least four decades. The main risk comes from ultraviolet (UV) light, which the Sun emits alongside visible radiation. This can increase the chances of skin cancer—the number of diagnoses of which are rising—as well as bringing on premature ageing and leading to wrinkles. […]

Scientists have turned it into clothing

Many factors can influence whether a patient lives or dies. The quality of the drugs they receive, for example, the rigour with which their symptoms are monitored, or—more surprisingly—the gender of the attending physician. In data from a host of different countries, patients seen by female doctors seem to do better than those seen by […]

IF YOU WANT to live elsewhere in the solar system, Mars is the least-bad choice. These days, the planet is a frigid, poison-soaked desert. But as the dry river valleys that cross its surface suggest, things were balmy enough in the past to allow liquid water.

Batteries are getting smaller, lighter and more powerful all the time. This is good news for manufacturers and buyers of products ranging from electric cars to mobile phones and fitness trackers. But for some applications the conventional shape and structure of a battery, with a rigid form and metallic components, is simply too clunky to […]

Some of the best strategies for reducing the chances of developing dementia are, to put it kindly, impracticable: don’t grow old; don’t be a woman; choose your parents carefully. But although old age remains by far the biggest risk factor, women are more at risk than men and some genetic inheritances make dementia more likely […]

The promising treatments still face technical and economic hurdles, though

In the summer of 2020 American intelligence analysts in Afghanistan got a warning from “Raven Sentry”, an artificial-intelligence (AI) tool that they had been operating for a few months. There was a high probability, the AI told them, of a violent attack in Jalalabad, the capital of the eastern Nangarhar province, at the beginning of […]

When Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced its latest open-source large language model (LLM) on July 23rd, it claimed that the most powerful version of Llama 3.1 had “state-of-the-art capabilities that rival the best closed-source models” such as GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Meta’s announcement included a table, showing the scores achieved by these […]

Complete with holograms on the windscreen

THE VAST majority of Earth’s oxygen is made as a by-product of photosynthesis, the use of light to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars. Any oxygen found in regions where photosynthesis is impossible—such as the abyssal seafloor, a pitch-black realm up to 6,000 metres deep—was thought to be surface gas on the move.

ONCE RUSSIA’S full invasion got rolling on February 24th 2022, Ukraine’s prospects for defending its airspace looked poor. The country’s radar coverage was patchy even before its radar stations came under attack, and many incoming drones and cruise missiles were flying too low to be spotted by stations still standing.

Decades into the epidemic, the numbers for AIDS are still awful. In a report published on July 22nd, UNAIDS, the United Nations agency tasked with dealing with the disease, says that 40m people around the world are now infected. There were 1.3m new HIV infections in 2023, and 630,000 HIV-related deaths. But those two numbers […]

ON JULY 14TH America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported five new cases of the H5N1 avian flu virus in humans, bringing the total number of cases reported since April to nine. All five were involved in culling infected poultry in Colorado, and appear to have the same strain that has been spreading […]

Such structures could serve as habitats for future astronauts

ANYONE CAN spot a tipping point after it’s been crossed. Also known as critical transitions, such mathematical cliff-edges influence everything from the behaviour of financial markets and the spread of disease to the extinction of species. The financial crisis of 2007-09 is often described as one. So is the moment that covid-19 went global. The […]

BLEEDING THROUGH a tampon or pad never makes for a good time. The risk of leaks is annoying and stressful for all women who bleed, and especially for the 20% to 30% whose menstrual flow is so heavy that they sometimes must change their tampons or pads every hour. Some dread leaving their homes for […]

For palaeontologists, DNA is infuriatingly fragile. Its long chains begin to break apart shortly after death, destroying valuable information about the deceased parent organism. Unlike bones, footprints and even faecal matter, which can comfortably survive—in fossilised form—for millions of years, DNA rarely lasts much more than a hundred. In recent decades scientists have discovered that […]

TO MOST PEOPLE, the inner workings of a car engine or a computer are a mystery. It might as well be a black box: never mind what goes on inside, as long as it works. Besides, the people who design and build such complex systems know how they work in great detail, and can diagnose […]

ERIK SLINDE has spent 40 years developing vaccines. Not for humans; for salmon. “Back in the 1980s, it was looked upon as a joke,” says Dr Slinde, the former director of aquacultural research at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway. Nobody is laughing now. Sea lice—rice-grain-sized crustaceans that have evolved to parasitise salmon fish […]

CONSERVATIONISTS GENERALLY disapprove of flooding species-rich habitats. But the law of unintended consequences works in mysterious ways. For it was just such a flood, in 1913, that created Barro Colorado Island in central Panama. Gatun, the lake surrounding the island, was, at the time of its birth, the largest artificial body of water in the […]

LÉO WURPILLOT was ten years old when he learned he had a brain tumour. To determine its malignancy, sections of the tumour had to be surgically removed and analysed. Now 19, he recalls the anguish that came with the subsequent three-month wait for a diagnosis. The news was good, and today Mr Wurpillot is a […]

As frequent pub-goers will be well aware, beers come in two varieties—lagers and ales. Lagers are brewed at cool temperatures and typically have a crisp taste. Ales, known to be spicy and flavourful, are brewed in the warmth. Both get their distinctive flavours from fermentation—the conversion of sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide—by single-celled fungi […]

BEFORE HUGH Herr became a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he was a promising rock climber. But after being trapped in a blizzard during a climb at age 17, he lost both his legs below the knee to frostbite. Since then he has worked on creating prosthetic legs that would work and […]

IN EARLY 2021 Micross Components, a designer of highly specialised circuitry in Melville, New York, received an intriguing request. An American aerospace giant wanted components that could protect a military system’s electronics from the radiation generated by a nuclear detonation. Micross signed the contract, and set about doing the work, but was left in the […]

The woolly mammoths of Wrangel island were survivors. Trapped on a hunk of rock in the Arctic Ocean after rising sea levels cut them off from present-day Siberia, they were the last of their species to go extinct. Palaeontology textbooks have explained their eventual demise around 4,000 years ago as a classic case of extinction […]

MPOX IS A viral infection typically found in parts of Africa and spread through contact with infected animals as well as within households. It causes severe fever, flu-like symptoms and a rash of pus-filled blisters across the body. In 2022 the disease, formerly known as monkeypox, spread around the world—cases turned up everywhere from Nigeria […]

That might not be a bad thing

WHAT APPEARS to have been our first article about solar power, in 1955, mostly dealt with water heaters, cooking stoves and the like. But it also noted, “among the more ingenious low powered devices…the Bell Company’s solar battery”—which is to say the first silicon-based solar cell, unveiled by AT&T’s Bell Labs the previous year. Indeed […]

ANY biologically aware parent who has started talking about the birds and the bees will have realised halfway through that what they are really discussing is flowers. Bees carry pollen grains from one plant to another, enabling fertilisation; birds digest and excrete the resulting seeds, allowing new blooms to grow. The role that flowers themselves […]

TODAY’S BEST image-generating artificial-intelligence (AI) models are remarkable. Ask OpenAI’s DALL-E 3, or its counterparts Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, to draw a penguin sipping on a vodka martini on the French Riviera and they will do so with aplomb. Ask them to replicate it in the style of Rembrandt or Caravaggio and they will speedily […]

AT KITT PEAK National Observatory, in Arizona, a telescope has spent three years building a three-dimensional map of the heavens. In examining the light from tens of millions of galaxies, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) may have found something astounding. DESI, as its name suggests, is a tool to investigate the nature of dark […]

Practise with an augmented-reality headset

Few students go into medical research dreaming of one day giving a mouse a tumour or heart disease to a rabbit. But animal experimentation of this kind has become fundamental to modern medicine. For regulatory bodies around the world, treatments that might save human lives must be proven safe and effective in animals with similar […]

In the atrium of a research building at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing is a wall of patents. Around five metres wide and two storeys high, the wall displays 192 certificates, positioned in neat rows and tastefully lit from behind. At ground level, behind a velvet rope, an array of glass jars […]

ONE ROLE of science, history suggests, is to wipe that smug grin off humanity’s face. It has moved Earth from the centre of the universe and relocated it in an astronomical backwater. It has downgraded Homo sapiens from being the pinnacle of God’s creation to just another species shaped by Darwinian evolution. And it has […]

“ONE OF THE key questions is—does that seal work? We think it will work, but it may not work,” said Elon Musk, the boss of SpaceX, on June 5th, as his company’s Starship rocket was being prepared for its fourth test flight the following day. He was referring to one particular component of the rocket: […]

Globally, sea levels have risen by somewhere between 21cm and 24cm since 1880. Most of this rise is a consequence of water physically expanding as it warms, but in recent decades meltwater flowing off Greenland and Antarctica has significantly contributed too. These rises in sea levels threaten coastal properties and the livelihoods and lifestyles of […]

“WHAT DO YOU see right now?” a man asks a humanoid robot standing behind a table. “I see a red apple on a plate in the centre of the table, a drying rack with cups and a plate, and you standing nearby, with your hand on the table,” the robot replies. “Great—can I have something […]

IF THE CANON of science-fiction cinema is in broad agreement on one thing, it is that a robot is supposed to look like a human being. It is not only casting directors and special-effects technicians who are on board: engineers can also see the appeal. Pras Velagapudi, the chief technology officer at Agility Robotics, a […]

Newly developed research models show promise

AS UKRAINE’S STOCKS of artillery shells have dwindled, its army’s reliance on drones has grown. These are able to deliver ammunition with great precision over long distances—provided they can maintain connections with GPS satellites (so they know where they are) and their operators (so they know what to do). Such communication signals can be jammed, […]

All across the eastern states of America, it is cicada season. These small winged insects roughly the size of a paperclip emerge at periodic intervals in vast hordes known as broods, many millions or billions of individuals strong. They spend a few frantic weeks breeding before the females lay eggs in slits carved into tree […]

On May 22nd America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a new human infection with the H5 avian influenza virus, a bug with pandemic potential that has recently spread rapidly among dairy cows in America. This is the second identified human case linked to the cow outbreak. Both are farm workers who probably got […]

In the 1960s, during the height of the cold war, American spy satellites spotted an unusual stubby-winged craft at a Soviet naval base on the Caspian sea. Was it a boat, was it a plane? Dubbed the “Caspian Sea Monster”, it turned out to be a heavily armed naval craft some 100 metres long designed […]

By harnessing windpower, high-tech sails can help cut marine pollution

FOURTEEN YEARS ago, Melanie Reid, a journalist, fell off a horse and broke her neck. The injury to her spinal cord left her paralysed, limiting the function of her four limbs and torso—a condition known as tetraplegia. For more than a decade her left hand was incapable of either sensation or motion. Now, however, Ms […]

FOR YEARS security experts have warned that a technology at the heart of global communications is dangerously insecure. Now there is proof that it has been used to snoop on people in America. Kevin Briggs, an official at America’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a regulator, earlier this year that […]

CORAL REEFS, home to about a quarter of all known marine species, face an existential threat. Rising water temperatures cause the corals to expel their resident photosynthetic algae, bleaching them white and depriving them of their major food source. But, says Joanie Kleypas of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, some corals are […]

THE GREAT Barrier Reef is a natural marvel. Spanning 2,300km along the north-east coast of Australia, this vast ecosystem boasts hundreds of species of multicoloured corals across an area roughly the size of Italy. Thousands of other marine species rely on it for their survival. But the rate at which Earth is warming leaves its […]

Ask ChatGPT to recommend the must-do activities on a holiday to Berlin, and OpenAI’s chatbot will do a great job of proposing restaurants, bars, museums and parks that it reckons you might like. But ask it to plan your trip—complete with details of which order to see the sights in, given how long each one […]

IN THE 1980S the KGB had a well-worn method for pumping disinformation around the world. “We preferred to work on genuine documents,” recalled Oleg Kalugin, a former KGB general, “with some additions and changes.” That method has not changed greatly, but technology has accelerated the process. In early March a network of websites, dubbed CopyCop, […]

The world is awash in pesticides. Fully 3m tonnes are thought to be sprayed onto crops worldwide every year, of which only a small fraction are needed. The excess chemicals are known to run off onto increasingly fragile land and seep into watercourses, with damaging environmental and health effects. The use of agrochemicals continues to […]

IN RECENT YEARS the manufacture of blades for wind turbines has undergone a revolution, as it were. Two decades ago lengths of 40 metres or so were an achievement. Thanks largely to lighter and stronger carbon-fibre composites, the state of the art is now triple that. As turbine output is proportional to the square of […]

Running around the inside of a barrel might help

Mykhailivka, a village on the right bank of the River Dnieper in Ukraine, lies dangerously close to the front line of Russia’s war on its western neighbour. Seventy years ago, however, it was the site of an excavation by Ukrainian archaeologists. There, they discovered one of the earliest known settlements of the Yamnaya culture. The […]