British scientists have joined the race to produce meat grown in the lab rather than reared on the hoof. Scientists at the University of Bath have grown animal cells on blades of grass, in a step towards cultured meat. If the process can be reproduced on an industrial scale, meat […]
In this Nov. 16, 2013 file photo, the Large Millimeter Telescope stands on the summit of the Sierra Negra peak near the town of Atzitzintla, Mexico. Astronomers have become the latest victims of Mexico’s violence with activities at the observatory being reduced because its staff has suffered so many crimes […]
Studies have shown that people perceive, select and evaluate shared experiences in a similar way to commercial offers. Shutterstock The scope and scale of the so-called “sharing economy” has increased exponentially over the past decade, to the point where it affects almost every aspect of our lives. Ride sharing has […]
There are many genes involved in shaping not just our biological sex, but also our gender identity. Limor Zellermayer/Unsplash, CC BY Mismatch between biological sex and gender identity, culminating in its severest form as gender dysphoria, has been ascribed to mental disease, family dysfunction and childhood trauma. But accumulating evidence now implies biological factors in establishing […]
In a letter penned in 1922, Albert Einstein articulated his eerily accurate fears about the rise of nationalism, antisemitism and violence in his home country of Germany. Credit: Kedem Auction House A handwritten letter from Albert Einstein to his sister, Maja, has sold for $39,350 at an auction in Jerusalem. The letter, penned in […]
A murderous computer named HAL in the film “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968). Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Movie audiences first heard these calmly intoned and ominous words in 1968, spoken by a spaceship’s intelligent computer in the science-fiction masterpiece “2001: A […]
My favorite stock image of God, from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel (Credit: Creative Commons) It’s natural to believe in the supernatural. Consider how many people worldwide belong to a religion: nearly 6 billion, or 84 percent of the global population, and these figures are expected to rise in the coming decades. In the […]
Photograph panorama looking over the devastation of the Kedarnath landslide, June 2013, Uttarakhand state, India. Credit: Vaibhav Kaul, University of Sheffield More than 50,000 people were killed by landslides around the world between 2004 and 2016, according to a new study by researchers at UK’s Sheffield University. The team, who […]
Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash There are many of us who stand for bringing people together and connecting the world. I hope we have the focus to take the long view and build the new social infrastructure to create the world we want for generations to come. – Mark […]
The US wants a ‘Space Force’ to be the sixth branch of the US military. Shutterstock/Carlos Romero United States Vice President Mike Pence has confirmed overnight plans to create a “Space Force” as the sixth branch of the US military. He repeated comments from President Donald Trump, who had said that “American […]