There are two ambitious missions behind “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” a new documentary by the filmmaker Cullen Hoback that was released Tuesday by HBO. The first is to solve one of the internet’s great mysteries by revealing, at long last, the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous programmer who …
Read More »Can Your Electric Vehicle Catch Fire During a Hurricane?
Officials in Florida warned residents to move their electric vehicles away from potential flood zones ahead of Hurricane Milton to avoid the risk that the cars could burst into flames after being submerged in saltwater for extended periods. “Keep electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries away from floodwaters and storm surge,” …
Read More »Google Triumphs on the Nobel Stage as Tough Antitrust Fight Looms
Google, thanks to the tens of billions of dollars it makes every year from its online search business, has long pursued giant research projects that could one day change the world. On Wednesday, the Nobel Prize committee conferred considerable prestige to Google’s pursuit of big ideas. Demis Hassabis, the chief …
Read More »Solar Storm Buffets Earth and Is Likely to Generate Light Show
An eruption of particles from the sun collided with Earth on Thursday morning. The Space Weather Prediction Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reported that the solar particles, which were ejected on Tuesday evening, arrived at 11:15 a.m. Eastern time, traveling at nearly 1.5 million miles per …
Read More »Here’s What a Shocking New Number on Wildlife Declines Really Means
Wildlife populations around the world continue dropping precipitously, according to an important but limited and often misinterpreted assessment that’s issued every two years. The declines reported by the Living Planet Index, a collaboration between two large conservation organizations, have been so steep as to feel disorienting. This year is no …
Read More »Nobel Prize in Chemistry Goes to 3 Scientists for Predicting and Creating Proteins
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded on Wednesday to three scientists for discoveries that show the potential of advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, to predict the shape of proteins, life’s chemical tools, and to invent new ones. The laureates are: Demis Hassabis and John Jumper of Google DeepMind, who …
Read More »Hospitals and Nursing Homes Close or Put Up Flood Barricades
Healthcare facilities across the west coast of Florida, from clinics to nursing homes, are temporarily shutting their doors and evacuating patients in preparation for Hurricane Milton’s potentially devastating landfall. Mandatory evacuation orders in Pinellas County, which includes Clearwater and St. Petersburg, affect about 6,600 patients at six hospitals, 25 nursing …
Read More »Does Your School Use Suicide Prevention Software? We Want to Hear From You.
In response to the youth mental health crisis, many school districts are investing in software that monitors what students type on their school devices, alerting counselors if a child appears to be contemplating suicide or self-harm. Such tools — produced by companies like Gaggle, GoGuardian Beacon, Bark and Securly — …
Read More »U.S. Races to Replenish Storm-Battered Supplies of IV Fluids at Hospitals
U.S. officials approved airlifts of IV fluids from overseas manufacturing plants on Wednesday to ease shortages caused by Hurricane Helene that have forced hospitals to begin postponing surgeries as a way to ration supplies for the most fragile patients. The current shortage occurred when flooding coursed through western North Carolina …
Read More »Can You Turn Off Big Tech’s A.I. Tools? Sometimes, and Here’s How.
Big tech brands like Google, Apple, Microsoft and Meta have all unleashed tech that they describe as artificial intelligence. Soon, the companies say, we’ll all be using A.I. to write emails, generate images and summarize articles. But who asked for any of this in the first place? Judging from the …
Read More »