Science and technology news spanning research breakthroughs, innovation, digital transformation, and how tech shapes society.
Caltech announced final specs for the Deep Synoptic Array, a 1,650-dish radio telescope in Nevada spanning 12x10 miles. It will survey the cosmos 100 times faster than any other known telescope, with real-time data freely accessible to scientists and citizen scientists.
Chinese scientists engineered plants that glow autonomously by integrating a Fungal Bioluminescence Pathway into plant cells. More than six species, including tobacco and rose, produce visible light. Researchers also developed multicolour luminescent succulents using phosphors that emit stored light after charging.
This commentary argues that despite public belief in extraterrestrial visitation, three scientific reasons make it unlikely: the vast distances of space, time dilation effects that would make travelers time exiles, and the immense energy required for interstellar travel. The author contends that while aliens may exist, they probably aren't visiting Earth.
UC San Diego and Google researchers developed a method to recycle old Pixel smartphones into computing platforms for data centers. Stripping non-essential components and replacing Android with Linux, they found 25-50 phones match a dual-socket server CPU. A 20-phone cluster can support a class of 75+ students.
The University of Pennsylvania opened the NSF AIRFoundry, an $18 million RNA manufacturing hub in University City, Philadelphia. Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, the facility uses AI to automate RNA design and manufacturing for health and agriculture applications.
The author humorously argues that selective noise-canceling headphones, being developed by researchers at the University of Washington, could greatly improve quality of life by filtering out annoying sounds like leaf blowers or politicians' scripted remarks, while preserving pleasant ones like birdsong. She contends this technology could reduce noise-related aggression and crime.
This commentary argues that the widespread adoption of smartphones, particularly the iPhone introduced in 2007, may explain a significant portion of the decline in US birth rates since 2007. It presents economist Caitlin Myers' research showing a correlation between smartphone availability and falling fertility, suggesting that increased screen time reduces in-person social interaction and opportunities for conception.
This commentary reports on a new study arguing that the introduction of smartphones in 2007 is a direct cause of the subsequent decline in US fertility rates. The article presents the study's findings linking early smartphone access to reduced birth rates, especially among teens, while noting skepticism from other researchers about attributing a long-term trend to a single factor.