Technology
Why Utilities Want to Control Your Smart Thermostat
Don’t mess with Texans’ air conditioning. Here’s why some customers in the state had their thermostats remotely controlled.
Ranked Choice Voting Reveals the Weird Math of Elections
The New York City mayoral race could show whether a new way of measuring voter desires can actually be an alternate timeline for democracy.
An Observatory Spied on LA’s Carbon Emissions—From Space
The instrument reads sunlight intensity to determine carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. Its findings could help reduce our carbon...
No, Covid-19 Vaccines Won't Make You Magnetic. Here's Why
No matter how many videos you’ve seen of people sticking spoons to their faces, that’s just not how magnets work.
Northern Farms Are Releasing Massive Amounts of Carbon
Humans have been draining peatlands to grow crops for centuries. It's a huge, underestimated source of greenhouse gas, scientists...
The Mystery at the Heart of Physics—That Only Math Can...
The full picture of quantum field theory has long eluded physicists. Calling in mathematicians will have profound consequences for...
What's With All This Ooey, Gooey Sea Snot?
A phlegmy film is coating the coast around Istanbul—and warmer water could be to blame.
The Mystery of Betelgeuse's Dimming Has Finally Been Solved
Astronomers say a cold patch and a stellar burp are behind the star's strange dip in brightness.
GPS III’s Long Journey Is Picking Up Speed
With the launch of a fifth new-generation satellite, the US finally has a constellation able to globally beam M-Code signals that...
The Lithium Mine Versus the Wildflower
The deposit could power 400,000 clean-energy car batteries. There’s just one roadblock: a rare, fragile species of buckwheat, which...
