Science & Technology
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Large spiders the size of your palm are popping up across the US. Here's why you shouldn't be afraid
There is a spider making a home in the U.S, that’s the size of your palm and soars through the air riding the wind.
Although the Joro spider, an invasive species that has been spotted across the United States, isn’t dangerous, its size and the web it creates can seem like props from a horror movie.
“They’re not medically significant,�...Read more
All eyes on Orion heat shield ahead of Artemis II landing
When the Orion spacecraft returned from its first lunar trip on the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, it suffered major damage to the spacecraft’s heat shield coating. That raised the crew safety alarm for Artemis II and ultimately was among the reasons it was delayed until 2026.
Decisions about the heat shield made since then, though, will...Read more
It’s OK to love all the bees (the honey bees, too)
North America’s bee populations are in trouble, but don’t blame the honey bees. While some people argue that an overabundance of managed honey bees – those raised to help pollinate crops and produce honey – is causing native bees to disappear, the evidence doesn’t support the claim.
What is true is that populations of many ...Read more
For 40 minutes, the greatest solitude humans have known
The crescent Earth — our oasis holding everything we cherish, now just a speck in the infinite blackness — seemed to kiss the jagged lunar surface. The moon’s thousands of scars projected themselves across the Earth as it slowly slipped out of sight.
“I’m actually getting chills right now just thinking about it,” said Artemis II ...Read more
Meta, Oracle and Qualcomm share details on layoffs across California
Tech behemoths, including Oracle and Meta Platforms, are laying off hundreds of California workers as they invest heavily in artificial intelligence.
Some of the top companies in tech that already had announced big plans to lay off thousands have revealed more details about where they are cutting in recent government filings.
Software giant ...Read more
A cracked heat shield rattled NASA after Artemis I. Now, Artemis II will put the fix to the test
EDWARDS, Calif. — The Artemis II astronauts are scheduled to return Friday from their trip to the moon. When they do, they will slam into Earth's atmosphere at over 32 times the speed of sound — and will do so using a reentry technique that has yet to be tested in real-world scenarios.
In 2022, NASA sent the uncrewed Artemis I test mission...Read more
Do data centers really use so much water? Here are 5 key issues
ST. LOUIS — As data center projects have popped up across the St. Louis region, driven by the growth of industrial-scale computing for artificial intelligence, one of the primary concerns raised by residents is about water — as in, will data centers consume vast amounts of the local water supply?
Data centers — essentially huge warehouses...Read more
Editorial: Don't play God with Gulf sealife
For decades, there’s been a quasi-clandestine accord about expanding oil drilling in the Gulf. Nobody wanted to go there — well, except the oil and gas companies aching to root around for black gold, and their most loyal minions in high places.
The idea of wherever-you-want drilling never made sense, for an array of reasons. Money was a key...Read more
Washington state declares unprecedented fourth drought emergency in a row
SEATTLE — More than two months before the start of summer, Washington officials warn the state is headed for severe drought conditions not seen since the disastrous hot and dry season of 2015.
Washington Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller declared a statewide drought emergency Wednesday morning.
This is the fourth such emergency ...Read more
'Everybody will be unhappy with it': Interior Secretary Burgum calls on states to make concessions for Colorado River deal
LAS VEGAS — U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum reiterated Tuesday that the federal government favors a negotiated deal between the seven states that share Colorado River water over the resource’s allocation rather than a protracted legal battle.
During a Las Vegas Valley visit, Burgum said the federal government will continue pushing for ...Read more
We shouldn't allow the marvels of space exploration to become passe
NASA’s Artemis II mission represents America’s audacious return to human space flight. It’s bold and breathtaking in scope. It reflects well on the capabilities of our space technology. The only problem is that it’s unclear if anyone is truly paying attention.
Consider what is involved. Artemis is the first crewed lunar space voyage ...Read more
Evan Malone has been landlord, adviser, and investor to Philadelphia's digital innovators and creators
Evan Malone brought his Cornell University engineering Ph.D., masters in robotics, and University of Pennsylvania physics degree back to Philadelphia in 2008 to start the first iteration of NextFab, a pioneer in the “makerspace” movement that sought to democratize new digital tools for a vision of locally based manufacturing.
For-profit ...Read more
Space Coast gets new player in satellite manufacturing business
Florida has been enticing companies in recent years to consider the state not just for launching their space hardware, but for building it.
An Italian space company has heard the call and opened its first U.S.-based satellite production site on the Space Coast last week.
Argotec, headquartered in Turin, Italy, but with offices in Germany and ...Read more
City animals act in the same brazen ways around the world
The urban monkeys in New Delhi are so bold they’ll steal the lunch right off your plate. If you’ve spent time in New York, you’ve probably seen squirrels try to do the same. Sydney’s white ibises got the nickname “bin chickens” for stealing trash and sandwiches.
This brazen behavior isn’t normal for most species in the ...Read more
Water conservation works, but climate change is outpacing it: Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas offer a glimpse of the future
When a drought turns into an urban water crisis, a city’s first step is often to limit lawn watering and launch a campaign to encourage everyone to conserve. It might raise water-use rates or offer incentives for installing low-flow devices.
While demand management techniques like these have had a lot of success in reducing water ...Read more
Gadgets: A great headset
BlueParrott’s new M500-XT Bluetooth headset is designed for both professional and day-to-day use, with endless features including AI-powered noise cancellation.
The single-piece headset has hands-free cell phone call quality as good as I’ve experienced, along with probably the most important feature: comfort, designed for extended wear. ...Read more
Jim Rossman: Jumping through hoops to access your Social Security online
I paid an emergency visit to a friend this week after he sent a message telling me his laptop was not responding and his mouse was locked up.
I swung by to see what was up. His major problem turned out to be a password issue on the main account on his MacBook Air. We got it sorted out pretty quickly, but he had a few other things on his list....Read more
Bring back the grizzly bear to California? Bill to study the effort advances
California lawmakers on Tuesday moved forward on a bill that could lead to the re-introduction of grizzly bears to the state, more than a century after the quarter-ton predators were hunted into local extinction.
The measure, which is backed by two Native American tribes, calls for a comprehensive study on the feasibility of bringing back the ...Read more
Musk seeks ouster of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as trial looms
Elon Musk is seeking to have OpenAI Chief Executive Officer and board member Sam Altman removed from his roles at the artificial intelligence startup as part of the billionaire’s legal challenge to the ChatGPT maker’s conversion to a for-profit company.
Musk said in a Tuesday court filing that the goal of his lawsuit is to “unwind OpenAI�...Read more
Federal agency to release extra water into Sacramento River for salmon migration
The Bureau of Reclamation announced Tuesday that it will temporarily release more water from Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River to help juvenile Chinook salmon safely make their journey to the ocean.
The move came about two weeks after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released more than 6.2 million young salmon from Coleman Hatchery into ...Read more
Popular Stories
- What Artemis II explains about life here on Earth
- Editorial: Don't play God with Gulf sealife
- Evan Malone has been landlord, adviser, and investor to Philadelphia's digital innovators and creators
- 'Everybody will be unhappy with it': Interior Secretary Burgum calls on states to make concessions for Colorado River deal
- San Diego warship to recover Artemis II astronauts when they splash down in ocean Friday





