Science & Technology
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Boaters dumping trash in South Florida's waters? Teens face felony charges
MIAMI — Two teen boaters are facing felony charges for pollution after they were caught on video dumping trash into the Atlantic Ocean during a South Florida boating party.
The 16-year-old and 15-year-old boys from Palm Beach County were arrested Friday about a week after a drone video of the illegal dumping went viral online, according to ...Read more
Boeing faces critical launch Monday ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station
LOS ANGELES — Ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station has almost become routine — but not for Boeing and not on Monday, when after years of delay it's finally set to launch two crew members to the orbiting platform on a critical test flight.
The Arlington, Virginia-based aerospace giant was awarded a $4.2 billion contract in ...Read more
Boeing aims for Starliner astronaut launch Monday after delays, $1.5 billion spent
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Boeing has spent more than $1.5 billion to develop its CST-100 Starliner amid years of delays, but the payoff on its deal with NASA is on the horizon with the first human test flight set for launch Monday night.
Veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will climb aboard the capsule for the Crew Flight ...Read more
Gas stove pollution harms poor and minority Americans most, study finds
Cooking with gas poses a health risk, but new research shows that risk isn’t evenly distributed.
Poorer Americans and racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately exposed to harmful gas stove pollutants, scientists at Stanford University, Harvard University and the Central California Asthma Collaborative found.
Previous studies ...Read more
Bill awaiting DeSantis' OK would end years of renewable energy policies
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bill sitting on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk would end the state’s support of renewable and clean energy and keep Florida reliant on fossil fuels, critics say.
If signed, the law would reverse 16 years of state policy, finishing the work started by former Gov. Rick Scott and undoing Gov. Charlie Crist’s signature piece ...Read more
Ancient shells -- found in American West -- may have been used as trumpets, study says
If you were standing on the edge of a canyon in the San Juan Basin of the Colorado Plateau about 1,200 years ago, you may have heard a loud, distant sound reverberating off the rock faces and ricocheting across the desert.
Like the gong of a bell or the deep tone of a ship’s horn, the sound would be a rich single note cutting through the dry ...Read more
Long-awaited Chicago policy doesn't do enough to protect migrating birds, advocates say
CHICAGO — Annette Prince peered between glossy downtown buildings: ”There’s a bird in that grate.”
Sure enough, sitting very still in the rain was a tiny white-throated sparrow, so drenched you could barely make out its canary-yellow face markings. The bird was too dazed to move — an easy target for the hungry seagulls that were ...Read more
Toxic gas adds to a long history of pollution in southwest Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For many years, Rose Sims had no idea what was going on inside a nondescript brick building on Florida Street a couple of miles from her modest one-story home on the southwestern side of town.
Like other residents, she got an unwelcome surprise in October 2022 at a public forum held by the Environmental Protection Agency at ...Read more
States rethink data centers as 'electricity hogs' strain the grid
State Sen. Norm Needleman championed the 2021 legislation designed to lure major data centers to Connecticut.
The Democratic lawmaker hoped to better compete with nearby states, bring in a growing industry, and provide paychecks for workers tasked with building the sprawling server farms.
But this legislative session, he’s wondering if those...Read more
Can AI-powered drive-throughs save the day for fast food operators?
It didn't take long for Harshraj Ghai to respond to the impact of California's new $20 an hour minimum wage for his 3,700 fast-food employees.
Ghai and his family operate 180 Burger Kings, Taco Bells and Popeyes chicken restaurants across the state, and one of the first things they did after the law took effect April 1 was to start capping ...Read more
New EPA regulations target air, water, land and climate pollution from power plants, especially those that burn coal
Electric power generation in the U.S. is shifting rapidly away from fossil fuels toward cleaner and lower-carbon sources. State clean energy targets and dramatic declines in the cost of renewable electricity are the most important reasons.
But fossil fuel plants still generate 60% of the U.S. electricity supply, producing air, water ...Read more
Electric air taxis are on the way – quiet eVTOLs may be flying passengers as early as 2025
Imagine a future with nearly silent air taxis flying above traffic jams and navigating between skyscrapers and suburban droneports. Transportation arrives at the touch of your smartphone and with minimal environmental impact.
This isn’t just science fiction. United Airlines has plans for these futuristic electric air taxis in ...Read more
Climbers have turned Mount Everest into a high-altitude garbage dump, but sustainable solutions are within reach
Spring is go time for climbers who hope to summit Mount Everest, Earth’s highest peak above sea level. Hundreds of mountaineers from around the world travel to Asia in April and May, headed for base camps in Nepal and Tibet.
But jagged peaks won’t be the only thing they see. Especially on Everest’s more heavily traversed Nepal ...Read more
Review: ‘Tales of Kenzera: Zau’ translates the journey of grief into a video game
When crafting “Tales of Kenzera: Zau,” Abubakar Salim thought of his father who passed away from cancer 10 years ago. The founder of Surgent Studios said his father believed that dead is dead, and that he didn’t want his son to spend time dwelling on his end.
That didn’t happen. Salim established a game studio, gathering a team of 30 ...Read more
Jim Rossman: Cranking up iPhone security
There is a new feature in iOS called Stolen Device Protection. When enabled, it provides increased security requirements for certain actions when your phone is away from known locations, such as your home or your office.
These security enhancements should make it harder for someone who steals an iPhone and knows the user’s passcode to make ...Read more
Gadgets: A fully automated home brewing system
Beer lovers can make and drink their own unique beer with the new iGulu F1 fully automated home brewing system. The iGulu F1's brewing process uses automated technology to create high-quality craft beers and nonalcoholic drinks like kombucha.
The easy-to-use countertop appliance (13.5-by-14.5-by-20.5-inches), which iGulu states is as easy to ...Read more
Tire toxicity faces fresh scrutiny after salmon die-offs
For decades, concerns about automobile pollution have focused on what comes out of the tailpipe. Now, researchers and regulators say, we need to pay more attention to toxic emissions from tires as vehicles roll down the road.
At the top of the list of worries is a chemical called 6PPD, which is added to rubber tires to help them last longer. ...Read more
An artificial mind, with a lifelike body: Amid a world of evolving AI, a Las Vegas man brings his creations to life
You wanna see her move? I think that’s the fun part.
The room is thick with anticipation and fabricated skulls.
She’s gonna wake up. Give her a second.
Matt McMullen eyes his creation as her eyes flutter open in return, her gaze settling upon all the disembodied faces and mechanical mandibles surrounding her in this workshop where fake ...Read more
Tech review: Tech gifts for your graduate
It is high school (and college) graduation time and that usually means some gift-giving.
I’ve got a few gift ideas for your graduates that will be welcomed whether they’re headed off to college or still trying to figure out what’s next.
Here are three gadgets, and oddly, two of them are named Flow.
Tribit Stormbox Flow
I think ...Read more
Editorial: Greens eye the Autobahn with floated ban on weekend driving in Germany
Warnings about the agenda of global warming alarmists can seem far-fetched. But consider what’s happening in Germany.
A recent German governing coalition set a national goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. Nevada has a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To many, that sounds worthwhile — at least until you learn the details.
...Read more
Popular Stories
- Why can’t we throw all our trash into a volcano and burn it up?
- Boeing faces critical launch Monday ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station
- Gas stove pollution harms poor and minority Americans most, study finds
- Bill awaiting DeSantis' OK would end years of renewable energy policies
- Boeing aims for Starliner astronaut launch Monday after delays, $1.5 billion spent