It’s not just you. Instagram is down, with users reporting 503 errors. Don’t worry, they’re on it , but th ey better hurry, or I’ll have to show these photos of my lunch to the mailman. Update : It’s back. Whew. Read more…
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It’s not just you.
Scientists already know how to make a tasty tomato , but in the quest for mass production, there’s another barrier to overcome: how to make a tomato that grows 24 hours a day. Read more…
If you’ve ever been stung by a jellyfish, you’ll know how incredibly painful it is—but you might not know why. In fact, their tentacles are covered in explosive cells that are like miniature hypodermic syringes filled with venom—and in this video, you can see how they work in microscopic slow motion. Read more…
This beetle looks like it’s been given a lick with a paintbrush—but in fact, it’s covered in paper-thin scales that are brilliant white, and reflect more light than anything of a similar thickness that can be made by humans. Read more…
The world has too many nasty old cigarette butts. On the other hand, the world could use some supercapacitors , the high-tech replacements for batteries that could potentially charge in seconds. Scientists in South Korea have found a simple process to turn used cigarette filters into high-performing material that works better than graphene or carbon nanotubes in supercapacitors. Read more…
You’ve heard all about the wonder properties of graphene, so come meet its one dimensional cousin, carbyne. A chain of single carbon atoms to graphene’s two-dimensional layer of atoms, carbyne has some pretty amazing properties of its own. By one measure, it’s the strongest material in the world (over graphene!), and a new study finds it has the strange ability to go from conductor to insulator with a small stretch. Read more…
Earth is an unforgiving place. Volcanoes erupt, rivers erode, continents break up—it’s a small miracle every time a millions-of-years-old creature is found fossilized in rock. By comparison, the moon is dead and lifeless; astronaut footprints will be preserved forever in moon dust. So it’s the moon that could hold the secrets to life on ancient Earth. Read more…
Today I found out about a man who saved over two million lives just by donating his somewhat unique blood plasma . Read more…
Electricity bill got you down? Blame your cable box or PlayStation or printer or refrigerator or any of your smart, networked devices that have a gentle-sounding but energy-sucking “standby mode.” A new report from the International Energy Agency puts the energy from networked devices worldwide at 616 terawatt-hours. That’s more than the entire energy consumption of the United Kingdom. Read more…
The footprint of Manhattan’s been expanding since the 17th century, when early New Yorkers began their first project to infill its shoreline. A huge part of the island we know today is built on artificial pilings. Now, it might get its biggest expansion in years. Read more…