Predator drones are very, very good at what they do, but $8 million will only get you about half of one. Doesn’t matter which half, that guy ain’t gonna to fly. Instead, the US Navy is investing in a smaller, lighter, more versatile recon drone. Read more…
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This New Naval UAV Is a "Blackjack"-of-All-Trades
Long term data storage is tricky. Hard discs and magnetic tapes lose their charge, CDs and DVDs are easy to scratch, and forget about punch cards . Now a student at the University of Twente has developed an optical storage system he says will survive for up to a billion years — even if you barbecue it. Read more…
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This Nearly Indestructible Data Storage Disc Will Last a Billion Years
Plants have evolved all kinds of wonderful mechanisms that let them disperse their seeds and reproduce, from puffy dandy lions to maple keys that spin their way to the ground. But none are quite as impressive as the squirting cucumber, which launches its seed pods like tiny high-speed missiles. Read more…
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Did You Know Mother Nature Had Missiles Before We Did?
Microsoft set Windows 8.1 upon the world today, and with it a host of improvements large and small. You check out our full review here , but in the meantime, here’s a look at our favorite new features. Read more…
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The Five Best New Features in Windows 8.1
E-coli outbreaks crop up every now and then. Some are more widespread then others, but if they’re related to food and especially if that food may have crossed state lines, the FDA starts tracing to find the source. If foodborne bacteria cause an outbreak in the U.S. today, though, the FDA won’t do anything. Because the FDA is closed. Read more…
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The FDA Isn’t Inspecting Food During The Government Shutdown
It was one thing when Google’s Chrome apps managed to break out of the browser and become real, offline apps, but clearly that is not Google’s real long-term play. A recent update to the developer version of Google Chrome basically runs Chrome OS inside of Windows 8 . Read more…
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Google Is Sneaking Chrome OS Into Windows 8’s "Metro" Mode
The Spanish scientists who developed it are calling it the ‘Terminator’ Polymer — and for good reason. Like the T-1000 blown to bits, it can spontaneously and independently repair itself without any outside intervention. Read more…
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An incredible new polymer that heals itself to 97% efficiency
Since at least 2007, DEA agents and local police detectives have had regular access to a gigantic database that contains detailed records of every American phone call that’s passed through an AT&T switch in the past 26 years. The program, named the Hemisphere Project, also pays AT&T employees to work alongside drug-enforcement officers stationed in three states. Read more…
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AT&T Partnered With DEA to Provide Access to 26 Years of Phone Records
Stats obsession has been the provenance of baseball’s sabermetricians for the last several decades. But if your data-crunching heart belongs to basketball, you’ve finally got a datum-filled palace to call home. Meet NBA Stats . It’s… comprehensive. More »
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The NBA Built Itself a Massive Interactive Stat Shrine
These columns are found in Varna, Bulgaria. They’re hollowed out and filled with sand, almost perfectly round, and grouped together. And they’re 100 percent natural formations. Sometimes even prehistory is in on the conspiracy to make us believe that we’ve discovered evidence of alien visitors. More »
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These natural formations look like alien ruins