Read the latest articles from Futurism (Page 1030)

Amazon recently unveiled a new requirement for contractors who deliver its packages: taking selfies now and then to verify their identity.
Artificial Intelligence

Amazon Is Forcing Its Delivery Drivers to Take Selfies

The idea is to use facial recognition to prevent fraud.

By Dan Robitzski

A bill that would legalize human composting after death is just a governor's signature away from becoming law in Washington state.
Future Society

Washington Is One Signature Away From Legalizing Human Composting

"It’s the most efficient and environmentally sound method of burial."

By Kristin Houser

A social media entrepreneur could spend the next 20 years in prison because he paid someone to try to steal a domain name at gunpoint.
Future Society

Someone Used a Gun to Try to Steal a Domain Name

Maybe he should've just gone with the .net.

By Kristin Houser

NASA recently tested a new drone swarm, where "Hives" release "Cicadas" to monitor the weather and atmospheric conditions.
Drones

NASA’s “Hive” Drones Can Deploy Swarms of Tiny Robot Cicadas

The tiny robots fly around to scan the weather.

By Dan Robitzski

CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna believes the tech's most profound impact on the mainstream in the next five years will be gene-edited food.
Agriculture

CRISPR Co-Inventor: We’ll Be Eating Gene-Edited Food In Five Years

Get ready for gene-edited grub.

By Kristin Houser

By using 3D-laser scanning technology, there may still be hope for the full recovery and rebuild of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
3D Printing

Fortunately, There Are Incredible 3D Scans of Notre Dame

The good news: we have a highly-detailed digital template for how to rebuild.

By Natalie Coleman

It's finally official: Samsung is delaying the sale of its folding smartphone, the $2,000 Galaxy Fold.
Robots and Machines

Samsung Admits Its Folding Smartphone “Needs Further Improvements”

You won't be able to get your hands on a Galaxy Fold for a while.

By Victor Tangermann

Japanese ecommerce firm DeNA has equipped taxis with a facial recognition system that selects ads based on passenger gender and age.
Facial recognition

Japanese Taxis Are Using Facial Recognition to Target Ads to Riders

Cameras in the back seat guess your age and gender — and then use them to serve you with advertisements.

By Dan Robitzski

Three scientists in Texas have been fired over allegations they'd been stealing research for China, a move some are calling racially motivated.
Science & Energy

Research Institute Fires Scientists for Selling Secrets to China

When does international collaboration become foreign espionage?

By Kristin Houser

In the wake of a deadly terrorist attack, the government of Sri Lanka bans social media platforms, leaving some unable to communicate with their loved ones.
Future Society

Sri Lanka Temporarily Bans Social Media Following Terror Attacks

The government hopes to stem the spread of fake news about the bombings.

By Kristin Houser

A recent report shows that amateur Russian hackers infiltrated the finance offices of several U.S. embassies around the world.
Science & Energy

Rogue Russian Hackers Are Attacking US Embassies

This is probably the work of amateurs.

By Dan Robitzski

Physicists developed a device that allows heat to flow from cold to hot objects, apparently contrary to the second law of thermodynamics.
Science & Energy

Scientists: New Device Appears to Defy the Laws of Thermodynamics

It sounds suspiciously like a perpetual motion machine, but things are more complicated than that.

By Jacob Banas

Update: Vid Appears to Show SpaceX Capsule Exploding During Test
SpaceX

Update: Vid Appears to Show SpaceX Capsule Exploding During Test

SpaceX won't say whether the video is real.

By Victor Tangermann

According to consumer tech website Sam Mobile, the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Fold has been delayed in China — the world's largest market for smartphones.
Robots and Machines

Samsung is Delaying the Galaxy Fold’s Launch After Broken Screens

Samsung has yet to comment on the delay, which could be a turning point against much-hyped folding phones.

By Victor Tangermann

NASA approved the preliminary designs of a spacecraft expected to visit the asteroid Psyche in 2022. When it gets there, NASA won't know what to expect.
NASA

NASA Is Gearing up to Visit a Shattered, Volcanic Asteroid

NASA is getting ready to visit a leftover fragment from the core of a destroyed planet.

By Dan Robitzski

A new biomaterial exhibits metabolism-like behaviors. It appears in some ways to act like a living thing, blurring the line between biology and machinery.
Biology

Scientists Create Material With “Artificial Metabolism”

It isn't quite alive, but it isn't quite not-alive either.

By Dan Robitzski

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered genetic variants that protect people from obesity and its symptoms.
Health & Medicine

Scientists Find Genetic Variants That Prevent Obesity, Diabetes

"This study drives home the fact that genetics plays a major role in why some people are obese."

By Kristin Houser

IBM is halting development and sales of its Watson AI designed to find promising new medications, according to a new STAT story.
Artificial Intelligence

IBM Pulls the Plug on Drug-Discovering Watson AI

It's starting to look like IBM's high hopes for Watson Health were misplaced.

By Kristin Houser

The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly considering holding Mark Zuckerberg directly responsible for Facebook's privacy scandals.
Future Society

The Government Wants to Make an Example out of Mark Zuckerberg

Federal regulators are meeting behind closed doors to discuss how to handle Zuck.

By Dan Robitzski

China has announced what local media is calling the "world's first armed amphibious drone boat."
Military

China’s Military Built an Autonomous Amphibious Landing Vehicle

This weird autonomous vehicle is designed for combat missions on land and sea.

By Victor Tangermann