Read the latest articles from Futurism (Page 703)

To prevent the spread of COVID-19 across its facilities, NASA is handing out Fitbit devices to 1,000 of its employees, including 150 astronauts.
Prosthetics and Devices

NASA Is Using Fitbits to Prevent COVID Spread Among Astronauts

Fitness trackers could help NASA detect COVID-19 early.

The highly-infectious B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus could have mutated entirely within one patient, scienitsts suspect.
Developments

Mutated COVID Virus Evolved Inside One Person, Scientists Believe

The virus appears to have mutated inside a single host.

The number of babies born in China dropped by nearly 15 percent in 2020, potentially heralding problems as the country's population skews older.
Future Society

The Birth Rate in China Dropped Substantially This Year

Could this topple a world power?

Consumer tech company Expanscape has created a true monster: a laptop prototype called Aurora 7 with seven (!) screens attached to it.
Future Society

Ridiculous, Gigantic Laptop Has Seven Screens That Pop Out

Is this really necessary?

A team of researchers may have spotted evidence for a new planet orbiting one of the closest stars in the star system called Alpha Centauri.
Science & Energy

Astronomers May Have Spotted a New Planet Around the Nearest Star

The search for extraterrestrial life is heating up — in the closest star system to Earth.

A man with ALS built his own personal robot that could help him feed himself when he was no longer able to do so on his own.
Robotics

Man With Neurodegenerative Disease Builds Robot to Feed Himself

Incredible.

A Texas lawyer learned his lesson after joining a live court session while having a Zoom filter on that turned his face into an animated kitty cat.
Future Society

Lawyer Accidentally Logs Into Court With Zoom Filter Turning Him Into Kitty Cat

"I’m here live. I’m not a cat."

China's Tianwen-1 mission is now in orbit around Mars, where it will remain for several months before attempting to land on the surface.
Science & Energy

Chinese Rover Officially Reaches Mars Orbit

It's getting crowded over there!

NASA has chosen SpaceX to launch the first parts of its Lunar Gateway, with a Falcon Heavy rocket launching no sooner than May 2024.
NASA

NASA Picks SpaceX to Launch Crew Quarters of Lunar Gateway Station

SpaceX will launch the part of the station where the astronauts will actually live.

DARPA is developing new military drones that can fire missiles after being launched out of a fighter or bomber plane at a safe distance.
Drones

DARPA Wants Fighter Planes to Launch Drones That Then Launch Missiles

It's like a deadly Russian nesting doll.

If you look up the "genetics" section on Google News, you'll find lots of articles about people named Gene instead of biomedical research.
Google

Google News’ “Genetics” Section Is Full of Articles About People Named Gene

Why is Google pulling up "Genetics" stories about Gene Simmons?

Game developer CD Projekt Red, creator of video games including Cyberpunk 2077, became the victim of a targeted cyberattack.
Hacking

Hackers Apparently Stole the “Cyberpunk 2077” Source Code

How very on brand.

Pfizer says that it will soon be able to cut the time it takes to manufacture a batch of vaccines from 110 days down to 60.
Viruses

Pfizer Says It Can Cut Vaccine Manufacturing Time in Half

"Nobody’s ever produced mRNA vaccines at this scale."

Thanks to a new upgrade made to the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, scientists are able to get an unprecedented look nearby celestial objects.
Off-World

Radio Telescope Is So Powerful It Can See the Surface of Other Worlds

Get ready for close-up surface images of distant planets in our Solar System.

A team sent by the World Health Organization to investigate the origins of COVID-19 announced that it's "extremely unlikely" that the virus came from a lab.
Developments

WHO Investigators: “Extremely Unlikely” That COVID Escaped From Chinese Lab

The WHO's team lead says it's "very unlikely that anything could escape from that place."

A hacker remotely accessed a computer of Oldsmar, Florida's water treatment system and attempted to increase the amount of sodium hydroxide or lye 100 fold.
Hacking

Hacker Infiltrates Water Treatment Plant, Attempts to Poison City

This could have gone very badly.

After a rapidly growing interest for the voice chatroom app Clubhouse, Chinese authorities decided to shut the service down in the country.
Future Society

China Blocks Explosively Viral App Clubhouse

Right before being banned, the app was even hosting a chatroom dedicated to discussing the 1989 pro-democracy Tianamen Square protest.

Biologist Jimmy Bernot willingly infected himself with hookworms as part of a clinical trial on an experimental vaccine for the parasite.
RX and Medicine

Biologist Deliberately Infects Himself With 50 Hookworms

"Here's the story of how I volunteered to be infected with 50 parasitic worms."

U.S. Representative Ron Wright died from the coronavirus on Sunday, becoming the first sitting Congressperson to die of COVID-19.
Developments

Congressman Who Criticized COVID Lockdown Dies From COVID

Ron Wright is the first sitting Congressperson to die of the coronavirus.

According to industry sources, Jeff Bezos will focus more on his spacefaring efforts, spending more time at his space startup Blue Origin.
Off-World

Did Jeff Bezos Step Down at Amazon to Focus on a Space Empire?

"Blue Origin is the most important work I'm doing."