Read the latest articles from Futurism (Page 729)

This past weekend, 3 million Americans passed through an airport, flying in the face of CDC and expert warnings to limit travel.
Developments

If You’re Traveling For Thanksgiving, You’re an Absolutely Terrible Person

Seriously, just stay home.

By Dan Robitzski

The government of the Solomon Islands, a nation of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific, is defending its decision to temporarily ban Facebook.
Future Society

An Entire Island Nation Is Banning Facebook

Critics say it's a way to silence opposition.

By Victor Tangermann

Scientists identified massive ripples on the surface of Mars likely formed by an ancient megaflood and planet-covering storm clouds.
Science & Energy

NASA Data Shows Evidence of Ancient “Megafloods” on Mars

A meteor impact appears to have released Martian floods that make the one in the Bible seem laughable.

By Dan Robitzski

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has dethroned Bill Gates to become the second-richest person in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.
Elon Musk

Elon Musk Just Became the Second Richest Person in the World

Okay, that's pretty impressive.

By Victor Tangermann

In the latest perplexing turn of events, state officials say the a mysterious monolith has vanished from the Utah desert.
Science & Energy

Scientists Discover Mysterious Metal “Monolith” in Utah Wilderness

Alien artifact, or guerilla art installation?

By Victor Tangermann

UK’s Oxford University and European pharmaceutical AstraZeneca found their COVID-19 vaccine is 90 percent effective because of a dosing error.
Developments

Pharmaceutical Accidentally Gave Wrong Dose in COVID Vaccine Trial

Oops.

By Victor Tangermann

The Army is developing a system that can hide or replicate the electromagnetic signals given off by a soldier's gear to make them harder to track.
Military

The Army Is Developing a Way to Spoof Soldiers’ Electromagnetic Signatures

It's a new cat-and-mouse game over technological tracking.

By Dan Robitzski

China has successfully launched its sample return mission to the Moon as part of the country's Chang'e-5 mission at 3:31 pm Eastern time.
Future Society

China Successfully Launches Lunar Sample Return Mission

It's the first mission of its kind since the mid 1970s.

By Victor Tangermann

A team of researchers have created a sensor that can function for an entire year with a single tiny jumpstart of power by using quantum tunneling.
Quantum Physics

Scientists Create Electronic Gadget Powered by Quantum Tunneling

A tiny jumpstart of energy allows it to run for an entire year.

By Victor Tangermann

A new CDC report confirms what ought to be common knowledge: widespread mask-wearing helps slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
Viruses

New Research: Yes, Mask Mandates Help Fight COVID-19 Spread

"This adds to the growing body of evidence that says large, widespread masking helps to slow the spread of COVID."

By Dan Robitzski

In order to prevent a Day Zero drought in Cape Town, South Africa, scientists suggest reflecting sunlight away from Earth with stratospheric particles.
Climate Change

South African Academics Are Considering Dimming the Sun

To avoid a catastrophic drought, they suggest geoengineering.

By Dan Robitzski

China is about to launch an ambitious mission to the Moon in an attempt to retrieve the first lunar samples and bring them back to Earth since the 1970s.
Off-World

Watch China Launch Its Lunar Sample Return Mission Live

The rocket is already on the pad.

By Victor Tangermann

Greenhouse gas emissions dipped during the coronavirus pandemic, but not enough to have a serious or lasting effect on global climate change.
Viruses

UN: Despite the Pandemic, Greenhouse Gases Are at an All-Time High

"The lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph."

By Dan Robitzski

UK's Oxford University and AstraZeneca have announced their COVID-19 vaccine is up to 90 percent effective according to preliminary study results.
Viruses

Third Major COVID Vaccine Turns Out to Be Super Effective

This one is way cheaper to produce — at just $4 per dose.

By Victor Tangermann

"Santa is exempt from this because Santa, of all the good qualities, has a lot of good innate immunity," infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said.
Developments

Dr. Fauci Says That Santa Claus Is Immune to COVID

"The good news is that mask compliance there is pretty good, and the elves are committed to social distancing."

By Victor Tangermann

In order to teach AI how to use words with specific intentions rather than babbling, scientists made an AI agent play a fantasy role-playing game.
Artificial Intelligence

To Teach an AI to Pursue Goals, Scientists Made It Play an RPG

The goal is to get AI to use words for an actual purpose.

By Dan Robitzski

After a citizen scientist saw what looked like beams of darkness coming out of a black hole, scientists think it's similar to light piercing through clouds.
Science & Energy

Hubble Glimpses Huge “Dark Rays” Streaming Out of Black Hole

Scientists took a closer look at Hubble images of a supermassive black hole — and saw what appeared to be long beams of darkness streaming out.

By Dan Robitzski

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are testing if we can harness the heat of the Sun to travel to interstellar space.
NASA

NASA Tests Experimental Interstellar Propulsion System

"What this is showing is that solar thermal propulsion is not just a fantasy."

By Victor Tangermann

Astronomers found evidence of a "fossil galaxy" buried deep inside the Milky Way. It seems our galaxy gobbled up one of its neighbors 10 billion years ago.
Science & Energy

Scientists Find Remnants of “Fossil Galaxy” Inside the Milky Way

Long ago, our galaxy gobbled up and absorbed another one.

By Dan Robitzski

Tesla Crashes at 100 MPH, Sending Flaming Batteries Into Multiple Homes
Tesla

Tesla Crashes at 100 MPH, Sending Flaming Batteries Into Multiple Homes

The local fire and police departments now have to track down hundreds of battery cells.

By Victor Tangermann