Read the latest articles from Futurism (Page 772)

Malls are giving their Santa villages digital upgrades in the hopes of luring parents — and their money — away from online shopping.
Future Society

Mall Santas Are Using Gimmicks to Court Instagram Parents

They're hoping parents won't be able to resist the A+ photo ops.

By Kristin Houser

The same team that announced the detection of phosphine gas, a biomarker, in Venus's atmosphere, just found a processing error in its data.
Science & Energy

Venus Life Finding Might Be Based on a Data Mistake

Levels of phosphine, a potential sign of life, turned out to be way lower than we thought.

By Victor Tangermann

The National Science Foundation has announced that the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is officially being decommissioned and demolished.
Science & Energy

Iconic Arecibo Alien-Hunting Observatory Will Be Demolished

BREAKING: The Arecibo SETI observatory will be demolished, in a sad day for the hunt for extraterrestrial life.

By Victor Tangermann

Filter out every star, galaxy, and other source of brightness we know about, and half of the light in the universe will still remain.
Physics

Astronomers Can’t Explain Where Half the Universe’s Light Is Coming From

Well, this is strange.

By Dan Robitzski

An international team of researchers have created diamonds at room temperature in mere minutes using extremely high levels of pressure.
Science & Energy

Scientists Create Diamonds at Room Temperature

This'd make a heck of an engagement ring.

By Victor Tangermann

Investors and automotive companies themselves are currently investing heavily in electic vehicles, all while the industry launches a new lobby group.
Electric Vehicles

Huge Amounts of Money Are Pouring Into the Electric Vehicle Market

Everyone wants in on the future of electric transportation.

By Dan Robitzski

Last week, in what seems to be an unauthorized stunt or part of a music video, a man jumped onto an occupied NYC bus and fired a flamethrower into the air.
Science & Energy

Man Seen Shooting Flamethrower on Roof of NYC Bus

"We don't even need to say how absurd, dangerous and just plain stupid this was."

By Dan Robitzski

According to a memo, progressive groups are planning to pressure president-elect Joe Biden's transition team into eliminating the Space Force.
Future Society

Progressive Groups Call For Elimination of Space Force

A memo called the service an "unnecessary bureaucracy that costs $16 billion in 2021."

By Victor Tangermann

Bioethicist Nancy Jecker argues that sex robots catered to their specific needs could provide much-needed companionship to lonely senior citizens.
Robotics

Bioethicist: We Should Give Sex Robots to Lonely Seniors

"Designing and marketing sex robots for older, disabled people would represent a sea change from current practice."

By Dan Robitzski

The FBI is commissioning a fleet of 140 robots to help manage a warehouse where it keeps billions of sensitive paper files.
Robotics

The FBI Is Buying 140 Robots to Handle Paper Records

A fleet of robots will manage billions of sensitive files.

By Dan Robitzski

The Federal Aviation Administration just cleared the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to fly after the plane was involved in two crashes resulting in 346 deaths.
Advanced Transport

Boeing’s Jet That Kept Crashing Is Now Cleared to Fly Again

Talk about bad timing.

By Victor Tangermann

Bennu, the asteroid on which NASA landed a spacecraft to gather samples, seems to be hollow and gradually crumbling apart.
Science & Energy

NASA Data Appears to Show That Giant Asteroid Is Hollow

"It's as if there is a void at its center, within which you could fit a couple of football fields."

By Dan Robitzski

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters that he expects SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to "quarantine and self-isolate" after testing for the coronavirus.
NASA

NASA Head: Elon Musk Needs to “Quarantine and Self-Isolate” After COVID Diagnosis

Musk tested both positive and negative twice late on Thursday.

By Victor Tangermann

According to new research, the entire solar system took a mere 200,000 years to form — considerably less time than how long humanity has been around.
Solar Power

Humans Have Been Around for Longer Than it Took the Solar System to Form, Study Claims

In cosmic terms, 200,000 years is a blip.

By Dan Robitzski

Metalysis, a UK-based engineering firm, has signed a contract with the European Space Agency to investigate ways to extract breathable air from Moon dust.
Moon

New Technique Claims to Extract Breathable Oxygen From Moon Dust

"If you want to go further out into space, it’s a gas station on the Moon essentially, to get into deeper space."

By Victor Tangermann

Microsoft had to warn users not to blow vape smoke into their brand new next-generation Xbox Series X consoles.
Future Society

Microsoft Begs Gamers Not to Blow Vape Smoke Into the New Xbox

"We can't believe we have to say this, but please do not blow vape smoke into your Xbox Series X."

By Victor Tangermann

Pfizer just announced its coronavirus vaccine is 95 percent effective with no serious side effects — even more effective than previously thought.
Viruses

New Results: First COVID Vaccine Even Better Than Scientists Thought

Fifty million doses could be ready before the end of the year.

By Victor Tangermann

It's been exactly a year since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in China, according to a March report by the South China Morning Post.
Developments

The First Known COVID Patient Was Identified Exactly One Year Ago

Who was patient zero?

By Victor Tangermann

China is preparing to launch its Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission early next week and the rocket to get it to the Moon was just rolled out.
Off-World

China Is About to Launch a Lunar Sample Return Mission

This robot mission intends to gather rocks from the surface of the Moon — and then fly them back to Earth.

By Victor Tangermann

NASA modeled how much air pollution humanity would have caused without a pandemic this year to find out how much emissions dropped.
NASA

NASA Figured Out How Much Less We Polluted Under Lockdown

NASA scientists were surprised.

By Dan Robitzski