The pandemic stranded them in the worst place: Antarctica

Cold Ones

When the pandemic hit, researchers working in Antarctica had a particularly difficult time finding a safe way to make their way home.

The Pandemic Stranded Them in the Worst Place: Antarctica

"You think you've got something in place to bring everyone home and then something happens."

You Probably Need a Haircut

This site lets a barber tell you how to cut your hair via webcam

Hairy Situation

This brand new website pairs you "with a world-class barber" to "get your hair through these hard times" while quarantined.

This Site Lets a Barber Tell You How to Cut Your Hair via Webcam

"You saved my life. My boyfriend looked hideous."

Ozone hole over the Arctic

But it's nothing compared to the more well-known ozone hole you're probably thinking of.

A new hole is forming in the ozone layer over the Arctic

Clear Skies

An unexpectedly large hole in the ozone layer formed over the Arctic because of an unusually cold winter and an extreme polar vortex.

A New Hole Is Forming in the Ozone Layer Over the Arctic

More bad news.

They haven't found it after a year of experiments, but they say they're getting closer.

Physicists are crashing matter into antimatter to hunt a new boson

Boson Season

Scientists are colliding electrons with their antimatter counterparts, positrons, in order to hunt and study a subatomic particle called the Z' boson.

Physicists Are Crashing Matter into Antimatter to Hunt a New Boson

"Despite the still small amount of data, we can now make measurements that have never been done before."

"Living in an affordable house with net zero energy use is great for the environment and our finances. I hope this model is replicable in other places."

A Colorado neighborhood has a self-reliant, clean energy grid

Neighborly Care

In Basalt, Colorado, a neighborhood built its own virtual power plant, letting them generate — and share — clean energy as needed.

A Colorado Neighborhood Runs on a Self-Reliant, Clean Energy Grid

Each house can automatically send electricity to others that need it.

"Since we are not allowed to have any fans in attendance, we might as well have some fun with it."

A baseball team is filling its stadium with 500 robot spectators

Go Monkeys Go

Taiwan's baseball team called the Rakuten Monkeys decided to get creative to keep their baseball team company in an empty stadium: "robot mannequins."

A Baseball Team Is Filling Its Stadium With 500 Robot Spectators

"Next-level creepy but this is what it's come to, folks."

The autonomous vehicle industry is stuck in place without human drivers.

Self-driving car company lays off all human safety drivers

Slamming Brakes

Zoox just laid off all of the contractors it had working as safety drivers for its self-driving cars because of California's shelter-in-place rule.

Self-Driving Car Company Lays Off All Its Human Safety Drivers

High-tech automation meets coronavirus-related layoffs.

What It's Like to Drive on Other Planets

Here's what it would be like to drive on different planets

Heavenly Bodies

YouTube science channel The Action Lab used driving simulator BeamNG.drive to show what it would be like to drive on various heavenly bodies.

Here’s What It Would Be Like to Drive on Different Planets

This simulation also shows what it'd be like to drive on the surface of the Sun.

"This is now a matter of national security."

Coronavirus conspiracy theorists are setting 5G towers on fire

SMDH

At least three 5G wireless communication towers have been set on fire in the UK. Videos claim the network is spreading the coronavirus.

Coronavirus Conspiracy Theorists Are Setting 5G Towers on Fire

Tinfoil hats won't protect you from the coronavirus, either.

Scientists found a clear link between searches for COVID-19 symptoms and outbreaks of the coronavirus.

Scientists are spying on Google searches to track the coronavirus

Doctor Google

By analyzing Google trends for symptoms of COVID-19, doctors can better track and respond to outbreaks of the coronavirus.

Scientists Are Spying on Google Searches to Track the Coronavirus

Googling your symptoms can actually help doctors coordinate their response.

"As you can see in the video, the readings of the [Geiger counter] are 2.3, when the norm is 0.14."

A fire at Chernobyl is releasing large amounts of radiation

Hot Zone

Ukrainian authorities say a forest fire is causing radiation levels to spike in the area of Chernobyl, a nuclear power plant that melted down in 1986.

A Fire at Chernobyl Is Releasing Large Amounts of Radiation

Radiation levels are already sixteen times higher than normal.

A tiger just tested positive for COVID-19

Tiger King

A four-year-old tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City called Nadia has tested positive for COVID-19, while six other large cats are exhibiting symptoms.