Researchers track a cosmic whale to learn about galaxies’ magnetic fields
Astronomers are looking to a cosmic whale to learn about the magnetic fields which surround galaxies. An image of NCG 4631, also known as the Whale Galaxy, was captured by the Very Large Array in New Mexico, and shows filaments of the magnetic field in green and blue, snaking out from the main body of the galaxy.
Mars’s strange equatorial terrain could have formed under an ice sheet
The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft has been investigating an area called Deuteronilus Mensae, and scientists believe that it looks the way that it does due to ancient flowing ice. Millions of years ago, glaciers moved through the area, eroding rock and carving out channels that can still be seen today.
NASA unveils its plans for a lander to deliver rovers to the moon
NASA already has plans to send one rover to the moon, but with the upcoming Artemis mission, the agency is planning further lunar explorers including a mid-sized lander concept. It unveiled its plans for an as-yet-unnamed lander that could deliver a rover to the polar regions of the moon, where water ice is located.
Let there be light: Astronomers close in on signals from the very first stars
About 400,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe was in a period called the Dark Ages when there were no stars and no galaxies. Within a few million years, hydrogen coalesced to form the first stars. Now, astronomers are tracking the birth of the earliest stars, using the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope.
How did this beautiful ring galaxy form? Astronomers remain puzzled
NASA and the European Space Agency have shared a beautiful and striking image of a most unusual galaxy. Hoag's Object, as it is known, is an almost perfect ring galaxy with an elegant circular form, meaning it is classified as a peculiar galaxy. The image was captured using the Hubble Space Telescope.
Planets could form around supermassive black holes, new study shows
At the heart of our galaxy lies a supermassive black hole 4 million times the mass of our sun. It's believed most other galaxies have an enormous black hole at their center, too. But astronomers have discovered something unexpected about these monstrous black holes. It may be possible for planets to orbit around them.
Astronomers discover an ‘impossible’ black hole in our galaxy
We know that our galaxy is peppered with black holes. But scientists thought that such black holes could only reach a certain size -- about 20 times the mass of our Sun. Now, an international team of astronomers has discovered a monster black hole around three times that size hiding out in our very own galaxy.
Global storms on Mars shoot towers of dust 50 miles into the sky
We have dust storms here on Earth, and on Mars, too. But occasionally something much more dramatic happens on Mars: multiple dust storms grow and come together to cover the entire planet in a dusty haze. Huge dust clouds can reach up to 50 miles into the air and form a layer of dust wider than the continental U.S.
Amazon marks down Segway’s e-scooter and hoverboard for Black Friday
If you’ve been wanting to get your hands on an electric scooter or a hoverboard for short urban commutes or going around town, check out these amazing Black Friday deals from Amazon. Both the Segway Ninebot Max and the Ninebot S are enjoying discounts at the moment, reaching up to $149 off their retail prices.
Surveillance on steroids: How A.I. is making Big Brother bigger and brainier
In an age of artificial intelligence, surveillance technologies are becoming a whole lot smarter. Skylark Labs has developed a drone-based system that identify behavior from the skies. Here's how it works -- and what it says about the bigger questions surrounding surveillance in 2019.
Samsonite, American Tourister luggage sets are half off on Amazon for Black Friday
If you plan on traveling for the upcoming holiday season, you’re going to need luggage. For Black Friday, you can get half off of Samsonite and American Tourister luggage sets on Amazon. You can snag a two-piece Samsonite set for $140 or $135, and an American Tourister set for $110.
Astronomers capture the best images yet of the Borisov interstellar comet
Astronomers are getting close-up images of the interstellar comet known as 2I/Borisov as it comes closer to our solar system. The comet will come closest to us in early December. Yale scientists have been able to capture the clearest images so far, but expect more in the future.
The star of the world’s tiniest stop-motion movie is the size of a grain of dust
The lead performer in the Guinness World Record-winning short film Starship Odyssey is just 300 microns tall. That's just 0.3 millimeters or approximately the size of a single grain of dust. Check out the video -- and its "making of" story -- in all its smaller-than-life glory.
Mind-reading A.I. analyzes your brain waves to guess what video you’re watching
Can A.I. be used to read your mind? According to engineers at Russian robotics research company Neurobotics Lab it certainly can. They recently demonstrated their approach by using a neural network to guess what video people were watching, based on their brain wave data.
The Ford F-150 vs. Tesla Cybertruck tug-of-war rematch may not happen after all
The battle of the pickups is heating up. Ford executive Sunny Madra didn’t much like it when he saw Tesla’s new Cybertruck beat an F-150 in a tug-of-war ... that was set up by Tesla. Madra has since challenged Tesla boss Elon Musk to a rematch, to which Musk responded: “Bring it on.”
Virtual reality goggles for dairy cows? Pull the udder one
Russian farmers are putting VR headsets on their cows to help improve milk production. It may sound like a load of bull, but apparently it really is part of an ongoing experiment. The modified headsets play visuals that simulate a “unique summer field,” helping to relax the cows so that they produce more milk.
FedEx’s autonomous delivery robot sent packing by New York City
FedEx's delivery robot only made a short trip as part of a promotion, but when New York City officials learned about the outing, they sent the machine packing. A cease-and-desist letter sent to the shipping giant warned of dire consequences if it rolled the robot onto the city’s streets again without prior permission.
Digital Trends Live: Alexa manages meds, Ford versus Tesla, robot police dogs
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Riley Winn tackle the top trending stories in tech, including Alexa managing your medications, a Twitter/Facebook data breach, Tesla v Ford v Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Boston Dynamic’s police dog robots, and more.
Elon’s Cybertruck smash and more: The biggest on-stage screwups in tech history
It’s a brave person who steps onto a stage to show off a new piece of tech. When it goes wrong, it can go spectacularly wrong, leading the incident itself to become the star of the show.
This groundbreaking new buoy can predict earthquakes and tsunamis. Here’s how
Geoscientists from the University of South Florida have developed a high-tech flotation device for oceans which they hope will help predict impending natural hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. It's currently installed off the coast in Florida. Here's how it works.
Digital Trends Live: Uber loses London, Cybertruck pre-orders, and more
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Adrien Warner break down the biggest trending stories in tech, including Uber losing its London license, more on the foldable Razr, Cybertruck pre-orders, eyeball-tracking driving monitors, Instagram’s A.I. process, and more.
Six theories on why the Cybertruck’s bulletproof glass cracked so easily
Elon Musk smashing two of the windows of Tesla's divisive pickup, the Cybertruck, was the most commented-upon moment of the futuristic vehicle's unveiling. But why did the armor glass windows let him down? Here are several theories which might explain the breaks heard around the world.
Ingenious new wearable tracks users’ brain waves to forecast epileptic seizures
For people with epilepsy, the fear of suffering an unexpected seizure can be enough to stop them wanting to venture out in public. To help instill confidence, this new discrete EEG monitors brain wave activity to help forecast seizures. Here's how you can get your hands on one.
Dr. Cecilia Bitz tracks sea ice as it disappears at unprecedented levels
Dr. Cecilia Bitz is an atmospheric scientist who studies sea ice. She's watched it melt and retreat in the Arctic Ocean and knows the trend is harmful for the planet. Melting ice is part of a climate change feedback loop that's causing big problems for polar bears, Native Alaskans, and others.
Elon Musk spills the beans on Tesla Cybertruck pre-order numbers
Tesla boss Elon Musk unveiled the extraordinary Cybertruck on Friday, paving the way for any interested buyer to drop a $100 pre-order deposit on the futuristic vehicle. And within 48 hours, more than 180,000 people had opened their wallets with the hope of receiving the electric pickup in the next couple of years.
Straight flush: How next-gen smart toilets could revolutionize health tracking
Smart toilets may sound like a weird gimmicky novelty. However, they could turn out to be the health-tracking revolution that people have waited for. Here's why smart toilets could prove to be the internet-connected device that might one day just happen to save your life.
Boeing’s Starliner capsule attached to Atlas rocket ahead of first test flight
Things are heating up in Cape Canaveral as Boeing's new Starliner capsule is connected to the rocket which will launch it on its first orbital test flight in a few weeks' time. The capsule will carry astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA's commercial crew program.
NASA scientists train to spot Martian fossils in the Australian Outback
One of the biggest ambitions of upcoming missions to Mars is to look for evidence of ancient life on the planet. But in order to identify potential fossils of microbial life, Mars rovers will need to know what to look for -- so scientists have undertaken a study mission to the Australian Outback.
Hear the Earth’s magnetic field sing as it is bombarded by a solar storm
The sun doesn't only shine light and heat down on our planet -- it also bombards the Earth with solar winds. Now, researchers from the European Space Agency have caught these solar winds in action, by recording the sound of a solar storm colliding with the Earth's magnetic field.
Astronomers find cosmic anomaly: Three supermassive black holes in one galaxy
A typical but terrifying feature of almost every galaxy is a monster at its center: A supermassive black hole hundreds of even billions of times the mass of our Sun. Now, researchers have spotted something utterly unprecedented: A galaxy with not one but three supermassive black holes at its heart.
ISS astronauts are fixing a particle physics detector in space
Astronauts on the International Space Station are attempting to fix the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an instrument investigating the nature of dark matter that wasn't designed to be serviced. But the AMS proved so valuable that the ISS crew are taking on the challenge of fixing its cooling system.
Hubble observes mammoth gamma-ray burst with highest-ever energy levels
The Hubble Space Telescope has observed the highest-energy ever gamma-ray burst, called GRB 190114C. Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions in the universe according to the European Space Agency, and this particular burst was even brighter and longer-lasting than most.
Pore over the geography of Saturn’s moon Titan with first global geologic map
A NASA team has created the first global map of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, showing the different geological features on the distant body. The map was created using data from the Cassini spacecraft which continues to provide insights despite being burned up in Saturn's atmosphere two years ago.
European Space Agency wants to put astronauts into hibernation for space travel
The European Space Agency has assembled a team to study hibernation with the aim of using it in manned space missions. The team considered a theoretical mission that would send six people to Mars and back within five years, and found that the use of hibernation could reduce spacecraft mass by one-third.