The Government Shutdown Is a Ticking Cybersecurity Time Bomb
Many critical systems are still being maintained, and the cloud provides some security cover. But experts say that any lapses in protections like patching and monitoring could expose government systems.
The FTC Is Disappearing Blog Posts About AI Published During Lina Khan’s Tenure
The Federal Trade Commission removed several blog posts in recent months about open source and potential risks to consumers from the rapid spread of commercial AI tools.
The Physics of the Northern Lights
Solar winds at a million miles an hour and freaky magnetic turbulence are sparking some of the best light shows in centuries.
In Orbit You Have to Slow Down to Speed Up
Driving a spacecraft around a planet isn’t anything like driving on a planet. A physicist explains orbital navigation.
Can a Hydroelectric Dam Really Make the Days Longer?
By shifting water to a higher elevation, the giant Three Gorges Dam caused the Earth to spin more slowly.
How Do Metal Detectors Work?
What sneaky invisible forces enable these instruments to locate buried treasure?
The Mathematician Who Tried to Convince the Catholic Church of Two Infinities
In the late 19th century, Georg Cantor believed his new theory could help the Church understand the infinite nature of the divine. He miscalculated.
How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas
The interstellar comet 3I/Atlas reached its closest point to the sun. Here's how to follow the rest of its journey away from our solar system.
The ‘10 Martini’ Proof Connects Quantum Mechanics With Infinitely Intricate Mathematical Structures
The proof, known to be so hard that a mathematician once offered 10 martinis to whoever could figure it out, uses number theory to explain quantum fractals.
Physicists Create a Thermometer for Measuring ‘Quantumness’
“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.
Nancy Mace Curses, Berates Confused Cops in Airport Meltdown: Police Report
At an airport in South Carolina on Thursday, US representative Nancy Mace called police officers “fucking incompetent” and berated them repeatedly, according to an incident report.
Ex-L3Harris Cyber Boss Pleads Guilty to Selling Trade Secrets to Russian Firm
Peter Williams, a former executive of Trenchant, L3Harris’ cyber division, has pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing trade secrets and selling them to an unnamed Russian software broker.
