Goto

Collaborating Authors

 Industry


What octopus camouflage has to do with sunscreen

Popular Science

The cephalopod's disappearing act could help your next sunscreen blend in. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Cephalopods like octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish have the mesmerizing ability to change the color of their skin to camouflage into the surrounding environment. Multiple biological processes involving a natural pigment called xanthommatin drives this unique ability. As such, various industries are interested in using xanthommatin in products such as paint and natural sunscreen, but the pigment has been hard to research.


If the US Has to Build Data Centers, Here's Where They Should Go

WIRED

If the US Has to Build Data Centers, Here's Where They Should Go A new analysis tries to calculate the coming environmental footprint of AI in the US and finds that the ideal sites for data centers aren't where they're being built. A data center for cryptocurrency mining, cloud services, and AI computing in Stutsman County, North Dakota.Video: halbergman/Getty Images Tech companies have invested so much money in building data centers in recent months, it's actively driving the US economy--and the AI race is showing no signs of slowing down. Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg told President Donald Trump last week that the company would spend $600 billion on US infrastructure--including data centers--by 2028, while OpenAI has committed already to spending $1.4 trillion. An extensive new analysis looks at the environmental footprint of data centers in the US to get a handle on what, exactly, the country might be facing as this buildout continues over the next few years--and where the US should be building data centers to avoid the most harmful environmental impacts. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications on Monday, uses a variety of data, including demand for AI chips and information on state electricity and water scarcity, to project the potential environmental impacts of future data centers through the end of the decade. The study models a number of different possible scenarios on how data centers could affect the US and the planet--and cautions that tech companies' net zero promises aren't likely to hold up against the energy and water needs of the massive facilities they're building.


WATCHDOG: How universities are rebranding DEI to skirt Trump's crackdown

FOX News

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG .


Black Friday traps! New AI scams are plaguing this shopping season

PCWorld

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. The holiday season is just around the corner, but those sales are now accompanied by new AI scams that want to steal your money and data. Black Friday started as a day for bargain sales, but has evolved into a global shopping phenomenon. But the bigger the participation, the more attractive it all becomes for criminals. According to Austrian fact-checker Mimikama, security researchers have been observing a new wave of scam attempts made possible by generative AI: fake shops that look deceptively real, deepfake videos featuring celebrities, and phishing attacks via social media and text messages.



3I/Atlas isn't deep space aliens and didn't 'change color'

Popular Science

Don't believe the comet conspiracy theories. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. It's only the third known object to visit our solar system from deep space, and at around 130,000 mph, it's also the fastest comet ever clocked. Early examinations noted the comet's gas coma-the cloud of sublimated debris formed as it passes near a star-experienced a " rapid brightening " compared to previously observed comets at similar distances from the sun. While earlier observations indicated 3I/ATLAS appeared red in color, additional analysis has led astronomers to note in a preprint study it's actually "distinctly bluer than the sun."


Millions endure power cuts in Ukraine as Russia strikes more energy sites

Al Jazeera

Is Trump losing patience with Putin? Will sanctions against Russian oil giants hurt Putin? Most regions of Ukraine are undergoing scheduled power outages amid a new wave of attacks on energy sites by Russian drones and missiles. Ukrenergo, the state-run electricity transmission systems operator in Ukraine, said the blackouts will last at least until the end of Monday as repairs are conducted on infrastructure damaged over the weekend and demand remains high as the onset of winter approaches. According to Ukraine's military, Russian forces used two air-launched ballistic missiles, five surface-to-air guided missiles and 67 drones, including those of Iranian design, during their attacks overnight into Monday. The Ukrainian army did not report shooting down any of the missiles, but it said 52 of the drones were intercepted and the remaining 15 conducted strikes on nine locations.


7 free apps that let you paint and draw right in your browser

PCWorld

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Check out these 7 free apps that run directly in your browser. Photoshop and other professional image creation programs are often expensive and complicated. Fortunately, there are many alternatives that cost nothing and are easy to use, making them great for beginners, hobbyists, or anyone who just wants to draw and paint without the hassle. Here are some of our favorites.


The EPA Is in Chaos

WIRED

"We learn who is furloughed when we send an email to someone and get the out-of-office message," one employee tells WIRED. Workers at the Environmental Protection Agency tell WIRED that they have faced increasing chaos over the past five weeks. In recent weeks, varied phases of furloughs have forced staff to go home in seemingly random waves. Some employees remaining at the agency are working on policies friendly to fossil fuel and industrial interests that are a priority of the administration, even as the rest of the government shuts down. Others have had to sit on their hands, as the shutdown takes out colleagues with no notice--and remaining employees have little to no information as to what is coming next.


The First Radio Signal From Comet 3I/Atlas Ends the Debate About Its Nature

WIRED

An observatory detected the first radio signal from the interstellar object 3I/Atlas. An image of the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas, captured by the Hubble telescope on July 21, 2025. More evidence has emerged to support the natural origin of comet 3I/Atlas . After several weeks of conspiracy theories, social media debates, and speculation on popular podcasts such as Joe Rogan's, this interstellar object is still a comet . The most recent confirmation came from an observatory in South Africa that detected the first radio signal from 3I/Atlas.