According to an early study issued this week, two vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) have proven phenomenally effective against COVID-19, while a third mRNA-based option has failed in a final-stage experiment. Researchers are now trying to figure out why, and some believe it has something to do with the sort of mRNA chemistry employed.…
How much do you owe the entity that manages your grid if you generate your electricity by capturing sunlight hitting your property? As utility companies move to reduce policies that make rooftop solar cost-effective and appealing to many homeowners, this question is causing conflict in several states. The nonprofit Environment America Research & Policy Center…
We’re seeing more and more options to stream games, in addition to music and movies. You may also stream games from one room to another, so you’re not limited to playing titles stored in the cloud. If you have a gaming PC setup in your bedroom, you may leverage the power and library of games…
Whether it’s diabolical agents like mustard gas or industrial molecules prone to combustion, there are plenty of unpleasant chemicals out there that could hurt a human person. Soldiers and other frontline forces could be alerted to similar dangers in the future via small, individually worn sensors. One of four companies working on such a device…
Consider a simple blood test that may detect most malignancies at their earliest, most treatable stage. For decades, the concept of a “liquid biopsy” has been regarded as the holy grail of oncology. In theory, liquid biopsies may discover a malignancy long before it could be detected by touch, symptoms, or imaging. Blood testing could…
One of the great ironies of climate change is that as the earth warms, the technology that people rely on to stay cool will only make it hotter. Researchers predict that by 2050, the number of room air conditioners on the planet will have quadrupled to 4.5 billion, making them as common as cell phones.…
You’ve undoubtedly been there if you subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any other streaming service: As of episode after episode autoplay, you stare at the screen until you check the time and realize how late it is. After all, shows like Stranger Things are excellent entertainment, so what’s the harm in that? The problem…
The appearance of grey hair is one of the clearest indicators of old age. Black, brown, blonde, or red strands lose their young color as we age. Even though this appears to be a permanent alteration, the current study suggests that the greying process can be reversed—at least briefly. There have been rare case studies…
Subscriptions may quickly deplete your monthly budget. You may be paying for a Spotify membership to listen to music, Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime (or all three) to watch television, Patreon payments to support your favorite podcasts, additional cloud storage costs, and a variety of other applications at any one moment. The model offers certain…
A Soviet-era dam is providing energy for a distant mining operation somewhere in Siberia. However, nothing tangible is emerging from the soil. Instead, the hydroelectric power plant powers enormous machines that churn out complex mathematical answers. To put it another way, this renewable energy is being utilized to mine bitcoin. Jason Deane, a Bitcoin analyst,…