Science & Technology

/

Knowledge

Mario Rodriguez/UC Davis/TNS

An astronaut called a satellite 'impossible.' With UC Davis, he'll help launch it

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Not much can surprise someone who partook in four shuttle missions and three space walks during a 36-year career with NASA. Let alone, for someone who has spent their life studying space and space travel, the proposal of a new satellite technology.

But when Stephen Robinson, director of UC Davis’ Center for Space ...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

'Water brings life': Plans to revive Tulare Lake take shape in the San Joaquin Valley

Tulare Lake was drained by farmers more than a century ago, and it has reappeared only rarely when floods have reclaimed farmlands in its ancient lake bed in the San Joaquin Valley.

Now, a coalition of tribal leaders, community activists and environmental advocates has begun an effort to restore the lake. They have been discussing a proposal to...Read more

Purplish creature found in volcanic fjord is new species named after Darth Vader

In the waters of Papua New Guinea’s Tufi region, known for its dramatic volcanic fjords, an unusual fish sat perched on a massive rocky coral outcrop.

The fish, with large yellow eyes and a “distinctive purplish-black coloration,” was a new species of dwarfgoby, according to a study published July 3 in the Journal of the Ocean Science ...Read more

Jim Vondruska/Getty Images North America/TNS

In Texas, Florida and across the globe, warmer climate makes flooding 'more unprecedented'

As the Texas flooding death toll reached 95 on Monday — at least 27 of them children — and Tropical Storm Chantal prompted dozens of water rescues in North Carolina, some Floridians were reminded of the disastrous “rain bomb” in 2023 that hit faster and harder than any hurricane in living memory.

Though no one died from the 2 feet of ...Read more

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

We still rely on gasoline. Why is California adding to the cost and the pollution?

California is a state of contradictions. We lead the nation in environmental regulation, tout our clean energy goals with pride and champion a rapid transition away from fossil fuels. Yet despite this green image, our economy — and daily life — still very much run on oil and gas.

Fossil fuels account for roughly 8% of California’s $3 ...Read more

Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health/TNS/TNS

NIH budget cuts threaten the future of biomedical research -- and the young scientists behind it

Over the last several months, a deep sense of unease has settled over laboratories across the United States. Researchers at every stage — from graduate students to senior faculty — have been forced to shelve experiments, rework career plans, and quietly warn each other not to count on long-term funding. Some are even considering leaving the ...Read more

Wirestock/Dreamstime/TNS

'Killer Bees' swarm close to Georgia border

Killer bees are abuzz at the Georgia border.

Spotted in Barbour County, Alabama, just over the Chattahoochee River from Georgia, Africanized bees — a hybrid between European and African honey bees — are known for their aggression and ability to sting people to death. The Alabama county is across the river from Georgia’s Quitman County, ...Read more

Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

Space Force command shifts on the Space Coast

The Space Force officer in charge of overseeing each launch on the Space Coast has changed hands.

Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen handed off some of her duties, including the roles of commander for Space Launch Delta 45 and director of the Eastern Range, to Space Force Col. Brian Chatman.

The change of command ceremony took place on June 26 ...Read more

RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post/TNS

A conceptual breakthrough has emerged for the Colorado River's future. Here's what it looks like

DENVER — After months of stalemate, glimmers of hope have emerged for consensus on a new plan to manage the shrinking Colorado River.

Negotiators from the seven river basin states said in a series of meetings in recent weeks that they were discussing a plan rooted in a concept that breaks from decades of management practice. Rather than ...Read more

David & Anita Roche/American Meteor Society/TNS/TNS

Was that an explosion? A plane crash? No, it was a meteor over Georgia

ATLANTA — A massive boom and rattling disrupted what had seemed, at least to that point, like a normal day in metro Atlanta.

Within the span of 25 minutes, the 911 lines in Newton County lit up with anxious callers.

One of the first calls on that June 26 afternoon came from Martha Rooks Alexander, a 70-year-old woman who lives near Covington...Read more

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America/TNS

SpaceX is planning to build a new project in Florida, records say. See plans

Could SpaceX extend its Florida footprint?

The commercial spaceflight company filed preliminary paperwork to build a satellite communications facility in Myakka City, according to Manatee County records. SpaceX, which Elon Musk founded in 2002, has become a leader in aerospace and is known for its rocket launches and partnership with NASA.

The...Read more

Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America/TNS

Hertz customer hit with $440 charge after AI inspection at Atlanta airport

Within a few months of Hertz announcing the launch of artificial intelligence for vehicle inspections, starting at the Atlanta airport, the car rental company is facing some backlash after a customer reported getting hit with a $440 charge for a scuff on a wheel.

The Drive, a car news and reviews website, reported in June that a Hertz customer ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

'Speech-police regime': Big Tech trade group sues Minnesota over social media transparency law

Social media companies like Meta, Snapchat and X are scheduled to start sharing more information with consumers about usage rates and content practices under a new Minnesota transparency law that took effect Tuesday.

A powerful trade association and lobbying firm representing Big Tech wants to block the requirements, arguing in a federal ...Read more

Overnight Canaveral launch marked 500th for SpaceX Falcon 9

An early Wednesday morning launch on the Space Coast marked the 500th time SpaceX has flown its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, reusing the fleet-leading first stage booster for a record 29th time.

The latest flight with a payload of 27 Starlink satellites lifted off Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:28 a.m. coming ...Read more

snakebyte/TNS

Roundup: Snakebyte’s Nintendo Switch 2 accessories are hit and miss

Now that fans have the Nintendo Switch 2 in their fans, they’re looking for ways to keep it looking new, and an onslaught of accessories have flooded the market, catering to every taste imaginable. Snakebyte sent over its collection of accoutrements for the latest portable console.

They include products such as the Fast Charging Cable S2, ...Read more

Jim Rossman/Jim Rossman/TNS

Does your TV have Bluetooth?

This week a reader writes, “We are an all-Apple family, except for my hearing aids (which do connect to my phone and iPad). How many different Bluetooth devices can I connect to my iPad? (One at a time!) I’m thinking about Air Pods for listening to our TV and listening to podcasts from my iPad. (TV Bluetooth signal to AirPods)."

Your iPad, ...Read more

Spyra/Spyra/Spyra

Gadgets: A high-tech water gun for adults

Water guns are typically geared toward the younger crowd. That's not the case with the Spyra SpyraThree water blaster.

I can attest that it is an endless source of enjoyment for adults. The SpyraThree Pro model is the pinnacle of their water blaster technology, and it's fantastic. The powerful water gun runs off an internal USB-C rechargeable...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

As companies embrace AI, these leaders offer tips to make it better

In 2025, it seems like just about everyone is talking about artificial intelligence and its myriad potential uses.

“I have never seen any buzzword so quickly adopted,” said Leila Rao, founder of Decatur, Georgia-based organizational change consultancy AgileXtended. Rao helps guide companies through a variety of organizational changes, ...Read more

David Guralnick/The Detroit News/TNS

Let AI explain why Tesla's critics are losing

Almost everything said about Tesla Inc. these days ranges from bad to worse.

The majority of 61 analysts following the electric vehicle and clean energy company led by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk say investors should avoid buying the stock. Plummeting sales at home and abroad underscore Bloomberg Intelligence research showing 31% of car ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Miami firm partners with JPMorgan Chase to bring AI-powered strategic consulting to small businesses

A partnership between JPMorgan Chase and Miami-based firm Consulting IQ is set to reshape the landscape for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), providing them with access to high-level strategic consulting tools powered by artificial intelligence.

The platform offers SMBs a wide range of capabilities—from developing strategies in sales, ...Read more