Why Silicon Valley is seriously talking about exiting California (not 5%)
For those who have been watching the exodus of billionaires from California with some confusion, here’s what’s really causing concern: It’s not the 5% rate. As the New York Post highlighted on Friday, the proposed wealth tax would be taxed on shares that founders have voting rights in, rather than on shares they actually own. […]
Who will inherit the star? Space ethicists talk about what we’re not talking about
At a technology conference in Italy in October, Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos predicted that millions of people will be living in space “within the next few decades,” but said that “mostly” because they want to do it, and because robots are more cost-effective than humans when it comes to doing the actual […]
This is SPARDA. A self-destructive self-defense system in bacteria that could become a new biotechnological tool.
Although CRISPR ushered in a golden age of genetic research, there are hundreds of similar systems in nature that hold untapped potential for gene editing. Scientists have now made significant progress in explaining how a mysterious system called SPARDA works. The CRISPR system allows scientists to edit genetic information more easily than ever before. Although […]
Trump administration’s legal setbacks are good news for offshore wind and the power grid
The Trump administration suffered a series of legal setbacks this week after a judge allowed construction to resume on several offshore wind farms under construction on the East Coast. In December, the Interior Ministry ordered the suspension of five projects with a total capacity of 6 gigawatts, citing national security concerns. The judicial order will […]
Black Basta ransomware leader added to EU’s Most Wanted and INTERPOL Red Notices
Ravi LakshmananJanuary 17, 2026Law enforcement/cybercrime Law enforcement authorities in Ukraine and Germany have identified two Ukrainian nationals suspected of working for the Russia-linked ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group Black Basta. Additionally, authorities noted that the group’s alleged leader, 35-year-old Russian Oleg Evgenievich Nefedov (Нефедов Олег Евгеньевич), has been added to the European Union’s Most Wanted List and […]
Ocean builds first ocean robot to collect data on Category 5 hurricanes
Anahita Lavelac had aspirations of becoming an aerospace engineer, but her career took a different turn when a challenge in autonomous robotics inspired her to start Ocean, a company that builds fleets of robots to collect ocean data. In 2021, Lavelac, a well-known sailor, decided to build a robot and compete in the MicroTransat Challenge, […]
‘Not very attractive’: Pompeii’s bath facilities may have been contaminated with lead-contaminated water
Ancient Rome is well known for its advanced water systems and sanitary facilities, including public baths and toilets. But new research suggests that the first baths built in Pompeii may not have been particularly comfortable, as the dirty, contaminated water was changed only once a day. “It is very likely that the bathing experience in […]
This week’s science news: ISS medical evacuation, Mars sample return canceled, woolly rhino meat found in permafrost wolves
This week’s science news went way over our heads, as astronauts and space agencies made their way to the front pages. Topping the list is the early return of 11 International Space Station (ISS) crew members on Thursday (January 15) due to a medical emergency. News of the crew’s early return is the first in […]
How much of your body can you lose and still survive?
In the classic 1975 British comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur battles a mysterious Black Knight who refuses to let him pass. Arthur deftly defeats his enemy by cutting off their limbs one by one, but the knight is unwilling to admit defeat and insists that the damage is “just a […]
OpenAI shows ads on ChatGPT to logged in US adults on Free and Go plans
January 17, 2026Ravi LakshmananArtificial intelligence/data privacy OpenAI announced Friday that it will begin showing ads on ChatGPT to U.S. adult users who are logged in on both the free and ChatGPT Go tiers in the coming weeks, as the artificial intelligence (AI) company expands access to low-cost subscriptions globally. “People should know that their data […]