Gordon Bell, Legendary Designer of Computers, Dies at 89
C. Gordon Bell, a true visionary in the world of computing who helped design some of the first minicomputers in the 1960s, died May 17 at the age of 89,…
Researchers Develop Horrifying Face-Mimicking Robot
As advances in robotics and artificial intelligence continue, efforts to make robots less creepy and unsettling and more friendly and human-like are a coveted niche of development. Now, federally funded…
All the Citizen Science Projects You Can Participate in During the Eclipse
Several eclipse-focused projects are set to make big scientific contributions this coming Monday, April 8. While many projects are already in full swing, there’s still time for you to take…
Physicists Designed an Experiment to Turn Light Into Matter
Plasma could be wrangled to collide photons and yield matter, according to physicists who ran simulations to explore the practical applications of a world-famous equation. Gizmodo’s Top Five Gadgets of…
We Finally Know the True Power of BOAT—the Brightest Known Gamma-Ray Burst
The gamma-ray burst, affectionately dubbed ‘BOAT’ (Brightest of All Time), has been found to emit gamma-rays with energies reaching up to 13 teraelectronvolts, as revealed by a collaboration of scientists…
This peculiar galaxy has two supermassive black holes at its heart
As hard as it is to picture, with billions or even trillions of galaxies in the universe, entire galaxies can collide with each other. When that happens, one galaxy can…
Arecibo Observatory Prepares for Life After Astronomy
In December 2020, the Arecibo Observatory’s radio telescope was destroyed when a catastrophic cable failure caused its 900-ton platform to collapse onto the iconic dish below. Now, the National Science…
Hackers Force Shutdown of Two Key Astronomical Observatories
The International Gemini Observatory, a key player in global astronomical research, has temporarily halted astronomical operations following a cyberattack. The culprits and their motives remain unknown. Watch a Clip from…
Astronomers Uncover an Entirely New Way for Stars to Die
Gamma-ray bursts are extremely energetic explosions caused by some of the cosmos’ most remarkable objects: black holes, neutron stars, and the violent deaths of stars. Now, astronomers have found evidence…