Science, Technology, and Social Media

Thousands have climbed Mount Everest, and a handful of people have walked on the moon. But reaching the deepest part of the ocean? Only three people have ever done that, and one was a U.S. Navy submariner. In the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Guam and the Philippines, lies the Marianas Trench. At 35,814 feet below sea level, its bottom is ...

Another major headline-grabbing climate study suggesting oceans have warmed faster than previously thought is full of “factual errors and misleading statements,” according to independent scientist Nic Lewis. Lewis challenged the climate paper’s central arguments that more recent estimates of ocean heat content (OHC) are higher than those cited in the United Nations’ 2014 climate report which vindicated climate models thought ...

The New York Times is pushing the theory that cold snaps are becoming more frequent because of global warming. However, many scientists disagree that global warming is making U.S. winters colder. “Such claims make no sense and are inconsistent with observations and the best science,” said one scientist. Large swaths of the U.S. are experiencing the first “polar vortex” event ...

A bipartisan group of lawmakers are worried that so-called “deepfake” videos will be the next frontier for bad actors who attempt to spread disinformation online ahead of political elections. Artificial intelligence is making it easier for people to manipulate videos in a way that blurs the lines between fact and fiction, according to tech experts and a growing number of ...

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., (Jan. 19, 2019) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a critical payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) denoted NROL-71 lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6 on Jan. 19 at 11:10 a.m. PST. The mission is in support of our country’s national defense. Watch: “Congratulations to our team and mission partners for ...

By Erika Check Hayden, Knowable Magazine The young woman’s body was found in a ditch in Ohio in 1981. Detectives nicknamed her “Buckskin Girl” after the fringed leather jacket she wore, and for 37 years, no one knew her real name. Then, in March 2018, the detectives got a break. Two amateur sleuths had used a new method to compare ...

There’s no evidence the government shutdown is making weather forecasts less accurate, according to experts. The Washington Post reported the shutdown has impacted the accuracy of NOAA’s flagship weather model. However, NOAA and other meteorologists who fact-checked the claim found no evidence to back it up. More than 10 days ago, The Washington Post reported weather forecasts were less reliable ...

People most frequently post images on social media, followed by updates and videos. Facebook remains the top platform, but experts suggest social media marketers prepare for its influence to decline. Thirty percent (30%) of social media users interact on social media at least 10 times per day by either liking, sharing, or posting content, according to a new survey from The ...

The websites people use most varies among generations, a new survey finds. The data shows that Amazon’s user experience ranks high among all generations, though, and online navigation proficiency has improved overall.   All but some of the youngest consumers spend most of their social media time on Facebook. For those age 18 to 24, also known as “Generation Z,” ...

Facebook removed several hundreds of pages and accounts originating in Russian that pretended to be pages from Eastern European countries. The sites were operated by employees from Sputnik. Russia might be using its state-run media to create fake posts that appear to emanate from real newsrooms elsewhere, Facebook notes. The company dinged 364 pages and accounts from the Baltics, Central ...

Seventy-four percent of Facebook users have no idea the website keeps a list of their interests, preferences and traits according to a Wednesday survey revealing that many users are wholly unaware of the media space in which they operate. Upon learning that the site collects data about them based on their online interactions, 51 percent of users weren’t comfortable with ...

Mobile development seems to be gaining more and more popularity, as people started to prefer browsing the Internet on their smartphones and tablets rather than on their personal computers. The number of active mobile users boosted in the past year, 2018 marking around 3.5 billion active users that use their mobile phones more than their desktops. Users are looking for ...

By Bob Holmes, Knowable Magazine Most parents’ first glimpse of their children comes in ultrasound images taken months before birth. But ultrasound could soon offer much more than prenatal portraits. In the past few years, researchers have opened a new door for ultrasound, developing techniques that harness the familiar, safe and noninvasive sound waves to control genes, alter brain function ...

YouTube announced a ban Tuesday on videos that endorse dangerous pranks and challenges, which pose risks of injury or death. The move was not in response to a particular challenge, according to YouTube. “We heard feedback from creators that we could provide some clarity on certain Community Guidelines, so we published additional materials detailing when a challenge becomes too dangerous ...

Facebook is creating new rules limiting employee’s ability to change colleagues’ minds about politics and religion, Business Insider reported Tuesday, citing internal documents reflecting the change. The rules prohibit bullying, bans attempts to change employee’s politics or religion, and outlaw harassing speech, an internal Facebook memo said Monday. Employees have described the Silicon Valley company’s internal dealings in recent reports ...