A Computer Science Professor Invented the Emoticon After a Joke Went Wrong

In 1982, Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott Fahlman suggested using :-) for humorous comments after his colleagues took a joke about mercury seriously. [...]

How to Feed Astronauts Bound for Mars? Try Protein Made Out of Thin Air

It's a long trip to the red planet and space is tight, but eating well could require just a few simple ingredients. [...]

OpenAI report suggests GPT‑5 is starting to ease scientists’ daily workloads

OpenAI’s GPT-5 Science Acceleration compiles a series of case studies showing how researchers already use the model in real research. Beyond its upbeat framing, the report mainly offers an inside lo [...]

First revealed in spy photos, a Bronze Age city emerges from the steppe

An unexpectedly large city lies in a sea of grass inhabited largely by nomads. [...]

People Who Drink Bottled Water on a Daily Basis Ingest 90,000 More Microplastic Particles Each Year

Drinking water in plastic bottles contains countless particles too small to see. New research finds that people who drink water from them on a daily basis ingest far more microplastics than those who [...]

AI trained on bacterial genomes produces never-before-seen proteins

Genes with related functions cluster together, and the AI uses that. [...]

Science-centric streaming service Curiosity Stream is an AI-licensing firm now

Curiosity Stream's owner has more content for AI companies than it does for subscribers. [...]

The Climate Impact of Owning a Dog

My dog contributes to climate change. I love him anyway. [...]

New report warns of critical climate risks in Arab region

Foundations of daily life are being pushed to the brink by human-caused warming. [...]