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Media Platforms Design TeamIf you get sick, you’re likely to feel tired, sleep more and act differently. The same goes for animals such as cattle. And since cows can’t tell farmers how they feel, researchers are using a variety of technologies to measure changes in animal behavior to diagnose illness before it causes more obvious and harmful symptoms. In a study published recently in the Annual Proceedings of the British Society for Animal Science Conference 2011, researchers at Newcastle University in the U....

One of the most ambitious warship classes in recent memory, the USS Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers are also the most advanced. The three destroyers—Zumwalt, Monsoor, and Johnson—combine stealth, advanced sensors, a revolutionary propulsion system, and the ability to operate drones and helicopters into a deadly platform that could rule the seas. Controversial in cost, armament, and purpose, the Zumwalts are now being repurposed by the U.S. Navy into assassins of the sea, killing enemy ships while staying hidden....

Media Platforms Design TeamNetflix, for so long a rival to the cable companies, might soon become a cable channel. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company is in talks to get into the set-top cable box that most American still use to consume TV, making it easier than ever to stream Netflix movies and shows. What does it mean?Netflix Made Itself a NecessityThe New York Times reminds us that cable companies once had hopes of defeating Netflix by building their own, better versions of the basic service....

Chinese army units working in rugged, mountainous border regions are getting some new firepower now that China’s new next-generation light tank has gone into service.The Type 15 tank is smaller and lighter than the existing main battle tanks of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), meaning it can traverse terrain heavier tanks can’t cross. According to the South China Morning Post, the vehicle is equipped with a 1,000-hp diesel engine, which will give it a sprightly 28-to-1 horsepower-to-weight ratio....

This weekend the United States and its allies launched a wave of missile strikes designed to cripple Syria’s chemical weapons capability, triggered by the Syrian government’s use of poison gas against civilians in rebel-held areas. Despite worries that Russian military forces deployed in an around Syria to support the government could intervene, Russian forces either did not oppose the strikes or did not detect them.The strikes were launched in response to news that the Syrian government had used both sarin and chlorine gas on civilians in the rebel-held town of Douma....

Media Platforms Design TeamJust hours before the Space Shuttle Atlantis was set to launch (read our “Live from Liftoff” blog here, with video), the space agency administrator sat down for a candid conversation with the editors of Popular Mechanics, sharing his thoughts on everything from the 2008 elections to NASA’s research on global warming, from living on Mars to how he “absolutely” wants NASA to partner with the private space industry....

It’s an understatement to say that we’ve been waiting a long time for the mid-engine Corvette. In fact, we drove one 31 years ago, for the September, 1988 issue. That car, the Corvette Indy, did presage the forthcoming ZR-1, since it used the LT5 32-valve V8. But the car’s seriousness, or lack thereof, is exposed by features like the transmission—an Oldsmobile Toronado automatic. Our editor, Tony Swan, acknowledged that the Corvette Indy could take on Ferrari and Lamborghini “if it ever reaches production....

Media Platforms Design TeamHow did you find out about Christiaan and his art? JARRED ALTERMAN I was following a band around Europe, making a cinéma vérité film. We were invited to Portugal, to the Convento São Francisco de Mértola, to write music and perform. We had a huge falling out, and that project was severed right there. But I formed this incredible relationship with Christiaan. Later in the year, he was visiting me in Brooklyn, and we started collaborating together....

The Arachnocampa luminosa is a fly that lives in damp caves in New Zealand. But in its pupal stage before it becomes a fly, it’s a glowing worm, one that uses bright lights to lure unsuspecting mayflys to get devoured whole. Wired has a collection of photographer Joseph Michael’s expedition to a number of these caves, whether they’re public tourist destinations or private, hard-to-access caverns. In many cases, the light from the pupa is enough to give a soft glow to the cavern, lighting the way for explorers....

Media Platforms Design TeamFly Me to the Moon may be the first digital 3D movie to get an all-3D theatrical release, but it certainly won’t be the last. What’s more, theatrical runs are just the beginning of a film’s revenue stream. And soon enough, studios will be looking for ways to cash in on 3D beyond the multiplex through TV broadcasts, airplane screenings, pay-per-view and DVD sales. That means bringing 3D off the big screen and onto the flat screen....

Media Platforms Design TeamNEW YORK — Perhaps it was fate: We were walking toward the parking lot to leavethe New York auto show’s second day of press previews on Thursday as a strong gust of wind blew the cover off of a little, red roadster parked on a side street. We went back to investigate, and discovered the L1X-75, a 600-hp, carbon-fiber rocket that’s powered by nothing more than your 110 outlet....

Media Platforms Design TeamWho says you need a rocket to access space? There have been plenty of alternative means of getting into space proposed over the years that don’t employ traditional chemical rocket engines. The list presented here isn’t exhaustive but representative, and they fall into four broad categories—cannons, external-energy vehicles, static structures and dynamic structures.CannonsThe original concept for this came from Jules Verne, in his book From the Earth to the Moon, in which his lunanauts ride to their destination inside a luxuriously appointed gunpowder cannon shell that is blasted all the way to our sister orb....

It’s a bold claim: half of the Kepler Space Telescope’s big haul of new planets aren’t planets at all. Instead, they’re small or failed stars. That’s the kind of takeaway it’s easy to get from the recent press release from the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço in Spain. It says that half of the objects in Kepler’s candidate catalog are likely eclipsing binary stars or brown dwarfs, rather than Jupiter-or-larger gas giants, meaning that something like 52 percent of the planet candidates aren’t planets at all....

Just when you thought it was safe to top off your gas tank, we’re seeing a rapid rise in the price of gas. I hope it didn’t catch you by surprise, and I hope you’ve budgeted for even higher prices. That’s because the International Energy Agency just issued a warning regarding crude oil stocks. In short, they’re declining, and quickly. They’re still in the upper range of the average, but what’s catching the traders’ eyes is the decline, not the fact that supplies remain relatively high....

Of all the exoplanets, planets outside of Earth’s solar system, discovered in recent years, one that’s captured some of the most attention is Kepler-186f. It’s often described as one of the “most Earth-like” of all exoplanets discovered and a new study just adds to the case. A new look at Kepler-186f’s axial tilt, also known as obliquity, is stable just like Earth’s. Having a stable axial tilt means that the planet likely has both a stable climate and changing seasons....

Media Platforms Design TeamIf you’re a fan of director David Cronenberg’s films (Scanners, The Fly) then you’ll relish his first novel, Consumed. At the heart of the story are Naomi Seberg and Nathan Math, freelance Web journalists investigating the gruesome death of Célestine Arosteguy and the disappearance of her husband/potential murderer, Aristide. Add in ample doses of violence, virtual voyeurism, a few dashes of experimental surgery and geopolitical philosophizing, and more than a hint of cannibalism and you’ll get a good sense of the disconnected world that the author has rendered....

The Polestar 2 will be the first all-electric vehicle from Polestar, a sub-brand spun off of Volvo. Not much about the car itself is public yet, but thanks to a new demo of the infotainment system, we have some idea of what it’ll be like to be behind the wheel. The car will use one of the first Google-based automotive operating systems. And if the final product looks anything like the new demo, then this marks the beginning of what we hope is an industry-wide turn away from the maximalist, multiscreen interfaces you see in almost every modern car....

If you’re a car enthusiast who’s been frustrated with the lack of vehicle options, get ready for some good news: Ford has designed the latest car emoji and it’s a cute little pickup truck that looks like a mix of a Ranger and older F-150 models. View full post on YoutubeThe emoji, which was pitched to the Unicode Consortium—who were unaware that it was created by Ford—was short-listed by the organization and is set to be on iPhone keyboards by 2020....

Research shows that air bags have likely saved at least 8,000 lives since they were first introduced in the early 70s. But they’re still explosive devices. YouTube channel Giaco Whatever decided to take a look at what that explosion really looks like, in slow motion.View full post on YoutubeThe results are dramatic. The term airbag isn’t even exactly accurate because when they expand, they do with nitrogen gas. “We don’t like to use the word ‘explosion’ around here,” Ken Zawisa, the global airbag engineering specialist at GM tells Car And Driver....

NASA has been seeking a “down payment” for a new program that would return astronauts to the moon by 2024, in addition to establishing a long term base there in 2028.Congress is skeptical the mission will happen in time.NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine warned that by 2028, the political will for a return to the moon might run out.Both Democrats and Republicans on the congressional subcommittee that funds NASA expressed deep skepticism about the agency’s plans for an acceleration of its Artemis program, which would see humans land on the lunar surface by 2024....