Fraud rings using fake “bot” students have infiltrated America’s community colleges, stealing over $11 million from California’s system alone in 2024. The nationwide scheme, which began in 2021, targets open-admission institutions where scammers enroll fictitious students in online courses to collect financial aid disbursements. “We didn’t used to have to Read more…
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created what they believe is the largest single piece of lab-grown meat to date: a chicken nugget-sized chunk measuring 7 centimeters long, 4 centimeters wide, and 2.25 centimeters thick, weighing 11 grams. The breakthrough, reported today in Trends in Biotechnology, uses an artificial Read more…
WIRED: Professor Ramakrishnan, the crucial question in your book is why we die. But exactly what is death? Venki Ramakrishnan: By death, we mean the irreversible loss of the ability to function as a coherent individual. It is the result of the failure of a critical system or apparatus, for Read more…
Astronomers have detected what may be the strongest evidence yet of extraterrestrial life on K2-18b, a massive exoplanet orbiting a star 120 light-years from Earth. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers found significant concentrations of dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide in K2-18b’s atmosphere. On Earth, these sulfur compounds are Read more…
China is banning automakers from using the terms “smart driving” and “autonomous driving” when they advertise driving assistance features, and it will tighten scrutiny of such technology upgrades. The mandate on vehicle advertising was delivered by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in its meeting with nearly 60 representatives Read more…
A global gambling syndicate led by secretive Tasmanian gambler Zeljko Ranogajec and London bookmaker Bernard Marantelli successfully executed an unprecedented operation to claim a $57.8 million Texas lottery jackpot in 2023. The group, operating through a limited partnership called Rook TX, purchased 99.3% of all possible number combinations, printing over Read more…