Surveillance
The University of California, Irvine sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in federal court for information on its $90 million Palantir surveillance, data mining and analysis systems.
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Fossils Reveal Early Dinosaur Smaller Than a Cellphone
Meet Kongonaphon kely, a pocket-sized dinosaur forerunner that was smaller than your cellphone.
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New Evidence Leads to Digital Reconstruction of Key Medieval Shrine
The most important pilgrimage destination in medieval England has come back to life — albeit in digital form.
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Global Progress on Ending HIV/AIDS Derailed by Covid-19
A United Nations program aimed at eliminating HIV/AIDS released a report Monday showing that the global response to the epidemic has fallen far short of goals set for 2020, in large part due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Hive Genetics, Not Individual Traits, Dictate Bee Aggression
In a study published Monday, scientists say genetics is second to the will of a honeybee hive and how aggressive soldiers will be to defend the hive.
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Crowded Bars Are ‘Perfect Place’ to Spread Virus
Authorities are closing bars in some parts of the United States to stem the surge of Covid-19 infections, a move backed by science about risk factors that go beyond wearing or not wearing masks.
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Fireworks Spew Toxins Into the Air, Scientists Find
If you ever find yourself holding your breath during a particularly thrilling Independence Day fireworks show, you might be better off: A study released Wednesday reveals common fireworks emit lead, copper and other toxins that can damage human cells and animal lungs.
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Study Reveals Major Flaws in Research Supporting Covid Antibody Tests
While many have lauded the potential value of antibody tests as the world continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic, a study released Wednesday indicates some of the tests are so flawed they shouldn’t be used.
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Forest Harvesting in Europe Threatens Climate Goals: Study
Annual forest harvesting in 26 European countries increased nearly 50% during 2016-18 compared to an average of the four previous years, a trend that could threaten the European Union’s climate goals, according to a study by the European Commission.
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Exposed Planetary Core Discovered 730 Light Years Away
Scientists believe they have discovered the remnant core of a gas giant about 730 light years away, providing astronomers a rare look into the interior of a planet.
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China Downplays Potential New Swine Flu Pandemic
China on Wednesday played down the threat of a new swine flu strain with pandemic potential that researchers discovered in pigs, saying the study is “not representative.”
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A Cosmic Mystery: Telescope Reveals a Massive Star Has Gone Missing
Astronomers believe a massive star within the Kinman Dwarf galaxy has disappeared, and there are two possible explanations: either the giant, unstable star has been obscured by cosmic dust, or it is the first known star to collapse into a black hole without going supernova.
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Earth at Its Hottest in 6,500 Years, and Humans Are Mostly to Blame
The planet has not seen temperatures as high as they are now since the last ice age, due largely to human-induced factors such as increasing levels of greenhouse gases.
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More Than 20% of US Lives in a Virus Hot Spot
It’s been a frequent Trump administration talking point on the recent spike in Covid-19 infections: Don’t worry, only a small sliver of U.S. counties is at greater risk.
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Bias Against Women Driven by People Who Think It Doesn’t Exist: Study
Managers who believe gender discrimination is a thing of the past showed bias against women by suggesting a female job candidate be paid 8% less than an identically qualified man, according to new research.
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South Pole Warming Three Times Faster Than Rest of Planet
New research finds that the South Pole has heated up at three times the global average since 1989, likely due to changing temperatures in tropical seas and possibly intensified by greenhouse gas emissions.
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Soft Coral Garden Discovered in Greenland’s Deep Sea
A group of scientists announced Monday a breakthrough discovery of a deep-sea coral garden in the western waters of Greenland, the first of its kind to be found in the area.
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Mars Rover Mission Will Use AI to Help Scientists Sort Out Findings
A planned space probe mission to Mars in 2022 will use artificial intelligence to help scientists prioritize their time and attention as they try to figure out if there has ever been life on the planet, researchers at NASA said Thursday.
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Scientists Track Pesticide Resistance in Malaria-Carrying Mosquitoes
In the war to control malaria, disease-spreading mosquitoes are fighting back.
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Iran TV Broadcast 355 Coerced Confessions for Social Control
Iranian state television has broadcast the coerced confessions of at least 355 people over the past decade as a means to suppress dissent and frighten activists in the Islamic Republic on behalf of security services, according to a report released Thursday.
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