Tech NewsBest of the Week

Sleep Science, DIY Submarines, and Infectious Kissing Bugs: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week

The end of summer is fast approaching, though the fun in the sun is coming to an even swifter conclusion for some of us: Take the tale of Paul Ceglia, the man who allegedly used forged documents naming him as a Facebook co-owner to try and rip off CEO Mark Zuckerberg in court. This week, … Continued

EartherConservation

Wow, Americans Are Selling a Lot of Dead Giraffes

A new report is drawing attention to fact that thousands of giraffe parts are imported into the U.S. for sale each year—which is extremely legal and fine according to U.S. and international law. Wait, what?! The report, which the Humane Society published Thursday following an investigation into the U.S. giraffe market, found that market to … Continued

EartherConservation

Balloons Are Bad—Should We Ban Them?

Balloons are synonymous with celebrations, birthdays, and giddy joy. But now some environmentalists are launching an all-out war on them. From university campuses to entire island communities, balloon bans are becoming a thing. The issue gained national prominence this week as one southern university launched back into classes—without its historic tradition of releasing balloons. It’s … Continued

EartherConservation

Cute, Cheap, and Popular Exotic Pets Most Likely to Be Released Into the Wild

Baby iguanas, Chinese water dragons, or even ball pythons are undoubtedly cute and tempting to own as pets. But these popular reptiles don’t stay small forever. And according to new research, they are precisely the kind most likely to be released into the wild by humans. The exotic pet trade is by far the biggest way non-native … Continued

Earther

What Ancient Maya Forests Can Tell Us About Our Future

More than 3,000 years ago, the ancient Maya spread across the Yucatán Peninsula and neighboring areas, clearing rainforest for agriculture and cities as they went. Though their civilization mysteriously collapsed around the ninth century, it left an indelible mark on the region’s tropical rainforests, one that presents a warning to people clear-cutting the tropics today. … Continued

EartherConservation

Social Media Might Not Ruin Nature, After All

Once pristine natural places become Instagram famous, everything changes. Lonely trails clog with hikers; empty forest pools fill with swimmers. Some have argued that the meshing of social media with the outdoors could cause locations to be loved to death, or even fundamentally taint outdoor recreation itself. But painting our obsession with digital documentation as … Continued

EartherClimate Change

Report: The White House Is Using California Wildfires as a Pretext to Seize Control of State Waterways

Donald Trump’s administration has moved to have the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration take control of California water management under the official rationale of fighting the state’s rampaging fires, saying that the water “should be prioritized for wildfire response instead of endangered species protections,” ABC News reported on Wednesday. Of course, state officials say that … Continued

Tech NewsBest of the Week

AC Lung, Space Stairs, 3D Guns and the Quietest Place on Earth: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week

August 2018 rolled in with a bang, literally, as explosions rocked Caracas, Venezuela on Saturday during a speech by President Nicolas Maduro—and government officials later said bomb-carrying drones were to blame. If the accounts of an attempted assassination using unmanned aerial vehicles is confirmed, the New York Times wrote, it would be the “first such … Continued

EartherConservation

That Mourning Orca Whale Mother Should Be a Wake-Up Call

Ten dreadful days. That’s how long Tahlequah, the female orca also known as J-35, has been carrying her dead calf in mourning through the Pacific Northwest’s Salish Sea. The female baby orca lived a mere half hour after being born July 24. Its body has begun to decompose, but that hasn’t kept the mother from … Continued

EartherConservation

Nearly All Lemur Species Are Now Facing Extinction

I gotta admit, I didn’t know too much about lemurs until I watched “Madagascar.” Even then, all I noticed was how cute and cuddly they were. I should’ve been paying closer attention because the world’s lemur species are on the brink of extinction. Soon “Madagascar” may be all we have left to remember them by … Continued

ScienceBiology

Arctic Cruise Line Staff Reportedly Shoot and Kill Polar Bear After Attack on Guard

Guards for Arctic cruise line passengers shot and killed a polar bear on the island of Spitsbergen in the remote Svalbard region of Norway, resulting in condemnation on social media and swift apologies from the tour operator. Per the Guardian, the Joint Rescue Coordination for Northern Norway tweeted that tourists on board the MS Bremen … Continued

EartherConservation

Lions Attack Last Survivor of Failed Black Rhino Transport

Remember when Kenyan Wildlife Services royally fucked up when they were moving black rhinos earlier this month? You know, when 10 out of the 11 endangered rhinos died during a transport between national parks? Somehow the story has taken a turn for the worse. The lone survivor was injured after lions attacked it. Kenya’s Cabinet … Continued

EartherConservation

Scientists Terrorized Lizards With a Leaf Blower to Study Natural Selection

I’m not sure if lizards can experience PTSD, but if they can, I have every reason to believe this science experiment induced it. New research released on Wednesday in Nature chronicled a bizarre experiment involving lizards from Turks and Caicos, a stick, and a leaf blower. The goal? To study how hurricanes influence natural selection, of … Continued

EartherConservation

The Monkey That Inspired The Lorax Is Losing Its Trees

In 1971, Theodor Geisel, writing as “Dr. Seuss”, introduced readers to the Lorax, a grouchy, orange, mustachioed advocate for a habitat being destroyed by the Once-ler and his relatives in their quest for Thneed market saturation. The story has taught generations of schoolchildren that animals and plants depend on one another. And while it was … Continued

EartherConservation

Trump’s Endangered Species Act Overhaul Could Have a Weird Side Effect

The war on endangered species has intensified since Republicans took over all branches of the federal government. It intensified further when the Trump administration proposed a large overhaul of the Endangered Species Act this week. Ironically, the biggest change could lead to more species being declared endangered. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced three … Continued

Tech NewsNews

Report: Elon Musk Dragged the Sierra Club Into Helping Him on Twitter and It Didn’t End Well

Elon Musk probably hopes the matter of him baselessly smearing one of the divers who helped rescue a Thai soccer team from a flooded cave complex as a “pedo guy” is resolved with his issuance of a half-assed apology on Wednesday. However, the question of whether he will face a lawsuit lingers on—as does the … Continued

EartherConservation

We’d Brave the Post Office to Use These Amazing New Shark Stamps

A set of new shark-themed stamps including species of global conservation concern could make your next trip to a post office somewhat exciting—if you live in Canada, that is. Five shark species that inhabit Canadian waters are highlighted in Canada Post’s latest set of stamps. From the enormous basking sharks to the elusive, long-lived Greenland … Continued

ScienceBiology

Jaguar Escapes New Orleans Zoo Enclosure, Kills At Least Seven Other Animals Before Capture

A three-year-old male jaguar named Valerio escaped its enclosure at New Orleans’ Audubon Zoo on Saturday and was successfully sedated and captured, but not before it managed to maul and kill several alpacas, an emu, and a fox, CNN reported. According to CNN, zoo staff reported seeing Valerio outside his enclosure at around 7am local … Continued

EartherConservation

Eight Critically Endangered Black Rhinos Are Dead After Botched Translocation [Updated]

In news that is appalling even by the standards of 2018, multiple outlets are reporting that eight black rhinos are dead after an attempt to translocate them to a wildlife park in southern Kenya last month. Black rhinos are the third most endangered rhino species on Earth, with only 5,000-5,500 of the majestic creatures left, … Continued

EartherConservation

Salamanders May Not Be as Screwed as We Thought

Hidden throughout Southern Appalachia is the world’s most diverse salamander population. But while these small amphibians have long been considered vulnerable as climate change shrinks suitable habitats, new research suggests that in at least some parts of the salamander capital of the world, the creatures may be able to hack their way into surviving a hotter … Continued