While we were all busy watching The Martian, three Nobel Prizes — “the Oscars of Science” — were announced this week, and we explained the significance of the winners in chemistry, physics and physiology or medicine. Meanwhile, Microsoft introduced a slew of new gadgets, including the latest Surface laptop and Windows phones. Here are the highlights from this week.
Neutrinos Change Their Flavour and Snag Another Nobel Prize
Early this morning the world learned that the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald for discovering that neutrinos can change from one type to another, evidence that — contrary to prior scientific consensus — they must have mass.
Android Marshmallow Has Arrived — Here’s Why You’ll Want It
It’s been four months since we learned about the forthcoming release of Android Marshmallow, fka Android 6.0. Today, it begins rolling out to Nexus phones, and soon…the world. What will this much-hyped software release bring to your phone?
Lumia 950 and 950XL Hands-On: Hello Again, Windows Phone
Windows Phone has always been a conundrum. It’s a platform filled with good ideas (I always liked Live Tiles I admit), but something kept it from being my smartphone go-to. With the Lumia 950 and 950XL, I’m experiencing a serious case of déjà vu.
Surface Book Hands-On: Towards a More Perfect Laptop
So we haven’t really noticed it, but the laptop has been broken for years. That’s why the Surface — minus Book nomenclature — seemed so important when it dropped a few years ago. And Microsoft just proved how boring and futile laptops have become, by showing us a laptop that’s exciting. When is the last time you were legitimately stoked about a laptop? Like truly really pumped?
How NASA Helped Make The Martian‘s User Interfaces Realer Than Real
Filmmakers have invented fanciful spaceship technology for more than a hundred years. But for The Martian, director Ridley Scott went the opposite direction: He asked actual space explorers to help them imagine the technology of the near future.
The Best Little Porno Movie on the Internet [Very NSFW]
The other night, my friend Fivestar said, “Hey, I’m going to be directing a Star Trek gang bang movie, you want to visit the set?” Just in case you are wondering, the answer to that question should always be yes.
Meanwhile in the Future: Nobody Cares About Your Gender
Nerf balls are for boys. Dolls are for girls. Romance movies are for women, and action flicks for men. Nearly everything in our world is gendered in some way. But what if we lived in a world where gender was more like hair colour — something you could change at will, and that had little bearing on what other people thought of you?
5 Ideas That Could Change the Future of Trains
The Subway, the El, the Tube, the Métro: Trains have been transporting humans around cities since 1863. But too many public transit systems still run like they’re stuck in the 19th century. That needs to change.
The Best Real Knife That Will Fit In Your Wallet
Can a real knife that’s really sturdy, really useful, really safe and really durable fit in your wallet? These little guys from SOG, Boker and Zootility promise to do just that. Let’s put them to the test.
CSI: Cyber Is Back, and Still Chock Full O’Ludicrous Tech Tricks
The best-worst show about technology came back for its second-season premiere with 100% more Ted Danson and 1000% more dei ex machina driving its plotlines than before. The cast is slightly different, but the relentless corniness is simply amplified.
What Are the Unwritten Rules of Winning a Nobel Prize?
The Nobel Prizes are the “Oscars of Science,” making waves not only in the scientific community, but the lay community as well. Everyone knows there are unofficial rules to adhere to if you want to win an Oscar. Are there similar rules for the Nobels? We asked a Nobel predictor and one of the “pickers” for a prize, the winners of which tend to win Nobels, to give us the skinny on the nonscientific factors that go into picking the winner of a science prize.