How Do You Find Plutonium? Go To Nuclear Inspector School
A nuclear agreement with Iran hinges on the work of nuclear inspectors. Here's a close-up look at how they train to do their job.
Science
Don't Bug Out! Ebay Auction Lets Bidders Name New Moth Species
Proceeds go to the Western National Parks Association, which hopes the naming rights will "break the stigma against the moth."
Historic Chemistry Lab With Links To Thomas Jefferson Discovered Behind Wall
The "chemical hearth," dating back to the 1820s, was unearthed by workers doing renovations on the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. It is thought to be one of very few such labs still surviving.
Shall I Compare Thee To An Algorithm? Turing Test Gets A Creative Twist
Can a computer program craft passable prose — something readers can't distinguish from human-authored stuff? How about poetry, or dance mixes? New contests pose those challenges.
Q&A: What Machines Can Learn From People And We Can Learn From Them
Should artificial intelligence mimic human behavior? The executive in charge of developing future generations of IBM's Watson tackles that and other questions about the limits and powers of AI.
University Of Vermont's Ban On Bottled Water Backfires
The University of Vermont banned the sale of bottled water on its campus in 2013 to cut down on single-use bottles in the waste stream. But the number of plastic, single-use bottles being shipped to campus went up, and students ended up using more single-use bottles and drinking less healthy beverages out of them. Now the university is trying to figure out how to balance sustainability and nutrition in on-campus beverage sales.
Sexual Harassment Case Shines Light On Science's Dark Secret
Renowned astronomer Geoffrey Marcy resigned this week after accusations that he sexually harassed students became public. Researchers are asking why so little is done to stop harassment in science.
Hunter-Gatherers Don't Get More Sleep Than We Do, Study Finds
A new study shows people living in hunter-gatherer societies don't get any more sleep than people in the more modern world, despite living without TVs, computers, cell phones and other electronic distractions.
Distant Pluto Comes To Life
When a probe skimmed past the dwarf planet in July, researchers expected to see a cold, dead world. New results published today show that Pluto is an active place.
Up Late? Looks Like Our Paleo Ancestors Didn't Sleep Much Either
It's tempting to think that our forebears got lots of blissful snooze time. But modern-day hunter-gatherers aren't getting more than 6.5 hours a night, researchers say. And that's without smartphones.