Featuring the latest in daily science news, Verge Science is all you need to keep track of what’s going on in health, the environment, and your whole world. Through our articles, we keep a close eye on the overlap between science and technology news — so you’re more informed.
The boom could be heard across several states and shook houses.
The biggest public offering ever is financial nihilism’s final form.
Copilot Health, first announced in March, is now open to Microsoft 365 subscribers. Microsoft says they can use it to find doctors and get insights on data from connected medical records, wearables, and other apps like Apple Health, similar to health AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic.
[Microsoft Copilot Blog]
Biohackers say drugs can help you be your best self. It’s hard to spot when they’re not telling the whole truth.
Blue Origin has warned that “debris from our recent hotfire anomaly may wash ashore in the coming days/weeks,” and says that people shouldn’t touch or approach it “for your safety.” If you do encounter any wreckage, you can report the location here:
Call: 1-321-222-4355
Email: MissionRecovery@blueorigin.com
Recently grounded after issues with its third mission, the New Glenn rocket intended to launch the NG-4 mission has suffered an “anomaly,” exploding at Cape Canaveral during a hotfire test just after 9PM ET.
Blue Origin said, “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
Well, I was too busy putting the finishing touches on my feature about the Enhanced Games to notice that the company is now offering a $10 million prize for sprinters who can break Usain Bolt’s 100m record of 9.58 seconds at the Enhanced Games 2027. Oh boy. Here we go.
On the ground at the invite-only ‘Steroid Olympics’ in Vegas, where the athletes are the experiment.
AI data center projects are continuing to pop up across the US, with frequent opposition from locals concerned about their impact. Here are a few recent articles about the projects:
The environmental activist and former legal clerk who’s life was made into a movie in 2000 is also logging local complaints about data center projects in their communities. Brockovich writes:
“The RACE to build AI infrastructures is unfolding town by town across America. In some places, data centers are welcomed. In others, they are delayed, contested or abandoned altogether. This MAP captures the real-world footprint of that race — revealing patterns of growth, conflict and uncertainty.
[Brockovich Data Center Reporting]
Spicy chatbot startup Joi AI says it’s hiring 10 “masturbation consultants” to test new “daily audio-guided sessions” with an AI-generated voice. If you fancy trying your hand, you’ve until the end of the week.
Own a fancy telescope but can’t escape light pollution to make the most of it? There are businesses popping up like Starfront Observatories in Rockwood, Texas, that allow you to rent a spot and remotely snap some starry shots over a high-speed data connection.
The latest update on an overheating tank filled with an estimated 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate is that firefighters were still trying to determine if some pressure had been released, after discovering a crack that could lessen the risk of a BLEVE, or Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion.
ABC 7 reports that more than 50,000 people in Orange County have had to leave their homes since the leak was discovered at the GKN Aerospace facility on Thursday.
Update (11:48AM ET): The Orange County Fire Authority says that it now believes the threat of a BLEVE is “off the table,” with pressure and temperature in the tank dropping.
The agency is looking to partner with filmmakers, musicians, writers, poets, and artists to help tell the story behind programs such as the Artemis Moon missions and the Space Reactor-1 Freedom mission to Mars. But get your proposals in ASAP, the window closes on Tuesday, June 30th.
The crisis at an aerospace plant has entered its second day. The tank is on the brink of catastrophic failure, and a state of emergency has been declared. Additional shelters have been opened for the roughly 50,000 people under evacuation. For up-to-date reporting, head to The New York Times, NPR, or CNN.
After a scrubbed launch on Thursday, SpaceX’s first V3 Starship left Pad 2 at Starbase on Friday evening.
SpaceX is now preparing to go public, and a lot of its big promises hinge on the development of vehicles like the next-generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicle launched today. The booster will not attempt a return this time, while the Flight 12 Starship is attempting to deploy 20 Starlink simulators and two “modified” Starlink satellites.
After being pushed back an hour, we were a few minutes away from the scheduled 7:30PM ET opening of a 90-minute window for the 12th Starship flight test, before it was scrubbed about ten minutes later, saying they will try again tomorrow.
This is the first test flight since SpaceX and its most significant risk factor filed for a massive IPO yesterday, the first attempt for new “next generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles,” and the first launch scheduled from a new Pad 2 at the Starbase in Boca Chica, TX.
Randomized trial results of the experimental GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon drug shows that it may be too effective, while causing a whopping 11% of participants at the highest dose to drop out because of the severity of the side effects. In Optimizer, Victoria Song covered TikTok influencers pushing grey market knockoffs of “Ratatouille” and attempted to find out what was actually in them. (Please don’t buy shady “Retatrutide” from the internet.)
The rocket company says it’s ‘highly dependent’ on Musk’s leadership. And that his other companies are possible competitors.
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis made a bold claim at this year’s I/O keynote. Not so fast!
It’s rolling out now in partnership with Instacart to more than 25 US cities, with car rentals joining private car hires later this summer:
Have groceries waiting at your Airbnb when you arrive, or order them any time during your trip. In select cities, hosts can even receive the order and pre-stock your home before you check in. Airbnb guests get $0 delivery and $10 off an order of $50 or more.
Kevin O’Leary wants to cover 40,000 acres. Residents say, ‘Not in my backyard.’
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced the Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act, which would put new requirements on “energy-intensive facilities,” in an effort to lower the strain on the energy grid. It doesn’t yet have co-sponsors, but hits on an issue that’s become central to many communities and elections.
Turns out one of Trump’s top infectious disease officials is a former penile implant specialist, which is odd considering some of the administration’s other policy positions.
Ada:
I’m surprised that a Trump official has such an interest in gender affirming care.
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Single-use vapes were banned last year, but that hasn’t stopped the deluge. Six million vapes and vape pods are being thrown out there every week, and the sheer volume is proving impossible to keep up with. Plus, the lithium-ion batteries inside are causing fires. According to The Guardian:
Recycling them is not simple. Each bucket holds between 40 and 50 devices, and over the course of a shift, she gets through about half a bucket. Using a hammer, she has to smash each vape open, pry out the batteries and separate each component into a different container.
Sometimes the entire story about Trump and RFK’s attitudes towards public health is right there in the headline. CNN reports:
Before he joined the Trump administration last year, [Dr. Brian] Christine was an Alabama-based urologist who specialized in penile implants […] He’s said the Covid pandemic led to a wider government plot to control people, compared the Biden administration to Nazi Germany and suggested the Covid vaccine had little effect in stopping the pandemic.
Oh, and of course, “he once hosted a YouTube show called ‘Erection Connection,’ a professional YouTube series on erectile dysfunction for fellow urologists.”
Personalized health is the holy grail, but there’s a long way to go before algorithms can factor in chronic conditions.
Journal editors and peer reviewers are being flooded with AI-generated papers that are almost impossible to detect.
