A brief history of the traffic light and why we need a new colour | Science and Technology News

A brief history of the traffic light and why we need a new colour | Science and Technology News

The universally known traffic light has not experienced a significant redesign in almost 100 years, ever since William Pott, a Detroit police officer, created the first three-section traffic light in the United States in 1921. Now, say experts, the rise of driverless cars means that a new set of safety…

Ancient humans lived in East Timor 44,000 years ago, archaeologists find | History News

Ancient humans lived in East Timor 44,000 years ago, archaeologists find | History News

Stone artefacts and animal bones found in a deep cave in northern East Timor offer new insights into where ancient humans lived more than 35,000 years before Egyptians built the first pyramids. Archaeologists from Australian and United Kingdom universities say thousands of stone artefacts and animal bones found in a…

Are seed-sowing drones the answer to global deforestation? | Environment News

Are seed-sowing drones the answer to global deforestation? | Environment News

Santa Cruz Cabralia, Bahia, Brazil – With a loud whir, the drone takes flight. Minutes later, the humming sound gives way to a distinctive rattling as the machine, hovering about 20 metres above the ground, begins unloading its precious cargo and a cocktail of seeds rains down onto the land…

Boeing’s jets turn 70: A timeline of highs, lows and turbulence | Aviation News

Boeing’s jets turn 70: A timeline of highs, lows and turbulence | Aviation News

On May 14, 1954, Boeing, now one of the world’s largest commercial aerospace companies, unveiled its first commercial jet-powered passenger plane, the Model 367-80 prototype, at its Renton Field plant on the south shore of Lake Washington in Washington state, where jetliners are still produced today. The 367-80 would eventually…

US university ties to weapons contractors under scrutiny amid war in Gaza | Israel War on Gaza News

US university ties to weapons contractors under scrutiny amid war in Gaza | Israel War on Gaza News

Los Angeles, California – As the war in Gaza enters its eighth month, Israel’s military campaign, one of the most destructive in modern history, has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The death toll, as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, has many progressive…

Scientists discover sperm whale ‘phonetic alphabet’ | Science and Technology News

Scientists discover sperm whale ‘phonetic alphabet’ | Science and Technology News

Study reveals whale clicks make up building blocks of language, pointing to potential parallels with human society. Scientists studying sperm whales have discovered that they communicate through a sort of “phonetic alphabet”, enabling them to build a rough equivalent of what humans refer to as words and phrases. The study,…

TikTok owner ByteDance files lawsuit against US law forcing app’s sale | Social Media News

TikTok owner ByteDance files lawsuit against US law forcing app’s sale | Social Media News

ByteDance, the owner of the social media platform TikTok, has filed a lawsuit against the United States government in an effort to block a law that would force it to divest from its US assets. On Tuesday, lawyers for ByteDance filed the complaint in the US Court of Appeals in…

Are Chinese electric vehicles taking over the world? | Explainer News

Are Chinese electric vehicles taking over the world? | Explainer News

Western car makers, already bruised by the scramble among themselves for a share of the electric vehicle (EV) market, are facing a much more fearsome foe – China and its aggressive investment into the sector. Tesla, perhaps the best-known of the EV manufacturers in Western markets, saw first-quarter sales down…

The Max Planck Society must end its unconditional support for Israel | Israel War on Gaza

The Max Planck Society must end its unconditional support for Israel | Israel War on Gaza

We, a diverse group of employees at the Max Planck Society (MPS), Germany’s top research institution, are writing this letter to express our disapproval of the position our employer has taken on Israel-Palestine and call for a serious change in discourse, both within the MPS and in Germany as a…