Yazdani started his professional life as a 14-year-old learning to repair television sets in pre-revolution Iran, but after he emigrated to the U.S., a class in quantum mechanics pulled him into science. Today, the desk-size scanning tunneling microscopes that he builds can cool a sample to just above absolute zero, seal it in a near-perfect vacuum, and block the faintest noises—seismic rumblings, cars driving past outside, even cellphone signals. As a result, he can continuously track single atoms for months at a time....

So you’ve passed your motorcycle training course, you’ve got your license and some new riding kit; now it’s time to find the perfect ride. It’s a bike you’ll always remember, so better make it a good one. While there are plenty of excellent new options on the showroom floor, the used market is flush with bikes that will keep you in your comfort zone without screaming newb. In fact, the bikes we’ve listed below are just plain cool, regardless of how long you’ve been in the saddle....

Operating system updates have gotten a lot more exciting in recent years. Whether it’s Android, iOS or Windows, fresh features from an update can make your gadget feel new again. The current 2018 Fall Windows Update is rolling out now. Here’s what you can expect with your download. The end of interrupting updates Windows has a bad reputation for installing updates and requiring restarts when it’s inconvenient. Now, however, the new version of the OS uses machine learning to figure out when you’re working to prevent an interruption....

Keeping your baking accessories handy, organized, and (as needed) portable will make sure you don’t waste time looking for what you need. The perfect way to tame your maxed-out pantry, this set is a dream for anyone who struggles with leaky flour bags, unknown amounts of half-empty brown sugar containers, and other symptoms of a disorganized and messy storage system. The Chef’s Path set comes with 6 BPA-free containers of varying sizes—the extra large end of the spectrum holds 18....

Here are some of our favorites on the market today. The Acer Chromebook easily adjusts into multiple positions, including laptop mode (a basic keyboard setup), display mode (best for streaming), and tablet mode (optimal for casual browsing). Designed with a sleek 11.6-inch HD display screen, this device comes with a super flexible hinge, which allows for 360 degree rotation. Bonus perks include 10 hours of battery life and 100 GB of Google Drive storage....

Here are four options that will give your baby (and the rest of the family) a peaceful night’s rest. Tuck your baby into this cozy white bassinet, which comes with a vibration setting and rocks gently back and forth when prompted. You can create an even more sleep-inducing atmosphere by making use of the nightlight and a variety of built-in soothing sounds and music tracks. There’s also a helpful storage basket underneath and locking swivel wheels, so you can easily move the bed from room to room....

The news cycle doesn’t sleep. And with stories constantly developing, one of the best ways to keep up is with your smartphone. Here’s how to follow the latest happenings with the apps already installed on your device, plus some third-party extras. By tweaking the settings, you can make sure you never miss breaking news. Depending on the make and model, Android phones may come with the Google app pre-installed, or even built-in....

“One of the greatest questions of humanity is whether we are alone in the universe,” says Rajdeep Dasgupta, a professor of earth, environmental, and planetary sciences at Rice University and a co-author of the new study. “To make life as we know it, critical chemical ingredients need to be available.” Hydrogen and oxygen are the most obvious elements since they can come together to make water, but other life-essential elements include carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur....

It wasn’t until the next day that Frey, a professor of environmental engineering at North Carolina State University and a consultant on the 26-person panel, received two forwarded emails from the EPA informing him that his expertise was no longer needed. The original panel created to study fine particulate matter—microscopic specks of dirt, soot, smoke, and other tiny pollutants—had been disbanded. The EPA also scrapped plans to assemble a similarly-sized expert group to review ozone, more commonly known as smog, a pollutant that constricts the airways and exacerbates respiratory conditions including asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis....

“It’s a highly anticipated moment in crypto,” explains Christian Catalini, the founder of the MIT Cryptoeconomics Lab. “We don’t see major shifts and changes to the governance and incentives model of a large cryptocurrency that often.” Here’s what’s going to happen. The problem with proof-of-work Bitcoin and Ethereum currently use a so-called proof-of-work algorithm to add new blocks to their blockchains. Whenever a new block is due to be added, computers (or “miners”) around the world compete to be the first to solve an incredibly hard math problem....

The final rule is just one of three “common-sense standards” set by the Obama administration on the oil and gas industry that the Trump administration is trying to discard, says David McCabe, an atmospheric scientist with the Clean Air Task Force. In addition to changing how the Bureau of Land Management rule regulates new and existing oil and gas operations on federal and tribal lands, the administration is focused on easing Environmental Protection Agency regulations of new oil and gas sites, as well as existing sites in areas with air pollution violating national standards....

Much as many of the park’s million or more yearly tourists do, she marvels at their strange beauty. “They have an amazing shape,” she says. She said they don’t bloom every year, but when they do it’s very special. “This year, the plants flowered earlier than most people had ever seen. Some plants started flowering in November, and then the number of trees in flower increased until springtime, when nearly every tree was in flower....

It’s an elegant way to avoid urban flooding: Lay down paving tiles that soak up rain and divert it from sewers to greenery. But that innovation, the Climate Tile, is just one of the problem-solving projects we’ve named the best engineering breakthroughs of 2018. There’s also a 3D printer slated to build affordable homes in impoverished areas, and a sea life sampler that lets biologists gather marine specimens without damaging their squishy bodies....

Densest: Osmium Element No. 76 is the heavyweight champion of Earth’s natural materials. It’s twice as dense as lead and has a jam-packed atomic structure and strong bonds that allow it to cram molecules together. Durable and stiffer than diamond, osmium makes for excellent pen nibs and record player needles. Rarest: Rhodium The world’s rarest—and unsurprisingly priciest—nonradioactive metal accounts for less than one part per 200 million of the planet’s crust and can cost up to 18 times as much as platinum....

Narwhal’s veterinarian, Dr. Brian Heuring, has never seen a dog with a second tail in his 16-year career, let alone with one sprouting from the middle of its head. “We see other congenital defects like cleft palates, extra toes, and what not, but nothing like this,” he says. Congenital defects are conditions that are present from birth. While some may result in physical, intellectual, or mental disabilities, Narwhal’s miniature unicorn horn, it appears, won’t cause him any issues....

There’s the Battle of the Ear: Designers carefully craft “earcons” that help us understand the digital process unfolding, while also reinforcing an individual brand identity. (That’s why every sent message “whooshes” in its own way.) In response, people have muted their devices; as I wrote earlier this year, I haven’t heard my phone ring or Slack ping in years. And don’t forget the Invasion of the Home Screen (counter attack: turn off push notifications), the Eyeball Offensive (consider dark mode), or the Siege of IGTV (delete the once-harmonious app?...

The nostril hair visualization is part of a strange campaign to raise awareness about the severity of air pollution in Asian cities. It is aptly titled the Hairy Nose campaign (Clean Air Asia probably figured that mildly offensive nostril hair was more compelling than a list of polluted cities?). Turns out that nose hairs aren’t completely random–in fact they’re pretty important in straining out the harmful things we breathe in....

Sun Joe Electric Indoor/Outdoor Patio Infrared Heater $199 (Was $249) Why it made the cut: This powerful infrared heater is adjustable to fit a range of spaces and works indoors and out. Specs: Dimensions: 72 inches L x 17 inches W x 6 inches HWeight: 53 poundsHeat: RadiantPower: Electric Pros: Covers 130 feet rangeWorks with remote controlTurns off automatically if it tips over Cons: Not aesthetically appealing Sun Joe’s powerful infrared heater will let you keep the party going outside through the winter....

Much has been learned about how the virus spreads including a list of factors known to increase the risk of infection. While most know of the two major routes of infection – unprotected sexual intercourse and intravenous drug use – researchers have also examined the potential of other factors in increasing the risk of infection during these activities. However, this challenge can be quite daunting and in some cases, may lead to more questions than answers....

Astronomers figured this out by taking snapshots of the universe at 2, 4, 6 and 9 billion years of age. (It’s 13.7 billion years old now.) The results show a clear decline in star-forming activity. A team led by David Sobral at Leiden Observatory studied the universe’s hydrogen-alpha emission line, which is a reliable indicator of star formation. They used Japan’s Subaru Telescope and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, and the Very Large Telescope in Chile, covering a huge portion of the sky....