The aerosol spray can has a storied history in the United States. It was first invented in the 1920s by U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists to pressurize insect spray. American soldiers eventually used the technology to help ward off malaria in the South Pacific during World War II. The aerosol spray cans today, while much smaller and more refined, are direct descendents of those original military-grade clunkers. Use of the cans for consumer applications took off during the ensuing decades, until the mid-1970s, when ozone depletion first came to the public’s attention....

When we think of soil, we often don’t get the sense that it’s alive, but it is in fact teeming with life—much of which remains hidden from our view. Given that most of us don’t have a fancy electron microscope on hand to explore the depths of good dirt, the “I’ll believe it when I see it” model might not cut it. Microscopic bacteria, archaea, fungi, nematodes, and protozoa all abound in a healthy soil substrate....

In 2018, an Italian team of researchers noted that the unusual way radar bounced off a region of the Red Planet might be explained by an underground lake about twelve miles in width and one mile below the surface of the Planum Australe region, near Mars’ South Pole. “Almost immediately, though, the skepticism in the science community started showing up,” says Isaac Smith, a planetary scientist at York University in Toronto, Canada, who led the new study, published in the Journal Geophysical Research Letters....

A UK study involving roughly 400 students, mostly aged 8-10 years, and a new generation of multi-touch, multi-user, computerized desktop surfaces is showing that over the last three years the technology has appreciably boosted students’ math skills compared to peers learning the same material via the conventional paper-and-pencil method. How? Through collaboration, mostly, as well as by giving teachers better tools by which to micromanage individual students who need some extra instruction while allowing the rest of the class to continue moving forward....

There are other moles, too. There’s the subterranean animal. Physicist Klaus Fuchs was a mole in the Manhattan Project, encrypting A-bomb secrets in messages from the United States to Moscow during World War II. There’s even one on Mars—mole is the name of a self-hammering spike belonging NASA’s InSight lander. It’s currently stuck about 14 inches deep in the Martian soil. But this story is about two other moles: The first is THE mole, as in 6....

There’s something so satisfying to the process of skewering wild game meat on a stick and watching it roast over a crackling fire. It is likely the same way that the majority of our ancestors prepared their food since ancient times. Whether fire-kissed meat is inherently tasty or we have been bred to enjoy its flavor, you cannot deny that it is delicious. Keep in mind though, that delicious doesn’t happen by accident....

The OMNIA Q5 5-in-1 Wireless Charging Station, the world’s first of its kind, helps streamline the lugging around of multiple cables and brings forth a powerful solution for anyone that would rather deal with just one charger. Even better, this nifty device is now on sale. Unlike most charging hubs, this charging station is designed to support iPads, iPhones, AirPods, and more simultaneously. While most wireless charges only power up one device at once, this device can charge up to five gadgets at a time — providing storage convenience and optimum charging capabilities to all your Apple devices, even while watching your favorite movie on your iPad....

Beyond social media, streaming platforms like Netflix and Roku say that they will no longer carry or broadcast certain Russian channels. Google, Microsoft and Apple have announced that they are barring RT-related mobile apps from their app stores in varying capacities. Apple said in a statement to PopSci that “RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens....

Beyond basketball, everyone had to get ready for April Fool’s Day. After all, the internet isn’t going to make itself unbearable terrible and unfunny by itself. Luckily, there’s an easy way to catch up on the tech news you may have missed and have some fun—by playing along with Techathlon. Here’s a rundown of what to expect from this week’s show. Or, you could just listen in the player above, subscribe via iTunes, add us on Stitcher, follow us on Anchor, keep up on Spotify, or get it wherever fine podcasts are served....

The concept of ”practice makes perfect” has been drilled into the heads of ambitious youths since the Roman Empire. Anyone can be the next LeBron James, Yo-Yo Ma, or Celine Dion as long as they can devote enough time to honing their craft. But can it be that simple? Not every expert agrees. While training is essential to learning, spending a chunk of your life trying something over and over doesn’t mean you’ll go pro, says Zach Hambrick, a psychologist at Michigan State University....

The rate of termite wood decomposition and consumption increases more than 6.8 times with every 10°C increase in temperature, a new study published Thursday in Science revealed. In comparison, microbial wood decay only doubles under the same rise in temperature. “It’s like if you go from, say, Boston to Miami, and if there’s a 10 degree [Celcius] increase in temperature, termites will respond by increasing their decomposition rates sevenfold,” says Amy Zanne, lead author of the new paper and biology professor at the University of Miami....

A classic conceptual difficulty for first-year physics students — and the public in general — is the idea that all objects (in the absence of significant air resistance) accelerate toward the ground at the same rate. This is not intuitively obvious; in fact, for over 1,000 years, between the time of Aristotle and Galileo, the general consensus was that heavier things fall faster. Much of the confusion was, and is, the result of the masking effect of air resistance....

The original marshmallow was named for the inclusion of marshmallow root in the recipe. The roots and leaves of the marshmallow plant contain mucilage, a slimy-textured demulcent best known for its use as a homeopathic cough suppressant. Marshmallow root is considered to be soothing and mildly antimicrobial. It has long been used as an herbal treatment for minor digestive issues and skin irritations, although its use in the creation of its namesake confection has long since fallen by the wayside....

To accomplish this, and make sure that soldiers can fight and move over the harshest terrain, the Army is turning to a lightweight nine-person transport known as the “Infantry Squad Vehicle,” which looks like a big jeep that can carry rucksacks on the top rack. On November 8, 2021, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks shared a brief video clip of her driving the ISV on twitter. The vehicle seats nine: two in the front, three in the second row, two people facing backwards behind the third row, and one person each facing outwards from the sides on the rear....

Charging and Power BOOST CHARGE Dual USB-C Wall Charger $41.24 with code (Was $54.99) BOOST CHARGE PRO GaN Wall Plate with USB-C ports $44.99 with code (Was $59.99) MagSafe Accessories BOOST CHARGE PRO 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand with MagSafe 15W $74.99 with code (Was $99.99) BOOST CHARGE MagSafe Magnetic Wireless Car Charger 10W $44.99 with code (Was $59.99) Cables BOOST CHARGE PRO Flex USB-C Cable with Lightning Connector $26.24 with code (Was $34....

Best overall: Anker Soundcore 3Best for bass: Sony SRS-XB13Best waterproof: UE Wonderboom 2Best for travel: JBL Clip 3 Best budget: Oontz Angle 3Best party speaker: Tribit XSound Mega How we chose the best budget Bluetooth speakers Many of the speakers recommended here have been personally tested by myself or our team, which is why we are able to confidently recommend this selection. We retested some of our personal favorites and compared them to new units from other reputable brands with a focus on sound quality....

Note: If you have moderate to severe alcohol use disorder, please see a healthcare provider before withdrawing, as it can be quite dangerous to detox at home by yourself. Best tequila alternative: Optimist Botanicals SmokeyBest NA Beer: Athletic Brewing Co. Craft Non-Alcoholic BeerBest gin alternative: Abstinence Spirits Cape CitrusBest aperitif: Ghia Best mood lifter: Crisp & CrudeBest cocktail alternative: Flyers Cocktails Best bundle: SeedslipBest celeb-made NA: De SoiBest whiskey alternative: RitualBest wine: Surely Non-Alcoholic Sparkling RoseBest wine alternative: ProxiesBest botanical spirit: Wilderton Botanical SpiritBest organic: Dhōs...

The infected woman is in her 60s and returned to Chicago from the central Chinese city of Wuhan on January 13, CDC officials said. She is in stable condition, a local health official said, and is remaining in hospital primarily to prevent the infection from spreading. She had “limited close contacts” with people after her return, officials say. They also say the woman identified herself to health officials soon after she got sick, because she suspected it might be the novel coronavirus....

Most of the CDC’s changes are based on its community level tool, which measures COVID risks in every US and Puerto Rican county and helps individuals determine the amount of protection they should use depending on where they live, go to work or school, and travel. In light of increasing immunity to the virus and variants like Omicron, the agency overhauled its benchmarks for three community levels: “high” (orange), “medium” (yellow), and “low” (green)....

If you’re simply wondering how your iPhone might change when you upgrade to iOS 13 when it drops in the fall, read on. Here are eight features worth noting. Dark Mode Many apps and operating systems now have a “dark mode” to replace the bright white default. The current operating system for Macs, Mojave, already offers it, as does Android 10. Now it’s coming to iOS 13. Want a preview of it?...