Author Archives: Shane McGlaun

A Chinese scientist called He Jiankui claims to have used a gene-editing tool called CRISPR to modify the genetic material of twin baby girls born this month in China. Gene editing of this sort is banned in the US due to fear of the DNA changes being passed to future generations with the risk of harm to other genes. Some have denounced the researcher for human experimentation and claim that this sort of practice is too unsafe to try.

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Fiat has unveiled the new 2019 500X for the North American Market, and the company is aiming the ride at those on a budget wanting a safe crossover. The 2019 500X gets an all-new 1.3L direct-injection turbo engine with 177hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. Fiat fits that four with engine start-stop tech and MultiAir III valve actuation for fuel economy and reduced emissions.

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NASA has shared the very first image that the InSight mission has sent back to Earth after touching down yesterday. This image shows InSight sitting on the surface of the Red Planet, soaking up some sun. The craft has sent signals back to Earth that indicate its solar panels are open and collecting sunlight.

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A group of scientists has come up with a plan to stop global warming that doesn't involve cutting back on our emissions or being green. This plan involves dimming the sun by spewing sulfates into the lower stratosphere. What could go wrong?

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Mid-size truck fans will soon have one more ride to be excited about with the 2019 Ford Ranger hitting the market. We already know quite a bit about the truck with many of the details were announced previously. One thing that we didn't know about the truck was how fuel efficient it would be with its 2.3L EcoBoost four packing 270hp and 310 lb-ft of torque.

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Some of the best photography and video of the Earth available comes from the lucky few astronauts that are aboard the ISS. As the space station orbits the Earth, the crew members get a literal bird's eye view of the entire planet complete with clouds during the day and bright city lights at night. Crew members also got an extraordinary view of the launch of the Russian resupply mission last week.

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Scientists around the world are working on solutions that will help people who have paralysis to lead a more normal life. With the popularity of smartphones and tablets, one of the routine tasks that most of us take for granted is being able to control tablets and smartphones. For those with paralysis, controlling electronic devices is often impossible.

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Mazda has announced that it has rolled out extended support for smartphone integration on some of its older model cars and SUVs. Mazda has a dealer added an accessory that will bring support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to some Mazda vehicles going all the way back to 2014 model year. The vehicles have to be fitted with the Mazda Connect infotainment system.

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Over this long Thanksgiving weekend, there is sure to be lots of watching favorite football teams score touchdowns across the country, but NASA is looking forward to a touchdown of a different sort on Monday. NASA has announced that its Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations or InSight lander is set for a soft touchdown on the surface of the Red Planet on November 26.

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One of the more interesting moons orbiting a planet in our solar system is Mars' moon Phobos. One of the key aspects of that moon is its odd shape and unique grooves that run across the surface of the moon in roughly the same direction. Brown University has developed computer models with the goal of determining what exactly caused the grooves on the moon's surface.

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Anyone who lives in a colder state knows that you often need some special gear to make it through the winter. Ram knows that people in northern states have needs that are different from those in the south and it has rolled out the 2019 Ram 1500 North Edition packed with features to make surviving winter easier. The truck is available at dealers now.

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The Walt Disney Concert Hall (WDCH) is located in LA and is the home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The building was designed by architect Frank Gehry and is full of curved exterior surfaces that looks like something out of a Disney cartoon. The 100th anniversary of the Philharmonic will be celebrated next fall and to celebrate that anniversary an artist called Refik Anadol has teamed up with the Artists and Machine Intelligence Program at Google.

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