by Bumblebees playing with toys. A quantum parlor trick that tests our perception of reality. And artificial intelligence that protects you from other artificial intelligences. These may not have been the biggest science achievements of the year, but they were among our favorite and most popular online stories of 2022. Read on for the full list!
Not much is known about the Avars, a cryptic people who helped bring down the Roman Empire and then disappeared from history. Now, the DNA from their tombs sheds light on where they came from and how far and fast they got—a record in ancient human history.
Kurt Vonnegut was not a scientist, but his writings have influenced countless researchers, even years after his death. This staff and reader favorite explores the messages the famed novelist left for the scientific community and why his presence continues to be felt.
Can a virus be tamed? Suppressyn isn’t going to curl up in your lap, but after invading our ancestors around 30 million years ago, it seems to have settled into our genome and become something of a friend, one that may be protecting us from other pathogens. .
These days, it seems that all electronic equipment is spying on us, from smart speakers to smartphones. The same artificial intelligence that enables this espionage can also help prevent it, according to this story. Neural Voice Camouflage creates an audio smokescreen when we speak, outsmarting any artificial intelligence that may be listening.
Scientists are people too. They scream, scream, and even lose their minds, as this behind-the-curtains look at NASA’s double-asteroid redirection test mission shows.
It’s not exactly the World Cup, but researchers have observed bumblebees playing with small wooden balls. The bugs seem to be rolling the objects for the sole purpose of having fun. Just one more reason to be nice to one of our favorite pollinators.
Beloved elders. Saints. Even movie characters. Baby names have all kinds of sources. This study shows that nice weather can also play a role, potentially even pushing a couple of weird nicknames to prominence.
The English friars of the thirteenth century lived a relatively hygienic existence. So why were they more likely to be plagued with parasites than their less hygienic contemporaries? The answer may lie in their amazing gardening practices.
It seems like every year a weird quantum physics story makes our top 10 list, and 2022 is no exception. This story involves pseudo-telepathy, matching gameplay, and enough quantum weirdness to blow your mind.
For such a seemingly simple fruit, the banana has a surprisingly complex genetic history. So complex, in fact, that researchers are still struggling to figure out where and when the modern banana arose. This slippery tale was one of our most popular tales of the year.
