After 500 years, a UV lamp solves the mystery of the Basel Papyrus

July 19th, 2018 09:56 AM

Enlarge (credit: University of Basel) The University of Basel has dozens of ancient papyrus texts in its collection, but one has been known for centuries as the Basel Papyrus. The two-thousand-year-old work has been in the university’s collection since the 1500s, when it was acquired from a lawyer and art collector named Basilius Amerbach. And throughout those 500 years, no one could decipher it. The writing on the Basel Papyrus looked like the ancient Greek script commonly used during the...

Top Gaming People Say Streaming That Frees High-End Games From Requiring High-End Hardware Is The Next Big Thing

July 19th, 2018 10:10 AM

Whenever I’ve interviewed a games industry executive over the past few months, I’ve asked them what single thing will revolutionize video games in the next five years.

Hey Google, Android actually does stifle competition

July 19th, 2018 10:00 AM

Sundar Pichai knows that the choice of mobile OS nowadays boils down to Android or iOS. He published a blog post yesterday in response to the European Commission's competition decision against Android, which opens saying, "If you buy an Android phone...

Your D&D game doesn’t have enough dogs in it

July 19th, 2018 10:10 AM

Such adventure. Much loot. Wow. Continue reading…

D.C. United finally got a new stadium, but did it sell its soul in the process?

July 19th, 2018 10:00 AM

At Audi Field, D.C. United threatens to abandon its core fanbase in pursuit of a richer one. Audi Field was never going to feel like RFK Stadium. D.C. United fans understood that their new home was going to be a lot different than the one they loved for 22 years. There was no realistic, inexpensive way to re-create the bouncing stands, or the tunnel that fans stopped in on the walk to the stadium to make as much noise as possible. And there was absolutely no way to build an urban stadium...

Death row inmate hopes DNA testing on key piece of evidence will save his life

July 19th, 2018 06:19 AM

Time moves slowly for 37-year-old Julius Jones as he sits and waits on death row in Oklahoma.

Scientists treated a mouse’s genetic disorder in the womb — here’s what’s next

July 19th, 2018 10:00 AM

This week, scientists reported that they were able to treat a serious genetic disorder in the womb — in mice. It sounds like science fiction, but this type of treatment may not be far away for humans. What will we need to figure out before we get there? For the study published in Nature Medicine, scientists studied the neurodegenerative disorder Gaucher syndrome. Gaucher is caused by mutations in the GBA gene and leads to serious joint pain, convulsions, and cognitive impairment. To treat...

How to Livestream From a Smartphone

July 19th, 2018 10:25 AM

Some moments in life demand a live stream: Protestors swarming down your street. The immediate aftermath of a World Cup final. Maybe even a best man speech. Livestreaming allows your friends, family, and followers unprecedented access to what’s going on around you, and nearly every major social network and video app…

Myanmar’s Military Planned Rohingya Genocide, Rights Group Says

July 19th, 2018 01:26 AM

A meticulous campaign by the security forces led to the Muslim minority group’s exodus, a report by Fortify Rights finds.