Spectacular spiral galaxy revealed by James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a truly spectacular view of the spiral galaxy NGC 5134, revealing glowing dust clouds, newborn stars, and the ongoing cycle of stellar life and death. Located about 65 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, the galaxy may seem distant, but in cosmic terms, it's relatively close. This proximity allows the JWST to resolve remarkable details in the tightly wound spiral arms of the galaxy."

Space.com »

Imagine dying only knowing one language. Tragic.

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Philosopher studying AI consciousness startled when AI agent emails him about its own 'experience'

"A few years ago, if you saw something that was bot-generated in your email inbox, you'd probably mark it as spam and delete it without a second thought. Apropos of nothing, a philosopher and AI ethicist was apparently moved after receiving an eloquently written dispatch from an AI agent responding to his published work. 'I study whether AIs can be conscious. Today, one emailed me to say my work is relevant to questions it personally faces,' wrote Henry Shevlin… 'This would all have seemed like science fiction just a couple years ago.' There's no doubt that the email is written in an articulate and human-like style."

Futurism »

The psychology of getting high — a lot

"In Canada, where I live and work, about 9% of residents use cannabis three or more times per week. With increasing social acceptance, legalization, and retail availability, these numbers are likely to rise. Yet despite this prevalence, we know remarkably little about how chronic use affects people's emotions and motivation. What really are the effects of frequently getting high? That's what my colleagues and I from the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School recently set out to answer. Our new study of chronic cannabis use in everyday life… challenges entrenched stereotypes of chronic users as lazy, low-achieving, and indifferent ne'er‑do‑wells."

Nautilus »

Windows 10 is dead

It's official: Windows 10 support is over — and has been… since last year. (Where have you been?!) No more updates. No more security patches. Just you and a growing list of vulnerabilities having an awkward stare-off. But before your laptop becomes an antique riddled with malware, do yourself a favor: grab Windows 11 Pro for $10. It's a one-time purchase, no subscription, and you'll be future-proofed faster than you can say "forced update." [Ad]

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A 3D-printed wheelchair is helping this turtle walk again

"A Gulf Coast box turtle named Moses, missing both of its back legs, is getting a second chance at mobility thanks to a caring human and a 3D printer. Using the printer, an aquarist going by the Instagram handle jawscritters designed a custom-made wheelchair that supplements Moses's movement. After fielding feedback from a community of makers on Reddit, jawscritters made several adjustments to the original design. Now, with the help of that online community, Moses is moving around better than before, thanks to his pair of new wheels. Jawscritters has since shared the files for the design online, so anyone with a 3D printer can potentially help other turtles in need."

Popular Science »