Electronics & Computing

Scientists Solve Major Mystery of Powerful Energy Beams Pointed at Earth

VICE: After decades of effort, scientists have finally discovered the secret mechanism that powers the brightest light shows in the universe, which are emitted by absurdly energetic beams that…

Meta’s game-playing AI can make and break alliances like a human

Technology Review: Meta has created an AI that can beat humans at an online version of Diplomacy, a popular strategy game in which seven players compete for control of Europe by moving pieces around on a map. Unlike other board games…

How the first transistor worked

IEEE Spectrum: The vacuum-tube triode wasn’t quite 20 years old when physicists began trying to create its successor, and the stakes were huge. Not only had the triode made long-distance telephony and movie sound possible, it was driving the entire enterprise of commercial radio, an industry worth more than a…

How JWST Is Changing Our View of the Universe

Scientific American: Close your eyes and imagine “space,” and there’s a good chance your mind will pull up a picture taken by Hubble. The space telescope became a household name in the 1990s as the images it captured appeared on TV…