A Google engineer's claim that the LaMDA program is sentient underscores an urgent need to demystify the human condition.

Plus: Instagram cracks down on age verification, Microsoft says it will stop using AI to track emotions, and Twitter wants to be a blog.

Plus: Microsoft details Russia’s Ukraine hacking campaign, Meta’s election integrity efforts dwindle, and more.

This sleek Belgian ebike is ready to ride out of the box, integrates helpfully with your phone, and looks as good as Sam Elliott in a felt hat.

Rising temperatures and an unprecedented drought pose a grave and growing peril to the river and its ecosystems.

Ring in the start of summer with these outdoor discounts.

Score steep discounts on a mouse, keyboard, and other peripherals.

It's never been easier to switch between iPhone and Android—and to get your messages out of the Meta ecosystem entirely.

Here’s what Congress, the DOD, and the VA can do to ensure troops’ access to abortion—and improve the nation’s security.

If you’re planning on hitting the streets, here’s what you need to know.

Most people don’t think about abortion until they need one. But with the right to access under threat, the time to plan is now.

In Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, the eponymous character learns what internet fame can do.

For her new novel Laura J. Mixon wanted to tell a story that took a more realistic approach to space adventure.

The national right to abortion pushed back the age of childbearing, increased college and workforce participation, and created economically stable families.

Plus: The early days of e-commerce, the question of sentience, and frightening temperatures.

As the show’s latest season sweeps Netflix, jokes about scandals like Watergate seem almost quaint.

With prices above $1,000 at the low end, MSI's Katana GF66 no-frills gaming laptop struggles to make a mark as a value-for-money machine.

The tiny spacecraft is set to explore an orbit for a planned space station that will travel around the moon and serve as a staging point for future missions.

The color debate that broke the internet raised new questions about the relationship between perception and consciousness.

As the Swedish unicorn faces competition, regulation, and investment concerns, can “buy now, pay later” companies weather another economic downturn?

Two new studies use whole genome sequencing to explore how the animals have fared in warmer conditions, raising questions about climate and adaptation.

As the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange becomes a target for a lawsuit over the terra-luna crash, Changpeng "CZ" Zhao has no regrets.

The spyware has been used to target people in Italy, Kazakhstan, and Syria, researchers at Google and Lookout have found.

#HonestyTest videos, which reward people for being “good,” show a skewed view of who deserves kindness.

In the age of NFTs, artists who collaborate with machines are forcing new questions around intellectual property, process, and the value of art.

This writer-friendly shorthand now has a home in Google's productivity suite, but it's not without drawbacks.

This week, we talk about Slack’s new video huddle feature and what it means for how we talk online.

In the pandemic’s early days, government-backed public health apps acquired millions of users—a ready-made audience developers are eager to tap.

The social media giant banned accounts promoting disinformation, spam, or propaganda—and kept the money it made from ads.

After months of digging into privacy and security issues around these apps, I have some serious concerns.

Genomic analysis of ancient remains has shed light on the origins of the black death and offers insights into the coevolution of humans and diseases.

He tried to save his wife through the video game they loved—and nearly lost himself. Then he signed up to lead a fledgling team of gamers in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Hesitancy, bureaucracy, inequity, and the need to explain new formulas could slow down vaccine delivery to the last unprotected group.

Treat your best friend with these huge discounts.

The privacy-focused company's new Goggles tool allows users to weed out the noise—whatever that might mean.

Spraying aerosols and sucking carbon out of the air would bring down temperatures, yes. But the unintended consequences of geoengineering could be enormous.

A new chip is just about the only upgrade on this lackluster but perfectly fine laptop.

Adding video to Slack’s popular Huddles feature could herald a new digital hang space—or just reinvent video meetings.

Even though they may seem more modest than our fictions imagined, creatures like the boar and the rabbit have become the real Godzillas.

The legal challenges are steep, but scientists are recording the war’s devastating impact on Ukraine’s land and wildlife.

Over 100 million women are estimated to use oral contraceptives, but studies on the pill’s mental health effects raise more questions than answers.

After months of sanctions that have made critical repair parts difficult to access, aircraft operators are running out of options.

While suburban drivers can comfortably charge at home, those in low-income areas face higher prices—if they can find a station that works.

Artificial intelligence use is booming, but it's not the secret weapon you might imagine.

After three aborted attempts, engineers successfully completed a practice countdown that included filling the tanks with liquid oxygen and hydrogen.

Every so often, our star fires off a plasma bomb in a random direction. Our best hope the next time Earth is in the crosshairs? Capacitors.

Electric pressure cookers—also known as multicookers—prepare meals with speed and convenience. These are the best ones we’ve tested.

The new initiative promises to bring up to 1 million old cell phones back into circulation. Will this put a dent in our e-waste problem?

Calling San Francisco and other places “failed” cities for liberal policies is bad journalism. At worst, it exacerbates harm.

This high-end, German-designed e-MTB delivers more power, more range, and way more fun on steep and rocky terrain.