Uber ordered to pay $8.5m over claim driver raped passenger

The verdict is expected to influence the outcome of thousands of other cases against the ride hailing firm.

Austin Butler to Play Lance Armstrong in Biopic from Edward Berger, Scott Stuber

Oscar nominee Zach Baylin is writing the film about the famed cyclist.

Mewgenics is the first legitimate 2026 GOTY contender

Indie roguelike Mewgenics is receiving some glowing praise from critics, making it this year's first true GOTY contender.

Billie Eilish's brother knocks 'powerful old white men' over Grammys speech criticism

Billie Eilish's brother and musical collaborator, Finneas O'Connell, on Wednesday ripped into "powerful old white men" who criticized his sister's comments about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. "Seeing a lot of very powerful old white

Why was the US put at the end of the Olympic opening ceremony parade (again)?

It has nothing to do with alphabetical order.

Printing Films is a collection of vintage films that...

Printing Films is a collection of vintage films that showcase the technologies and processes of printing, journalism, and typography. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

New CRISPR tool spreads through bacteria to disable antibiotic resistance genes

Antibiotic resistance (AR) has steadily accelerated in recent years to become a global health crisis. As deadly bacteria evolve new ways to elude drug treatments for a variety of illnesses, a growing number of "superbugs" have emerged, ramping up estimates of more than 10

‘Blue Moon’ Screenwriter Robert Kaplow on His First Oscar Nomination, and Why Ethan Hawke Deserves to Win

For more than four decades, Robert Kaplow has built an unconventional writing career. A novelist, longtime English teacher, radio essayist and East Coast lifer, Kaplow has spent his creative life obsessed with language — not just what words say, but how they sound, fade and

Best new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (Feb. 6-8)

We recommend a variety of Xbox Game Pass games to save you from endlessly searching for a new game to play this weekend.

Video: How the science of saltwater-tolerating plants could protect coastlines

Rising sea levels along coastlines not only threaten populations, but also pose a danger to agricultural crops, which may be damaged by surging amounts of saltwater. Researchers have, in response, sought to improve salt-tolerance in plants.

Researchers demonstrate organic crystal emitting red light from UV and green from near-infrared

Invisible light beyond the range of human vision plays a vital role in communication technologies, medical diagnostics, and optical sensing. Ultraviolet and near-infrared wavelengths are routinely used in these fields, yet detecting them directly often requires complex

Broken inversion symmetry lets 3D crystals mimic 2D Ising superconductivity

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, in general, allow the realization of unique quantum phenomena unattainable in the common three-dimensional (3D) world. A prime example is graphene. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have a similar structure. Both can be stacked to form van

The 5 Best Songs Of The Week

Every week the Stereogum staff chooses the five best new songs of the week. The eligibility period begins and ends Thursdays right before midnight. You can hear this week’s picks below and on Stereogum’s Favorite New Music Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly. (An expanded

Jetpack Cat's kit in Overwatch is already causing mayhem

Jetpack Cat's tether ability in Overwatch creates a vast new array of strategy options for almost every character

Kid Rock: Alternative Super Bowl halftime show for people who 'love America'

Kid Rock offered a preview of what to expect Sunday when he headlines the “All-American Halftime Show,” an alternative Super Bowl performance hosted by Turning Point USA. In a video posted Thursday with conservative media pundit Benny Thompson, the "All Summer Long" singer

Bondi Reacts as Trump Throws Her Under the Bus Over FBI Georgia Raid

Tulsi Gabbard’s presence at an FBI raid in Fulton County, Georgia, last week has led to some finger-pointing within the Trump administration. On Thursday, President Trump was asked why Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, was at the raid in which ballots from the

Nioh 3 interactive maps

If you're navigating through the huge world in Nioh 3, you can use our interactive maps to mark every collectable and landmark you'll need.

Quantum encryption method demonstrated at city-sized distances for the first time

Concerns that quantum computers may start easily hacking into previously secure communications has motivated researchers to work on innovative new ways to encrypt information. One such method is quantum key distribution (QKD), a secure, quantum-based method in which

Are tips taxable? Here's how the new 'no tax on tips' deduction works.

‘The Strangers: Chapter 3’ Film Review: Even The Stabbing Feels Perfunctory in Weak Wrap to Horror Trilogy

Those stalwarts holding out stubborn hope that Renny Harlin’s “Strangers” trilogy would end with more bang than whimper might choose the Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” as their theme song after sitting through “The Strangers: Chapter 3.” Though it’s actually another vintage FM

Report: MindsEye Boss Claims $1 Million Media Conspiracy To Ruin His Game In Leaked Video

Build a Rocket Boy seems more interested in investigating leaks than improving the game

A dinosaur with spikes exhibiting unprecedented properties discovered in China

Documented for 200 years, the Iguanodontia group is expanding with the discovery of a brand-new species, the first known to bear spikes with properties never before observed in dinosaurs. Scientists from the CNRS1 and their internationalpartners have uncovered in China the

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider’s end marks a new beginning for U.S. particle physics

After 25 years, Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider—the U.S.’s largest particle collider—has ceased operations, but its science lives on

NBC’s Olympics Coverage Begins With ‘Love and Prayers’ to Savannah Guthrie Amid Her Mom’s Disappearance

Savannah Guthrie was meant to be in Milan, Italy on Friday co-hosting the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics. But that all changed over the weekend when her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing. NBC commentators Mary Carillo and Terry Gannon kicked off the

Rep. Mark Amodei is 30th House Republican to not seek reelection

Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) announced Friday he will retire at the end of his term, becoming the 30th House Republican to not seek reelection in an indication of what will be a difficult midterm year for the GOP. "Serving the people of Nevada has been the honor of my lifetime.

Trump strikes deal to allow $800M in beef imports from Argentina to enter US

President Trump has struck a new deal increasing beef imports from Argentina despite facing push back from Republicans and allies in the agricultural sector. Argentina’s foreign ministry said in a statement the agreement was signed Thursday and grants “an unprecedented

Does It Have to Mean Something to Be Great?

Joanne Greenbaum’s cacophonous symphony of individual marks, shapes, and colors coheres without obscuring the individuality of each element.

Judge dismisses lawsuit over Starbucks DEI policies

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Missouri's attorney general challenging Starbucks’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. John A. Ross, the U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Missouri and an appointee of former President Obama, dismissed

Senate Democrat knocks TrumpRx: 'Glorified coupon book'

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) blasted the direct-to-consumer (DTC) TrumpRx platform launched by the administration Thursday, denouncing it as a "glorified coupon book." The Trump administration launched its DTC discount drug portal TrumpRx.gov Thursday evening. The website allows

Mariah Carey Sings in Italian on Opening Night of Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Mariah Carey brought world class pop star wattage to the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday night at Milan’s historic San Siro Stadium. Carey, who has scored 19 Billboard No. 1 singles and six Grammy Awards, performed entirely in Italian for

Nine Inch Nails Win First Grammy In 30 Years, Play “Non-Entity” For The First Time In 17 Years

Nine Inch Nails kicked off the next leg of their incredible Peel It Back tour Thursday at the Smoothie King Center in Trent Reznor's former home base of New Orleans — but not before winning a Grammy. The post Nine Inch Nails Win First Grammy In 30 Years, Play “Non-Entity” For

New Details Emerge on How RFK Jr. Helped Cause a Measles Outbreak

While he was in the process of being confirmed to run America’s public health policy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. swore several times over that his heavily scrutinized 2019 visit to Samoa, and the island’s subsequent measles outbreak, had “nothing to do” with his vaccine skepticism.

Neil Young Cancels 2026 Tour

Neil Young and his new band Chrome Hearts played a lot of live shows last year, and they planned to keep it going in 2026, with a tour of the UK and Europe planned for June and July. Now, that tour won't be happening. It's not because of a health crisis or anything. It's just

Why rethinking wellness could help students and teachers thrive

Teachers supervising students in school-sponsored work sites tend to prioritize emotional and social well-being in the workplace, according to research from Rutgers Health. The study, published in Occupational Health, examined how educators approach student wellness and the

Three-way quantum correlations fade exponentially with distance at any temperature, study shows

The properties of a quantum material are driven by links between its electrons known as quantum correlations. A RIKEN researcher has shown mathematically that, at non-zero temperatures, these connections can only exist over very short distances when more than two particles are

MLK III accuses National Park Service of 'sanitizing' history

Martin Luther King III, the son of civil rights advocate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., accused the National Park Service on Thursday of “sanitizing history” amid reported changes at a Mississippi house museum commemorating civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Evers, the

Why don’t filmmakers just film on location instead...

Why don’t filmmakers just film on location instead of using visual effects? Lots of reasons, including not disrupting communities, control of weather & sun position, or can’t get permission. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

New GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are coming—and they’re stronger than Wegovy and Zepbound

The upcoming drugs CagriSema and retatrutide target multiple gut hormones and could cause twice as much weight loss than current treatments. But experts wonder how much is too much

Tesla driver’s devastating 911 call while stuck in fiery car revealed: ‘Help please … I am going to die’

A 20-year-old Tesla driver pleaded with a 911 operator to save his life as he was trapped in a burning vehicle, according to a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla filed by his mother on Wednesday.

Gut microbe Blautia luti uses formate, not hydrogen, to shuttle electrons

Among the many trillions of microorganisms in the human gut is Blautia luti. Like many gut bacteria, it metabolizes indigestible dietary components, such as fiber in the form of carbohydrates. This process produces, among other things, acetic acid (acetate), an important energy

Best car insurance for teens 2026

Colton Underwood Defends ‘Traitors’ Game Play, Reveals Death Threats Sent to Him and His Family: ‘It’s Not OK’

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 4, Episode 8 of “The Traitors,” now streaming on Peacock. Since Season 4 of “The Traitors” premiered in early January, Colton Underwood has been under fire. The former Bachelor, who came out as gay in 2021, played a very

Study strengthens the potential of mycoprotein as an alternative to meat

Plant-based food as an alternative to meat is high on the agenda today, and mycoprotein (fungal protein) in particular has come into focus in recent years. A new doctoral thesis from the University of Borås in Sweden, has investigated how mycoprotein and its minerals are

WWE 2K26 dev explains how Ringside Pass differs from Fortnite's Battle Pass

WWE's Ringside Pass includes wrestlers, cosmetics, virtual currency and more. But you won't be able to use the currency to buy the next pass, 2K says.

Nevada Republican Mark Amodei to retire

Amodei’s decision comes just three months after President Donald Trump blessed him with a “Complete and Total endorsement for Re-election."

New database enables comparative archaeological and historical urbanism

Archaeology offers an unparalleled material record of urban dynamics, spanning thousands of years and operating in varied environmental and cultural contexts. The diverse perspectives provided by the archaeological record can yield new insights into our global urban future,

Gulliver's Travels: Ted Danson and the Jim Henson Company made an award-winning miniseries

The producer and director of the 1996 Gulliver’s Travels miniseries share their memories

Quantum Twins simulator unveils 15,000 controllable quantum dots for materials research

Researchers in Australia have unveiled the largest quantum simulation platform built to date, opening a new route to exploring the complex behavior of quantum materials at unprecedented scales.

'Energy efficiency' proves key to how mountain birds adapt to changing environmental conditions

Research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) sheds new light on how mountain birds adapt to changes in climate. Scientists know that species diversity changes as you go up a mountain, but it is not clearly understood why this is the case. One theory is that it is mostly

The hard but right road in Syria

Tom Barrack has been working to stabilize Syria under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa, while President Trump has supported the reintegration of the Syrian state and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in order to create a more stable and prosperous region.