Lightning rainbow

Ultra-white is the new Vantablack. Purdue University researchers developed the whitest white paint ever. It reflects 98.1% of sunlight. (The blackest black paint, Vantablack, absorbs 99.9% of visible light.) According to lead researcher Xiulin Ruan, "f you were to use this paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet, we estimate that… READ THE REST

On Sunday, Ingenuity—the small helicopter delivered to the surface of Mars by the Perseverance rover—will, hopefully, take its first flight. The distance between Earth and Mars means that lagtime precludes real-time remote control. The helicopter flies autonomously, but the helicopter's digital twin had a lot of practice in simulations back on Earth. At IEEE Spectrum,… READ THE REST

Turns out, you can — if you can get the slapping machine to stay alive long enough for the 135,000 slaps required to get it to a minimum safe temperature to eat. Science! Image: Screengrab READ THE REST

With the spring in full force, we have a question. Why is spring the only season that results in cleaning? Sure, we all batten down for winter, so we likely are a bit laxer about straightening up the house during the coldest months of the year. But seriously… is spring cleaning an excuse to live like… READ THE REST

If it hasn't reached you yet, then keep an ear out for your doorbell… because outdoor lounging season is coming for a visit any day now. Of course, the brilliant weather for stretching out, relaxing, and enjoying the majesty of the outdoors from the glory of your own patio isn't enough. You actually have to have… READ THE REST

Photoshop has been the king of photo retouching and manipulation for decades, so it's no surprise that Adobe's most famous app is the yardstick by which all other contenders are judged. But when discussing Luminar 4, it might be more helpful to highlight what Skylum's image editor offers against what Photoshop doesn't. Against the vast… READ THE REST