Eric Niiler

Read the latest articles by Eric Niiler at Seeker

Biotech

Health

Humans have about 15,000 inner ear-hair cells, each one picking up sound vibrations, converting them to electric signals and sending them to the brain for processing.

Stem Cell Therapy Could Reverse Hearing Loss

Climate

Earth & Conservation

More than 100 archivists, environmentalists and data nerds will gather this weekend at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., to hold a digital barn-raising of sorts, downloading scientific data from several government data bases and uploading them to a secure server.

Activists Race to Archive Climate Data to Protect It From the Trump Administration

Yet another opponent of Russian president Vladimir Putin lies in a Moscow hospital this week, recovering from strange symptoms that his wife believes to be an assassination attempt by poison.

Russia's Poisoners: Why They Do It

Space & Innovation

Russia's superhighway to global power may not run through the neighboring Baltic States, Poland or Ukraine, but rather its northern sea route along the Arctic Ocean.

Russia Prepares as Warming Climate Thaws Ice-Free Superhighway

Animals

Early on New Year's Day, a fisherman at Wellfleet Harbor on Cape Cod noticed something strange in the water near the town boat dock: a pair of dorsal fins struggling in shallow water belonging to a 1,100-pound Risso's dolphin and its calf.

Solar Flares in Space ​May Cause Whale Beachings on Earth

Robotics

Future drones may not resemble flying insects - they may actually be an insect-drone hybrid that uses a tiny electronic backpack to "steer" the insect with signals from a long-distance operator.

Remote-Controlled Cyborg Dragonflies Will Be Flown Like Drones

Even though the election is over, fake news and daily disputes over what constitutes a fact haven't really gone away.

Why We Fall for Fake News and How to Bust It

Gadgets

We've all seen lasers blow up everything from starships on the silver screen to real-life little boats at sea.

UK Contractors Want to Build a Laser Deflector Shield That Can Spy on Enemies

The future is not that far off, and many professional forecasters in Washington make a living out of predicting the kind of world we might inhabit 10, 20 or 30 years down the road.

Forecasting the Future Is Becoming Big Business for Sci-Fi

Doctors and medical researchers can't tell if President-elect Trump is serious about reexamining the science behind the safety of vaccines, or whether he's just telling prominent anti-vaccine advocate Robert Kennedy, Jr. what he wants to hear.

Will Trump Go After Vaccine Science?

The Pentagon's laser program is getting a big boost in funding this year, as military planners try to turn a long-held dream of science fiction writers into a combat-ready weapon that can swiftly knock down enemy drones, ships or vehicles.

The Pentagon Is Pouring $328 Million Into High-Tech Laser Weapons

Transport

Fingerprint checks are no longer just for criminal suspects or passport applicants.

Eric’s Recent Articles

Stem Cell Therapy Could Reverse Hearing Loss

Scientists develop a new method to regrow microscopic hair cells that pick up sound.

Activists Race to Archive Climate Data to Protect It From the Trump Administration

Archivists and environmentalists have been gathering to collect and safeguard scientific research from government databases, with another meeting set to follow Scott Pruitt's confirmation as EPA chief.

Russia's Poisoners: Why They Do It

Poison allows perpetrators to deny involvement rather than create political martyrs, say experts.

Russia Prepares as Warming Climate Thaws Ice-Free Superhighway

A warming climate is opening up the northern sea route connecting northern Europe and Asian and North American ports. Russia has Arctic icebreakers at the ready. The United States has one.

Solar Flares in Space May Cause Whale Beachings on Earth

NASA scientists are studying the link between disruptions of the Earth's magnetic field and stranded whales and dolphins that use the field for navigation.

Remote-Controlled Cyborg Dragonflies Will Be Flown Like Drones

Sensors embedded in insects' brains would allow a pilot to direct them to pollinate crops — or track enemy forces.

Why We Fall for Fake News and How to Bust It

On many college campuses, students are being trained to identify fake news, while some are even learning how to write their own false stories as a way to understand the phenomenon.

UK Contractors Want to Build a Laser Deflector Shield That Can Spy on Enemies

Still in the conceptual phase, this device would use a laser to heat the atmosphere, creating either a shield or a floating magnifying glass that could spy on enemy bases thousands of miles away.

Forecasting the Future Is Becoming Big Business for Sci-Fi

More policy experts are using science fiction to spice up doom-and-gloom reports of the world's future.

Will Trump Go After Vaccine Science?

Scientists worry that Trump's appointment of anti-vaccine crusader Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. could disrupt research and development of vaccines against Zika, malaria and other infectious diseases.

The Pentagon Is Pouring $328 Million Into High-Tech Laser Weapons

A recent bill boosts the budget for directed energy weapons by 51 percent, but will size, weight and rainy weather get in the way of making these machines a reality?

Here's Why Uber Is Fighting a Push for More Driver Fingerprinting

Not everyone agrees that fingerprinting-linked databases are best way to screen new employees and volunteers.

Eric’s Recent Articles

Stem Cell Therapy Could Reverse Hearing Loss

Scientists develop a new method to regrow microscopic hair cells that pick up sound.

Activists Race to Archive Climate Data to Protect It From the Trump Administration

Archivists and environmentalists have been gathering to collect and safeguard scientific research from government databases, with another meeting set to follow Scott Pruitt's confirmation as EPA chief.

Russia's Poisoners: Why They Do It

Poison allows perpetrators to deny involvement rather than create political martyrs, say experts.

Russia Prepares as Warming Climate Thaws Ice-Free Superhighway

A warming climate is opening up the northern sea route connecting northern Europe and Asian and North American ports. Russia has Arctic icebreakers at the ready. The United States has one.

Solar Flares in Space ​May Cause Whale Beachings on Earth

NASA scientists are studying the link between disruptions of the Earth's magnetic field and stranded whales and dolphins that use the field for navigation.

Remote-Controlled Cyborg Dragonflies Will Be Flown Like Drones

Sensors embedded in insects' brains would allow a pilot to direct them to pollinate crops — or track enemy forces.

Why We Fall for Fake News and How to Bust It

On many college campuses, students are being trained to identify fake news, while some are even learning how to write their own false stories as a way to understand the phenomenon.

UK Contractors Want to Build a Laser Deflector Shield That Can Spy on Enemies

Still in the conceptual phase, this device would use a laser to heat the atmosphere, creating either a shield or a floating magnifying glass that could spy on enemy bases thousands of miles away.

Forecasting the Future Is Becoming Big Business for Sci-Fi

More policy experts are using science fiction to spice up doom-and-gloom reports of the world's future.

Will Trump Go After Vaccine Science?

Scientists worry that Trump's appointment of anti-vaccine crusader Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. could disrupt research and development of vaccines against Zika, malaria and other infectious diseases.

The Pentagon Is Pouring $328 Million Into High-Tech Laser Weapons

A recent bill boosts the budget for directed energy weapons by 51 percent, but will size, weight and rainy weather get in the way of making these machines a reality?

Here's Why Uber Is Fighting a Push for More Driver Fingerprinting

Not everyone agrees that fingerprinting-linked databases are best way to screen new employees and volunteers.

Solar Flares in Space May Cause Whale Beachings on Earth