181
Scientists solve 200-year-old puzzle of how tobacco plants make nicotine
Scientists have uncovered how tobacco plants naturally make nicotine, solving a mystery that has puzzled researchers for nearly two centuries.
New
The latest blog posts to take off on Hacker News. 4,917 posts.
Society, Policy & Culture
Any year
182
Key findings about how Americans view artificial intelligence
Drawing on five years of Pew Research Center surveys, here are 13 findings about how Americans use and view AI, and where they see promise and risk.
183
Tracking Starbucks' 'widely recyclable' cups: none ended up at recycling
A three-month national investigation by Beyond Plastics found that not a single tracked Starbucks cold-beverage cup ended up at a recycling facility — even when the cups were placed in clearly marked recycling bins inside Starbucks stores.
184
Tennessee man jailed 37 days for Trump meme wins settlement after lawsuit
Retired Tennessee law enforcement officer Larry Bushart has won a substantial settlement from the county and sheriff behind his arrest.
185
Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE
The undersigned NGOs condemn Meta’s decision to restrict the Facebook and Instagram accounts of independent NGOs, researchers, and civil society figures from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
186
Why is almost everyone right-handed? A new study connects it to bipedalism
Humans are the only primates with a population-wide hand preference. A new Oxford-led study, 'Bipedalism and brain expansion explain human handedness', published in PLOS Biology, traces it back to bipedalism and brain expansion.
187
Apple unveils new accessibility features
Apple announced major accessibility updates powered by Apple Intelligence, including new capabilities for VoiceOver, Magnifier, and Voice Control.
188
Project Glasswing: what Mythos showed us
In recent weeks, we pointed Mythos and other security-focused LLMs at live code across critical parts of our infrastructure. We share what we observed, the models’ strengths and weaknesses, and what the work around them needs to look like before any of it can scale.
189
Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools
In the context of concerns around young people’s interactions with digital technologies, the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is consulting on additional measures to prepare young people for ...
190
The Power of a Free Popsicle (2018)
A new book shows the value of memorable defining moments on customer and employee experiences.
191
A message from President Kornbluth about funding and the talent pipeline
But the Institute is facing ongoing challenges in two related areas: funding, and our talent pipeline.
192
A desire for a loud car correlates with higher scores on psychopathy and sadism
Background: Although people are familiar with loud automobiles, equipped with modified mufflers to increase the volume, it is unclear who is most attracted to these vehicles. Participants and procedure: A sample of 529 (52% men) undergraduate business students were surveyed and were asked if...
193
Tell NYT, Atlantic, USA Today to keep Wayback Machine
The news isn’t getting preserved in the Wayback Machine anymore because major media outlets are blocking it.
194
EFF to 4th Circuit: Electronic Device Searches at the Border Require a Warrant
EFF, along with the national ACLU, the ACLU affiliates in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit urging the court to require a warrant for...
195
Canada’s Bill C-22 Is a Repackaged Version of Last Year’s Surveillance Nightmare
Last year, Canada's Bill C-2 was so bad it didn’t even make it to committee because of the backlash from the privacy community. Now, the spring’s worst sequel, Bill C-22, aka The Lawful Access Act, is trying it again.
196
Coursera and Udemy are now one company
Today, I’m excited to share that we have completed the Coursera-Udemy combination, bringing together two mission-driven companies to create one of the world’s most comprehensive skills development platforms.
197
Internet Archive Switzerland
Thirty years ago, Brewster Kahle founded the Internet Archive with an ambitious goal: Universal Access to All Knowledge. Today, that mission continues to grow with an exciting new chapter: the launch of the Internet Archive Switzerland, a non-profit foundation based in St. Gallen. The Internet Archive Switzerland…
198
Nintendo announces price increases for Nintendo Switch 2
Press release of Nintendo Co., Ltd.
199
SQLite Is a Library of Congress Recommended Storage Format
SQLite is a Recommended Storage Format for datasets according to the US Library of Congress . Further information:
200
Two millionth electric car registered as market rebounds from tax changes
The UK new car market grew by 24.0% to reach 149,247 registrations last month, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The increase reflects...
201
Does Employment Slow Cognitive Decline? Evidence from Labor Market Shocks
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, and business professionals.
202
Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027
Starting in 2027, smartphone batteries will once again be replaceable in the EU. Learn all about the new regulation and what this means for users.
203
Make your own microforest (2025)
The Miyawaki method of reforestation inserts small, densely packed wild acreage into urban environs. It’s proving wildly successful.
204
A statement about why RightsCon 2026 will not take place in Zambia
Our official statement to the digital rights community about why RightsCon 2026 will not take place in Zambia
205
AI uses less water than the public thinks
By Jay Lund . . . Artificial intelligence (AI) will affect many economic and natural resource sectors as these new technologies develop and mature. We are in the early years of this process. Like most new things, AI has become an object of small and great hopes and fears – from hopes for saving and
206
Police Have Used License Plate Readers at Least 14x to Stalk Romantic Interests
This article was updated on September 3, 2026. For a more comprehensive and up-to-date tally of ALPR abuse, check out IJ’s database of ALPR abuse. […]
207
The FCC is about to ban 21% of its test labs today. I mapped them all
591 FCC-accredited test labs mapped across 28 countries. Location, accreditation status, TCB capability, and which labs face the Bad Labs ban.
208
Craig Venter has died
La Jolla, California—April 29, 2026—The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) announced that J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., the Institute’s founder,...
209
200 Journalists Applaud the Internet Archive's Role in Preserving Public Record
Journalists are thanking the Internet Archive for their respectful preservation of news and history and for being an important resource for journalists. This letter is coming at a time where many major media outlets are questioning whether to allow the Wayback Machine to continue to preserve journalism.
210
Your phone is about to stop being yours
Your phone is about to stop being yours. In 2027, Google will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with them.