For Cornell University geneticist Heather Huson, soccer and softball games weren’t on the family calendar growing up. Her family raced sled dogs instead. What started slowly as a casual hobby evolved into her mother, step-father, and sister all competing in races. The family competed during the winter months in their home state of Pennsylvania, owned upwards of 50 dogs, and found community. 

“We had kind of like a whole extra family that were sled dog mushers that we would see every weekend in the winter,” Huson tells Popular Science. Huson continued to race, eventually competed in the International Federation of Sleddog Sports World Championships, and won the Tok Race of Champions in 2004. This six-dog race, still held in Tok, Alaska remains Huson’s favorite event. 

Now retired from racing, Huson has her eyes on a physically smaller prize with a greater impact–understanding sled dog genetics. 

Huson is studying the genetic differences between Siberian huskies that are bred for sledding, showing, or as a pet, in addition to the varied genetic lineages in sled dogs, and what makes them such incredible canine athletes. 

“When we say ‘sled dogs,’ most of the public think of Siberian huskies or Alaskan malamutes,” explains Huson. “And yes, these are sled dogs. They were created for that, but they’ve also been molded into kind of these purebred dogs as well. Alaskan huskies or sled dogs are faster and they’re just more competitive than the purebred dogs.”

Surprisingly, almost any type of dog breed can technically become a sled dog. Even standard poodles have successfully completed the Iditarod. There is also no true definition of what an Alaskan sled dog is, other than can it perform in a race. Sled dogs are primarily still mixed breeds and that genetic mixing helps give them the traits that they need to make it through racing. 

According to Huson, sled dogs generally have an “amazing worth ethic” and they almost always want to run. Thousands of years of breeding have led to these animal athletes that can withstand cold temperatures and run over various distances. 

Huson experienced this canine athleticism when she first took to the trail as a musher at only seven-years-old. Taking these athletic dogs outside and exercising with them–to her, the ultimate way to feel that human-dog bond–was exhilarating. 

“It was a real sense of accomplishment to train them and then see how well they did,” says Huson. “For better or worse, it taught me those responsibilities of how these are animals, you darn well, better take care of them. It was really just that human-dog bond on steroids.”

Racing dogs are similar to humans, in that there is a difference between a three mile run and a 26.2 mile marathon. The shortest races that a dog will compete in is three miles and these short distances offer mushers and breeders more flexibility.

“There’s a significant difference between dogs that have been selected for distance racing or sprint racing,” says Huson. “Especially in the sprint racing, there’s a lot more crosses with pointers, German short hair pointers, English pointers, salukis, greyhounds. This is where you really want more speed and you have more flexibility on something like their hair coat.”

[ Related: How different is Balto, the heroic sled dog, from today’s Siberian huskies? ]

For dogs racing thousands of miles like those that run the Iditarod, mushers can’t be as flexible since they need dog breeds with good hair and durability in their feet to make it over the snow and harsh terrain. 

According to Huson, the attempts to breed for speed is particularly interesting from a genetics perspective. There have been some attempts at breeding greyhounds–who can run over 40 miles per hour–into sled dogs.

“It makes sense why you would do that. But when I did the genetics of it, I never found traces of greyhounds in the general sled dog population.”

Traits from these sleek race dogs would completely disappear over time. By comparison, if pointers are bred in, those traits will stay.

“With both my perspective as a dog musher as well as the geneticist, I think the real reason is that the greyhounds just don’t have any endurance, where the pointers do,” says Huson. “The greyhounds have got nothing to get them on the three miles.”

[ Related: Humans have partnered with sled dogs for 9,500 years. ]

Huson is now continuing her research at Cornell University, where she hopes to learn more about how genes are related to the biology and evolution of dogs and other animals. Her work has particularly strong applications in understanding aging, and it can be applied to better testing, breeding, and health management in dogs. Huson also feels like she has the perfect pedigree for helping both the four and two-legged members of the sled dog community. 

“I believe sled dog mushers are more accepting and trusting of my research because I do know sled dogs. I can ‘talk dogs’ with them and totally understand what they are saying and they understand what I’m saying,” says Huson. “They see I am genuine and want to understand and help.  Hence, they also come to me when they have a genetic question. I miss racing a lot but stay in touch with the sport and people through my research.”

The post Meet the former musher investigating sled dog genetics appeared first on Popular Science.

• iOS Notification Summaries Lost in Translation? How to Turn Them Off

Flooding is becoming increasingly deadly and costly for American communities. In recent years, the cost of flooding has reached almost $496 billion annually.

In an article in Governing, Carl Smith explains how the crisis is reaching more places — even some thought to be ‘climate havens’ — and how cities are taking action to protect their residents and infrastructure.

To both prepare for potential flooding and conserve water to ensure a steady supply during droughts, cities are building ‘green’ stormwater infrastructure that returns water to the soil and channels it to retention ponds rather than letting it drain to lakes or oceans. 

Because watersheds cross multiple jurisdictions, policymakers and planners need to collaborate across cities, counties, and states. “Stormwater needs to be considered as part of the larger water picture. Runoff from city streets or farmland can pollute drinking water. Floods can overwhelm wastewater systems. Ideally, these systems can be integrated in ways that create savings rather than damage. Stormwater retention can recharge aquifers and all sorts of recycled water can be used for drinking.”

• Flooding
• Resilience
• Green Infrastructure
• Stormwater
• Flood Management
• Climate Change
• Water Conservation
• Water Infrastructure

In a piece for The Daily Yonder, Shawn Pitts makes the case for rural placemaking, noting that residents and city leaders in rural communities often overlook their cultural resources.

According to Pitts, “Recognizing and elevating traditional art forms and folkways can do wonders for building positive local identity, and small-town arts agencies should do it whenever possible. Some communities hire outside experts to conduct fieldwork for this purpose, but the more hands-on local arts organizers can be, the better the result.”

Pitts explains how organizations can conduct surveys to understand their local resources, history, and the local art and places that residents cherish most. Pitts describes his discomfort with the term “placemaking,” writing that “It’s more about recognizing the authentic identity and inherent value of a place, and less about making anything new.”

Cautioning against “placemaking gone wrong” that exploits rather than celebrates local culture, Pitts notes, “At its best, creative placemaking seeks to promote deeper engagement and better understanding in the target community; the economic benefits are a bonus. Forethought and planning are required to achieve both, but many communities have found ways to capitalize on strengths in ways that are simultaneously respectful of local tradition and beneficial for the creative economy.”

• Rural Communities
• Rural Planning
• Placemaking
• Cultural Resources
• Economic Development

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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) undertaking to eliminate “slow zones,” known as the Track Improvement Program, has led to an impressive increase in the speed of trips on the Red Line, reports Will Katcher for Mass Transit.

“On the line’s Ashmont branch, the average southbound ride lasts about 40 minutes end-to-end. Rewind to October 2023, and the same trip took nearly half an hour longer.” On the Braintree branch, riders traveling end to end save about 24 minutes a day. 

Every line in the system is now traveling faster than in October 2023. “State officials said the repairs collectively save riders 2.4 million minutes every weekday. They estimated the economic benefit to Massachusetts to be nearly $1 million each day.”

In 2025, the agency will be working on replacing aging signal systems and making stations more accessible.

• Boston
• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
• MBTA
• Public Transit
• Trains
• Passenger Rail

You’ve no doubt noticed artificial intelligence finding its way into every app, service, and hardware device. It’s now unusual to see a tech product launch where AI isn’t the main talking point. Meta is one of the companies pushing AI the hardest, with its own set of AI models, and a selection of AI bots and tools inside its own apps. (Experts and critics also say Meta may be taking their AI too far, which Meta responded to by removing multiple AI profile accounts.)

If you’ve used Facebook, WhatsApp, or Instagram recently, then you may have spotted a new Meta AI bot, ready and waiting to be of assistance. Here’s how you can make use of it—and what your options are in terms of security and privacy.

You’ll find Meta AI front and center in Meta’s apps: In the Facebook Messenger app, for example, tap Chats and you’ll see a Meta AI input box right at the top, above your real life friends and family members. Tap inside that box, and you can start chatting about whatever topic you like. You can also tap Meta AI on the tab bar at the bottom.

It’s the same in the WhatsApp app (you’ll see the Meta AI logo on the Chats tab), and in the Instagram app (tap the message button, in the top right corner of the home tab, and Meta AI is at the top). The Meta AI logo is a glowing blue and purple circle, and it’s hard to miss as you use the apps.

There’s another way to get Meta AI up, inside one-to-one or group chats with real people: Tag @MetaAI in your conversation, type out a prompt, and you’ll get the same response as you would if you were chatting to the AI bot directly—except, of course, the other chat participants will be able to see the message and response.

The AI bot chats all use the same underlying model (called Llama), but your chats aren’t synced between the three apps. Unfortunately for AI skeptics, there’s no way to hide or turn off Meta AI: You just have to ignore it if you don’t want to use it. However, you can delete, mute, and archive Meta AI chats just like any other conversation—just long press on the AI chat in the main conversation list.

If you’ve used an AI chatbot like Copilot, Gemini, or ChatGPT, then you’ll be familiar with the way these tools work: You can ask Meta AI to look up facts from the web, write poetry, or suggest ideas for something. You can get recommendations for podcasts, inspiration for a birthday party, or suggestions about how to fix a faucet leak.

You can ask Meta AI for advice and instruction on just about any topic—though as usual with generative AI, be careful of putting too much trust in the answers. These AI bots are built to imagine new text, and that can lead to hallucinations. Sometimes Meta AI will reference the web (when looking up facts, for example)—and when this happens you’ll see web links within the response. Tap on these links to check the facts.

Image generation is included here: Just ask Meta AI to create or draw an image of whatever you like. It could be a cat sat on a wall, a cabin in the woods, or a person exploring the surface of Mars. The more detail you can add, the more closely the result is going to match your original vision—and you can specify the style of the image too, whether it’s a photo, a painting, or something else.

There are some interesting image-related tricks you can try: For example, you can use it to create a new profile picture for yourself. Two suggestions from Meta are “imagine me as royalty” or “imagine me in a surrealist painting”, so you can see what’s possible. You’re also able to edit an AI-generated image by tapping and holding on it, then typing in your additional prompt.

Meta itself splits what you can do into three main sections: learn (“summarize the history of the Universe”), create (“imagine dogs playing chess”), and connect (“plan a game night with friends”). That gives you some idea of what’s possible, and you can now interact with Meta AI with your voice if you want—just tap the sound button to the right of the input box.

One of the features recently added to Meta AI is the ability to use photos in your chats—either picked from your phone’s gallery or taken through the camera. You can identify objects and landmarks, create AI images based on existing photos, and more: Try snapping a picture of a cake and asking how to make it, for example.

The post Where to find Meta AI in Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram—and what you can do with it appeared first on Popular Science.

Though widely known as the epitome of a dense, pedestrian-friendly city, New York City saw pedestrian deaths rise in 2024, reports Lola Fadulu for The New York Times. “In 2024 there was a nearly 18 percent surge in pedestrian deaths, which jumped to 119 through Dec. 30 from 101 during the same time period in 2023. The city said that the 2023 figure was the lowest in 115 years of recorded data, and that 2024 was on track to be the fifth lowest in that time.”

According to Sarah Kaufman, the director of the Rudin Center for Transportation at New York University, the city’s progress on its Vision Zero goals can’t be reached “without major renovations of public space.”

Experts point to the growing size of vehicles and the rise of e-scooters, e-bikes, and other motorized devices as two of the reasons for the rise in fatalities — and two strong indicators that more fundamental changes to the city’s streetscape are necessary. “Danny Pearlstein, the policy and communications director for Riders Alliance, a transit advocacy organization, said the city needed to more rapidly deploy solutions, such as bus lanes; curb extensions; raised crosswalks; concrete dividers that narrow driving lanes and make it harder to take wide turns; and other ‘three-dimensional obstacles.’”

• New York City
• Vision Zero
• Traffic Deaths
• Pedestrian Deaths
• Traffic Fatalities
• Road Safety
• Traffic Safety

Techies everywhere are freaking out over the NanoPhone. Why? It’s an Android smartphone that’s smaller than a credit card. People are grabbing them for their micro appeal (they’re great for travel) or as a backup for their primary phone.

This mini smartphone just arrived in our shop for $89.97 with free shipping. You won’t find a better deal anywhere else.

You don’t have to buy a data plan with the NanoPhone—just insert the SIM card from your current phone, and it should work with your existing 4G carrier. That’s the only setup required. Then, it works just like a normal phone—except it’s tiny.

Pretend you’re a giant while taking pictures with a 5MP rear camera or video chat with a 2MP front camera. Download any apps supported on Android 10 OS, like Facebook, Netflix, and Instagram, and use them all mini-style on a 3-inch screen.

You might still be asking yourself why? Why would someone want a smaller phone? Part of the appeal of the NanoPhone is simply the marvel that it can be so tiny—3.5 by 1.8 inches—and still be truly functional and useful. It’s even a collector’s piece for those who enjoy owning different kinds of tech.

But it’s also pretty handy to have as a backup phone. If your main phone dies or you drop it in the toilet, you can just pop its SIM card into your NanoPhone for emergencies or to scroll on social media.

Grab your NanoPhone tiny smartphone here with our unbeatable price of $89.97 (reg. $199.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

NanoPhone – A Miniaturized Smartphone Packed with Mega Features! – $89.97

Get It Here

The post This tiny backup phone will become the main attraction appeared first on Popular Science.

Looking for ways to save big in the new year? You’ll love this Costco membership deal, where you can join as a Gold Star Member for $65 and receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card. 

Buy your Costco membership online now because we have a limited amount of these codes available. Then, you could be shopping online instantly or head to more than 500 warehouses around the US to browse groceries, electronics, clothing, seasonal finds, and so much more—all under one roof.

We think joining Costco online is more streamlined than signing up in person. While our deal is only valid for new members or those with cards that have expired for over 18 months, this is all you have to do:

1. Provide a valid email address and fill out an online form.
2. Head to your local Costco to pick up your membership card (bring your ID).
3. Within two weeks, you’ll get your $20 Digital Costco Shop Card to the email you provided at sign-up.

Each Gold Star Membership can be used by a Primary Cardholder (that’s you) and a Household Cardholder (another adult living at your same address). They get their own membership card, so they can shop at Costco on their own.

While you probably know the gist of what Costco sells, you’re in for a treat when you discover the full benefits of your membership:

Become a Costco Gold Star Member and receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop card while codes last. No coupon is needed to redeem this offer.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

*Services are provided to Costco members by third parties. 

Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + $20 Digital Costco Shop Card – $65

See Deal

The post Costco New Year’s special: Join and get a $20 bonus appeared first on Popular Science.

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