Stories by Ben Guarino

The phrase “brain rot” spiked 230 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary

With the help of a powerful rare-earth alloy, magnet fishers pull garbage out of polluted waterways

Efficient machines, paper ballots and human checks make the U.S. voting system robust

A self-building sponge that efficiently collects gold could eliminate some harsh methods used to process e-waste

The next U.S. president will have to contend with regulations around AI—and the electorate is already facing AI-generated misinformation.

Falsehoods spread when uncertainties—and emotions—are high after hurricanes

Both U.S. presidential candidates voice support for innovation in AI, but Kamala Harris has been more outspoken about its risks to individuals

Alternatives to Google Search include Bing, DuckDuckGo, Brave Search and Ecosia

The security expert who created Have I Been Pwned? shares advice for protecting sensitive data

An antitrust expert explains Monday’s landmark legal decision that Google illegally cemented its dominance in Internet search

Project 2025 would jeopardize federal scientists’ independence and undermine their influence

Replacing two 50-car trains with a single 100-car train increases the odds of derailment by 11 percent, according to a new risk analysis

Fraudsters are using AI voice-cloning services to steal identities. Code words can thwart this deception

A large container ship “totally removed” a critical pier from Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge

The new nonprofit Fairly Trained certifies that artificial intelligence models license copyrighted data—which often isn’t the case

The wealthiest person on Earth has taken the next step toward a commercial brain interface