Utah & U.S. Science & Technology News
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Spectrum owner Charter to buy Cox for $21.9B in mega cable deal
Aditya Soni, Jaspreet Singh and Milana Vinn, Reuters | Posted May 17 - 7:48 a.m. | Save Story
Charter Communications on Friday agreed to buy privately held rival Cox Communications for $21.9 billion, combining two of the largest U.S. cable and broadband operators.
Gene editing helped a desperately ill baby thrive. Scientists say it could someday treat millions
Laura Ungar, Associated Press | Posted May 16 - 2:33 p.m. | Save Story
A baby born with a rare and dangerous genetic disease is thriving after getting an experimental gene editing treatment made just for him.
Video shows the moment Salt Lake City's air quality dipped from blowing dust
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted May 13 - 5:34 p.m. | Save Story
A camera at the University of Utah captured the exact moment a cold front swept through Salt Lake City late Monday, and also how it dropped the city's air quality to unhealthy levels.
Apple introduces new accessibility features including braille note taker
Arsheeya Bajwa, Reuters | Posted May 13 - 9:29 a.m. | Save Story
Apple said on Tuesday it is bringing a host of new features later this year that are geared toward making its devices more accessible, including a braille note taker.
'Killer robot' talks at UN continues as regulation lags
Olivia Le Poidevin, Reuters | Posted May 12 - 8:32 p.m. | Save Story
Countries are meeting at the United Nations on Monday to revive efforts to regulate the kinds of AI-controlled autonomous weapons increasingly used in modern warfare.
Sen. Mike Lee wants a national definition of obscenity. Here's why
Cami Mondeaux, Deseret News | Posted May 11 - 12:18 p.m. | Save Story
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is spearheading efforts in the Senate to adopt a national definition of obscenity to make it easier to crack down on online pornography.
Lagoon encourages students in science with Physics Day at the park
Brynn Carnesecca, KSL.com | Posted May 9 - 6:04 p.m. | Save Story
Physics Day allows students to visit Lagoon to work on projects and dive deeper into science. Unique and fascinating projects inspire students from all across the state.
Scientists search for meteor after reports of bright 'fireball' over the Salt Lake valley
Tamara Vaifanua and Michael Houck, KSL-TV | Posted May 6 - 9:06 a.m. | Save Story
Scientists across Utah are searching for a meteor that fell over the Salt Lake valley Saturday night.
He injected himself with snake venom hundreds of times. His blood could 'revolutionize' treatment
Katie Hunt, CNN | Posted May 5 - 8:04 p.m. | Save Story
Immunologist Jacob Glanville came across media of a man who had injected himself hundreds of times with the venom of some of the world's deadliest snakes. It sparked new treatment research.
BYU Rocketry Club reaches new heights with historic launch, recovery of hybrid rocket
Cassidy Wixom, KSL.com | Posted May 5 - 5:09 p.m. | Save Story
The BYU Rocketry Club is soaring to new horizons after the first successful launch and recovery of a hybrid motor rocket — a first for the state.
Sandy elementary school becomes steward of NASA moon tree
Gabriela Fletcher, KSL.com | Posted May 3 - 7:14 a.m. | Save Story
Sprucewood Elementary students planted a "moon tree" Tuesday, grown from seeds that flew on a spacecraft that circumnavigated the moon and was granted to them by NASA.
Following new Utah legislation, Sen. Mike Lee sponsors bill to protect kids online
Eva Terry, Deseret News | Posted May 2 - 6:24 p.m. | Save Story
Joined by Michigan Rep. John James, Utah Sen. Mike Lee this week introduced a bill that would work to increase safety for children online.
Democratic lawmakers call for review of Musk's role in Golden Dome missile defense shield
Marisa Taylor and Mike Stone, Reuters | Posted May 2 - 6:47 a.m. | Save Story
A group of 42 Democratic lawmakers has called for a review of Elon Musk's role in the bidding process for the "Golden Dome" missile defense shield, a project championed by President Donald Trump.
The home of Elon Musk's SpaceX could become an official Texas city called Starbase
Jim Vertuno, Associated Press | Posted April 30 - 12:58 p.m. | Save Story
Elon Musk has for years made Texas a business home and playground. Now a small patch of coastal South Texas — home to his rocket company SpaceX — could become a city known as Starbase.
Facebook parent Meta Platforms launches standalone AI assistant app
Reuters | Posted April 30 - 10:59 a.m. | Save Story
Facebook parent Meta Platforms on Tuesday launched a separate app for its Meta AI assistant, similar to those offered by Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet's Google.
Hawaii's 'bone collector' caterpillar wears the body parts of dead prey
Will Dunham, Reuters | Posted April 26 - 1:01 p.m. | Save Story
In a remote and lushly forested area of a single mountain range on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, scientists have discovered a carnivorous caterpillar species nicknamed the "bone collector."
NASA rover finds fresh evidence of the warm and wet Mars past
Will Dunham, Reuters | Posted April 26 - 7:57 a.m. | Save Story
A mineral called siderite found abundantly in rock drilled by a NASA rover on the surface of Mars is providing fresh evidence of the planet's warmer and wetter ancient past when it boasted substantial bodies of water and potentially harbored life.
Deseret News archives: When Hubble expanded our view of the universe on this day in 1990
Chris Miller, Deseret News | Posted April 24 - 4:01 p.m. | Save Story
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into space on April 24, 1990, ushering an array of scientific discoveries for the past 35 years.
An astronaut's awe-inspiring views from life in space
Ashley Strickland, CNN | Updated April 20 - 5:44 p.m. | Save Story
Longtime NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who has ventured to space four times, returned to Earth Saturday from the International Space Station. He captured memorable views during his seven-month stay aboard the station.
University of Utah biochemist named one of Time's most influential people of 2025
Gabriela Fletcher, KSL.com | Posted April 19 - 9:02 p.m. | Save Story
A University of Utah professor is being recognized as one of Time's most influential people for his work in creating lenacapavir, a long-lasting HIV prevention and treatment drug.
How did crocodiles and alligators survive extinction? New Utah research may have the answer
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted April 19 - 12:01 p.m. | Save Story
Utah researchers say they believe they now know how existing crocodile, alligator and gharial species survived a pair of mass extinction events — information that could fuel future research.
Colossal squid caught on camera for first time in the deep sea
Christina Larson, Associated Press | Posted April 17 - 9:36 a.m. | Save Story
A colossal squid has been caught on camera for the first time in the deep sea by an international team of researchers steering a remotely operated submersible.
Health chief Kennedy targets 'environmental toxins' as cause of autism
Ahmed Aboulenein and Julie Steenhuysen, Reuters | Posted April 17 - 8:39 a.m. | Save Story
Environmental contributors to autism are behind its rising prevalence, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Wednesday without scientific evidence, adding he plans to look at everything from mold to medicine to identify them.
Meet the Utah tech company that just closed one of the biggest funding rounds in state history
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted April 17 - 6:18 a.m. | Save Story
In just over two years, Lehi-based SchoolAI has raised $32 million, driven largely by its latest funding round of $25 million.
A Zoom outage prevented thousands of people from joining meetings, using the website
Matthew Kaufman, CNN | Posted April 16 - 3:25 p.m. | Save Story
Tens of thousands of people likely got a break from their afternoon meetings on Wednesday when Zoom outages prevented users from joining meetings and accessing the website.
Blue Origin launches all-female celebrity crew with Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez
Marcia Dunn, Associated Press | Updated April 14 - 9:42 a.m. | Save Story
Blue Origin has launched Jeff Bezos' fiancee, Lauren Sanchez, into space with an all-female celebrity crew that includes Katy Perry and Gayle King. The New Shepard rocket blasted off Monday from West Texas.
April's full moon is a 'micromoon.' Here's what that means
Kameryn Griesser and Ashley Strickland, CNN | Posted April 12 - 2:21 p.m. | Save Story
Sharp-eyed lunar lovers may notice April's full moon looks smaller than usual this month, and despite its "pink moon" namesake, the orb will have a white-golden hue.
Will Utah build the world's next AI hub? The governor's trade mission to Canada could open the door
Brigham Tomco, Deseret News | Posted April 11 - 8:06 a.m. | Save Story
Mila Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute boasts a catalog of nearly 2,600 scientific articles on AI since 2018. The secret they shared with Utah? Mastering AI's borderless potential requires bringing research and commercialization into close proximity — the tighter the better.
Weber State bets big on hypersonic research with MARS center upgrades
Collin Leonard, KSL.com | Posted April 9 - 8:05 a.m. | Save Story
Students at Weber State's MARS center have a chance to research and apply hypersonic materials — objects designed to travel at least five times the speed of sound.
Scientists genetically engineer wolves like the extinct dire wolf
Christina Larson, Associated Press | Posted April 8 - 7:42 a.m. | Save Story
Three genetically engineered wolves that may resemble extinct dire wolves are trotting, sleeping and howling in an undisclosed secure location in the U.S., according to the company that aims to bring back lost species.
Trump's NASA nominee backs US moon program in talks with lawmakers, sources say
Joey Roulette, Reuters | Updated April 7 - 9:36 p.m. | Save Story
President Donald Trump's pick to lead NASA has assured lawmakers that returning astronauts to the moon would remain the agency's main strategy.
Britain to invest up to $767M in new health data research
Reuters | Posted April 7 - 11:32 a.m. | Save Story
Britain will invest up to $767 million into a new health data research service to help boost scientific studies and cut the time it takes to carry out clinical trials, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.
Judge foils FDA plan to regulate lab-developed tests
Lois M. Collins, Deseret News | Posted April 6 - 6:04 p.m. | Save Story
A U.S. district judge foiled the Food and Drug Administration's plan put forth under the Biden administration to regulate lab-developed tests like medical devices.
The man who wants to buy TikTok and buck Big Tech — and why he thinks Utah is leading the way
Emma Pitts, Deseret News | Posted April 5 - 10:26 p.m. | Save Story
On Friday morning, the Trump administration extended the deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok. For another 75 days, the video-sharing app will remain as is for its 170 million United States users — unless the extension is challenged.
He wrote the book on social media and kids. Here's what he said about Utah's online laws
Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL.com | Posted April 4 - 3:13 p.m. | Save Story
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and several lawmakers celebrated a handful of bills addressing cellphone use in schools, app store age verification and digital privacy.
Trump extends TikTok-sale deadline by 75 days, vows to work with China
David Shepardson and Dawn Chmielewski, Reuters | Posted April 4 - 2:20 p.m. | Save Story
President Donald Trump on Friday extended by 75 days a deadline for Chinese technology company ByteDance to sell U.S. assets of popular short video app TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban that was supposed to have taken effect in January under a 2024 law.
UDOT warns public of new scam that warns drivers of nonexistent toll balances
Alton Barnhart, KSL-TV | Posted April 1 - 10:02 p.m. | Save Story
The Utah Department of Transportation is warning the public about a new string of toll scams.
If AI doesn't kill your company, it will make it stronger, study shows
Francesco Canepa, Reuters | Updated April 1 - 2:39 p.m. | Save Story
If a company can survive the upheaval caused by the adoption of artificial intelligence, AI will help it thrive in the longer run, a study presented at a European Central Bank conference has found.
SpaceX launches private astronaut crew in historic polar-orbiting mission
Joey Roulette, Reuters | Updated March 31 - 8:35 p.m. | Save Story
Elon Musk's SpaceX on Monday launched a crew of four private astronauts led by a crypto entrepreneur on a mission to orbit Earth from pole to pole, a novel trajectory in which no humans have traveled before.
A stroke survivor speaks again with the help of an experimental brain-computer implant
Laura Ungar, Associated Press | Updated March 31 - 5:27 p.m. | Save Story
Scientists have developed a device that can translate thoughts about speech into spoken words in real time. The brain-computer interface could someday help give voice to those unable to speak.
Tomb of unidentified ancient Egyptian pharaoh discovered
Will Dunham, Reuters | Updated March 30 - 8:00 p.m. | Save Story
Archaeologists have discovered the large limestone burial chamber of an unidentified ancient Egyptian pharaoh near the city of Abydos dating to about 3,600 years ago..
Meet the Utah startup stepping up to help companies navigate 'trade war landscape' through AI
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted March 30 - 10:48 a.m. | Save Story
Utah-based startup Tarifflo offers an AI-powered platform that automates international trade documentation, outperforming traditional and competing software solutions.
Myanmar quake death toll rises to 1,644 as resistance movement announces partial ceasefire
David Rising And Jintamas Saksornchai, Associated Press | Updated March 29 - 9:25 p.m. | Save Story
A unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts has been announced by Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government as the country's death toll from the disaster soared to 1,644.
The monarch butterfly is in trouble. Will the government help?
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted March 29 - 12:38 p.m. | Save Story
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it is reopening the public comment period for a proposed rule to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Musk's xAI buys Musk's X social media platform for $33B
Greg Bensinger, Krystal Hu-in, Tatiana Bautzer, Seher Dareen, Jaspreet Singh, and Juby Babu, Reuters | Posted March 28 - 10:02 p.m. | Save Story
Elon Musk's xAI artificial intelligence firm has acquired Musk's X, the social media outfit formerly known as Twitter for $33 billion, marking the latest twist in the billionaire's rapid consolidation of power.
How will big tech comply with Utah's first-in-the-nation child protection laws?
Brigham Tomco, Deseret News | Posted March 28 - 8:32 p.m. | Save Story
Utah reasserted its place at the tip of the spear in the battle against Big Tech this legislative session with a pair of pioneering bills aimed at protecting parental consent and user data.
Musk's X back up after brief outage hits US users, Downdetector shows
Jaspreet Singh, Reuters | Posted March 28 - 2:08 p.m. | Save Story
Social media platform X on Friday recovered after a short outage that impacted thousands of users in the U.S., according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com.
Intermountain Health study: At-home monitoring can help prevent opioid deaths after operation
Gabriela Fletcher, KSL.com | Posted March 27 - 7:11 p.m. | Save Story
Intermountain Health recently published a study that used at-home monitors to alert caretakers when patients experienced abnormal breathing or blood oxygen levels.
FAA announces new air traffic control safety technology at these Utah airports
Gabriela Fletcher, KSL.com | Posted March 25 - 10:05 a.m. | Save Story
The Federal Aviation Administration announced new safety technology being deployed to airports as part of its Surface Safety Portfolio that aims to reduce surface incidents and runway incursions.
University of Utah partners with Abundance Institute in quest for 'unsurpassed societal impact'
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted March 23 - 9:21 a.m. | Save Story
The University of Utah on Thursday announced a partnership with the Abundance Institute, a nonprofit focused on tackling societal and policy barriers facing emerging technologies.
Why Utah researchers plan to study one of Great Salt Lake's key residents
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted March 22 - 5:02 p.m. | Save Story
Westminster University researchers recently received $50,000 to explore how water salinity and other variables impact a vital Great Salt Lake species.
How Rick Rubin thinks about creativity, listening and pioneering new ideas
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted March 20 - 8:03 p.m. | Save Story
Nine-time Grammy award-winning music producer Rick Rubin took the Qualtrics X4 stage Thursday, and while a tech conference may seem like an odd environment for a music industry icon, Rubin seemed right at home.
Utah lawmakers bolster AI consumer protection laws
Matt Gephardt, KSL-TV | Posted March 20 - 7:36 p.m. | Save Story
Utah, like many states, is trying to navigate the explosion of artificial intelligence into our daily lives. As part of that, consumers have new protections for when they encounter AI.
The spring equinox is here. What does that mean?
Associated Press | Posted March 20 - 6:48 a.m. | Save Story
Spring gets its official start Thursday in the Northern Hemisphere with the arrival of the vernal equinox. But what does that mean?
NASA astronauts 'Butch and Suni' return to Earth after drawn-out mission in space
Joey Roulette, Reuters | Updated March 18 - 9:35 p.m. | Save Story
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth in a SpaceX capsule on Tuesday with a soft splashdown off Florida's coast, nine months after their faulty Boeing Starliner craft upended what was to be a week-long stay on the International Space Station.
Qualtrics unveils 'experience agents' ahead of X4 summit in Salt Lake City
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted March 18 - 7:36 p.m. | Save Story
Qualtrics on Monday unveiled "experience agents" — highly specialized AI agents that autonomously interact directly with customers and employees to understand the human experience.
A volcano near Alaska's largest city could erupt in the coming weeks or months, scientists say
The Associated Press | Updated March 17 - 9:54 a.m. | Save Story
A volcano near Alaska's largest city is showing new signs of unrest, with experts saying the likelihood of an eruption at Mount Spurr in the next few weeks or months has increased.
NASA's stuck astronauts welcome their newly arrived replacements to the space station
Marcia Dunn, Associated Press | Updated March 16 - 8:38 p.m. | Save Story
A SpaceX capsule has arrived at the International Space Station, delivering the replacements for NASA's two stuck astronauts. The new crew pulled up Sunday, just 29 hours after blasting off.
