Posts

Autopsies are one of the ways that pathologists in hospitals and government agencies can investigate someone’s cause of death. But for those of us who aren’t professionally trained, sometimes the wording of the report and disagreement among experts can make us feel more in the dark than before. Not to mention, when a death is political, it can be hard to know which experts to trust. The process In a way, autopsies are a lot like surgery, but on a recently (as in, 24 hours or less) deceased person....

It turns out that Mexican agricultural dominance goes back centuries, long before Spanish colonization began in 1519. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the agricultural system in the Basin of Mexico, a 3,700 square mile highlands plateau in central Mexico, fed a huge population for the time. Mexico City (called Tenochtitlan) was home to as many as 3 million people, compared with 50,000 in Seville, Spain’s largest urban center. A study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) details how the Mexica, or Aztecs, were able to achieve such an accurate agricultural calendar....

The nestlings incorporate the note into their begging calls, and the mother recognizes the tone as her own: Password accepted. If the mother wren doesn’t recognize it, the parents abandon the nest. This is an evolutionary adaptation to survive brood parasites, which in the case of the fairy wren are Australian cuckoos. Cuckoos and other brood parasitic birds lay their eggs in another bird’s nest, pawning off parenting onto an unsuspecting mother....

People also do this in an effort to portray their highly esteemed intellect—this is when heavy jargon and polysyllabic alternatives to concise declarative expressions appear. In simpler terms: They use big words because they think it makes them sound smart. Sometimes it’s hard to get rid of these habits—I know because I’ve had to beat both of them (and many more) out of myself—but they aren’t problems you have to tackle without help....

Enter: the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. NEISS is a massive database of hospitalizations and ER visits that shows what exactly is injuring people. Researchers at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation decided to search NEISS for every emergency department visit for a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, in kids up through age 19. They investigated 4.1 million visits that occurred between 2010 and 2013 in the hopes of cutting down on some of those unpleasant trips....

Many major retailers blow out their big screens on Black Friday and we’ve been perusing their websites to find the best displays at the biggest discounts. There was a time when going too big was a hindrance. TVs didn’t have the necessary resolution to let viewers sit close to a big screen. With 4K the norm now, you can go a lot bigger, even if your room is relatively small....

Bowflex Treadmill 10 ($1,700, was $2,800) Bowflex Max Trainer M9 ($1,700, was $2,500) If you want to achieve an intense full-body workout while saving valuable space in your home, the Bowflex Max Trainer’s compact design and 20 levels of magnetic resistance is a piece of streamlined equipment that can help you crush your goals. With personalized targets designed to improve your cardio fitness and strength, workouts with the Bowflex Trainer will continue to push you to peak performance for years to come....

Best minimalistic daily planner: Moleskine Classic 18-Month Daily Planner Best daily planner for teachers and students: AT-A-GLANCE Daily Appointment Book and Planner Best daily planner notebook: LUX Productivity PRO A5 PlannerBest daily planner for productivity: Panda Daily PlannerBest smart daily planner: Rocketbook Panda Planner What to consider as you select the best daily planner So much of our time each day is already spoken for before we can decide what to do with it....

How we selected the best gaming routers There are more new gaming routers every year in an already bustling category, so we had plenty to choose from when selecting the best for a variety of use cases. We selected these specific routers based on testing, reading professional router reviews, and consumer recommendations. Our picks feature the specs gamers want, and perform as well as their manufacturers claim. Best gaming router: Netgear Nighthawk XR1000Best WiFi 5 gaming router: Asus RT-AC86UBest all-purpose gaming router: Asus RT-AX86UBest WiFi 6E gaming router: Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router (RAXE500)Best mesh gaming router: Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8)...

Best with keyboard: Apple Magic KeyboardBest for note-taking: Logitech Slim Folio ProBest with pencil holder: Zugu iPad Pro CaseBest for artists: OtterBox Defender SeriesBest for drawing: tomtoc Portfolio Case Best case accessory for drawing: Elevation Lab DraftTable V2 Kit How we selected the best iPad Pro cases When deciding which iPad Pro 12.9 case would best suit different users, we considered popular functions of these Apple tablets. While some people employ the iPad Pro for leisure activities such as watching a movie or playing a game, many consumers who opt for an iPad Pro use it for drawing and other artistic pursuits....

Best overall: Keychron Q1 (V2)Best for gaming: Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XTBest wireless: Logitech G915 LightspeedBest for Mac: Das Keyboard MacTigrBest for typing: Happy Hacking Hybrid Type-SBest TKL: SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL Best budget: Keychron K10 How we chose the best mechanical keyboards As a reporter on technology and gaming beats, I spend a lot of time typing on a keyboard. It’s one of the most important tools for both my productivity and downtime....

Paired with a decent computer, an audio interface, and maybe a set of studio monitors or mixing headphones, a MIDI keyboard can mean you’re in (show?) business. The right keyboard lets you input all those notes and chords that are going to set the world on fire. Don’t start popping corks yet, though, as you still need to choose the kind of MIDI keyboard that’s best for you. It’s a little more complicated than just getting any old thing with piano keys and plugging it into your computer....

For monitor shoppers, however, a webcam heaps extra factors onto an already-complicated world of specs you need to understand when picking out your next PC display. If you need a bit of guidance, we have some thoughts on how to pick the best monitor with a built-in webcam, including a set of recommendations with awesome options for every kind of PC user. Best overall: Dell S2722DZBest 4K: Samsung M8 Smart MonitorBest 27-inch: HP E27m G4Best curved: Philips Brilliance 499P9HBest budget: ​Dell S2422HZBest for Mac: Apple Studio Display...

Best local: Mario Party SuperstarsBest online co-op: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s FuryBest indie: Overcooked: All You Can Eat EditionBest online RPG: Monster Hunter RiseBest online racing: Mario Kart 8 DeluxeBest competitive puzzle game: Tetris 99Best online shooter: Splatoon 2Best fighting game: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate How we picked the best multiplayer Switch games As a reporter covering games for Gamespot, Digital Trends, and other gaming enthusiast outlets—as well as an avid Nintendo Switch player—I’ve played a wide variety of multiplayer Switch games....

It may seem like nose hair sprouts more prolifically as we age, but in reality, they’re the same hairs just growing longer and coarser. Surprisingly, your nose has the same amount of follicles as your head. The reason? To protect you from breathing in dust and particles. When they get too long though, the best nose hair trimmers will take care of them in a hurry. Best overall: Manscaped Weed Whacker Nose and Ear Hair TrimmerBest value: Wahl Ear, Nose, & Brow Trimmer ClipperBest for heavy growth: ConairMAN BatteryPowered EarNose TrimmerBest for travel: Wahl Micro Groomsman Personal Pen TrimmerBest analog: Tweezerman Nose Trimmer...

There are three types of omega 3 supplements: capsules, liquids, and pills. Here we will review the best ones in each group and discuss what to look for when purchasing them. Omega 3 Pills/Tablets These are the least expensive option but they aren’t always the most convenient. To benefit fully from omega 3 you need to take more than one pill a day, which can get annoying. These are ideal for people who are just starting with their omega 3 supplements or who don’t want to swallow “big” pills....

It’s important to pick a pair of snowshoes that fit all your needs on the trail. Here’s what to consider before buying snowshoes so you can keep your head above water—frozen water, that is. Best for recreational/rolling terrain: TSL Snowshoes 325 Phoenix SnowshoesBest for beginner/flat terrain: Franklin Sports Arctic Trails Adult SnowshoesBest for mountain terrain: Yukon Charlie’s Advanced SnowshoesBest for backcountry powder: Yukon Charlie’s Elite Spin SnowshoesBest for packed-trail running: Black Diamond Distance Spike Traction DevicesBest budget: YakTrax Traction Cleats...

Teacher planners come in various styles and designs. Some include seating charts, pages for recording grades, and inspiration pages, while others stick to the basics, like a weekly and monthly spread. We’ve rounded some of the best, so tame the chaos with the best teacher planner for your teaching style, schedule, and organizational approach. Best elementary school planner: Artfan Teacher PlannerBest hardcover planner: Journaltastic Teacher PlannerBest multi-period planner: Elan Publishing 7 Period Teacher Lesson PlanBest personalized planner: Blue Sky Academic Teachers Weekly & Monthly Lesson PlannerBest budget teacher planner: Pretty Simple Planners Teacher Planner...

The public display points to China’s confidence in the system and its progress. With the prototype maiden flight in January 2011, the J-20 fifth generation fighter entered low rate initial production by mid 2016, so the first squadron of J-20s is likely to start flying next year. Already designed for air superiority, the J-20 is slated for further upgrades in 2019 and beyond to keep up with other fifth generation stealth fighters like the F-22, including most notably the supercruising WS-15 engine....

Of course, an autopilot can help in situations like that, but helicopter-maker Sikorsky is developing a system that goes well beyond that, adding a layer of autonomy to a helicopter flight system. Making a helicopter easier to operate—or totally autonomous—would have obvious benefits: one of them is that a military pilot, in a complex and dangerous setting, could focus their attention on big-picture mission planning as opposed to the nuts-and-bolts of actually keeping the bird in the air....