Category Archives: Princeton University

Recycle Your Phone, Sure, But Maybe Not Your Number

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Many online services allow users to reset their passwords by clicking a link sent via SMS, and this unfortunately widespread practice has turned mobile phone numbers into de facto identity documents. Which means losing control over one thanks to a divorce, job termination or financial crisis can be devastating.

Even so, plenty of people willingly abandon a mobile number without considering the potential fallout to their digital identities when those digits invariably get reassigned to someone else. New research shows how fraudsters can abuse wireless provider websites to identify available, recycled mobile numbers that allow password resets at a range of email providers and financial services online. Continue reading Recycle Your Phone, Sure, But Maybe Not Your Number→

Spongey filter releases purified lake water when set in the sun

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Ironically, many of the places that most require water purification have the least-developed infrastructure. That’s where a new filtration device comes in, as it’s activated by the sun – and it’s said to perform better than other solar-powered purifica… Continue reading Spongey filter releases purified lake water when set in the sun→

COVID-19 pandemic triggers largest drop in US life expectancy in decades

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A new study from researchers at Princeton University and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, projects the COVID-19 pandemic to potentially generate the largest single-year decline in US life expectancy since the 1918 influenza pandemic…. Continue reading COVID-19 pandemic triggers largest drop in US life expectancy in decades→

New quantum particle may have been accidentally discovered

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By definition metals and insulators are very different – but now Princeton physicists have accidentally discovered an unexpected quantum behavior in an insulator that was thought to be unique to metals. The find suggests a brand new type of quantum par… Continue reading New quantum particle may have been accidentally discovered→

Neutrino detector finds new type of “ghost particle” from the Sun

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Borexino, a huge underground particle detector in Italy, has picked up a never-before-seen type of neutrino coming from the Sun. These neutrinos confirm a 90-year-old hypothesis and complete our picture of the fusion cycle of the Sun and other stars.Co… Continue reading Neutrino detector finds new type of “ghost particle” from the Sun→

Radar system could let cars see what’s around the corner

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While today’s cars are getting increasingly good at detecting other vehicles on the road ahead, they can still be surprised by traffic that shoots out from intersecting streets. A new radar system could help, by letting those cars “see” around blind co… Continue reading Radar system could let cars see what’s around the corner→

Princeton’s “poisoned arrow” molecule shreds superbugs from the inside

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How the human species contends with an alarming rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a pressing issue, with some experts predicting these superbugs could kill millions a year by 2050 if we don’t develop new weapons to neutralize the threat. A team … Continue reading Princeton’s “poisoned arrow” molecule shreds superbugs from the inside→

Smart TVs, Subscription Services Leak Data to Facebook, Google

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Researchers discovered that smart TVs from Samsung, LG and others are sending sensitive user data to partner tech firms even when devices are idle. Continue reading Smart TVs, Subscription Services Leak Data to Facebook, Google→

Wooden filtration membrane promises efficient and more sustainable water desalination

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Water desalination technologies play a vital role in converting saltwater into freshwater in parts of the world where access to the latter is lacking, but there is plenty of room for improvement. One opportunity for this lies in the materials… Continue reading Wooden filtration membrane promises efficient and more sustainable water desalination→