Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [technology]

The making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function.

176 questions
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Is the 'internet charging' described by the WifiEX Indiegogo campaign possible?

This device can apparently 'charge with internet' at home from my router, then allow me to connect with my phone while I'm out and about. It claims to work on planes and subway trains too. In the FAQs they make reference to a SIM chip in the device,…
fredley
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Does GPS use General Relativity?

Sources on the internet claim that the GPS system requires Relativity to work (xkcd). I've searched information about the GPS system, how it works and how it was set up, reading information from many sources including the US military who maintain…
497362
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Did a turkish man invent a steam engine 200 years before the industrial revolution and only made it to spin doner kebab?

I've seen this picture being reposted in many different places recently: Is it true? Where can this machine be seen? What is it if it's not a steam engine? Update: The pictures posted above show exhibit 75 in the Istanbul Museum of the History of…
Ruslan Oblov
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Could 100,000 lives a year be saved thanks to data-mining?

I read in The Guardian (mirror) (published on 2014-06-26): Google: 100,000 lives a year lost through fear of data-mining The search firm's CEO and co-founder, Larry Page, estimates 100,000 lives could be saved next year if mining of healthcare data…
Franck Dernoncourt
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Are military spy satellites as advanced as people think they are?

We've all been there: you're discussing the recent launch of a rocket carrying a satellite to orbit, or what have you, and suddenly someone pops in and makes a comment like Yeah, it's amazing and scary how powerful spy technology has become.…
voithos
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Is this claim about 3-D printed rhino horns accurate?

The following image is circulating on Facebook: A biotech startup has managed to 3-D print fake rhino horns that carry the same genetic fingerprint as the actual horn. The company plans to flood Chinese rhino horn market at one-eighth of the price…
JonathanReez
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Could the Nokia 1100 be hacked to sniff SMS messages intended for third parties?

TL; DR; version: Is it possible that hackers were somehow able to "reprogram" a specific Nokia 1100 phone to make it receive SMS messages sent to another person's phone number? A couple of years ago, a friend of mine asked me if I happen to have an…
fstanis
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Can overuse of smartphones cause the pinky finger to become deformed?

NTT DoCoMo (the largest Japanese telecom company)'s customer service department recently tweeted an image purportedly showing the harmful effects of overusing smartphones: To me, at least, the photo looks suspiciously doctored, and I was not aware…
March Ho
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Is global warming irreversible?

I have heard countless times the perils of global warming and how we should all do our fair share to save the Earth for future generations. Here is but one example from an NPR article: "Global Warming is Irreversible, says Study" "People have…
Paul
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During WW2 were 2 broken ships each cut in half and welded together again?

During a lecture with Jennifer Egan, writer and Pulitzer-Prize winner, she was telling stories about the Brooklyn Navy Yard and one of those was that at one point during the second world war, 2 ships were brought in which were both damaged beyond…
stijn
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Is charging your phone overnight dangerous?

There are a number of news stories like this (in Russian) of an iPhone 5 burning up and causing a fire while charging overnight, seriously damaging the owner. There's another story going around of a girl dying because she was listening to her…
Peter Olson
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Has anyone ever hacked into a traffic control system to change the stoplights?

This is a relatively common trope with regards to the powers of hackers in film: Someone hacks into the "Traffic Control Center" and gains instant access to all stoplights in an area. This includes the option of turning everything red; everything…
MrHen
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Is a car's fuel consumption increased when the headlights are on?

I have read in many sites that a car with lights on will consume more fuel that with lights off. The (hand-waving) justifications that I see tend to mention that "energy has to come from somewhere" and so they deduce that more fuel should be used.…
Martin Argerami
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Did children in Ethiopia hack Android in five months?

I have recently read Ethiopian kids hack OLPCs in 5 months with zero instruction which claims that children who never saw a book before and didn't know how to speak English learned how to use an Android phone and hacked it. Is this true? The article…
Xitcod13
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Did Canadian company HyperStealth invent an invisibility cloak?

This seemingly legitimate camouflage design company says it invented an invisibility cloak called Quantum Stealth that works by bending light "without cameras, batteries, lights or mirrors." http://www.hyperstealth.com/Quantum-Stealth/index.html But…
Max
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