Technologies
This Scrollable Map of the Universe Reminds Us How Tiny We Really Are
It’s a bit unsettling to scroll through this website scientists made to detail the observable universe. I highly recommend doing it.
When you open up Johns Hopkins University Professor Brice Ménard’s «map of the observable universe,» you’re met with a geometric diagram overflowing with thousands of rainbow freckles, each neatly organized by color. At the bottom of this diagram lies an unnerving phrase.
«You are here.»
One negligible, barely visible dot on this graph represents our entire Milky Way galaxy — a realm with billions of stars besides our own sun, and one we occupy such a small percentage of I don’t even want to attempt writing it out.
With a single pixel, Ménard stunningly puts into perspective the cosmic brevity of everything we’ve ever truly known as human beings.
«This map, representing galaxies just as little dots, allows the viewer to basically understand different scales at the same time,» Ménard said in an overview of the interactive mechanism. «Seeing the vastness of the universe — it’s quite inspiring.»
Scrolling around the 200,000 galaxies in the map — placed in accurate, relative positions to one another — is calming because it reframes how inconsequential the footprint we place in the universe is. It’s disturbing for precisely the same reason.
It draws a distinct parallel with Carl Sagan’s famous quote about Voyager 1’s breathtaking image of Earth from 1990, «Pale Blue Dot.»
«Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us,» Sagan said. «On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every ‘superstar,’ every ‘supreme leader,’ every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there — on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.»
Though if you’re blown away by the deceptively concise magnitude of Ménard’s map, consider how it doesn’t even account for every galaxy in the universe. In reality, NASA estimates there are something like a hundred billion galaxies unfolding eternities beyond our own.
We’d need an unfathomable level of observable universe cartography to encapsulate the full breadth of the cosmos.
Slice of our universe
Along with a cadre of scientists, Ménard used data mined over two decades by what’s known as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
«Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries,» Ménard said. «But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like.»
Once you click «explore the map» under the Milky Way galaxy label, you arrive at a screen prompting you to «scroll up to travel through the universe.» That such a sentence even exists underscores just how far technology has come.
«From this speck at the bottom,» Ménard said, «we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science.»
Even more impressive is how, as you follow the prompt, a ticker at the bottom left of the screen shows you how many billions of years back in time you’ve scrolled. Meanwhile, the dots go from gradients of pale blues to yellows to oranges to reds, ultimately retreating to a cool midnight hue.
«Each dot is a galaxy shown with its apparent color,» the page reads. «Spiral galaxies are faint and blue. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is a blue spiral.»
Elliptical galaxies are shown as yellowish and brighter, while reddened speckles indicate realms that have grown distant enough for the light they emanate to stretch and appear to us on Earth as crimson blurs.
Further back 9 billion years, the map exhibits vivid blue spots to represent quasars rather than galaxies. These are extreme jets of light spewing out from the guts of black holes sitting at the center of certain galaxies.
Basically, it’s really hard to see galaxies from this era of cosmic history, reddened to the point of near-invisibility, but quasars are bright enough to act like flashlights. Their brilliance shines across the universe, revealing scenes otherwise shielded by darkness and softened with distance.
But beyond even those quasars lies a splotch of blackness — evocative of the mysteries lurking beyond the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared waters.
«We encounter an epoch during which the universe is filled with hydrogen gas that prevents the propagation of visible light we could observe today. This epoch is called the «dark ages,'» the page reads.
NASA’s magnificent James Webb Space Telescope is such a big deal because it’s built to find secrets hidden in this region invisible to human eyes. Constructed with an army of high-tech infrared sensors, it’s working on detecting galaxies from near the beginning of time stuck in a limbo we cannot see with our minds or machines.
With each Webb discovery, hopefully maps like this one will become populated where their empty spaces currently sit.
And at the very, very top of the page, a marbled photo of the edge of the observable universe. The first flash of light emitted post-Big Bang, nearly 14 billion years ago. The Cosmic Microwave Background.
«We cannot see anything beyond this point,» the map concludes after you scroll back to the beginning of existence. «The light travel time to us is greater than the age of the universe.»
Technologies
My Teen Loves Her AirPods Pro 2. You Can Save $50 on a Pair of Your Own Right Now
Apple’s impressive AirPods Pro 2 earbuds are still under $200 even though Prime Day is over.
My 13-year-old daughter loves her music and her privacy, and for years she has wanted a pair of AirPods. I always considered them too expensive and she’s been using cheaper options, like the Amazon Echo Buds, as a result. But after one too many pairs being mysteriously «lost,» I figure there’s never been a better time to upgrade her to a pair of AirPods Pro 2.
I picked them up during last year’s sales, and they were definitely well-received. She’s happy, she uses them every day and she hasn’t lost them yet. They are currently $199 at Amazon — a nice $50 discount on the usual price. While that’s more than the low $149 we saw during Prime Day, it’s still a solid price for a high-quality pair like these. We can’t promise that this price will last for long, unfortunately, which means you should probably think about placing your order soon.
Read more: Best Prime Day Apple Deals Still Remaining
HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK
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Why I didn’t wait for the AirPods Pro 3
Rumors abound that Apple will replace the Pro 2 with an updated Pro 3 version later this year. My kid wanted headphones sooner, so I got her the Pro 2s. But if you’re on the fence, here’s my perspective.
The main improvements to the Pro 3 are said to be heart-rate monitoring like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 have, as well as a new design. Other speculation points to improved sound and processing with Apple’s H3 chip, temperature sensors, built-in infrared cameras, a touchscreen on the case, live translation of languages and more. There’s no way to know what they actually will have, but I do know that they’ll be more expensive than the Pro 2 (especially at this sale price). I don’t think those new features are going to be worth the money, however.
Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.
You might have a different take, especially if you want heart-rate monitoring on your headphones for fitness sessions or one of those rumored extras. In that case it might be worth waiting to see what the new versions include. The AirPods Pro 3 are expected to be announced in September and on sale soon after.
Why I didn’t get the AirPods 4 instead
Why did I choose AirPods Pro 2 instead of the newer AirPods 4 with ANC? First off, as I mentioned in another article about a different pair of earbuds I bought, I think sealed, in-ear buds are better than open-design models like the AirPods 4. The seal creates another layer of noise isolation and contributes to superior sound quality, and if you want to pay attention to the world you can always engage ambient sound mode, which Apple calls transparency mode.
Also a factor was the commentary of CNET reviewer David Carnoy, who considers the Pro 2 the best Apple noise-canceling wireless earbuds: «While we’re quite impressed with those new models — and with the AirPods 4 ANC in particular — the AirPods Pro 2 remain arguably the best Apple AirPods you can buy if you don’t mind having silicone ear tips jammed in your ears.»
My daughter uses earplugs all the time to help her sleep, so she definitely qualifies as somebody who’s comfortable stuffing things in her ears. Like her fingers, when I start using words like «sigma,» «skibidi» and «relatable» to try to relate to her.
I asked Carnoy about the Pro 2s potentially not fitting in her kid-size ears and he reassured me that the range of eartips that come with the Pro 2s «now include XS, so they should fit.»
Should you buy now with the threat of tariffs?
It’s no secret that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are leading to higher prices for a lot of things, including electronics. We’re actually tracking the price of the AirPods Pro 2 in our tariff tracker and as of press time the price has actually decreased since January.
If you’re in the market for AirPods 2 now anyway, now is a good time to buy. A Reuters report from April said AirPods could be subject to a 39% price hike to cover tariff costs, but the tariff situation is fluid, so I wouldn’t use that potential increase as a reason to buy now. If you wait until the new model comes out later this year, the price on the older AirPods Pro 2 might even get lower.
Do AirPods make a great gift?
It took me years to finally understand, but yes, for someone looking for wireless earbuds, AirPods — especially the Apple AirPods Pro 2 — make the perfect gift, regardless of whether you’re a teenage girl or not.
If you’re looking for more gifting options, check out our roundup of the best tech gifts under $100.
Technologies
Score $420 in Savings on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Before It Hits Shelves
Preorder this cutting-edge foldable phone from Amazon to get double the storage, as well as a $300 gift card, for free.
Why choose between a phone and a tablet when you can get the best of both worlds? With their large interior display, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold devices have been some of our absolute favorite foldable phones for several generations. If you’re looking to make the switch to one of these sleek hybrid phones, now’s a great time to do so with the cutting-edge Z Fold 7 set to hit shelves later this month. And you can score some serious savings if you preorder yours through Amazon.
The online retailer is offering a free storage upgrade, which saves you $120 on the 512GB model and drops it down to $2,000 (the same price as the basic 256GB model). Plus, your preorder comes with a free $300 Amazon gift card, which bumps the total savings up to a substantial $420. There’s no set expiration for these offers, but with the phone releasing soon on July 25, we definitely wouldn’t wait too long.
Samsung’s unique foldable phones had a bit of an awkward adolescence, but after getting her hands on the new lineup, CNET reviewer Abrar Al-Heet confirms that the latest Z Fold 7 «just feels right.» For one, it’s incredibly sleek at just 8.9mm thick when closed or 4.2mm thick when open, which is so thin you may even forget that it’s a foldable.
Despite weighing in at just 215 grams, this new foldable features some serious hardware. It’s got a 6.5-inch cover screen and an 8-inch interior display with a fluid 120Hz refresh rate. It’s equipped with a cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and 12GB of RAM to support tons of helpful AI features and functions, and comes with Android 16 and Samsung One UI 8 right out of the box. The camera system is also pretty impressive, boasting a 200MP rear camera, 12MP ultrawide shooting and a 10MP front camera on both the cover and interior screens. Plus, it’s equipped with a 4,400-mAh battery for all-day use.
MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK
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Why this deal matters
With an unbelievably sleek design and some cutting-edge hardware, the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 promises to be one of the most advanced phones on the market when it releases on July 25. Unfortunately, it also comes with a staggering $2,000 price tag. If you’re hoping to get your hands on one, this free storage upgrade and $300 Amazon gift card offer is a way to rack up some serious savings and help cushion the blow of its considerable cost.
Technologies
Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 14, #1486
Here are hints and the answer for today’s tough Wordle for July 14, No. 1,486.
Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. But if you guess the right vowels early, you’ve got a shot. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.
Today’s Wordle hints
Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.
Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats
Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.
Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels
There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 3: Starting off
Today’s Wordle answer begins with a vowel.
Wordle hint No. 4: First letter
Today’s Wordle answer begins with U.
Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning
Today’s Wordle answer can refer to canceling or reversing something.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Today’s Wordle answer is UNDID.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer, July 13, No. 1485 was GNOME.
Recent Wordle answers
July 9, No. 1481: NOVEL
July 10, No. 1482: JUMPY
July 11, No. 1483: BRAND
July 12, No. 1484: EXILE
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q.
Some solid starter words to try:
ADIEU
TRAIN
CLOSE
STARE
NOISE
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