Mara Johnson-Groh, 33, a freelance science writer in British Columbia, Canada, lost her fingerprints about a decade ago when she started rock climbing—particularly her middle and ring fingers, where a lot of pressure is exerted on the rock. She says she regularly hears stories of fellow climbers having problems trying …
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Already planning your big vacation for next year? If you’re flying within the United States, you better add one more item to that to-do list: Update your license to Real ID. Anyone who has a license that isn’t Real ID–certified will not be allowed to board domestic flights in the …
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How nice would it be to never again realize that you forgot your driver’s license in your other pants? Well, if you have a smartphone—and if you live in one of the US states that supports it—you can start carrying a digital version of your ID with you everywhere. A …
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Earlier this month, state police in Connecticut held a “DNA drive” in an effort to help identify human remains found in the state. Family members of missing people were invited to submit DNA samples to a government repository used to solve these types of cases, a commercial genetic database, or …
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The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has done tens of thousands of face recognition searches using software from outside providers in recent years. Yet only 5 percent of the 200 agents with access to the technology have taken the bureau’s three-day training course on how to use it, a …
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In the coming weeks, the US Supreme Court will decide whether to hear a pending case that includes an amicus brief filed by David Sosas. Plural. The David Sosas who signed the brief include “David Sosa, age 32, from Iredell County, North Carolina; David Sosa, age 51, from Mecklenburg, North …
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After the government temporarily closed its application portal last year, online passport renewals in the US are back open. If you can jump through a few hoops, meet a narrow set of criteria, and snag one of the limited slots offered each day, you may be able to receive a …
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