Data bill opposed by Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa finally passes
A bill which sparked an extraordinary stand-off between some of the UK’s most high-profile artists…
Astronomers just solved the mystery of “impossible” black holes
An extensive series of computer simulations led by astrophysicists at the Flatiron Institute and their collaborators has revealed that magnetic fields are the missing factor behind the creation of black holes whose masses fall within a range once thought impossible. In 2023, astronomers witnessed a dramatic event: two extraordinarily massive black holes collided roughly 7…
Brain-like learning found in bacterial nanopores
Pore-forming proteins are widespread across living organisms. In humans, they are essential for immune defense, while in bacteria they often act as toxins that puncture cell membranes. These microscopic pores allow ions and molecules to move through membranes, controlling molecular traffic within cells. Because of their precision and control, scientists have adapted them as nanopore…
This 14th century story fooled the world about the Black Death
Researchers have traced long-standing myths about the rapid spread of the Black Death across Asia to a single source from the fourteenth century. For centuries, depictions of the plague racing along the Silk Route, devastating cities and towns in its path, have been based on a misunderstanding of a rhyming story rather than a historical…
Mothers say AI chatbots encouraged their sons to kill themselves
Laura KuenssbergPresenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg BBC Warning – this story contains distressing content and discussion of suicide Megan Garcia had no idea her teenage son Sewell, a “bright and beautiful boy”, had started spending hours and hours obsessively talking to an online character on the Character.ai app in late spring 2023. “It’s like having…
Commitments in AI and education
AI is changing how we learn, and raising important questions about ensuring learning can be a foundation for a better future. Last week, we published a paper on AI and the Future of Learning, and today in London we’re bringing together experts, academics, thinkers, students, educators and more at our Google AI for Learning Forum,…
William recalls Kate cancer talk with children
AFP via Getty Images The Prince of Wales has described how he and the Princess of Wales approached telling their children about difficult moments they have faced over the past two years, such as Catherine and King Charles’ cancer diagnoses. “We choose to communicate a lot more with our children… most of the time, hiding…
Odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the moon may rise to 30 per cent
Asteroid 2024 YR4 may hit the moon MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Astronomers are running out of time to decide whether to prevent asteroid 2024 YR4 from hitting the moon in 2032. A small observing window with the James Webb Space Telescope will open in February, and new data could see the chance of an impact…
Three easy ways to help you beat the winter blues
Getty Images Now the clocks have gone back and the evenings are darker, many of us are trudging to work and back in the dark and sometimes our mood is lower as well. We can feel more tired than normal, lack energy or find it difficult to concentrate. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or “winter depression”…
The Former Staffer Calling Out OpenAI’s Erotica Claims
When the history of AI is written, Steven Adler may just end up being its Paul Revere—or at least, one of them—when it comes to safety. Last month Adler, who spent four years in various safety roles at OpenAI, wrote a piece for The New York Times with a rather alarming title: “I Led Product…
Hospital trust fined £500k over death of patient Alice Figueiredo
Alison HoltSocial affairs editor, The Old Bailey Family handout Alice Figueiredo’s family hoped lessons would be learned following the 22-year-old’s death James MelleyThe Old Bailey A hospital trust has been fined more than £500,000 and a ward manager given a six-month suspended sentence over the death of a 22-year-old woman on a mental health unit….
