What's in the Covid inquiry report… in 68 seconds
The report looks at whether lockdowns were timely and reasonable, and what impact rule-breaking at the heart of government had on public confidence. Source link
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Japanese spacecraft faces a massive challenge from a house-size asteroid
Astronomers have gathered new data on the asteroid 1998 KY26 using observatories across several continents, including the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT). These coordinated observations show that the asteroid is almost three times smaller than earlier estimates and rotates far more rapidly. The object is the planned 2031 destination for Japan’s Hayabusa2…
This engineered fungus cuts emissions and tastes like meat
A recent study published November 19 in Trends in Biotechnology reports that scientists used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to improve how efficiently a fungus produces protein while also lowering the environmental footprint of that production by as much as 61% — all without introducing foreign DNA. The modified fungus has a meatlike flavor and is…
Circumstances of Covid Christmas lockdown ‘inexcusable’
The circumstances which led to the Welsh government’s decision to impose a Christmas 2020 Covid lockdown across Wales were “inexcusable”, says the chair of the UK public inquiry into the pandemic. Baroness Hallet said Welsh ministers had failed to take “decisive action” against an “entirely foreseeable” Covid variant resulting in the lockdown. Prior to the…
A $100 Million AI Super PAC Targeted New York Democrat Alex Bores. He Thinks It Backfired
It turns out that when an AI-friendly super PAC with $100 million in backing from Silicon Valley bigwigs identifies you as its first target, it ends up generating a lot of attention. “I want to thank [the PAC] for their partnership in raising up the issue of how we regulate an incredibly powerful technology so…
Michael Gove apologises after Covid report alleges ‘toxic’ culture
Former cabinet minister Lord Michael Gove has apologised on behalf of the then-government and Conservative Party for “mistakes made” during the coronavirus pandemic. In her long-awaited report published, Baroness Hallett says Boris Johnson, the prime minister at the time, oversaw a “toxic and chaotic” culture in No 10 during Covid. Lord Gove told the BBC’s…
Scientists reveal what triggered Santorini ‘earthquake swarm’
The “swarm” of tens of thousands of earthquakes near the Greek island of Santorini earlier this year was triggered by molten rock pumping through an underground channel over three months, scientists have discovered. They used physics and artificial intelligence to work out exactly what caused the more than 25,000 earthquakes, which travelled about 20km (12…
UN climate summit drops mention of fossil fuels from draft deal
All mention of fossil fuels, by far the largest contributor to climate change, has been dropped from the draft deal under negotiation at the COP30 UN climate talks in Belém, Brazil enter their final stretch. Draft agreements at the meeting of nearly 200 countries usually go through multiple revisions as all parties must agree in…
Apple’s Most Overlooked App Just Got a Lot Better
As sentences go, “Apple Intelligence now works in Apple Shortcuts” isn’t the most likely to inspire a lot of people to click a link. And that’s too bad: This change, one of the more overlooked new features in macOS 26, means you can use Apple’s on-board AI to do all kinds of things while designing…
Your kid having a hard time? Dr Becky has this tip
Clinical psychologist Dr Becky Kennedy says resisting the urge to fix, and connecting with your child instead, is key. Source link