Scientists are divided over plans to artificially dim the sun – here’s what they’re actually arguing about
No, President Joe Biden did not engineer Hurricane Milton. No, the ice-crystal contrails left behind high-altitude aircraft are not “chemtrails” sprayed by governments to control the weather or manipulate populations. No, state-run cloud seeding did not cause the record floods in Dubai. Yet claims like these are widespread online and increasingly find their way into […]
Tech leaders are calling for an ‘AI slowdown’ – but what would that mean in practice?
Alexander Supertramp / Shutterstock On Saturday, Donald Trump said, “We’re leading China on AI… and, frankly, I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI, wins.” But the danger the world is waking up to is that this is a game both the US and China could lose, potentially fatally, with AI itself […]
The demise of the single-handed backhand is a watershed moment for tennis
Every year since the first Wimbledon Championship in 1877, a male player with a one-handed backhand has featured in the singles semi-finals of a grand slam. That 149 year streak ended at this year’s US Open when Stefanos Tsitsipas, the last remaining single-hander in the draw, exited the tournament in the round of 16. This […]
Iron overload: how tea, coffee, red meat and alcohol can affect absorption
YARUNIV Studio/Shutterstock Most of us are used to hearing about the risks of not getting enough iron. Yet having too much iron in the body can also cause serious health problems. Iron overload occurs when it gradually accumulates in the body. Excess iron can be stored in organs such as the liver, heart and pancreas. […]
Pisa results: England bucks global decline in reading and Wales falls behind
J.P. Junior Pereira/Shutterstock Every three years, the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) tests the reading, maths and science skills of 15-year-olds in countries across the world. Each Pisa cycle other skills are tested: in 2025, computational problem solving and use of AI were two additional topics covered. Pisa, carried out by the Organisation for […]
When a bet may not be gambling – the puzzle of prediction markets
Prediction market operators allow speculation on sporting events. PJ McDonnell / Shutterstock Regular stock exchange observers will know all about prediction markets. Users buy and sell contracts that pay a fixed sum if a specified event occurs – a sports team wins a match, a candidate is elected. The price at which such a contract […]
Iran’s threat to cut undersea cables in Strait of Hormuz poses a serious threat to Gulf states
The conflict between Iran and the US appears to have reached a stalemate. The US navy continues to prevent Iranian vessels or others transiting to or from Iranian ports. Iran, meanwhile, threatens shipping moving in or out of the Persian Gulf region via the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has also recently said it will establish […]
Can an ancient virus be brought back to life? What 500-year-old smallpox DNA reveals
JHDT Productions/Shutterstock Smallpox is the only human infectious disease to have been eradicated worldwide. Researchers have now recovered fragments of ancient DNA belonging to variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox, from the naturally mummified remains of two Indigenous people buried in northern Chile. For centuries, smallpox caused devastating epidemics. Its severe form, variola major, […]
Europe’s e-waste is a valuable resource – let’s not throw it away
Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock Throwing something away that is urgently needed, expensive and difficult to source sounds crazy. Yet out of the 60 metals contained in old electronic devices like phones, screens or washing machines, only a few get recycled. That includes precious metals like gold or silver and some other metals like aluminium or copper. The […]
Men and women are turning to genital fillers for pleasure and size – here’s what can go wrong
NMK-Studio/Shutterstock.com Fillers are everywhere now – smoothing lines, plumping cheeks, adding volume around the eyes, nose and lips in clinics up and down the country. But some men are now having fillers injected into their penises to increase their size. These fillers often contain hyaluronic acid, a substance naturally found in the body that draws […]