Science
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US military wants to grow giant biological structures in space
DARPA envisions growing structures hundreds of metres long Science Photo Library / Alamy Stock Photo The US military is brainstorming ways to build large structures in space, from telescope antennas to elevator tethers. By growing these objects in microgravity using biological organisms, they hope to avoid the costly and painstaking process of launching components from Earth. “We have yet to…
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Big animals have higher cancer risk – but also evolved better defences
African elephants have extra copies of genes that help resist cancer Neil Aldridge/Nature Picture Library/Alamy Bigger animals live longer and have more cells that could go awry, so we would expect them to have a greater risk of developing cancer. A comprehensive analysis of 263 species suggests this is indeed the case, but also finds that some large animals have…
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AI-generated optical illusions can sort humans from bots
An AI-generated image of a city skyline and a man’s face – but AIs are unable to see both Ziqi Ding et al. (2025) Artificial intelligence programs can create optical illusions that other AIs are unable to recognise, creating a useful CAPTCHA test to differentiate humans from bots. A cat-and-mouse game has played out for almost two decades between website developers…
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There’s a tiny chance the asteroid headed for Earth could hit the moon
Artist’s impression of an asteroid nearing the moon NASA/JPL-Caltech Asteroid 2024 YR4 is on a potential crash course with Earth, but there’s a very slight chance the moon could take the hit. Based on current observations, there is a 2.1 per cent chance that the asteroid – about as long as the Leaning Tower of Pisa is tall – will…
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Bonobos can tell when they know something you don’t
Kanzi, one of three captive bonobos whose mental abilities were tested in the study Ape Initiative Bonobos are quick to help a person who doesn’t know what they know, a sign that they can deduce the mental states of others. The capacity to think about what others are thinking, known as theory of mind, is an essential skill that allows…
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European cities face millions more deaths from extreme temperatures
Tourists try to cool off in Rome, where a large increase in heat deaths is expected by 2099 Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images There will be an extra 2.3 million temperature-related deaths in Europe’s main cities by 2099 without more action to limit warming and adapt to it, researchers predict. However, in cities in colder northern countries such as the…
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The surprising relationship between your gut microbiome and sleeping well
Foxys_forest_manufacture/Getty Images There are many things we can blame for a bad night’s sleep – screen time, stress, too much booze. Now there is another culprit: the microbes in our gut. This article is part of special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here. We have long known that our microbiome has a powerful influence on our health,…
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Meta allowed pornographic ads that break its content moderation rules
Meta owns social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram JRdes / Shutterstock In 2024, Meta allowed more than 3300 pornographic ads – many featuring AI-generated content – on its social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The findings come from a report by AI Forensics, a European non-profit organisation focused on investigating tech platform algorithms. The researchers also discovered an…
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Forever chemicals: Wastewater treatment plants funnel PFAS into drinking water
A wastewater treatment plant in California Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Wastewater treatment facilities are a major source of PFAS contamination in drinking water in the US – they discharge enough of the “forever chemicals” to raise concentrations above safe levels for an estimated 15 million people or more. They can also release long-lasting prescription drugs into the water supply. Even though…
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IBM will release the largest ever quantum computer in 2025
Multiple copies of IBM’s quantum Flamingo chip can be connected together IBM IBM is planning to build the largest quantum computer so far, by linking together smaller machines to create one with a recording-breaking number of quantum bits, or qubits. The firm’s first steps on this path in 2025 should see it hit a new qubit record, and it eventually…
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