Science

A large hole capable of generating solar winds north of a million miles per hour has appeared on the surface of the sun for the second time in a week. It is known as a coronal hole – and this one is 20 times bigger than Earth. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spotted it, and it

The government has published plans for how it wants to regulate AI technology which it says will “turbocharge” the growth of AI in the UK, while countering potential risks of rapidly emerging computer intelligence to society. The regulations will apply to all applications of AI including powerful “language models” like the headline-grabbing Chat-GPT and image-generating

Film awards season may have been and gone, but BAFTA is rolling out the red carpet once again this week. This time, video games are in the spotlight – with everything from the biggest blockbusters to some of 2022’s most celebrated indie darlings in the running. PlayStation action epic God Of War Ragnarok leads the

Hundreds of children are being treated for video game disorders by the NHS, including some who have been driven to attack their own family. New figures reveal that 745 people have been referred to the National Centre for Gaming Disorders since it opened in October 2019, the only clinic of its kind in the UK.

People aged under 18 in Utah will need the permission of a parent or guardian to use social media such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. It is the first US state to put such a measure into law and is aimed at shielding minors from the “addictive” platforms amid claims such apps damage children’s mental

COVID-19 vaccines do not cause disruptions to women’s periods, a new study suggests. Research led by the University of Edinburgh found that catching the virus can lead to some changes, such as missed or heavier periods, or bleeding between periods. Around one in five vaccinated women have reported changes to their periods after a COVID

The world’s first 3D-printed rocket made its launch debut on Wednesday night – but failed just three minutes into the flight. Made almost entirely of 3D-printed parts, the Terran 1 booster by California-based aerospace startup Relativity Space lifted off at 11.25pm local time from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. There was nothing aboard the

A new and “rare” species of giant trapdoor spider has been discovered in Australia. The large eight-legged arachnid is so big that it has been named “Euoplos dignitas” – meaning dignity or greatness in Latin – in honour of its “impressive” size. Researchers say the female spiders, which are typically larger than the males, can

Scottish MPs have been “strongly advised” by parliamentary authorities to remove the controversial social media app TikTok from any devices. The move follows a decision to ban the app from UK government devices. In an email on Friday, MSPs and staff at Holyrood were “strongly” advised to remove TikTok, including from personal devices used to

Around 17% of women with unexplained infertility also have gene variants known to cause diseases including cancer, a new study has found. The connection between infertility and some illnesses had already been established; both men and women with infertility have increased risks of heart disease and cancer. What had not been established before was whether

A gene mutation which increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer has been linked to people with Orkney heritage. Scientists from the universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh have found that one in one hundred people with grandparents from the islands off the north-eastern coast of Scotland, have a mutation of the gene BRCA1. It

Microsoft has revealed an AI “copilot for work” that can write your emails and allow you to catch up on skipped meetings. The tech giant is bringing the ChatGPT-like assistant to all of its Office apps, including Word, Teams, and Outlook. A recorded video showed the bot summarising calls, taking notes during meetings, and answering

The US government has demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their shares or face a potential ban on the app in America. The news emerged on Wednesday that the Biden administration was taking dramatic steps to potentially block the video-sharing app in the US amid fears of its user data being shared with the Chinese

A study into an artificial sweetener commonly used in hot drinks and found in diet soft drinks has uncovered an “unexpected effect on the immune system”, scientists say. Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in London found that consuming a high amount of sucralose lowers activation of T cells – a type of white blood

The UK will launch an “AI sandbox” to encourage groundbreaking research into artificial intelligence, the chancellor has announced, with millions of pounds in prize money up for grabs over the next decade. Jeremy Hunt used his first budget to outline the early stages of a new “quantum strategy”, which forms part of the government’s ambition

The creator of ChatGPT is releasing an upgraded version of the AI behind its powerful chatbot that can recognise images. OpenAI’s impressive software took the internet by storm late last year with its ability to generate human-like responses to just about any text prompt you throw at it, from crafting stories to coming up with