Science

No new COVID variants have emerged during China’s recent surge in cases, according to new analysis. The country ended its strict zero COVID policy in December after rare protests threatened the regime’s authority, leading to a large outbreak and almost 60,000 confirmed deaths in just over a month. Large numbers of infections have previously proved

The world’s best artificial intelligence (AI) is – at the most basic level – about as smart as a pigeon, new research suggests. Having undertaken a deep study into the inner workings of the bird’s brain, researchers found that the “brute force” techniques they use to learn share similarities with AI. Much like AI is

Grant Shapps has said a picture he tweeted out which Boris Johnson was mysteriously edited out of was a “complete screw-up”. Beady-eyed social media users noticed that the image posted from Mr Shapps’ social media account last month – ahead of a rocket launch from Spaceport Cornwall – was not the same as the original

Fear of fire in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy is holding back a switch to more sustainable building materials, a leading architect has told Sky News. Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton Architects, which is at the forefront of eco-building design, said the construction industry and regulators are too cautious about using engineered timber in

Netflix has said that updated measures to crack down on password sharing were posted by mistake. Following widespread disappointment on social media, with many threatening to cancel their memberships, the streaming giant claimed some new account rules being trialled in other countries had accidentally been added to its help pages elsewhere. While subscribers have been

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, shocked hi-tech professionals at a major cybersecurity convention in Tel Aviv on Wednesday when he revealed that the opening part of his speech was written by artificial intelligence software. In a recorded video greeting for Cybertech Global Tel Aviv 2023, Mr Herzog said: “I am truly proud to be the president

2022 was the biggest year ever for cryptocurrency hacking, with more than £3.2bn stolen worldwide, according to new research. October alone saw £629m taken – the most recorded in a single month. It helped the overall year dwarf 2021’s previous high of £2.7bn, although the total number of hacks fell slightly. The annual report by

A British vehicle maker is part of a consortium that has been awarded £6.6m in government funding to make the world’s first self-driving, hydrogen-powered heavy goods vehicle for Asda to trial. Glasgow-based Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) is developing two prototype HGVs as part of a group which includes supermarket giant Asda. The third member of

Netflix’s impending crackdown on password sharing includes plans to force users to regularly connect via their home Wi-Fi. An update to the streaming giant’s help page reveals details of how the company will finally take a tougher stance against the practice, which millions of people in the UK are estimated to partake in. While logins

The Treasury has revealed proposals to regulate cryptocurrency, following widespread calls for action after the spectacular collapse of one of the world’s largest trading exchanges. Promising a “robust” approach to digital assets consistent with traditional finance, the government says it wants exchanges to have fairer and tighter standards. Under the plans, crypto platforms would become

Skywatchers have been treated to the spectacular sight of Mars disappearing behind the moon. The event, which astronomers call an occultation, happened last night and was visible from parts of the US, northwestern South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Similar to a lunar eclipse, when the Earth is positioned perfectly between the moon and the

A schoolgirl’s design for a backpack that can filter air to protect people from pollution and airborne disease has won a national innovation contest. Eleanor Woods was presented with a real-world incarnation of her product in London over the weekend, having won over judges with a hi-tech satchel that “looks cool, will help get kids

A mummy “completely covered in layers of gold” may be the oldest and most complete ever found in Egypt. The ancient man’s well-preserved sarcophagus has been discovered after a year-long excavation just outside of the capital Cairo. It is just one of dozens of new archaeological discoveries found in Egypt. Researchers believe it belonged to

If your idea of pampering involves a trip to the nail salon, a doctor has a warning for you – protect your hands or risk damaging your skin cells permanently.  Dr Najia Shaikh – a GP, skin doctor and the founder of One Skin Clinic – told Sky News “it’s better to be safe than

An asteroid is to come very close to Earth in the coming hours, passing just a few thousand kilometres above the planet’s surface. The relative near miss will be streamed live using robotic telescopes – here’s what you need to know about the asteroid and how you can watch it. What do we know about

Germany is looking into digital attacks by hackers targeting websites in the country. The attacks – known as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) – work by directing high volumes of internet traffic towards targeted servers in a bid by so-called hacktivists to knock them offline. “The scope and source of these attacks are currently being clarified,” the