Science

Meta, the company previously known as Facebook, and the parent company of WhatsApp and Instagram, is expected to become the latest tech company to cull its workforce. The company is reported to be preparing for large-scale cuts of its workforce across the world. A spokesperson declined to comment directly on the reports but pointed to

Elon Musk says Twitter will permanently suspend any account that impersonates another – unless it clearly states it is a “parody”. The social media platform’s new owner issued the warning after some celebrities changed their Twitter display names – not their account names – to “Elon Musk” in reaction to the billionaire’s decision to offer

Twitter is to charge users for the famous blue tick – the first big change since Elon Musk’s controversial takeover. An update to its iOS app on Saturday said the feature was live in the handful of countries that have been testing the premium Twitter Blue service – which originally launched last year. However, the

The gaming giant behind industry juggernaut League Of Legends has said it removes some references to homosexuality in countries in which gay marriage or being gay is illegal. Riot Games, which is majority owned by Chinese conglomerate Tencent, is hosting the game’s world championship tournament Worlds 2022 this weekend. Speaking from the event in San

Data collected on Uber drivers’ smartphones could help monitor bridges and stop them from collapsing, a new study suggests. Collecting drivers’ GPS location and acceleration data – both automatically recorded by ridesharing apps like Uber – give structural engineers key insights into a bridge’s health, according to the research. It would provide them with almost

A former housekeeper for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos alleges she and other employees were made to work in unsafe and unsanitary conditions – including having to climb out of a laundry room window to access a bathroom. Mercedes Wedaa is suing Mr Bezos and two companies that allegedly manage his properties in a lawsuit filed

Alongside the rising cost of living has come the rise of FinTok, an online world of personal finance guidance. From breaking down the (former) mini-budget to navigating the murky realms of crypto, and even the best apps to invest with, Financial TikTok is populated by content creators offering their advice on how to survive the

Gamers are cutting back on new purchases and playing later at night to avoid peak electricity costs amid the cost of living crisis. A study of more than 2,000 UK gamers by TalkTalk found that more than three-quarters (78%) said they had modified their behaviour to help save money. The research found that more than

A single dose of a hallucinogenic chemical found in magic mushrooms can dramatically reduce symptoms of intractable depression, according to the largest ever study of its kind. Around a third of patients given a 25mg dose of a synthetic form of psilocybin, along with psychological support, were in remission three weeks later. All had failed

NASA is preparing to say farewell to the spacecraft responsible for providing some of our closest looks at the surface of Mars. More than 10 years after it was first announced, the InSight lander will fall silent in the next few weeks. The US space agency says that because of the sheer amount of windblown

Elon Musk pledged to make getting rid of spam accounts one of his main priorities after buying Twitter – but there’s another mounting exodus that he perhaps did not intend. Fears over the SpaceX founder’s potentially loose stance on content moderation has plenty of genuine users considering their future on the platform, including some of

The biggest Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) in eight years has been discovered hiding in the sun’s glare. It’s estimated at 1.5km wide – nearly a mile – a size that astronomers class as “planet killers” due to the damage they can cause. The rock is believed to be in the top 5% of largest-known PHAs.

It’s the equivalent of lockdown for anything with feathers. As of Monday 7 November, all kept birds – whether they are large free-range flocks or hobby racing pigeons – will have to be kept indoors or in covered outdoor cages. Biosecurity measures like disinfecting vehicles, equipment and boots are required as well as bans on

Rhinoceros horns, across all species, have steadily shrunk over the past century and scientists believe it may be due to hunting. The research, published in the journal People And Nature, is based on analysis of numerous photos of the animals collected over the last 140 years. Rhino horns are often trophy hunted or used in

Elon Musk has asked his Twitter followers whether he should bring back Vine. Less than a week after completing his contentious $44bn takeover, the self-anointed “Chief Twit” appears open to relaunching the short-form video app axed by his new company back in 2016. “Bring back Vine?” tweeted Musk in the early hours of Monday, with

NASA has shared an image of the sun “smiling”, after one of their satellites captured patterns on its surface appearing to show a happy face. The US space agency posted the images on social media, writing: “NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the sun ‘smiling.’ Seen in ultraviolet light, these dark patches on the Sun are