Technology

An explosive collision between two icy giant planets has been discovered, after being spotted on a social media post by an amateur astronomer. A blaze of light and plumes of dust were created after the two exoplanets (planets that orbit a star outside the solar system) 1,800 light years away from Earth, crashed around a

The treatment of brain aneurysms could be transformed by a software platform powered by artificial intelligence. Researchers found the programme, called PreSize, was more accurate placing a stent than experienced neurosurgeons. An aneurysm is a weak or thin spot on a vessel wall in the brain that fills with blood – and they can be

Apple has said it plans to update the iPhone 12’s software after France halted sales of the model over fears about excessive radiation levels. Jean-Noel Barrot, a junior minister in the French government, told Le Parisien last month a radiation watchdog found the device’s “specific absorption rate” was slightly higher than the legal limit. This

Elon Musk has told an EU chief to send him a list of the “violations” he is accused of – after the bloc told him to tackle the spread of disinformation about the conflict between Israel and Hamas on his X messaging platform. X, formerly known as Twitter, says it is trying to take action

Scientists are looking for answers after detecting a leak from a lab on the International Space Station (ISS) – the third such incident in less than a year on a Russian-controlled segment. Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, confirmed the leak came from a backup coolant system used to regulate the temperature in its Nauka module,

Ultra-processed foods can have the same effect as drugs with people experiencing intense cravings, symptoms of withdrawal and continued consumption despite dangerous consequences, researchers have said. They suggest labelling ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as “addictive” might help some modify their behaviour. It’s estimated one in seven adults and one in eight children could be hooked on

Humanity is “staring down the barrel” of potentially losing up to half of its future medicines through plant extinction, scientists have warned. Nearly half of all plants that flower are at risk, amounting to more than 100,000, while it is believed around 77% of all those as yet undescribed by science are at risk. Some

Deepfake videos of Sir Keir Starmer have been posted on the first day of Labour Party conference in a move that underlines the threat posed by deepfake technology and AI in UK politics. The fake video of the Labour leader emerged on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday morning as senior figures and party

NASA and SpaceX are set to send a spacecraft to a giant metal asteroid discovered back in the 1800s. The goal? To reveal more about the origins of our solar system. Here’s everything you need to know about the mission. What is Psyche? Psyche is the name of the mission, as well as the name

A British-built “flying thermometer” has sent back its first pictures from space of hotspots on Earth. High-resolution thermal images taken by the satellite HOTSAT-1 reveal the sun-baked streets of Las Vegas, a vast oil storage complex in Oklahoma and the intense heat of the Canadian wildfires. HOTSAT-1, which has been dubbed “the world’s thermometer”, was

The condition known as “baby brain” may be caused by hormonal changes before birth, rather than, as commonly thought, as a result of the impact of bearing a child, scientists have said. A study of mice by a team from the Francis Crick Institute, found their brains began preparing for “the big life change” of

The government has come under pressure from retailers to crack down on shoplifting, which they say has surged in the past year.  This is partly due to organised crime and partly because of the cost of living crisis, which has squeezed living standards for households across the board. The policing minister has presented a solution

Early humans migrated from Africa 84,000 years ago to populate the rest of the world by following river routes through Jordan – not going via the Red Sea as previously thought, according to a new scientific study. Scientists from the University of Southampton and Shantou University in China carried out field work in Jordan’s rift

Sam Bankman-Fried, also known by the initials SBF, has tumbled from crypto king to courtroom defendant. The trial of the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange is due to start on Tuesday 3 October. The fraud charges against him – which he denies – stem from the November 2022 collapse of his now-bankrupt business. But

A company has been fined by the US government for leaving junk in space. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued its first space debris enforcement fine, saying the company DISH will pay $150,000 (£124,000) for failing to properly de-orbit its EchoStar-7 satellite. The satellite TV provider admitted liability, the commission said, adding that the action

The Nobel Prize in medicine has been awarded to two scientists for their research which led to the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. The accolade, among the most prestigious in the scientific world, went to Katalin Kariko, from Hungary, and Drew Weissman, from the United States. “Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally