Soil home to more than half of the Earth’s species
According to a new study, 90 per cent of fungi, 85 per cent of plants, over 50 per cent of bacteria, and 59 per cent of life overall dwells in this ecosystem – double what many previously thought. A recent analysis has found that soil – the top layer of...
Current in Tech
Biden greenlights $1.2 billion for two carbon-capture tech firms
The Biden administration has announced a tremendous investment into regional hubs that use technology to suck carbon out of the atmosphere and store it. Why are most scientists and environmentalists already calling it a failed plan? Carbon capture, storage, and removal are processes that have been carried out by...
Surgeons perform UK’s first-ever successful womb transplant
Set to make the procedure another option for treating infertility within the next few years, the breakthrough is being hailed as the ‘dawn of a new era’ in reproductive medicine, as well as an incredible advancement in gynaecology. According to Imperial College London, one in 5,000 British women are born...
Google AI is helping to combat flying’s stubborn contrail emissions
The thin white clouds that linger behind planes are called contrails, and they’re a significant contributor to flying emissions. Here’s how Google AI is finally helping to address the problem. The small white clouds left behind by airplanes are called contrails – short for condensation trails – and they’re responsible...
PsychoGenics is using AI to rapidly screen for psychotic treatments
PsychoGenics has developed a drug-discovery application powered by AI technology. Its first objective is to find a formula capable of effectively treating schizophrenia. The development of new drugs is an impressive science, but most cases begin with an educated hunch and a lot of guess work. Around only 1 in 1,000...
UNESCO calls for a global tech detox in schools
The use of technology in schools has become increasingly prevalent in the past few decades. UNESCO’s new report sheds light on the consequences of this reliance. Over the past few decades, technology has become so pervasive that it’s hard to imagine a world without it. It has allowed interconnectivity throughout...
Bacteria is now being used to create endlessly recyclable plastic
Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a new way to engineer bacteria to produce raw materials that can be made into plastic. They’re completely recyclable. We probably don’t need to tell you that plastic is bad for the environment. A major polluter that causes significant headaches around the world, plastics can be found everywhere. From our foods to our seas, it has become a huge pillar of concern in the...
US companies clamour to hire for ambiguous AI leadership roles
The hottest new job in the US is ‘head of AI’ despite the fact that nobody knows quite what it entails. Is this a ploy to keep senior tech professionals cosy in relevant leadership roles? AI can’t come for our jobs if we get out ahead of it, right? In no field of work is this sentiment more widespread than tech. Experts of the field know the most about AI and...
Are deepfakes convincing enough to create false memories?
A new study has found that watching deepfake videos and reading short text descriptions of made-up remakes can cause people to falsely remember watching non-existent films. Last month, researchers at University College Cork in Ireland published findings from their research into false memories, a study which indicates that the impacts of generative AI programmes may be more complicated than initially feared. Deepfake tech has already proven itself a dangerously effective means...
Opinion – Has the Threads hype died already?
The arrival of Zuckerberg’s text-based social media platform Threads brought a sudden and fleeting moment of excitement to the digital sphere. Now, over half of the 100 million users who signed up have already stopped checking in. It hasn’t even been a month since the social media app Threads was launched, but a look at its current userbase suggests the platform has already lost its appeal. The text-based app, which...
