A recent laboratory experiment reveals that so-called "extremophile" bacteria possess the remarkable ability to survive asteroid impacts forceful enough to propel them into space. This finding lends significant weight to the intriguing hypothesis that such cosmic...
How Joseph Paradiso’s sensing innovations bridge the arts, medicine, and ecology
Joseph Paradiso believes that the most captivating research inquiries often bridge multiple academic fields. Before embarking on a career in physics, Paradiso earned his PhD in experimental high-energy physics from MIT in 1981. His upbringing was steeped in a creative...
Single protein could dramatically alter trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers have pinpointed the reason why a specific gene mutation acts as a shield against early-onset Alzheimer's disease. This discovery sheds light on why individuals with this genetic anomaly are protected, even when predisposed to developing the devastating...
Woman born without a vagina or cervix went on to conceive a son naturally
The patient has been identified as a 16-year-old girl residing in the United Kingdom. In 1999, a perplexing medical case arrived at a pediatric-adolescent gynecology clinic: a teenage girl suffering from persistent pelvic pain. Doctors noted her discomfort followed...
‘The days of spotting AI by six fingers are over’
From growth zones to data centres, the north-east of England and Cumbria are fast becoming a hub for artificial intelligence (AI) development and use. But people across the region have been wondering how to spot the ever-evolving technology in content, and how to use...
Mayor Sadiq Khan invites embattled AI firm Anthropic to expand in London
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is inviting San Francisco-based artificial intelligence (AI) developer Anthropic to grow its footprint in his city, while criticizing the Trump administration for seeking retribution against the company. Sir Sadiq's letter to Anthropic boss...
AI-generated Iran war videos surge as creators use new tech to cash in
An unprecedented wave of AI-generated misinformation about the US-Israel war with Iran is being monetised by online creators with growing access to generative AI technology, experts have told BBC Verify. Our analysis has found numerous examples of AI-generated videos...
What does Oxfordshire’s AI growth zone status mean?
Oxfordshire became the first of five Artificial Intelligence (AI) Growth Zones across the UK last year as part of government plans to make the country a leading global player in the technology's development. A large trade deal signed between the UK and the US in...
Featured video: Coding for underwater robotics
During a summer internship at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Ivy Mahncke, an undergraduate student of robotics engineering at Olin College of Engineering, took a hands-on approach to testing algorithms for underwater navigation. She first discovered her love for working with...
A “ChatGPT for spreadsheets” helps solve difficult engineering challenges faster
Many engineering challenges come down to the same headache — too many knobs to turn and too few chances to test them. Whether tuning a power grid or designing a safer vehicle, each evaluation can be costly, and there may be hundreds of variables that could matter....
Improving AI models’ ability to explain their predictions
In high-stakes settings like medical diagnostics, users often want to know what led a computer vision model to make a certain prediction, so they can determine whether to trust its output. Concept bottleneck modeling is one method that enables artificial intelligence...
‘Project Hail Mary”s final teaser trailer is ‘Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!’
With the Amazon MGM Studios marketing machine operating at full throttle for the upcoming release of "Project Hail Mary" starring Ryan Gosling and a stone-skinned extraterrestrial named Rocky, it's easy to believe the hype is getting perilously close to...












