"Shrinking trees and tuskless elephants:  The strange ways species are adapting to humans."

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Science | The Guardian

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Shrinking trees and tuskless elephants: the strange ways species are adapting to humans

100+by Patrick Greenfield / 8h

As people have shaped the natural world, so wildlife – from mahoganies to magpies – has had to evolve to survive From the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean, humanity’s influence has touched every part of planet Earth. Many plants and animals are evolving in response, adapting to a human-dominated world. One notable example came during the Industrial Revolution, when the peppered moth t

‘Virtual employees’ could join workforce as soon as this year, OpenAI boss says

OpenAI confident in AGI development

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by Dan Milmo Global technology editor / 15min

Sam Altman says tools that carry out jobs anonymously, known as AI agents, could transform business output Virtual employees could join workforces this year and transform how companies work, according to the chief executive of OpenAI. The first artificial intelligence agents may start working for organisations this year, wrote Sam Altman, as AI firms push for uses that generate returns on substan

Charles Duhigg on how to become a supercommunicator - podcast

by Presented by Reged Ahmad with Charles Duhigg. Series producer Karishma Luthria. Sound design and mix by Camilla Hannan. Executive producer Hannah Parkes. / 30min

Do you find yourself replaying an important conversation in your head and thinking - ‘why did I say that?’ Journalist and Pulitzer prize-winning author Charles Duhigg found himself at a similar impasse when he had to manage a project and struggled to connect with members of his team. So he learned everything he could about communication. Duhigg tells Reged Ahmad about the simple things anyone can

Today

Games to look forward to in 2025: Directive 8020

by Tom Regan / 4h

The Earth is dying and the only hope is a distant planet in a game that is a playable blend of Alien and The Thing Supermassive’s games have always been cinematic, from the persuasive performances of slasher-horror Until Dawn to the chillier atmosphere of interactive ghost story Man of Medan. This time around, with sci-fi horror Directive 8020, the studio wears its Hollywood influences even more

Yesterday

What is human metapneumovirus, are cases surging in China, and should we be worried?

China alerts on human metapneumovirus

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by Helen Davidson in Taipei / 5h

Surging HMPV cases in northern China have prompted some online alarm but experts say the risk of another Covid-like pandemic is low Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a respiratory disease that causes flu or cold-like symptoms, but can increase risks or lead to more serious complications like bronchitis or pneumonia, particularly among the elderly, young children, and immunocompromised people. The d

Can you solve it? Interview questions for aspiring billionaires

by Alex Bellos / 7h

Mind-manglers from the Musk mafia The book The Founders by Jimmy Soni tells the story of the Paypal Mafia – the tech bros who founded and ran the online payments company. The most famous of this troupe - Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and David Sacks – are now as well known for their Trumpist politics as their entrepreneurial ingenuity. Back in the day, however, what really got their blood pumping was ma

Starwatch: Venus will be exceptionally bright in gathering twilight

by Stuart Clark / 8h

The evening star reaches its maximum angular distance east from the sun, meaning it will linger long after sunset Often referred to as the evening star, Venus is absolutely radiant in the gathering twilight this week. It reaches a configuration known as the greatest eastern elongation on 10 January, when it will be at its maximum angular distance east from the sun, about 47 degrees. This means th

Teeth as time capsules: Soviet secrets and my dentist grandmother – podcast

by Written by Jacob Mikanowski and read by Shai Matheson. Produced by Nicola Alexandrou. The executive producer was Ellie Bury / 9h

In postwar Warsaw, my grandmother Zosia fixed the teeth of prisoners and spies. In doing so, she came into contact with the hidden history of her times in a way few others could. By Jacob Mikanowski Continue reading...

Amazon aims to branch into UK internet market with satellite broadband plan

Amazon launches UK satellite broadband

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by Jasper Jolly / 21h

Proposed space launches within next two years could ultimately deliver mobile phone signal even to most remote areas Amazon is hoping to offer a satellite broadband service in the UK within the next two years as it prepares to launch a constellation of spacecraft that could ultimately deliver a mobile signal even to the most remote areas. The tech company, founded by Jeff Bezos, said it would see

We need to liberate sex from shame and fear

by Anonymous / 1d

By being true to ourselves we can find greater enjoyment and a deeper connection I have never been afraid of sex. Of course that has hurt me quite badly over all the years I’ve been having it, but I remain fairly fearless. I am not afraid to talk about it, nor am I afraid to have it. Lots of different kinds of it, with lots of different people. Sometimes I wonder if it’s because there’s something

Jan 4, 2025

Polyphenols: the natural chemicals that could give you a small waist, healthy heart and low blood pressure

by Giulia Crouch / 1d

Can the compound found in plants slow the ageing process and help tackle Alzheimer’s? Food writer Giulia Crouch finds out . . . There’s a new buzzword in town when it comes to health: polyphenols. While scientists have been investigating the plant compounds for years, the term has now caught the public imagination – and for good reason. A growing body of evidence shows that eating a diet high in

Why Elon Musk’s Starship rocket is beating Nasa in the space race

64by Robin McKie, Science editor / 1d

The SpaceX chief’s powerful new system is set to slash the cost of missions, leaving Nasa in the dust It was one of the most striking technological events of the year. On 13 October, Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, blasted into space from a launchpad in Texas. Its main booster reached an altitude of more than 65km before it began to hurtle back to Earth at a velocity great

I can just see those dinosaurs plodding through the Cotswold mud | Mike Pitts

30by Mike Pitts / 1d

A dig near Bicester has uncovered spectacular tracks in what was once a Jurassic lagoon There are many reasons to be excited about the dinosaur footprints whose discovery was announced last week. They will bring new understandings to the Jurassic world of more than 150m years ago. Their recording united quarry workers and more than a hundred scientists, students and other volunteers in a frenzied

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