Science

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics – the area of science concerned with the building blocks of matter. In 1964, a few years after arriving from London to take up a position at the University of Edinburgh, Higgs read a paper by the American theoretical physicist Philip Anderson. At the time, physicists did not have a theory for how subatomic particles got their mass. (Mass can be described as the total amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force of gravity acting on an object.)Continue Reading

Aree_S / Shutterstock We might soon see AI step up to the next level, with impending upgrades to artificial intelligence (AI) systems developed by OpenAI and Meta. OpenAI’s GPT-5 will be the new “engine” within the AI chatbot ChatGPT, while Meta’s upgrade will be named Llama 3. Among other things, the current version of Llama powers chatbots on Meta’s social media platforms. Statements to the media by executives at both OpenAI and Meta suggest that some ability to plan ahead will be incorporated into these upgraded systems. But how exactly will this innovation change the capabilities of AI chatbots? Imagine you are driving from home to work and want to select the best route – that is, the sequence ofContinue Reading

metamorworks/Shutterstock The US and Japan are sponsoring a resolution for debate by the United Nations security council which – if passed – will reaffirm international commitments to the 1967 outer space treaty (OST) forbidding the deployment and use of nuclear weapons in space. The call, headed by US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Japan’s foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa, follows troubling reports that Russia could be developing a nuclear capable anti-satellite weapon. As an expert on space and nuclear weapons, I find these reports concerning but not surprising because nuclear anti-satellite weapons have been proposed since the cold war in the 1960s. So far, little is known about this weapon. The White House has said it is not operational and does notContinue Reading

There's nothing wrong with a bubble bath but there's more to wellness than pouring a glass of wine and lighting some candles. Chiociolla/Shutterstock The wellness movement appears to have the answers that our burnt-out minds need. However, psychological research and practice suggests that a superficial focus on candles, juice cleanses, and a “good vibes only” approach to life is unlikely to create meaningful changes to your wellbeing. It’s not a surprise that wellness culture has become so popular, especially among women and young people. A US$4.4 trillion (£3.5 trillion) wellness industry promises that clean beauty, clean eating and energy-boosting supplements will provide happiness, meaning and a stress-free existence. But if wellness can be bought, why aren’t we all happier? PurchasesContinue Reading

Bernhard Staehli / Shutterstock Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has been cast as a problem in the urgent, international effort to tackle climate change. As AI plays a greater role in our lives, it will need enormous amounts of computing power and data storage. As such, the carbon footprint of AI is projected to expand due to its high energy consumption and the carbon emissions associated with the production of its hardware. However, the truth is more nuanced, since artificial intelligence could also be a problem solver, making a significant contribution to tackling climate change. AI could, for example, help with more accurate predictions of extreme weather events such as hurricanes or the rates at which we can expect the world’sContinue Reading

shutterstock Jon Coyle/Shutterstock From the crispy crunch of fresh veggies to the creamy indulgence of decadent desserts, we all have different food preferences. Our palates develop uniquely, shaped by genetics, culture and personal experiences. Food preferences play a significant role in shaping our dietary habits. Highly palatable foods rich in sugars, fats and salts often appeal to people’s tastebuds and provide immediate satisfaction. However, these foods are typically high in calories and low in essential nutrients, leading to weight gain, and a higher risk of physical and mental health conditions. Now we have discovered that the food you choose to eat isn’t just linked to your physical and mental health, but also to your cognitive function, brain structure and genetics.Continue Reading

Cast Of Thousands/Shutterstock Finland steadily ranks as the happiest country in the world. In March 2024 the country was, for the seventh year in a row, ranked as the happiness champion. The ranking is based on one simple question, using a ladder metaphor, that is asked to people across nearly every country in the world. But my team’s new experimental study suggests that the ladder metaphor makes people think about power and wealth. Since 2005, the Gallup analytics organisation has worked to measure happiness across the entire planet. The mission is particularly important as more and more governments say they are prioritising the wellbeing of their people. For example, all OECD countries now measure the happiness of their people includingContinue Reading

Catastrophic collapses of major bridges are thankfully rare. Notable examples in the last couple of decades include the failure of the I35-W in Minneapolis in August 2007, and the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa 11 years later. When such events do occur, public attention is understandably focused on the nature of the collapse, which can extend over hundreds of metres in seconds, and its underlying causes. Whether because of an extreme loading event or an accident, these supposedly rare events in the life of a bridge still need to be assessed before they happen, and mitigation measures taken in accordance with all the potential consequences. This type of analysis is known as a “risk-based consequence assessment”. The costContinue Reading

If you’ve seen portraits painted by Pablo Picasso or Francis Bacon, you might not be surprised to hear that both men may have suffered from a disorder that affects how faces are perceived. Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) is a condition where faces appear distorted, and sometimes even demonic. In most cases, these distortions alter how images of faces look, as well as those seen in person. This makes it difficult for sufferers to assess the accuracy of illustrations depicting what they see because the illustration itself will appear distorted. However, a case described in a recent study gave researchers new insight into PMO. Unlike most other cases, the 58-year-old man (referred to as VS) perceived images of faces without distortion. Unfortunately, whenContinue Reading

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on 26 March was a shocking and tragic event. Six people remain unaccounted for in the disaster, which saw the world’s third largest continuous truss bridge fall into the Patapsco river. The cause was Singapore-flagged container ship, the Dali, which veered off course, colliding with one of the bridge’s supports, or piers. As the 300 metre-long vessel slammed into the structure, it triggered what’s known as a progressive collapse, where a domino effect leads to the entire structure failing. The bridge, built more than 45 years ago, crashed down into the frigid water at 1:28am eastern standard time (5:28 UTC). But how could one ship bring down this 366m (1,200Continue Reading