An AI system has reached human level on a test for ‘general intelligence’. Here’s what that means
OpenAI’s o3 model scored at human level on a benchmark test for artificial general intelligence – far higher than any results ...
Boxing Day tsunami: here’s what we have learned in the 20 years since the deadliest natural disaster in modern history
On Boxing Day 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia set off a tsunami which killed almost 250,000 people. It ...
Which infectious disease is likely to be the biggest emerging problem in 2025?
With COVID in retreat (thanks to highly effective vaccines), the three infectious diseases causing public health officials ...
Ten films that bend, stretch and play with time, from Citizen Kane to Memento
Few films play with the concept of time as joyfully as Robert Zemeckis’s 1980s classic, and no list of this type would be ...
The secret world of plants living in our limestone pavements
The first survey since the 1970s into the plants that grow in the cracks in limestone pavements has thrown up some ...
Dambusters raid: a feat of courage and skill whose cost outweighed its achievement
The Dambusters raid involved 19 Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron. Each had a crew of seven. Eight failed to return. Of the ...
From dead galaxies to mysterious red dots, here’s what the James Webb telescope has found in just 3 years
The James Webb Space Telescope is celebrating three years from its launch. Its discoveries have already changed our understanding of the early universe.
The Hebrew Hammer: a Hanukah film that mocks antisemitic stereotypes through its butt-kicking Jewish hero
Starring Adam Goldberg (fresh from Saving Private Ryan), Andy Dick and Judy Greer, The Hebrew Hammer features an orthodox ...
China has banned US exports of key minerals for computer chips – leaving Washington with limited options
The US could open up domestic mining, or try to recover more of the minerals through recycling of electronic waste.
50 years ago, Cyclone Tracy flattened Darwin – and Australia’s attitude to disasters changed forever
Exactly 50 years ago, on Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin and left a trail of devastation. It remains one of ...
Acehnese women: Crucial role in peacebuilding overlooked, discriminated by local regulations
Acehnese women have contributed to post-conflict and tsunami development. However, existing policies have not covered what ...
The Christmas album that heralded the end of a folk musical era: The Kingston Trio’s The Last Month of the Year
At the height of their popularity, The Kingston Trio released an unexpected Christmas album. Instead of becoming a classic, ...