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Can ageing be stopped? A biologist explains
For millennia, humanity has obsessed about halting ageing and, ultimately, preventing death. Yet while advances in medicine and public-health have se…
2 years, 1 month ago
AI can't learn new things forever — an algorithm can fix that
00:46 Old AIs can’t learn new tricks
An algorithm that reactivates dormant ‘neurons’ in deep learning based AIs could help them overcome their inabili…
2 years, 1 month ago
The mystery of Stonehenge's central stone unearthed
00:48 The mystery of Stonehenge’s Altar Stone
Stonehenge’s central stone came from Northern Scotland, more than 600 miles away from the monument, acco…
2 years, 1 month ago
ChatGPT has a language problem — but science can fix it
AIs built on Large Language Models have wowed by producing particularly fluent text. However, their ability to do this is limited in many languages. …
2 years, 1 month ago
Where weird plants thrive: aridity spurs diversity of traits
00:48 Plant trait diversity in drylands
A study reveals that, unexpectedly, plants display a greater diversity of traits in drier environments. Trait …
2 years, 1 month ago
How light-based computers could cut AI’s energy needs
00:45 Increasing the energy efficiency of light-based computers
Computer components based on specialised LEDs could reduce the energy consumption of p…
2 years, 2 months ago
Audio long read: Hope, despair and CRISPR — the race to save one woman’s life
In India, a group of researchers raced to develop a CRISPR-based genome editing therapy to save the life of a young woman with a rare neurodegenerati…
2 years, 2 months ago
Rapid sepsis test identifies bacteria that spark life-threatening infection
00:48 A rapid way to identify serious bacterial infections
A newly-developed method that can rapidly identify the type of bacteria causing a blood-inf…
2 years, 2 months ago
The plastic that biodegrades in your home compost
01:04 A gel to safely transport proteins
A gel that encases proteins could be a new way to safely transport medicines without requiring them to be kep…
2 years, 2 months ago
Breastfeeding should break down mothers' bones — here's why it doesn't
00:45 In situ editing of the gut microbiome
Researchers have developed a method to directly edit the genes of specific bacteria in the guts of live mi…
2 years, 2 months ago