Judge Blocks F.T.C. Investigation of Media Matters
The agency began looking into the liberal watchdog group’s research critical of Elon Musk and his social media platform, X, in May.
Science/Tech
Senator Josh Hawley Begins Child Safety Inquiry Into Meta’s A.I. Bot
Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, said he would look into whether the social media company’s artificial intelligence technology endangers children.
Scientists capture first footage of human embryo implanting in a uterus
Groundbreaking footage shows ‘surprisingly invasive’ process and may help to improve infertility treatments
A human embryo being implanted into a uterus has been pictured in real time and in 3D footage for the first time by a team of scientists.
It shows images of an embryo implanting into a synthetic uterus, demonstrating how the process occurs naturally.
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VW introduces monthly subscription to increase car power
The German car-maker says its “optional power upgrade” is designed to give customers more choice.
UK’s Turing AI Institute responds to staff anger about defence focus
Whistleblowers say the charity is at risk of collapse because it has been told by the government to focus on defence.
GPT-5 Backlash + Perplexity C.E.O. Aravind Srinivas on the Browser Wars + Hot Mess Express
“I think this was a growing up moment for OpenAI and the industry.”
Experts condemn NIH director’s defense of cut to vaccine research
Critics say Jay Bhattacharya’s comments on so-called failure of mRNA vaccines to ‘earn public trust’ are ‘astounding’
When the director of the National Institutes of Health this week said funding for the development of mRNA vaccines – the backbone of Covid vaccines – was being wound down because they had failed to “earn public trust”, it was met, publicly and privately, with exasperated...
They’re Stuffed Animals. They’re Also A.I. Chatbots.
New types of cuddly toys, some for children as young as 3, are being sold as an alternative to screen time — and to parental attention.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Most Likely Doesn’t Pay Taxes
Elon Musk’s rocket company relies on federal contracts, but years of losses have most likely let it avoid paying federal income taxes, according to internal company documents.
Magic mushrooms: how scientists discovered fungi are the secret ingredient for restoring the world’s forests
Healthy fungal networks help trees and plants grow, making them key to successful reforestation. The only problem? Almost nothing is known about this subterranean ecology
Even in midsummer, the ancient hazelwoods on the Hebridean island of Seil are cool and quiet. Countless slanted stems of hazel support a thick canopy, which blots out the sun and blankets everything below in a sort of...
Angry, confused and worried about police – behind Instagram bans
Hundreds of people have contacted the BBC to say they have wrongly been shut out of their accounts.
Abortion drug could help reduce risk of breast cancer, group of medics says
Stigma around mifepristone is stopping studies, experts in reproductive health claim in Lancet opinion piece
A drug used in medical abortions could help prevent women at high risk of breast cancer from developing the disease, according to an international group of doctors and scientists.
However, “stigma” around mifepristone is stopping pharmaceutical companies from investigating its...
Margaret Boden, Philosopher of Artificial Intelligence, Dies at 88
A cognitive scientist, she used the language of computers to explore the nature of human thought and creativity, offering prescient insights about A.I.
Supreme Court Allows Mississippi Law on Children’s Use of Social Media, for Now
A trade group representing sites like Facebook and X said the law ran afoul of the First Amendment.
Trump’s space order risks environmental disaster while rewarding Musk and Bezos, experts say
US president is pushing an ‘end run around’ on safeguards, risking harm to wildlife, air and water, attorney says
A draft executive order from Donald Trump that aims to largely exempt space launches from environmental review is viewed as a gift to commercial space industry players such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others who have long targeted the regulations.
But its central components may be...
Blood Oxygen Measurements to Return to Some Apple Watches
The company said it will issue a software update to restart the technology, which was caught up in a patent dispute.
Firm apologises for saying it would not process LGBTQ+ payments
Stripe said the information given by its support staff to some customers was “totally wrong.”
Sudan cholera outbreak kills 40 in a week as health centres overwhelmed
MSF charity calls situation ‘beyond urgent’ as thousands seeking refuge from war rely on contaminated water
The “worst cholera outbreak in years” has killed at least 40 people in the last week in Sudan, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières.
Overwhelmed medical centres are resorting to treating patients on mattresses on the floor, MSF said, as the country’s two-year civil...
Trump cuts to science research threaten his administration’s own AI action plan
Experts warn of undermining environment that fostered foundations of artificial intelligence as federal agencies hit
The Trump administration released “America’s AI Action Plan” last month with the goal of expanding US dominance when it comes to AI in order to maintain a global edge, especially over China.
But Donald Trump’s cuts to scientific research funding through federal agencies –...
Government expands police use of facial recognition vans
The Home Office says the technology helps locate suspects but civil liberties groups warn of heightened surveillance.
Big Tech’s A.I. Boom Is Reordering the U.S. Power Grid
Electricity rates for individuals and small businesses could rise sharply as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and other technology companies build data centers and expand into the energy business.