Study author warns of implications for elections and says ‘malicious actors’ are probably using LLM tools already

Artificial intelligence can do just as well as humans, if not better, when it comes to persuading others in a debate, and not just because it cannot shout, a study has found.

Experts say the results are concerning, not least as it has potential implications for election integrity.

...

Drugmaker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will buy the genetic testing firm through a bankruptcy auction

The drugmaker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will buy the genetic testing firm 23andMe Holding for $256m through a bankruptcy auction, the companies said on Monday.

Regeneron said it will comply with 23andMe’s privacy policies and applicable laws with respect to the use of customer data and that it...

Prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere’s spring night sky is associated with Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs

This week, we track down another prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere’s spring night sky: Boötes, the herdsman. Listed as part of the 48 constellations described by Ptolemy in the 2nd century, it is now one of the International Astronomical Union’s 88...

The previous government had said autonomous vehicles were “set to be on the road” by 2026.

It’s human nature to trust strongmen, but we’ve also evolved the tools to resist them

A recent piece of research commissioned by Channel 4 suggested that more than half of people aged between 13 and 27 would prefer the UK to be an authoritarian dictatorship.

The results shocked a lot of people concerned about the rising threat of autocracy across the world, including me. Yet, on reflection, I...

Usage of punctuation down almost half in two decades as further research finds 67% of British students rarely use it

Test your semicolon knowledge with our quiz below

“Do not use semicolons,” wrote Kurt Vonnegut, who averaged fewer than 30 a novel (about one every 10 pages). “All they do is show you’ve been to college.”

A study suggests UK authors are taking Vonnegut’s advice to heart; the...

Evidence shows that arguing our case rarely convinces others. It’s social relationships and actions that have that power

Sarah Stein Lubrano is the author of Don’t Talk About Politics: How to Change 21st-Century Minds

It may seem paradoxical to write this in an opinion piece. But it needs saying: arguments alone have no meaningful effect on people’s beliefs. And the implicit societal...

The Mayo Clinic hopes to uncover how the microbiome affects how patients react to cancer medications

A leading US clinic hopes its fecal waste biobank will help researchers make new discoveries about how to treat cancer patients – one of several efforts to turn human waste into medicine.

The Mayo Clinic biobank is part of researchers’ years-long effort to “personalize” medicine by...

Medications such as Ozempic have transformed obesity treatment and are now leading a healthcare revolution

Obesity was once medicine’s Cinderella subject with some questioning whether the condition should even be viewed as a biological disorder. But the arrival of a new class of appetite-suppressing drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy has transformed obesity treatment into the most...

Scientific study of 3,000 dolls down the decades shows most now wear flats

She walked into the world on high-heeled mules, but as Barbie’s many careers gathered pace, her feet became more planted on the ground, researchers say.

A rare analysis of nearly 3,000 Barbies released over 65 years found that high-heeled incarnations gradually made way for flat-shoed forms, as workplace rules relaxed...