Precise brain stimulation boosts memory
SPL Using electricity to precisely stimulate the brain can boost people’s working memory, a study suggests. The team at Boston University, in the US, gave people in their sixties and seventies the working memory of someone in their twenties. The effect lasted at least 50 minutes after the stimulation stopped. But larger studies are now […]
Farming pollution unacceptable, Natural Resources Wales says
IvanZivkovic/Getty Images Efforts to tackle agricultural pollution are not being prioritised by the Welsh Government, the chairwoman of Natural Resources Wales has said. Diana McCrea said there had been a “continuing, unacceptable number of slurry pollution incidents”. She made her comments in a detailed letter to Environment Secretary Lesley Griffiths, saying she was “increasingly concerned […]
Google search chief hired by Apple after Siri set-backs
Getty Images John Giannandrea is Google’s former head of search and artificial intelligence Apple has hired Google’s former head of search and artificial intelligence to lead its machine learning and AI strategy. The appointment comes at the same time that the tech giant looks to develop its Siri digital assistant. He previously worked as Netscape’s […]
French appeal to EU over UK discharges of waste
Watch: Untreated sewage water released into the Sussex sea The UK is threatening health and marine life on the French coast by allowing raw sewage to be dumped in the Channel and North Sea, say three Euro MPs. Pollution warnings have been issued for almost 50 beaches in England and Wales, after heavy rain caused […]
EU approves Pfizer-BioNTech jab for 12-15 year olds
Reuters The Pfizer vaccine is already approved in the EU for those aged 16 and older The EU’s medicines agency (EMA) has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12-15 year olds – the first jab allowed for this age group in the bloc. Individual member states must now decide if they will offer the jab to […]
Sydney Brenner: Molecular biology pioneer dies
SPL Brenner was part of the hothouse environment at Cambridge’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology Sydney Brenner, one of the giants of 20th Century science, has died. The South African of Lithuanian descent made many pioneering discoveries in the field of molecular and developmental biology, winning a Nobel Prize in 2002. The Nobel recognised his work […]
Bird flu risk prompts poultry restrictions in Wales
Thinkstock Bird (avian) flu is a highly contagious disease affecting the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system of many species of birds An increasing risk of bird flu has prompted the Welsh Government to introduce restrictions. An all-Wales prevention zone comes into force on Thursday, requiring keepers of poultry and other captive birds to take extra […]
Are our weddings too white?
PA Harry and Meghan’s wedding prompted a conversation about interracial marriage A year ago Meghan and Harry charmed the nation with their own, not entirely traditional, special day. Guests were addressed – at length – by the African-American bishop, Michael Curry. A gospel choir performed the soul classic Stand By Me. And yet there was […]
Mona Lisa ‘brought to life’ with deepfake AI
Samsung A YouTube video explains how the researchers brought Mona Lisa to life The subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting has been brought to life by AI researchers. The video, achieved from a single photo, shows the model in the portrait moving her head, eyes and mouth. The latest iteration of so-called […]
Elderly man missing after flooding in Perthshire
BBC The River Tay search effort resumed on Monday morning Emergency services are searching for a 77-year-old man who was swept away by the River Tay during heavy rain in Perthshire. Police received a report of concern for the man at 17:30 on Sunday near Strathtay. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said two appliances […]