“Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!” wrote poet John Betjeman in 1937. The scruffy trading estate west of London may only have got uglier since. But it’s definitely not somewhere you’d want to obliterate. Slough is now Europe’s largest data hub and the second largest in the world. Nearly every foreign exchange transaction passes through a single data centre ...
A “game changer” test could detect signs of motor neurone disease (MND) before symptoms appear, according to scientists. It can spot damaged cell proteins in samples of brain tissue – which are early indicators (biomarkers) of the disease. Motor neurone disease – also known as ALS – is an incurable condition that affects the brain and nerves and causes muscle ...
The melting of polar ice due to human-driven climate change has slightly slowed the Earth’s rotation – and it could affect how we measure time, according to a study. Although the disappearance of the ice has reduced the speed of the planet’s rotation, the Earth is still spinning a bit faster than it used to. The overall increase in speed ...
Elon Musk has announced further changes to social media platform X that will see certain accounts get premium features for free. The tech billionaire, writing on the platform formerly known as Twitter, said all accounts with more than 2,500 verified subscriber followers would be able to access features that usually cost $8 (£6.30) a month. Premium features include the ability ...
Scientists have trained dogs to recognise the scent of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on people’s breath. A study, published in the journal Frontiers in Allergy, found evidence that some dogs may be able to sniff out volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – which make up a human’s “scent profile”. Certain VOCs are associated with stress, which a golden retriever named Ivy ...
A total solar eclipse will be dazzling people on 8 April in what’s been described as “our planet’s greatest spectacle”. The perfect alignment of Earth, the sun and the moon will be seen again on 8 April – but where exactly will it be spotted from, can I watch it in the UK and what makes this solar eclipse particularly ...
Scientists are looking for mysterious hidden particles which they believe could help answer some of our most burning questions about the universe. The so-called “hidden sector particles” have so far evaded all previous attempts to observe them and line up very weakly, if at all, with the current theory of particle physics, known as the Standard Model. The Search For ...
Children under 14 will be barred from joining social media in Florida from next year. Signed into law by governor Ron DeSantis, the legislation directs social media firms to delete the accounts of under-14s. Children aged 14 and 15 will also need parental consent before signing up for platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Companies who fail to delete accounts risk ...
Apple, Meta and Google’s parent company are being investigated by the European Union under new laws designed to clamp down on the market power of the world’s tech giants. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force at the beginning of March and aims to tackle “gatekeeping” behaviour among tech giants. If the companies are found guilty of non-compliance, they ...
Exercising at least twice a week significantly cuts the risk of insomnia, according to a study. It found people who worked out regularly were 42% less likely to have trouble getting to sleep and 22% less likely to report any insomnia symptoms. Those who keep up exercise long term were found to be 55% more likely to be normal sleepers ...