A lithium battery patterned with holes is flexible, stretchable and allows more airflow than cotton, making it perfect for fitness tracking or medical monitoring wearables ​A lithium battery patterned with holes is flexible, stretchable and allows more airflow than cotton, making it perfect for fitness tracking or medical monitoring wearables A lithium battery patterned with holes …

A hole-filled battery could make wearables more breathable than cotton Read More »

Records from UK vehicle safety tests show that the average lifespan of an electric vehicle is 18 years, and the reliability is still improving considerably from year to year ​Records from UK vehicle safety tests show that the average lifespan of an electric vehicle is 18 years, and the reliability is still improving considerably from …

Electric cars now last as long as petrol and diesel counterparts Read More »

Robert Zemeckis’s would-be epic film Here relies on real-time de-ageing technology. But do its ambitions conceal a more mundane project? ​Robert Zemeckis’s would-be epic film Here relies on real-time de-ageing technology. But do its ambitions conceal a more mundane project? Robert Zemeckis’s would-be epic film Here relies on real-time de-ageing technology. But do its ambitions conceal …

New Tom Hanks film fails to wow despite the cutting-edge tech Read More »

A man with paralysis was able to fly a virtual drone through a complex obstacle course simply by thinking about moving his fingers, with signals being interpreted by an AI model ​A man with paralysis was able to fly a virtual drone through a complex obstacle course simply by thinking about moving his fingers, with …

Brain implant lets man with paralysis fly a virtual drone by thought Read More »

A flying robot the size of a postage stamp can hover for up to 15 minutes without breaking, and it can perform acrobatic manoeuvres ​A flying robot the size of a postage stamp can hover for up to 15 minutes without breaking, and it can perform acrobatic manoeuvres A flying robot the size of a postage …

Tiny insect-like robot can flip, loop and hover for up to 15 minutes Read More »

Now that the US Supreme Court has decided that a law banning TikTok is constitutional, the platform is set to shut down in the US on 19 January – but Trump could still save it ​Now that the US Supreme Court has decided that a law banning TikTok is constitutional, the platform is set to …

US Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban – but the fight isn’t over yet Read More »

ELIZA is famous as a rudimentary artificial intelligence and the first ever chatbot, but versions found online today are actually knock-offs because the original computer code was lost – until now ​ELIZA is famous as a rudimentary artificial intelligence and the first ever chatbot, but versions found online today are actually knock-offs because the original …

World’s first AI chatbot has finally been resurrected after decades Read More »

Trained pianists who hit a plateau improved their finger speed by 30 per cent after a half-hour training session with a device that moves their fingers for them ​Trained pianists who hit a plateau improved their finger speed by 30 per cent after a half-hour training session with a device that moves their fingers for …

Robotic exoskeleton can train expert pianists to play faster Read More »

As apparent acts of sabotage cut undersea data cables around the world, NATO held its first demonstration of a project to quickly reroute crucial communications to satellite internet ​As apparent acts of sabotage cut undersea data cables around the world, NATO held its first demonstration of a project to quickly reroute crucial communications to satellite …

NATO tests satellite internet as backup to sabotaged undersea cables Read More »

Our Future Chronicles column explores an imagined history of inventions and developments yet to come. In its latest instalment, Rowan Hooper reveals how by 2029, we had learned how to make synthetic spider silk, leading to a revolution in clothing ​Our Future Chronicles column explores an imagined history of inventions and developments yet to come. …

Could spider silk be the answer to sustainable fashion? Read More »