When ‘There is No Planet B’ first hit our bookshops, this companion to saving the planet became an instant classic. We talk to its author, Mike Berners-Lee. “Humans have quite suddenly become the biggest thing to affect the ecosystem,” says Mike Berners-Lee. What this new-found influence over the health of the planet means, says the … Read more
The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) has awarded the winners of the Infosys Prize 2020 for their outstanding contributions to science and research in a virtual awards ceremony on 2 December. The pandemic has altered physical working conditions, yet technology has aided professionals to work from home. As well as this, the pandemic has urged us … Read more
The pandemic has thrown open fresh challenges and unknown opportunities. Jobs of the future will never be the same. The lockdown has unlocked new unchartered avenues for the e-commerce industry, which has become India’s fastest-growing digital business with players like Amazon India’s Flex Delivery programme expanding to 35 cities. This initiative has opened up part-time job … Read more
A China National Space Administration spacecraft has touched down successfully on the Moon and started to collect its first rock samples, state media has reported. The lunar probe, known as Chang’e 5, was launched last week from the tropical island of Hainan. The uncrewed mission aims to retrieve 2kg of lunar samples from a previously … Read more
A radio telescope located in the Australian outback has mapped approximately three million galaxies in just 300 hours, the country’s national science agency (CSIRO) has said. The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) carried out a continuum survey to create a map of the universe. Most of the millions of star-like points on the map … Read more
SpaceX’s latest altitude test of its Starship rocket ended in disaster, when the craft burst into flames as it attempted to land. However, the company hailed the test flight as a success. The Starship SN8 (Serial Number 8) was the latest iteration of a prototype rocket that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hopes will one day send … Read more
Sixty-eight projects in the UK will receive a multi-million pound boost from the government for green jobs and nature recovery. The funding is to create over 300 hectares of woodlands, restore hedgerows and plant trees in cities as the UK government aims to deliver on its pledge to “build back greener” from the coronavirus pandemic. … Read more
Facebook is facing what may be its greatest legal battle yet, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and nearly every US state separately filing antitrust lawsuits against the company. The competition watchdog has accused Facebook of engaging in a “bury or buy” strategy to eliminate competition, including by purchasing growing rivals Instagram (acquired in 2012 … Read more
The Royal Society has published a report which identifies how the UK can play a leading role in tackling climate change through a data-led transition supported by the adoption of digital technologies. While data-enabled technologies such as machine learning have boosted efficiency in some sectors, contributing to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, they also have … Read more
Facebook’s independent Oversight Board has announced the first cases on which it will deliberate, following the opening of user appeals in October. First announced in 2018, the Board will have the final word on what content is permitted on Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram. It was created in response to criticism from various groups, particularly … Read more