It feels like this is something that AI should be doing, insofar as it "should" be doing anything. It's helping to read and translate carbonised Roman scrolls recovered from Herculaneum, which was destroyed in the Vesuvius eruption. www.newscientist.com/article/2498...

In case you were wondering ... www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg2...

This week from @newscientist.com: You won't want to miss this fascinating – and charming – conversation with physics don Frank Wilczek. www.newscientist.com/article/2491...

Thousands of Israelis stayed home from work, flooded city streets and blocked roads and highways across the country on Sunday, staging some of the largest anti-war protests in months as the military prepares for a major assault on Gaza City. wapo.st/4mvMVfK

They're good dogs, Brent: a new look at how the domestication of man's best friend might have actually occurred, from @newscientist.com www.newscientist.com/article/2489...

Happy Proms season to all who celebrate.

Just got a Google News push alert about John Williams' first piano concerto and when I tell you my life flashed before my eyes for a sec. Anyway, congrats, John Williams, on your first piano concerto.

If you want to both stimulate your brain AND avoid having to come to terms with your own mortality for a lil while, good news: @newscientist.com's new digital games hub is now live! www.newscientist.com/games/

The far-right National Rally has never been more popular, and stands a realistic chance of winning the presidency when the next election is held in 2027 But it remains constantly dogged by legal troubles. I looked into why ⤵️

No longer Brit-ish. My citizenship got approved today, ceremony is in a week. Hurrah!

Oh hey look, it's @hbottemiller.bsky.social in the NYT www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/o...

As a former marine biology nerd kid, I'm qualified to say: Whale sharks are the coolest. www.nytimes.com/card/2025/07...

In case you missed it, an incredibly fascinating feature from @newscientist.com about how ancient humans came to bury their dead. www.newscientist.com/article/2487...

Outstanding reporting from London Centric, digging into tourist-tat gift shops that rotate “directors” and avoid paying millions in taxes. I’d tell visitors to avoid these places but it can be difficult to tell which ones are legitimate. www.londoncentric.media/p/asf-aziz-l...

OK, who needs some baby snow leopards? www.newscientist.com/article/2488...

No, dire wolves are not back from extinction. www.newscientist.com/article/2486...

Finally, someone talking about Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/o...

I suddenly feel much better about never having any inclination to read these books. Holy shit. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

I've been doing this since high school (at least), didn't know it was so trendy. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Garum, a fermented fish sauce, was something like the Roman Empire's version of ketchup, in terms of how much it was eaten. Thanks to DNA testing, we now know what kind of fish went into it. www.newscientist.com/article/2486...

This week's cover story from @newscientist.com: In search of our long-ago ancestors who didn't make it. www.newscientist.com/article/2484...

“Records of hundreds of emergency calls from ICE detention centers obtained by WIRED—including audio recordings—show a system inundated by life-threatening incidents, delayed treatment, and overcrowding.” www.wired.com/story/ice-de...

Was very excited when Last Week Tonight asked @404media.co to help out with research/fact checking for an AI Slop segment that ran last night. I thought it turned out very good! Here's a few mentions of our reporting, and the full segment: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWpg...

Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.

A German city has apparently been taken over by trash pandas. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Unfortunately, ticks are everywhere these days. Here's how to fight them. www.newscientist.com/article/2482...

Reporters don't write the headlines

If you, like me, would rather stick a fork in your own eyeball than engage in small talk, Alison Wood Brooks has some advice on how to get more comfortable with it. www.newscientist.com/article/2483...

Whoever decided to put the Tiger Balm on the bottom shelf at Boots will one day have to answer to God.

Ah, @theguardian.com. Taking aim at the aisle-seat hogs (who are legit the worst) *and* making the inevitable "edging" joke. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Our cover story this week at @newscientist.com: Cancer exploits the nervous system to spread. But that means familiar (and inexpensive) drugs might be able to help beat it. www.newscientist.com/article/2482...

Incredibly fun story to work on. The pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb was opulent even for a king, much less a minor king like he was. So what's the story behind all that incredible loot? www.newscientist.com/article/2482...

Beautiful but also heartbreaking and enraging. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/s...

I say this every few months, but @hayesbrown.bsky.social's "dumbest dystopia" tweet lives rent-free in my head.

Lest anyone feel a twinge of impostor syndrome

Ah, the pitfalls of editing publications that serve a transatlantic audience: The Brits think Americanisms are wrong and the Americans think Britishisms are wrong. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It's fashionable for people to look down their noses at British food, but I think that relies on outdated info or ignorant stereotyping (and often both). Anyway, here's a charming story about pie-and-mash shops fighting to preserve a bit of culinary heritage. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/d...

This lady is a hero. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/w...

Wore my X-Men shirt today, and got complimented on it by the bartender at the pub, who hummed the cartoon theme song while he poured our beers. Achievement unlocked.

Attempting to channel the self-confidence of someone who thinks they can just walk off with heavy-ass Le Creuset cookware. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

A woman suffered a sustained, torturous execution ~1200 years ago in London on the edge of the River Thames. What led to such a brutal death is a mystery. www.newscientist.com/article/2481...

Your imagination isn't just one thing. Research indicates it exists in at least four different sub-types. www.newscientist.com/article/2480...

This week, @newscientist.com takes a look at the power of imagination, and how it takes shape. First up: How does our imagination change as we age? www.newscientist.com/article/2480...

I booked the Tutankhamun exhibit at the ExCel for the same weekend as London Comic Con and tbh feel very underdressed. Should have worn my X-Men shirt at the very least.

We often neglect or take our sense of smell for granted, but keeping it sharp could help ward off dementia. www.newscientist.com/article/2479...

Write-up in @theguardian.com on London alfresco dining. To truly take off, I think you need to be serious about widespread pedestrianisation. And the mindset of privatising public space (whether it's a street or a square or a hunk of green space) needs to go. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Today marks the countdown to one of my favourite modern British traditions: BBC Proms. Two months of amazing music at Royal Albert Hall, nothing but good vibes and a mad dash to get into the virtual queue quickly enough.

I remember when Stormfront brought up "white genocide" on The Boys and even Homelander is looking at her like, "what tf are you on about"

“One week before my period, like clockwork, I want a divorce, I don’t want to be a mom, I hate my job and I rage.” We're learning more about premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and the terrible effects it can have on those who suffer from it. www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

London Centric is an absolute treat. Case in point, today's edition, which asks and strives to answer, "What is the deal with those %&£*-ing pedicabs? www.londoncentric.media/p/londons-pe...