A team of some of the world's leading social media researchers has published four studies looking at the relationship between the algorithms used by Facebook and Instagram and America's widening political divide

Scientists are optimistic about the possibility of finding life on other planets. Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) found a possible sign of a gas that, on Earth, is produced by simple marine organisms. It was detected this month in the atmosphere of a planet named K2-18b, which is 120 light years away. The planet is in what astronomers call ''the Goldilocks zone' - the right distance away from its star for the surface temperature to be neither too hot nor too cold, but just right for there to be liquid water, which is essential to support life. The team expects to know in a year's time whether the hints are confirmed or have gone away. "We live in an infinite Universe, with infinite stars and planets. And it's been obvious to many of us that we can't be the only intelligent life out there," Prof Catherine Heymans, Scotland's Astronomer Royal told the BBC. "We now have the technology and the capability to answer the question of whether we are alone in the cosmos." Prof Nikku Madhusudhan of the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge University, who led the study, told the BBC that if the hints are confirmed "it would radically change the way we think about the search for life". "If we find signs of life on the very first planet we study, it will raise the possibility that life is common in the Universe." He predicted that within five years there will be "a major transformation" in our understanding of life in the Universe. If his team don't find life signs on K2-18b, they have 10 more Goldilocks planets on their list to study - and possibly many more after that. Even finding nothing would "provide important insights into the possibility of life on such planets", he said. Meanwhile there are other separate projects all looking for signs of life in the universe. Pretty exciting. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

California regulators are poised to decide whether two rival robotaxi services can provide around-the-clock rides throughout San Francisco

Scientists have made an astonishing discovery that suggests bacteria contain memories to be passed on to future generations. Researchers at the University of Texas and the University of Delaware found that despite having no brain or nervous system, certain bacteria may be able to form memories and remember certain behaviours depending on the available cellular iron. When iron levels are low, bacteria can hunt for local iron in their environment, prompting scientists to believe its memory has evolved, according to Science Alert. "Bacteria don’t have brains, but they can gather information from their environment, and if they have encountered that environment frequently, they can store that information and quickly access it later for their benefit," Souvik Bhattacharyya, the lead author of the recent study said. "We show [...] that a prior experience of swarming is remembered when Escherichia coli encounters a new surface, improving its future swarming efficiency," Souvik explained. "An iron-based memory might offer the advantage of providing a hub connecting various stress responses such as antibiotic survival and biofilms." The 'memories' lasted for around four generations, before generally coming to an end by the seventh. "Before there was oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere, early cellular life was utilizing iron for a lot of cellular processes. Iron is not only critical in the origin of life on Earth, but also in the evolution of life,” the study author went on to explain. "It makes sense that cells would utilize it in this way." How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

SoftwareOne Holding AG’s board said Bain Capital’s 2.93 billion Swiss-franc ($3.2 billion) offer to take the IT services

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Li Auto said on Friday it will start mass production and delivery of its first fully electric car

China-based solar sector supplier GCL Technology Holdings Ltd. is in advanced talks with Saudi Arabia about opening its

Logan Paul said, 'Floyd Mayweather is the MrBeast of boxing'

CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 20, 2023--

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called young innovators and campaigners to congratulate them on being awarded a share of a multimillion-dollar prize to boost their efforts. Harry and Meghan rang some of the 26 recipients who will receive the financial award from the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund – and joked that their children were “incredibly grateful”. The couple’s Archewell Foundation is a founding member of the initiative which has a number of aims including shaping the “tech ecosystem to safeguard human rights” and “mitigating the harmful impacts of technology in communities”. Holding a mobile between himself and Meghan, Harry said to one winner: “Thank you for doing everything that you do. Our kids especially are incredibly grateful.” The Sussexes have a son Archie and a daughter Lilibet, and Megan added: “They don’t know it yet – but they will.” The fund raised 2 million US dollars (£1.6m) from backers and awarded amounts ranging from 25,000 dollars (£19,700) to 200,000 dollars (£157,000) — based on the stage of the organisation and funding needs. The recipients will work on a range of innovative projects, including responsible use of artificial intelligence; improving education access; leveraging platforms to address social and environmental challenges and promoting the safety and well-being of online communities. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Italy has imposed several curbs on Pirelli's biggest shareholder, Sinochem, in a move aimed at blocking the Chinese government's access to sensitive chip technology.

MoistCr1TiKal terminated his Twitch contract on August 15 to return to YouTube streaming but encountered some initial difficulties