By Hyunjoo Jin and Akash Sriram (Reuters) -Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk warned on Tuesday that the electric-vehicle maker was

Apple Inc. grew revenue in China a surprisingly strong 8% while setting a record for Indian iPhone sales,

Ella Irwin, the Twitter executive in charge of content moderation and policy, has resigned, leaving new owner Elon

'I have no idea why but seeing a beautiful woman say thank you to everything is super hot. Any theories why?' asked Andrew Tate

BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 29, 2023--

President Joe Biden said extreme heat is costing the US $100 billion a year and linked it directly

South Africa’s electricity minister attacked the country’s groundbreaking $8.5 billion climate finance pact with some of the world’s

By Joseph Ax A non-profit group opposing race-based education policies has filed more than a dozen U.S. civil

By Ben Blanchard and Sarah Wu TAIPEI Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker and a major

Chimpanzees are our closest relatives, so it’s not surprising that they can do many of the things that we can. They’re able to create tools and can even use sign language, plus they share 98.8 per cent of their DNA with humans. It is, therefore, no wonder that the question has often been asked: could humans and chimps ever produce offspring? The answer, according to one evolutionary psychologist, is yes – and it’s already happened. Gordum Gallup made the eyebrow-raising claims in an interview with The Sun Online back in 2018. He told the news site that a human-chimpanzee hybrid – which he dubbed a “humanzee” – was born in a Florida lab 100 years ago. And if you’re wondering how the scientists behind the experiment managed to keep it hushed up for decades, it’s because – according to Gallup – they swiftly killed the infant when they realised the implications of what they’d done. Gallup, a professor at New York’s University at Albany, said his former university teacher told him that the secret birth took place at a research facility in Orange Park, where he used to work. “They inseminated a female chimpanzee with human semen from an undisclosed donor and claimed not only that pregnancy occurred but the pregnancy went full term and resulted in a live birth,” the psychologist told The Sun. “But in a matter of days, or a few weeks, they began to consider the moral and ethical considerations and the infant was euthanised.” Putting Gallup’s unsubstantiated story to one side, it’s unclear whether a human-chimpanzee hybrid is even possible. Some experts believe that our human ancestors and chimpanzees may have been capable of interbreeding as late as 4 million years ago according to IFL Science, which notes that our last common ancestor lived 6-7 million years ago. However, the website also notes that this theory is widely contested. It also points out that other animals with similar genetic differences to that of humans and chimps, such as horses and zebras, have been able to reproduce. And yet, the offspring are often infertile. Nevertheless, back in the 1970s, plenty of people believed that a chimp called Oliver was a human-monkey hybrid thanks to his humanistic walk, intelligence and physical features (he was said to have a smaller, flatter face than his ape peers, according to Historic Mysteries). It wasn't until tests were conducted on Oliver in 1996 that the matter was finally settled: he had 48 chromosomes so was categorically not a humanzee but a regular chimp. Oliver The Humanzee www.youtube.com Still, one certainty is that scientists continue to tread an ethical tightrope when it comes to investigating chimps and their potential to further biomedical research. In 2021, scientists created the first (publicly documented) part-monkey, part-human embryo by growing human stem cells in a macaque monkey. The aim of the work, which was carried out at California’s Salk Institute, was to help create organs for transplants and improve our understanding of human development and disease progression. In 2020, a team of German and Japanese scientists spliced human genes into the brains of marmosets, resulting in the monkey fetuses having larger, more human-like brains, according to the study, which was published in the journal Science. Once the experiment was complete, the team destroyed their creations “in light of potentially unforeseeable consequences with regard to postnatal brain function”. One thing’s for sure, no scientist wants to find themselves the architect of a real-life Planet of the Apes. 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.

Canadians receive nearly a third of their news through social media, underscoring the potential impact of a plan

Three-fifths of businesses view generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a good opportunity but many fear they are exposed to cyberattacks, research has revealed. Businesses will “not progress” if they do not take risks, as the race to adopt new and emerging technologies heats up, according to accounting giant PwC. Around 37% of firms believe they are highly or extremely exposed to cyber risks, PwC’s survey of more than 3,900 firms around the world found. More leaders who are responsible for managing a firm’s risk said they thought cyber-related threats were a bigger concern than inflation. About a quarter felt that their organisation was very exposed to geopolitical conflict, amid the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. The survey highlights that if organisations don’t take risks, they will not progress Sam Samaratunga, PwC UK's global head of risk services But the survey, which had more than a quarter of responses from companies worth more than five billion US dollars (£4 billion), found that worries over cyberattacks or tech mistakes were not putting firms off transformation. About 60% said they think generative AI is an opportunity for their business rather than a concern. Generative AI, which refers to complex models which can create something completely new based on a vast set of data, has been cutting through into the mainstream with chatbots like ChatGPT. Earlier this month, British bank NatWest revealed it was launching an upgraded chatbot which is powered by the technology to have human-like conversations with customers. Sam Samaratunga, global and UK head of risk services for PwC UK, said: “In a world that is persistently in a state of flux, it is clear that organisations need to transform, with new and emerging technologies playing a critical role in that transformation. “So it is no surprise that cyber and digital risks are top-of-mind in 2023, with those leaders responsible for managing risk ranking cyber higher than inflation. “However, the survey highlights that if organisations don’t take risks, they will not progress.” Read More Young Britons turning to AI chatbots for help with school and work – survey Police to trial use of drones as first responders to emergencies Apple to adopt system to improve texting between iPhones and Android devices ICO seeks permission to appeal against Clearview AI tribunal ruling Users of iPhones can now check bank balance from Wallet app VR tool aims to help rail passengers spot and safely tackle sexual harassment