The New York Times has a new game, Strands (Picture: New York Times) If you’re still doing a daily Wordle and are now hooked on Connections, we have news for you. The New York Times (NYT) has added a new puzzle to its stable – Strands. And although it is essentially a word search – described by the Atlantic as ‘perhaps the lowest form of puzzle’ – don’t think for one second it will be easy. (Be warned, a screenshot below contains a spoiler for today’s puzzle.) No, this is a New York Times game, so you will likely be stumped at first, then mildly frustrated, and finally elated when (or if) you ..read more

Most of London would be affected by a nuclear blast (Picture: Nukemap) As tension escalate between Israel and Iran, and the war in Ukraine continues into its third year, many experts have warned we are perilously close to World War III. Add into the mix the fact Vladimir Putin recently said Russia is ready to use its nuclear weapons if there is any perceived danger to the country’s statehood, sovereignty or independence, and it is clear the risk is a serious one. ‘From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready,’ the Russian president said in a chilling interview with state ..read more

China is planning a permanently-manned base on the Moon (Picture: Getty) Nasa has warned that China may attempt to take over parts of the Moon within just a few years. The space agency’s administrator Bill Nelson said he fears the country’s civilian programmes launched in the name of science could actually be secret military operations. Speaking before a House Appropriations Committee to argue why Nasa needed a $25.4 billion budget for 2025, Mr Nelson said: ‘China has made extraordinary strides, especially in the last 10 years, but they are very, very secretive. ‘We believe that a lot of thei ..read more

Dozens of Chinese cities are at risk of being sumberged (Picture: Getty) Dozens of Chinese cities are sinking – including Beijing – and hundreds of millions of people are going to be affected. The sheer weight of buildings to house everyone living there, combined with groundwater extraction, is causing widespread subsidence. Severe subsidence will affect around one-third of its urban population, and in the next century around a quarter of China’s coastal land will be below sea level, which could be catastrophic in the face of climate change. In recent decades, China has experienced one of the ..read more

Atlas has taken the odd tumble (Picture: Boston Dynamics) Remember the video of that French diver slipping off the board the other week? Left you crying with laughter but also feeling bad for him? Well here’s an equally hilarious video but with none of the guilt – because contrary to what Hollywood may have you think, robots don’t have feelings. But they can still fall over. A lot.  Boston Dynamics, pioneers in the field of robotics, announced yesterday they were retiring their legendary Atlas, a humanoid robot who over ten years went from a nervous toddle to top-notch parkour. You proba ..read more

Two of three female skeletons found in a Neolithic pit in France show signs of ritualistic human sacrifice (Picture: Ludes et al 2024) A grim find in France has revealed the remains of two Stone Age women thought to have been tortured and sacrificed in a ‘Mafia-style’ murder. The positioning of the bodies suggests they could have died by ‘self-strangulation’ using a ligature tied between their ankles and neck. Both could have been thrown in the pit where they were buried while still alive. The victims, who were thought to be sacrificed between 4000 and 3500 BCE, were found in the Rhône Valley ..read more

When cancer cells divide, they can also spread around the body (Picture: Getty) Microplastics in the body could make cancer more aggressive and cause it to spread faster, a new study shows. Micro- and nanoplastics, tiny particles that can be ingested or inhaled, have not only been found all over the world – including in fresh Antarctic snow – but also throughout the body, including the brain, heart and lungs. Microplastics have also been found in placentas. Now, research by leading cancer scientist Professor Lukas Kenner has shown how cells that come into contact with plastic particles smalle ..read more

Jacob Chansley, also known as the ‘QAnon Shaman’, was a prominent figure during the January 6 insurrection (Picture: Win McNamee/Getty) The possibility of a second US civil war is becoming ‘increasingly plausible’ according to a new study – with additional insurrections even more likely. There are also ‘striking similarities’ between the 1850s – the decade before the first civil war – and today, according to the team from California State University, San Bernardino. The American Civil War broke out on April 12, 1861, and lasted until April 26, 1865. It followed the secession of 11 Southern st ..read more

The Umm Jirsan lava tube system (Picture: Palaeodeserts Project, CC-BY 4.0) Early herdsmen were using a volcanic lava tube to shelter from fierce desert sun at least 7,000 years ago, new research reveals. Lava tubes are caves left behind by underground lava flows – at one time, a river of lava rather through the rock, but as it drained away, it left a huge tunnel behind. The bones, etchings and other artefacts discovered in the tube in what is now Saudi Arabia are among the first evidence of herding and agriculture in the region, say scientists. The finds made inside a large lava tube called ..read more

Killer whales have been ‘attacking’ boats (Picture: Getty) The boat-sinking orcas are on the move. Since 2020, orcas has been attacking boats in southwest Europe, and were recently spotted circling a ship in Spain for the first time this year. However, the most recent sighting of one such pod is hundreds of miles from where they should be this time of year, suggesting the group is changing its tactics – and scientists have no idea why. The group is made up of 40 orcas who live off the coast of Spain and Portugal, as well as in the Strait of Gibraltar, and since 2020 some of the orcas have bee ..read more