To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Nasa has used its powerful supercomputer to reveal what it would look like to be sucked into a supermassive black hole. The team at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland produced the simulation on Discover to create a visual of what would appear beyond the event horizon of a black hole. Dr Jeremy Schnittman, an astrophysicist who created the visualisations, said: ‘People often ask about this, and simulating these difficult-to-imagine proce ..read more

The Colorado River toad is known for its psychedelic properties, but could it be hiding a major medicinal secret? (Picture: Getty Images) A hallucinogenic toad’s venom could be a new form of anti-depressant, scientists say.  The Colorado River toad, also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, has psychedelic venom just below the surface, which they secrete through their glands when it is scared. And although it is well known that this toad’s venom can cause intense hallucinations and trippy experiences, until now scientists have been unsure how exactly it influences the br ..read more

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next A rare warning has been issued over a solar storm that could affect Earth’s power supplies and knock out the internet. A severe geomagnetic storm watch was put out by the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration yesterday – the first such warning since January 2005. At that time, the highest dose of radiation in 50 years hit the earth. The ‘unusual’ solar storm may disrupt electronic devices like GPS and power grids over the two hours it takes to reach its peak ..read more

AI beauty contests are here (Picture: Instagram/hailey.lopezxo/amyeverhart96) It’s 2024 and I feel like defending beauty pageants. Yes, really. But there’s a valid reason – reading the ridiculous news that social media platform Fanvue, a rival to OnlyFans, is preparing to judge the first Miss AI contest. The competition will pit digital creators from across the world against each other in a bid to win the top prize of $5,000, all while promoting toxic beauty ideals in the process. I’m lucky. I’m old enough that I didn’t grow up constantly bombarded with images of what women should look like ..read more

WhatsApp is overhauling its system, but it’s not letting go of its old school features just yet (Picture: Getty) WhatsApp has made some exciting new updates to its app in the past few weeks, but there are some older features you may not know about.  The whole app has undergone an overhaul, to emphasise the colour green, which left some people baffled over the sudden change. WhatsApp’s change did not stop there, however, and under Meta now has a AI function in the app. This allows users to ask the Meta AI chatbot any question without needing to leave the app, and has been promoted as a wa ..read more

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Researchers have created a moving origami ‘Robotapillar’ that could be used in everything from medicine to aerospace. This soft robot can help us study nature and other environments where hard, rigid robots cannot thrive. Their flexibility promises to revolutionise the healthcare industry, by assisting in pioneering human surgeries, as well as being deployed to aid in search and rescue missions. Researchers from Princeton University embedded steering technology into the ‘R ..read more

The Portal is a sculpture that has appeared in New York and Dublin (Picture: The Portal) A portal has opened in New York and Dublin, allowing people more than 3,000 miles apart to see and speak to each other in the blink of an eye. Launching on May 8, the futuristic sculpture livestreams life on both sides of the Atlantic, forming a virtual bridge between the US and Irish cities. The Dublin portal can be found on O’Connell Street in front of the General Post Office (GPO) and the Spire, while the New York portal is located in front of the Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue.  Dubl ..read more

AI ‘deadbots’ pose a serious risk to grieving relatives, researchers say (Picture: Getty) Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots which mimic the language and personalities of dead people risk ‘digitally haunting’ the living, a researcher has warned. Some companies are already offering to ‘bring grandma back to life’ by offering users the chance to upload their dead relatives’ conversations and digital footprint into a chatbot. Such services could be marketed at parents or terminally ill children, or to still-healthy people who wish to catalogue their life and leave behind a digital legacy. But ..read more

Police observing from the roof beside the Malmo Arena yesterday (Picture: AP) ‘Smile: You’re on CCTV’ is a common sign around city centres, where use of cameras has been widespread for years. But surveillance got a step more invasive this week, as police announced they have sent up drones to patrol over a quarter of a million people. Malmo Police announced they will be using flying cameras to record and monitor Sweden’s third largest city for a period spanning nine days. This covers the time the Eurovision Song Contest is taking place, running from May 4 until May 13. A map indicating the are ..read more

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Apple has levelled up its iPads by creating the thinnest design ever with an array of futuristic tech at its disposal. As part of its latest event, Let Loose, the tech giant has released a new lineup of iPads that has sparked a buzz among fans. Its new AI software is essentially able to predict your needs, as the new iPad Air and iPad Pro feature OLED, M4 and more – but what exactly can this new tech do for you?  What is Tandem OLED? One of the most advanced ..read more