researchers

Scientists are developing new methods to control mosquitoes, the animal that kills more people than any other on Earth. As the climate warms, mosquito seasons are growing longer, giving the insects more time to spread dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue. Reports highlight how shifting temperatures are expanding the disease threat into new regions and prompting fresh research into targeting the insects.

Researchers have published a ranking of the most serious risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems, placing extreme scenarios such as nuclear war, bioweapons development and runaway AI among the potential dangers. The work compares which threats experts consider most plausible and severe as smart systems grow more powerful, sparking debate over how governments should prioritise regulation and safety research.

ARD and ZDF have published their 2026 media study, which documents a rapid increase in the use of artificial intelligence in Germany. The findings from the public broadcasters' annual research are drawing attention, as they underline how quickly AI tools are becoming part of everyday media habits and are fueling discussion about the changing media landscape.

In March 2025, the University of Oxford announced a partnership with OpenAI to digitize public-domain books from the Bodleian Library. According to the announcement, the digitized works will become searchable and more widely accessible. The collaboration has drawn attention among librarians, researchers and open-access advocates discussing the role of AI companies in digitizing cultural heritage collections.

Hailstorms are causing billions of dollars in damage each year across the United States, and researchers warn the problem could intensify. Reporting by High Country News examines how severe hail is straining insurers, farmers and homeowners, and why warming conditions may be shaping larger, more destructive hailstones in the future.

The US military has moved to disable advertising trackers on its websites after cybersecurity researchers found that data collected through ad technology could expose the locations and identities of service members. The concern is heightened by tensions with Iran, since trackers embedded in recruitment and military sites could reveal which personnel or potential recruits visit them, potentially allowing hostile actors to build profiles or infer deployments.

The Trump administration is retreating from a planned executive order that would have increased White House control over National Institutes of Health grant decisions, following widespread pushback from scientists and officials. Reporting describes the proposed order as effectively dead, with critics arguing it would have politicised federal biomedical research funding.

Google has unveiled Project Suncatcher, an initiative to run machine learning infrastructure in space, with details published on its research blog. The plan points to solar-powered data centers orbiting Earth to expand computing capacity for AI. The announcement is drawing attention among technologists debating the feasibility, cost and environmental logic of moving AI compute off-planet.

Mathematician Terence Tao has announced the formation of an Advisory Group on Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence, per his blog. The group is expected to advise on how AI tools are developed and used in mathematical research, and how mathematicians can contribute to AI safety and capability work. The announcement is drawing broad attention in the tech and research communities, with readers debating what role mathematicians should play in shaping AI development.

Scientists in Germany are preparing to copy and store vast troves of American climate data, fearing the Trump administration could alter, restrict, or remove federal climate records. The effort has been likened to building an ark, preserving scientific information outside the United States in case it becomes unavailable at home, and has drawn attention as researchers weigh risks to publicly funded datasets.

The growing longevity industry — from anti-ageing clinics to supplements promising longer life — is expanding faster than the scientific evidence supporting many of its claims, according to Al Jazeera. The report raises concerns that consumers are being sold unproven treatments while research on ageing is still in its early stages.

A newly published book about how evolution has shaped men's and women's minds is drawing criticism for presenting a story that researchers say is outdated. A review argues that the book relies on claims about evolved psychological differences between the sexes that modern science has moved past, reigniting long-running debate over evolutionary explanations of gender differences.

India's space sector is undergoing its biggest transformation yet, with private companies increasingly handling rocket development and launches while ISRO refocuses on advanced research and deep-space missions. The restructuring follows policy reforms opening the sector to private players. Observers see it as a pivotal change in how the country organises its space ambitions.

Major AI laboratories say the scenario in which AI models gain the ability to improve themselves autonomously is approaching. The claim, reported by ABC News, revives debate among researchers and policymakers about how soon recursive self-improvement could arrive and what safety measures would be needed. Observers are weighing whether current models show early signs of this capability or whether lab statements reflect competitive positioning.

A Norwegian Science Tech News report describes a study finding that young people aged 9 to 18 increasingly use AI chatbots instead of Google for information and search. The study warns the long-term consequences of this shift for children's learning, critical thinking and exposure to misinformation are not yet understood, prompting concern among researchers and educators.

New research from the University of Arizona analysing decades of satellite imagery finds that the world's drylands, though greening as vegetation responds to rising carbon dioxide, are increasingly locked into extreme 'boom-and-bust' cycles — rapid plant growth followed by sudden collapses. Scientists warn the pattern could destabilise ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

A new question is dominating discussion: could artificial intelligence actually wipe out humanity? The debate pits researchers and tech leaders who warn that advanced AI could become uncontrollable against those who say such fears are exaggerated science fiction. As AI tools spread rapidly into everyday life, concerns about safety, regulation and long-term existential risk are moving from niche academic circles into mainstream public conversation.

Glucosamine, one of the most widely taken joint supplements, has been linked in new research to faster progression of Alzheimer's disease. The finding challenges the common assumption that the over-the-counter remedy is harmless, and is prompting concern among the millions of older adults who take it for joint pain. Experts are urging people not to panic but to discuss supplement use with their doctors.