Science

When AI Meets Therapy: The Promise and Pitfalls of Digital Healing
SpotlightWhen AI Meets Therapy: The Promise and Pitfalls of Digital Healing

AI (artificial intelligence) is a computer system designed to replicate human thought and behavior. It can reason, process information, and search for answers across vast pools of relevant content available online. A chatbot, by contrast, is a conversational tool designed to simulate human interaction. It runs on pre-scripted responses, ...

WHO Countries Reach Landmark Agreement on Tackling Future Pandemics
WHO Countries Reach Landmark Agreement on Tackling Future Pandemics

Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis. After more than three years of talks and one last marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organization's headquarters ...

Denmark could eradicate cervical cancer by 2040
Denmark could eradicate cervical cancer by 2040

Denmark aims to eradicate cervical cancer by 2040 thanks to a national HPV vaccination campaign and screening programme, the Danish Cancer Society said on Monday. "Even before 2040, so few women may have the disease that it may be considered eradicated," the Danish Cancer Society said in a statement. "It would be the first time a cancer has ...

US Climate Cuts Hurting Global Science: Europe's Weather Agency
US Climate Cuts Hurting Global Science: Europe's Weather Agency

Europe's meteorological agency says cuts by US President Donald Trump's administration to a key American science agency had hindered the sharing of crucial observations used around the globe to monitor the climate and forecast weather. Trump's administration has fired hundreds of staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ...

Pandemic Treaty Talks Inch Towards Accord
Pandemic Treaty Talks Inch Towards Accord

Countries hope more than three years of negotiations on battling future pandemics will finally end Tuesday, after reaching a preliminary agreement last week. It has been more than five years since the Covid-19 pandemic began, killing millions of people and devastating economies. Experts say an accord has become even more crucial with new health ...

AI: Just Beginning to Revolutionize the NBA Game
ExplainerAI: Just Beginning to Revolutionize the NBA Game

It's not a scene out of the future, but a reality on the hard courts of today. Using artificial intelligence, a top basketball team found the right defensive strategy that made the difference to win the NBA championship. Data specialist Rajiv Maheswaran declines to name the outfit that leveraged AI analysis to victory, saying in a corporate ...

Meta Faces Landmark US Antitrust Trial
Meta Faces Landmark US Antitrust Trial

Social media juggernaut Meta stands trial on Monday facing serious US government allegations that it abused its market power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become competitors. By moving forward, the trial in a Washington federal court dashes the hopes of Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg that the return of Donald Trump to the White ...

Lebanon’s Forests Are Crying Out. Will We Answer in Time?
Lebanon’s Forests Are Crying Out. Will We Answer in Time?

Lebanon, a country where forests cover only 13.6% of its total land area, is confronting a severe environmental crisis. Recent estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture (2021), the CNRS and FAO show that Lebanon has approximately 137,000 hectares of natural forests. Yet, this crucial forest cover continues to diminish due to illegal logging, ...

Amazon Satellite Launch Scrubbed Due to Weather
Amazon Satellite Launch Scrubbed Due to Weather

Weather prevented a rocket carrying the first batch of Amazon satellites designed to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink from lifting off Wednesday, in a setback for the planned Project Kuiper network. "Stubborn cumulus clouds and persistent winds make liftoff not possible within the available window," read a liveblog update from operator United ...

AI surge to double data centre electricity demand by 2030
AI surge to double data centre electricity demand by 2030

Electricity consumption by data centres will more than double by 2030, driven by artificial intelligence applications that will create new challenges for energy security and CO2 emission goals, the IEA said Thursday. At the same time, AI can unlock opportunities to produce and consume electricity more efficiently, the International Energy Agency ...

Facing US Competition, EU Proposes Easing AI, Data Regulations
Facing US Competition, EU Proposes Easing AI, Data Regulations

The EU said Wednesday it is considering streamlining artificial intelligence and data rules as part of a broader push to help European businesses keep up with US and Chinese rivals. The European Union long heralded its legal arsenal on tech as an example for the world, but the tone has shifted since the return of US President Donald Trump. Just ...

Reusable Water Bottles: Breeding Grounds for Bacteria?
SpotlightReusable Water Bottles: Breeding Grounds for Bacteria?

Proper hydration, eco-awareness and sleek design – in many parts of the world, reusable water bottles are everywhere. Whether made of stainless steel, glass or durable plastic, they’ve become a fixture in backpacks, on desks and in gyms. Since the rise of zero-waste movements and growing environmental consciousness – still, unfortunately, ...