Science and Tech

Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the vast amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. The company says the agreement with Kairos Power will see it start using the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035. The companies did not give any details about how much …

Getty Images Calls are growing to ban smartphones in schools in England by law, as education experts and unions back an MP’s attempt to push a new law through Parliament. Children “doomscrolling for hours a day” is causing widespread harm, according to Josh MacAlister, the Labour MP and former teacher behind the private member’s bill being introduced in the House …

SpaceX Senegal’s first satellite hitched a lift on a SpaceX launcher in August One by one, the satellites – each of them encrusted with a hodge-podge of solar panels and other gizmos – detached from their mothership. They had blasted off from Earth just an hour earlier, on 16 August. The 116 satellites onboard the launch vehicle were mostly designed …

Reuters The director of 2004 sci-fi film I, Robot has accused billionaire Elon Musk of copying his designs for humanoid machines and self-driving vehicles. At a Tesla event on Thursday, Musk unveiled Tesla’s futuristic Cybercab, complete with winged doors and no steering wheel or pedals, and a new look at its Optimus robots. But the “We, Robot” showcase, playing on …

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has successfully completed a world first test, landing part of their Starship back onto its launch pad. This means the company’s plan to develop a fully reusable and quickly deployable rocket a lot closer. The BBC’s science correspondent, Pallab Ghosh, explores why this “incredibly difficult” operation is a big deal for future exploration and what environmental concerns …

Getty Images Line judges will no longer feature at Wimbledon from next year “The drama of a player shouting and making a challenge, and the crowd watching the screen and waiting for Hawk-Eye to make a decision, all of that drama is now lost.” David Bayliss is describing a scene he saw play out many times as a Wimbledon line …

BBC Social media algorithms, in their commonly known form, are now 15 years old. They were born with Facebook’s introduction of ranked, personalised news feeds in 2009 and have transformed how we interact online. And like many teenagers, they pose a challenge to grown-ups who hope to curb their excesses. It’s not for want of trying. This year alone, governments …

Elon Musk has unveiled Tesla’s long-awaited robotaxi, which he claims will hit the market as early as 2027. BBC Tech Correspondent Lily Jamali analyses the ‘robocabs’ and whether their reliance on camera technology might be undermining the vehicles’ safety. Musk also debuted “Optimus” robots, which he claims will free up human time and take on chores.

Getty Images Red Teams try to break into high security facilities A crack team assembles and breaks into a top secret military base or corporate headquarters – you’ve probably seen it in a film or on TV a dozen times. But such teams exist in the real world and can be hired to test the tightest security. Plenty of firms …

Getty Images The US and the UK have announced what they say is their first joint agreement aimed at keeping children safer online. It will see the setting up of a joint online safety working group to share evidence and expertise, and study the impact social media has on children. UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the agreement would turn …