Innovation

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Turning Wind Turbine Blades into Sustainable Building Materials

Northern Ireland companies are transforming decommissioned wind turbine blades into sustainable building materials, reducing landfill waste and supporting a circular economy with innovative tracking technology.

5 min read

Andrew Billingsley, a man wearing frameless glasses, a white helmet, a yellow-high viz jacket and a white shirt, stands in an industrial yard looking at the camera. There is a collection of large wind turbine blades behind him.

NASA Launches Historic Mission to Rescue Falling Swift Space Telescope

NASA has launched a pioneering mission to rescue the Swift space telescope, which is descending towards Earth. The LINK spacecraft will attempt to capture and raise Swift back to a stable orbit, preserving its vital scientific capabilities.

5 min read

A gold‑coloured space telescope with solar panels and a cylindrical black opening floats in space above the Earth.

What’s Next for AI? Experts Seek Smarter, More Flexible Intelligence Beyond ChatGPT

Yann LeCun and other AI experts are developing new models beyond ChatGPT, focusing on flexible, real-world understanding to enable robots and AI to perform complex tasks.

6 min read

Yann LeCun wears fashionable thick-rimmed glasses, a light blue shirt and navy jacket. He is using his hands to articulate a point while speaking at a conference.

Meta Introduces Subscription for Extended Use of AI Glasses' Conversation Focus Feature

Meta now requires AI glasses users to pay $19.99 monthly for extended use of the Conversation Focus feature, limiting free access to three hours per month. The subscription targets power users, while other AI features remain free. Privacy concerns persist around the glasses.

4 min read

A close-up of a pair of black Meta Ray-Ban glasses on a metal display.

US Lifts Export Ban on Anthropic's Advanced AI Models Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5

The US government has lifted export controls on Anthropic's advanced AI models Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 after suspending them over security concerns in June.

2 min read

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei speaking at an AI conference in India

WhatsApp Introduces Usernames to Chat Without Sharing Phone Numbers

WhatsApp will soon let users chat via unique usernames without sharing phone numbers, enhancing privacy while maintaining control over contact methods.

3 min read

A close-up of two young men holding smartphones close together, exchanging details.

Geothermal Energy: Abundant, Clean, but Costly Power Beneath Our Feet

Geothermal energy offers a renewable, low-emission power source using heat beneath the Earth's surface. Emerging technologies like millimetre wave drilling aim to access hotter, deeper resources, though costs remain high. Bipartisan support and investments signal growing potential.

5 min read

A man is a cowboy hat and his dog are silhouetted in front of the steam coming from the Castle Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

IBM Unveils Breakthrough NanoStack Chip with Nearly 100 Billion Transistors

IBM unveils NanoStack chip technology with nearly 100 billion transistors on a sub-1nm scale, promising 50% better performance and 70% energy efficiency over 2nm chips.

3 min read

Researcher holding IBM's sub-1 nm node chip

Everything to Know About Rockstar's GTA 6 Launch and Features

Rockstar's GTA 6, featuring protagonists Jason and Lucia, launches 19 Nov with a $80 price tag. Set in a fictional Florida-inspired state, it promises a Bonnie and Clyde-style story and marks the first female playable lead in the series.

5 min read

Cover art image for GTA 6 showing playable characters Jason, in a white vest top and chain, and Lucia, with a gun

Construction Begins on UK’s £750m National Supercomputer at Edinburgh

Construction has started on the UK's £750m national supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh, set to be among the world's most powerful. It will support research in quantum computing, climate change, and cosmology, with government funding reinstated after initial suspension.

5 min read

An artist's impression of the new supercomputer on outskirts of Edinburgh

AI Deciphers Burnt Vesuvius Scroll Revealing Ancient Stoic Philosophy

AI technology has virtually unwrapped and deciphered a charred ancient scroll from Vesuvius, revealing stoic philosophy on ethics and human behavior dating back over 2,000 years.

4 min read

Ancient excavated Herculaneum ruins with stone buildings and courtyards, with modern buildings and Mount Vesuvius beyond

UK Physicist Challenges Microsoft’s Quantum Computing Breakthrough Claims

A UK physicist challenges Microsoft's quantum computing breakthroughs, citing software errors and lack of proof for Majorana particles, while Microsoft defends its research and highlights progress with a new, more reliable quantum chip.

5 min read

A hand holding the Majorana 2 chip in its palm. Including its housing the chip appears to be about the size of a beer mat. It consists of a gold plated metal frame and sits on a dark blue-green board bearing its name. The chip itself is a small silvery square on a dark gunmetal blue square with very fine gold circuitry visible.