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Moth uses stars to navigate long distances, scientists discover

A species of Australian moth travels up to a thousand kilometres every summer using the stars to navigate, scientists said Wednesday, the first time this talent has been discovered in an invertebrate covering vast distances.

Netherlands returns over 100 Benin Bronzes looted from Nigeria

Nigeria has taken delivery from the Netherlands of 119 pieces of priceless "Benin Bronze" artefacts looted more than 120 years ago, the country's museum commission and the Dutch embassy said Wednesday.

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In a first, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight

SpaceX successfully "caught" the first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket Sunday as it returned to the launch pad after a test flight, a world first in the company's quest for rapid reusability.

SpaceX will try to 'catch' giant Starship rocket shortly before landing

SpaceX's next test flight of its Starship megarocket this Sunday could mark a world first: catching the returning first-stage booster using the launch tower's "chopstick" arms -- a crucial step in the company's quest for rapid reusability.

Amazon wants to be everything to everyone

Amazon is bolstering its e-commerce empire while continuing a march deeper into people's lives, from robots to healthcare and entertainment.

Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency

Severe geomagnetic storm conditions could hamper ongoing recovery efforts for Hurricanes Helene and Milton by disrupting satellite communications, power grids and GPS services, the US Space Weather Prediction Center warned Thursday.

US forecasts severe solar storm starting Thursday

A massive ball of plasma and accompanying magnetic field ejected from the Sun is expected to strike Earth on Thursday morning, potentially triggering auroras as far south as Alabama, according to US forecasters.

Steve McQueen debuts new WWII film at London festival

Steve McQueen's latest film "Blitz" is a "sobering" reminder of war's grim realities as people increasingly "look away", the Oscar-winning director told AFP ahead of its premiere Wednesday.

Nobel winners hope protein work will spur 'incredible' breakthroughs

The winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work revealing the secrets of proteins through artificial intelligence said Wednesday they hoped their research would "open the door to many incredible scientific breakthroughs".

Trio wins chemistry Nobel for protein design, prediction

Americans David Baker and John Jumper, together with Briton Demis Hassabis, shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for work revealing the secrets of proteins through computing and artificial intelligence.

AI-aided research, new materials eyed for Nobel Chemistry Prize

The development of new compounds and science aided by artificial intelligence are some of the research fields commentators say could be contenders for the Nobel Chemistry Prize announced Wednesday.

Nobel-winning physicist 'unnerved' by AI technology he helped create

A US scientist who won the 2024 Nobel physics prize for his pioneering work on artificial intelligence said Tuesday he found recent advances in the technology "very unnerving" and warned of possible catastrophe if it isn't kept in check.

Neural networks, machine learning? Nobel-winning AI science explained

The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists on Tuesday for discoveries that laid the groundwork for the artificial intelligence used by hugely popular tools such as ChatGPT.

Duo wins Physics Nobel for 'foundational' AI breakthroughs

Geoffrey Hinton, known at the Godfather of AI, and physicist John Hopfield won the Nobel physics prize on Tuesday for their pioneering work on the foundations of artificial intelligence.

Mission to probe smashed asteroid launches despite hurricane

Europe's Hera probe successfully launched Monday on a mission to inspect the damage done by a NASA spacecraft that smashed into an asteroid during the first test of Earth's planetary defences.

Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid

Stormy weather has threatened to delay the launch of Europe's Hera spacecraft, which is scheduled to blast off on Monday, SpaceX has said.

Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens

Cancer research or drugs treating cardiovascular illnesses could win a Nobel Prize on Monday when a week of laureate announcements kicks off, bringing a ray of optimism to a world beset by crises.

Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound

Meta on Friday provided a look at a generative artificial intelligence model it is working on that lets people create short videos, complete with audio, from text prompts and photos.

Hera spacecraft to probe asteroid deflected by defence test

Europe's Hera probe is tentatively scheduled to launch Monday on a mission to inspect the damage a NASA spacecraft made when it smashed into an asteroid during the first test of Earth's planetary defences.

What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has become an AI powerhouse after securing Silicon Valley's largest-ever funding round. The company now faces the challenge of delivering on its promise to become the next Apple or Google.

Skiing calls on UN climate science to combat melting future

World skiing's governing body joined forces with the UN's weather agency on Thursday in a bid to feed its meteorological expertise into managing the "existential threat" to winter sports posed by climate change.

2024 Nobels offer glimmer of hope as global crises mount

Next week's Nobel Prize announcements will crown achievements that made the world a better place, a glimmer of optimism amid a spiralling Middle East conflict, war in Ukraine, famine in Sudan and a collapsing climate.

South America treated to rare 'ring of fire' eclipse

Skygazers on the tip of South America were treated Wednesday to a spectacular "ring of fire" solar eclipse that was visible from Chile's Easter Island before heading to mainland Patagonia.

Mexico's new president offers apology for 1968 student massacre

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered an official apology Wednesday for the massacre of students by the army in 1968, in one of her first acts after taking office.

Historic funding round values OpenAI at $157 billion

New funding propelled ChatGPT-maker OpenAI to a valuation of $157 billion, the company said on Wednesday, sealing its place as the world leader on artificial intelligence.

Thunderstorms are a 'boiling pot' of gamma rays, scientists find

Big thunderstorms continuously emit gamma rays that are undetectable from the ground, two studies said on Wednesday, upending what was previously thought -- and potentially pointing towards a clue in the mystery of how lightning is sparked.

Scientists unlock secret of 'Girl With Pearl Earring'

Johannes Vermeer's "Girl With The Pearl Earring" is one of the world's most popular paintings -- and now scientists believe they know why, by measuring how the brain reacts when the work is viewed.

Webb telescope detects carbon dioxide on Pluto's largest moon

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected carbon dioxide on the frozen surface of Pluto's biggest moon, Charon, for the first time, research revealed on Tuesday.

Scientists fear underfunded Argentina research on verge of collapse

Argentine biochemist Alejandro Nadra worries that President Javier Milei's budget cuts will undo his scientific quest to unravel the cause of genetic diseases that disable and kill millions.

Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election

Iran is ramping up efforts to interfere with the US election with fake "news" websites and hackers targeting Donald Trump, American officials and researchers say, as the Republican nominee reported threats on his life from the Islamic republic.

Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60

Her white-gloved, waistcoated uniform impeccable, 22-year-old Hazuki Okuno boards a bullet train replica to rehearse the strict protocols behind the smooth operation of a Japanese institution turning 60 Tuesday.

Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet

Europe has embarked on the mission to put humans back on the Moon with a new lunar simulator launched in Germany, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet told AFP.

Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast

A comet is expected to risk having its tail clipped on Friday by flying perilously close to the Sun, promising fireworks next month should it survive the fraught flypast.

Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies

French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday committed to work towards "open and decarbonized" economies and for international cooperation on artificial intelligence.

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