The full constellation can be frustrating to track down in the UK owing to its low presence in the southern sky This week we will take the opportunity to identify Scorpius, the Scorpion, one of the famous zodiacal constellations. In mythology, Scorpius is the creature sent to kill Orion, the...
Monday briefing: 50 years after Viking landed on Mars, did Nasa overlook evidence of life?
In today’s newsletter: ​Breakthroughs increasingly hinge not on finding something new, but on recognising what was​ missed. A leading scientist tells us why it matters Good morning. As Andy Burnham’s search for intelligent life to appoint to cabinet continues (more on that from Libby tomorrow), First Edition sets our sights...
Could AI be conscious?
Experts believe it’s at least possible. We urgently need a plan to navigate the ethical implications In January, the AI company Anthropic published a new constitution for Claude, its most advanced large language model (LLM), which contained the comment: “We are caught in a difficult position where we neither want to overstate...
AI-altered images on birdwatching forums putting research at risk
Experts warn increase in enhanced photos on birding platforms creating fake sightings, threatening credibility of tool used by scientists For many birdwatchers, recording a species outside its normal range is the holy grail. In the UK, the discoveries often make national headlines. The western reef heron, for example, usually found...