Aggregator

Although you may hear a twang of the odd American accent, this is not the Cotswolds  - its the Notswolds, the latest go-to place for Londoners seeking refuge from the maddening crowds.

USA Today has an update on the curtailing of "mirror life" research: Kate Adamala had been working on something dangerous. At her synthetic biology lab, Adamala had been taking preliminary steps toward creating a living cell from scratch with one key twist: All the organism's building blocks would be flipped. Changing these molecules would create an unnatural mirror image of a cell, as different as your right hand from your left. The endeavor was not only a fascinating research challenge, but it also could be used to improve biotechnology and medicine. As Adamala and her colleagues talked with biosecurity experts about the project, however, grave concerns began brewing. "They started to ask questions like, 'Have you considered what happens if that cell gets released or what would happen if it infected a human?'" said Adamala, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota. They hadn't. So researchers brought together dozens of experts in a variety of disciplines from around the globe, including two Nobel laureates, who worked for months to determine the risks of creating "mirror life" and the chances those dangers could be mitigated. Ultimately, they concluded, mirror cells could inflict "unprecedented and irreversible harm" on our world. "We cannot rule out a scenario in which a mirror bacterium acts as an invasive species across many ecosystems, causing pervasive lethal infections in a substantial fraction of plant and animal species, including humans," the scientists wrote in a paper published in the journal Science in December alongside a 299-page technical report... [Report co-author Vaughn Cooper, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies how bacteria adapt to new environments] said it's not yet possible to build a cell from scratch, mirror or otherwise, but researchers have begun the process by synthesizing mirror proteins and enzymes. He and his colleagues estimated that given enough resources and manpower, scientists could create a complete mirror bacteria within a decade. But for now, the world is probably safe from mirror cells. Adamala said virtually everyone in the small scientific community that was interested in developing such cells has agreed not to as a result of the findings. The paper prompted nearly 100 scientists and ethicists from around the world to gather in Paris in June to further discuss the risks of creating mirror organisms. Many felt self-regulation is not enough, according to the institution that hosted the event, and researchers are gearing up to meet again in Manchester, England, and Singapore to discuss next steps.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Extra security measures are in place for President Donald Trump's appearance at the US Open in New York on Sunday afternoon, according to a source.

The baseball fan who surrendered the home run ball he initially gave to his son has spoken out about 'Phillies Karen' - saying he 'jumped out of my skin' when she confronted him about the souvenir.

American cyclist Neilson Powless invoked his inner 'Chris Froome' as he was spotted running up the road following a mechanical issue with his bike.

If you're a fan of skygazing, make sure you have this evening marked off in your diary. A rare Blood Moon total lunar eclipse will appear in the skies over the UK - and you don't want to miss it.

The resemblance between Victoria and Jackie is uncanny, with similar hair styles and matching slim figures.

Visitors can find the grave of the king who was defeated at the Battle of Hastings in Essex

He arrived on the TOWIE scene in 2011 as Lucy Mecklenburgh's boyfriend, with the on/off couple's fiery romance dominating the show's storylines.

From being accused of cheating by his ex partners to a shocking sex toy scandal with his Strictly co-star Wynne Evanns, here we look at what led to the actor's downfall.

Daniel Neeson has announced he is engaged to his glamorous girlfriend Natalie Ackerman, a New York-based fashion marketing manager.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by the Prime Minister for the traditional Sunday service at Crathie Kirk this morning. 

The British band are currently preparing for their final show of a 10-date run at Wembley Stadium as they conclude the mammoth world tour.

How do AI tools impact college students? 231 students in an object-oriented programming class participated in a study at Estonia's University of Tartu (conducted by an associate professor of informatics and a recently graduated master's student). They were asked how frequently they used AI tools and for what purposes. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Spearman's rank correlation analysis was performed to examine the strength of the relationships. The results showed that students mainly used AI assistance for solving programming tasks — for example, debugging code and understanding examples. A surprising finding, however, was that more frequent use of chatbots correlated with lower academic results. One possible explanation is that struggling students were more likely to turn to AI. Nevertheless, the finding suggests that unguided use of AI and over-reliance on it may in fact hinder learning. The researchers say their report provides "quantitative evidence that frequent AI use does not necessarily translate into better academic outcomes in programming courses." Other results from the survey: 47 respondents (20.3%) never used AI assistants in this course. Only 3.9% of the students reported using AI assistants weekly, "suggesting that reliance on such tools is still relatively low." "Few students feared plagiarism, suggesting students don't link AI use to it — raising academic concerns."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Tensions between the former glamour model, 47, and the Mysterious Girl singer, 52, exploded last month, following the launch of their daughter Princess' new reality show.

A bridesmaid has been caught on camera awkwardly slipping down a set of stairs before taking the bride with her.

It was the bold claim which sparked outrage and left Londoners desperate for answers. Well, the Daily Mail can today reveal the truth behind life in the so-called 'London Banana'

The heavily intoxicated man, in a white T-shirt and orange shorts, was still trying to resist as 13 French policemen carried him across the runway at Toulouse airport.

Research by the Mastercard Economics Institute identified the most common cons travellers face - with fraudulent behaviour often differing in method around the globe.

Everett, 66, has been charged with sexually touching the boy without consent after a late-afternoon incident in July at his home on the NSW Central Coast.