Tech
The truth about the odd-tasting oils we were told were healthy
When many people struggled to eat a healthy diet, odd-tasting oils were touted as a fix-all. It turns out one of them did indeed pack a vitamin punch. These days, the words “cod liver oil” are vaguely sepia-tinged. They conjure up an image of a murky spoonful of something, brandished by a school nurse or…
Will AI make work burnout worse?
When ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, PR agency founder Anurag Garg was eager for his team of 11 to quickly incorporate the technology in their workflow, so the business could keep up with its competitors. Mr Garg encouraged his employees to use the AI language tool for the agency’s long list of…
The weird history of the barcode
Few people think twice about the barcodes on their shopping, but in the 75 years since they were first dreamed up, they have helped save lives, gone into space and stoked fears of the Antichrist. Lasers. That’s what supermarket staff need, insisted Paul McEnroe. Scanners in the checkout and little pistol-shaped laser guns, too. Point,…
Tesla shares slide after Cybercab robotaxi revealed
Tesla boss Elon Musk has unveiled the firm’s long-awaited robotaxi, the Cybercab, at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. The futuristic-looking vehicle, featuring two wing-like doors – and no pedals or steering wheel – deposited Mr Musk in front of an audience eager to hear details about a project he considers key to Tesla’s…
Why there’s a rush of African satellite launches
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 and built by Western nations and businesses –…
Elon Musk accused of copying designs by I, Robot director
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”…