28 articles from SATURDAY 20.5.2023

There’s no shame in waging war on old age – long live Martha Stewart | Martha Gill

Conquering diseases that appear among elderly people will eventually make life better for everyoneWhen members of the Hårga – Ari Aster’s Swedish cult in Midsommar – reach the age of 72, they are instructed to jump off a very high cliff. “They have reached the end of their life cycle,” the Hårga explain, Swedishly, to their dumbfounded American guests.As horror films go, it’s an...

Covid-resistant bats could be key to fighting the next pandemic

The only mammals that fly are not affected by coronaviruses. Scientists are trying to work out whyWidely depicted as evil spirits or blood-sucking demons, bats have had a poor press over the years. No vampire film, from Dracula to Buffy, has been complete without an entrance of one of these harbingers of death.But these grim portrayals demean the bat. We have much to learn from them, insist...

Artificial intelligence holds huge promise – and peril. Let’s choose the right path | Michael Osborne

AI can fight the climate crisis and fuel a renewable-energy revolution. It could also kill countless jobs or incite nuclear warThe last few months have been by far the most exciting of my 17 years working on artificial intelligence. Among many other advances, OpenAI’s ChatGPT – a type of AI known as a large language model – smashed records in January to become the fastest-growing consumer...

Researchers unveil key predictors of bitcoin returns

Blockchain technology, investor sentiment, and economic stress levels are significant predictors of bitcoin returns, according to a groundbreaking paper from Illinois Institute of Technology researchers that provides empirical evidence to help guide investors, economists, and academics.

Drug for hot flushes will transform menopause treatment, doctors say

Experts predict US-approved fezolinetant can be a ‘blockbuster’ for thousands of women in the UKMenopause treatments will be revolutionised by a drug that acts directly on the brain to prevent hot flushes, leading doctors have predicted.Speaking after the US approved the first non-hormonal menopause drug, made by Astellas Pharma, experts said the treatment could be transformative for the...

Demystifying vortex rings in nuclear fusion, supernovae

Better understanding the formation of swirling, ring-shaped disturbances -- known as vortex rings -- could help nuclear fusion researchers compress fuel more efficiently, bringing it closer to becoming a viable energy source. A mathematical model linking these vortices with more pedestrian types, like smoke rings, could help engineers control their behavior in power generation and more.