Author: Andrew Rogers

Google DeepMind launched AlphaGenome, an AI tool designed to identify genetic drivers of disease.The system predicts how DNA mutations disrupt gene regulation across different cells and tissues.AlphaGenome can analyse up to one million DNA letters simultaneously.Researchers trained it using large human and mouse genetics databases.Most inherited diseases and many cancers stem from regulatory DNA mutations.Scientists believe the tool will accelerate discovery of disease mechanisms and treatments.AlphaGenome may also support future gene therapies by designing precise DNA sequences.

Amazon revealed a fresh round of global job cuts through an email mistakenly sent to workers.The message reached staff at Amazon Web Services and referenced layoffs under “Project Dawn”.It wrongly stated affected employees in the US, Canada, and Costa Rica had already been informed.The email came from senior vice-president Colleen Aubrey and was later withdrawn.Amazon previously announced 14,000 corporate job cuts as it trims pandemic-era expansion.Chief executive Andy Jassy has warned AI could replace some white-collar roles.The news followed job cut plans at United Parcel Service, which is reducing reliance on Amazon deliveries.

Scientists launched DinoTracker, an AI app that identifies dinosaurs using fossilized footprints.The system analyzes footprint shapes without relying on potentially flawed human labels.Researchers trained the AI on 2,000 unlabelled footprint silhouettes.The model identified eight key shape features, including toe spread and heel position.The app matches expert classifications about 90% of the time.The team published the research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Steve Brusatte said footprints reflect anatomy, movement, and ground conditions.University of Edinburgh researchers helped develop the system.Gregor Hartmann said mislabelled data weakens earlier AI approaches.The app lets users compare similar tracks and adjust footprint features interactively.Results support…

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dropped its lawsuit against the Winklevoss twins’ crypto exchange after investors recovered all assets.Regulators cited the full repayment of Gemini Earn customers through the Genesis Global Capital bankruptcy in mid-2024.The decision reflects a friendlier crypto stance under President Donald Trump, who promotes digital assets.The exchange, now called Gemini Space Station, faced charges over an allegedly illegal lending program launched with Genesis.New York regulators later secured a settlement that compensated users and barred Gemini from crypto lending locally.Gemini debuted strongly on Nasdaq and is now valued at $1.14bn, according to LSEG.

Coca-Cola has launched legal proceedings against Vue after the cinema chain ended a near-25-year partnership and switched its European soft drink supply to PepsiCo. Vue, which operates more than 220 cinemas across eight countries, awarded PepsiCo an exclusive supply contract until at least 2030 after a competitive tender last year. The move ended Coca-Cola’s long-standing relationship with the company. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Great Britain filed a claim on Thursday seeking recovery of alleged unpaid debts linked to the contract’s termination. Vue confirmed there were disputed amounts on both sides but said the issue has since been resolved, with no money…

Google’s AI Overviews cite YouTube more frequently than any medical website when responding to health-related searches, according to a new German study that raises concerns about how health information is prioritised for a tool used by about 2 billion people a month. Researchers analysed more than 50,000 health queries made in Germany and found YouTube accounted for 4.43% of all cited sources in AI Overviews, making it the single most referenced domain. No hospital network, government health body or academic institution came close. While some highly cited YouTube videos came from reputable medical channels, the researchers stressed these represented less…

Japan is developing the L0 Series, a magnetic-levitation train built by Central Japan Railway Company that has reached test speeds of up to 603.5 km/h, making it the fastest train ever. The train will run on the Chūō Shinkansen maglev line, cutting Tokyo–Nagoya travel to about 40 minutes, with plans to extend to Osaka, effectively linking Japan’s three largest metro areas. The project relies on maglev technology, which lifts trains above the track to eliminate friction, but comes at a huge cost—around £52bn (€60bn) so far—and has been delayed until the mid-2030s. Despite its appeal, experts say Europe is unlikely…

Influencers linked to the online “manosphere” are persuading healthy young men that normal variations in mood, energy or libido mean they have low testosterone, according to a study in Social Science and Medicine. Researchers analysed popular posts on TikTok and Instagram and found testosterone testing was often framed as essential to being a “real man”, despite routine screening being medically unnecessary for most young men. Experts warn this promotes a “medicalisation of masculinity”, fuels sales of tests and supplements, and may expose men to unnecessary health risks, while many posts fail to clearly disclose financial interests.

Plants growing close together can warn one another about incoming stress, helping nearby neighbours survive conditions that would otherwise cause serious damage. In experiments with thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), researchers grew plants either in isolation or packed closely so their leaves touched. When exposed to intense light stress, isolated plants suffered heavy damage, while crowded plants coped far better by rapidly activating their defences. Within just one hour, densely grown plants switched on more than 2,000 genes linked to protection against a wide range of stresses. Isolated plants, by contrast, showed little increase in defensive gene activity. The findings suggest…

Netflix has upgraded its $82.7bn (£61.5bn) takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery by switching to an all-cash offer, aiming to speed up approval and block a hostile bid from Paramount Skydance. The revised deal keeps the valuation at $27.75 per share but removes shares from the structure, giving WBD investors more certainty and potentially allowing a shareholder vote as early as April. Netflix said the board of WBD continues to unanimously support the offer. Under the agreement, WBD shareholders would also receive stock in a spun-off global networks business, including CNN and Discovery Channel, which Netflix is not acquiring. Paramount…