Government
The Download: making drugs in orbit and NASA's nuclear-powered spacecraft
Plus: Sam Altman claims Elon Musk tried to seize control of OpenAI. A startup called Varda Space Industries is betting that the future of pharmaceuticals lies in orbit. The company has signed a deal with United Therapeutics to test whether drugs crystallize differently in microgravity, potentially creating improved versions with new properties. The idea sounds futuristic, but falling launch costs and reusable rockets are making space-based manufacturing seem increasingly plausible. Varda says the partnership could mark an important step toward building products in orbit for use back on Earth. Discover how space could become the next frontier for drug development .
New rules confirm public has a right to see how UK government uses AI
Government departments and other public bodies in the UK must consider requests to release information about AI-produced content, regulators have confirmed. The move follows a successful request by New Scientist for the release of a minister's ChatGPT logs The use of AI chatbots is subject to the UK's Freedom of Information laws Text, images and other content produced by UK government departments and other public bodies using artificial intelligence are subject to freedom of information (FOI) laws, regulators have confirmed - potentially opening the door for the public to gain access to ministers' ChatGPT or other chatbot records. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data-protection agency, has released new guidance confirming that "If staff at a public authority use AI for work purposes, the information generated will be subject to FOIA [the Freedom of Information Act] along with the prompts used". Last year, successfully requested the then-UK tech secretary Peter Kyle's ChatGPT logs under FOI legislation, in what is believed to be a world first. That triggered subsequent requests from other news outlets to obtain other information, but many have either been rejected on cost grounds or labelled as "vexatious", an umbrella term that allows authorities to reject a request.
'Irresponsible': backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan
Petitioners react as the Box Elder county commission announces approval of a large datacenter on 4 May 2026 in Tremonton, Utah. Petitioners react as the Box Elder county commission announces approval of a large datacenter on 4 May 2026 in Tremonton, Utah. 'Irresponsible': backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan A plan to create one of the world's largest datacenters, a gargantuan project spanning an area more than twice the size of Manhattan, has provoked a furious public backlash in Utah amid concerns over its vast energy use and impact upon the state's stressed water supplies. The Stratos artificial intelligence datacenter footprint will cover more than 40,000 acres (62 sq miles) over three sites in Box Elder county in north-western Utah. The facility will require about 9GW of power, which is more than the entire state of Utah currently consumes, and suck up a significant amount of water in an area that has been hit by severe drought in recent years.
Inside the Race to Develop a Test for the Rare Andes Hantavirus
A lab at the University of Nebraska has developed a test that can detect the virus before symptoms become severe. Now, it's ready to start testing cruise ship passengers returning to the US. As passengers return to the US from the cruise that saw a rare hantavirus outbreak, much of the country is lacking a basic public health tool: a test to diagnose the illness in the earliest stages of infection. Nebraska may be the first state with the ability to do so. In just a few days, a lab at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha developed its own diagnostic test for the Andes virus in anticipation of receiving 16 American passengers from the ship. "I believe we might be the only lab in the nation that has this test available at the moment," Peter Iwen, director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory tells WIRED, referring to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which was important during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thousands of Waymos recalled after robotaxi swept into a creek
Waymo is recalling thousands of its self-driving cars in the US over a software issue that could allow vehicles to drive into flooded roads. According to a letter posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website on Tuesday, the voluntary recall affects nearly 3,800 robotaxis that use the company's fifth and sixth-generation automated driving systems. It follows an incident on 20 April in San Antonio, Texas, where an empty Waymo vehicle entered a flooded road and was swept into a creek. The company, which hopes to be operating a robotaxi service in London by September, said it was working on additional software safeguards, according to CNBC. The BBC has contacted Waymo, which is owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, for comment.
Real-life Pacific Rim! World's first manned transforming robot is unveiled - and it could be yours for 650,000
Realtor's evil ex-husband avoids murder trial with guilty plea after'ambushing' mother of two while she begged for her life on 911 call Explosive Supreme Court LEAK reveals stinging whispers about'belligerent' justice read the wild rants troubling both sides of the aisle Married doctor's affair with glamorous younger woman explodes into Fatal Attraction-style court war... X-rated photo claims, leaked recordings and a sinister threat: 'I'll never stop' US intel reportedly says Iran's military is FAR from decimated as Israel begins to worry about Trump's deal-making Michelle Obama looks alarmingly thin on Beverly Hills dinner date with Malia and Sasha - as Barack's absence fuels fresh whispers about their marriage Brady Bunch's Eve Plumb reveals cast's shocking residual pay after Lisa Kudrow said Friends stars still get $20m a year from reruns The unassuming apps all cheaters use to hide their affairs: Where to look on your partner's phone to see exactly what they are up to... and the subtle red flags to never ignore I've treated so many cocaine users. This is the one sign that makes it so obvious you have a problem, how it can kill you in a night... and the embarrassing sexual side effect you may not have heard of: DR PHILIPPA KAYE Demi Moore, 63, sparks concern with thinner-than-ever frame at Cannes... amid swirling Ozempic rumors High school student singles out board member who called her'hot' with humiliating takedown Lindsay Lohan, 39, baffles fans with'unrecognizable' appearance at Disney Upfronts event reigniting plastic surgery rumors The'marry me' sex move that'll make even the most commitment-phobic of men beg to see you again... and it worked for THREE of my friends Real-life Pacific Rim! World's first manned transforming robot is unveiled - and it could be yours for $650,000 A Chinese robotics firm has truly bridged the gap between science fiction and reality, after unveiling the world's first manned'mecha'. The GD01, developed by Unitree Robotics, weighs 500kg with a pilot on board and is capable of transitioning between bipedal walking and four-legged mode. Developed for civilian transport, the high-strength alloy machine features a'cockpit' where someone can sit and control the huge robot. A demonstration video shows Unitree's CEO Wang Xingxing climbing into the torso of the GD01 before it starts to move.
A Conspiracy Theory About QR Codes Has Led to Chaos Ahead of Georgia's Midterms
A Conspiracy Theory About QR Codes Has Led to Chaos Ahead of Georgia's Midterms The state of Georgia banned the use of QR codes for elections, based in part on the assertions of a man who's boosted false claims about Israel and 9/11. Now no one knows how ballots will be counted. QR codes are at the center of the latest conspiracy theory in Georgia's elections. And it's largely thanks to Garland Favorito, a man who has spent decades trying to get people to listen to his conspiracy theories about insecure voting machines being used to rig elections in Georgia. When Georgia became the epicenter of election denial conspiracy theories in 2020, Favorito became an overnight superstar in the election denial community, and an integral part of the vast network of groups across the country that sprang up to promote the baseless claim that US elections are rigged.
Russian drone attacks kill nine in Ukraine after ceasefire expires
Nine people have been killed and at least 28 injured in the latest Russian drone attacks across Ukraine, local officials have said. They said the worst-hit was the central Dnipropetrovsk region, where eight people were killed and 11 injured throughout Tuesday. One casualty was reported in the eastern Donetsk region. Overall, 14 regions were attacked. On Wednesday morning, President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 100 Russian drones were currently over Ukraine, warning of more waves of attacks throughout the day.