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World's oldest poison-tipped arrow discovered in South Africa

Popular Science

Science Archaeology World's oldest poison-tipped arrow discovered in South Africa The 60,000-year-old relic contains traces of a toxic onion. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. For thousands of years, hunters around the world have employed poison-tipped arrows to assist in taking down prey. For example, the curare plant poisons used by South and Central American hunters paralyzes the respiratory system. Meanwhile, inhabitants of the Kalahari Desert have relied on the toxins harvested from beetle larvae .


AI Models Are Starting to Learn by Asking Themselves Questions

WIRED

An AI model that learns without human input--by posing interesting queries for itself--might point the way to superintelligence. Even the smartest artificial intelligence models are essentially copycats. They learn either by consuming examples of human work or by trying to solve problems that have been set for them by human instructors. But perhaps AI can, in fact, learn in a more human way--by figuring out interesting questions to ask itself and attempting to find the right answer. A project from Tsinghua University, the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI), and Pennsylvania State University shows that AI can learn to reason in this way by playing with computer code.


Brunswick's latest boats at CES 2026 feature edge AI, self-docking capabilities and solar power

Engadget

The future of boating is here, but it ain't cheap. If you've never docked a boat before, consider yourself lucky. There are plenty of popular TikTok channels devoted to shaming those who bring their craft back home clumsily or berth them with something less than finesse. Tricky crosswinds, unpredictable surf and even the jeers of passersby can make it a stressful experience at the best of times. Brunswick, which owns more than 50 water-borne brands like Sea Ray, Bayliner and Mercury Marine, has a solution. It's demonstrating some self-docking tech called AutoCaptain at CES 2026 that makes this process a cinch, plus a fleet of other innovations that, in some cases, leave some of the smart cars on the show floor looking a bit remedial.


LG's CLOiD robot can fold laundry and serve food… very slowly

Engadget

LG's CLOiD robot can fold laundry and serve food very slowly LG's vision for a zero labor home feels more aspirational than actually possible. When LG announced that it would demo a laundry-folding, chore-doing robot at CES 2026, I was immediately intrigued. For years, I've wandered the Las Vegas Convention Center halls and wondered when someone might create a robot that can tackle the mundane but useful tasks I despise like folding laundry. With CLOiD (pronounced like Floyd), LG has proven that this is theoretically possible, but probably not likely to happen any time soon. I went to the company's CES booth to watch its demonstration of CLOiD's abilities, which also include serving food, fetching objects and fitness coaching. During a very carefully choreographed 15-minute presentation, I watched CLOiD grab a carton of milk out of the fridge, put a croissant in an oven, sort and fold some laundry and grab a set of keys off a couch and hand them to the human presenter.


Plastic bottles could power your devices one day

FOX News

Scientists develop method to convert discarded plastic water bottles into high-performance supercapacitors, potentially reducing pollution while advancing clean energy.


The best new science-fiction shows of 2026

New Scientist

New Year is a time of reinvention. In that spirit, I would like to shake up this preview of 2026's best sci-fi and science-related TV with a radical act: including a series that started last year. That may seem strange, but the second season of Fallout (Amazon Prime Video) aired in only mid-December, so, for my money, it counts. Set in a retrofuturistic US, generations of humans have lived inside radiation-proof bunkers sold to them by the shadowy Vault-Tec corporation. Last season, former vault-dweller Lucy (Ella Purnell) went surface-side to find her missing father, encountering cowboys and cannibals along the way.


The science-fiction films to look forward to in 2026

New Scientist

Well, those little green shoots of recovery I forecast last year have flowered. This year is set to bring tighter scripts, cheaper projects (which is good, because studios can take more chances) and a more enjoyable cinema-going experience all round. On 16 January, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will deliver (honest) on all those promises exasperatingly kept back in 2025's 28 Years Later . There will be Cillian Murphy reprising his role from 2002's 28 Days Later, plus more from actor Jack O'Connell's "Jimmys", an acrobatic killer cult. There will also be Nia DaCosta in the director's chair - a young, much-lauded talent who not so long ago had the misfortune to helm The Marvels .


Commons women and equalities committee to stop using X amid AI-altered images row

The Guardian

Sarah Owen, chair of the committee, said'we do not view it as appropriate to use such a platform to share our work'. Sarah Owen, chair of the committee, said'we do not view it as appropriate to use such a platform to share our work'. The influential Commons women and equalities committee has decided to stop using X after the social media site's AI tool began generating thousands of digitally altered images of women and children with their clothes removed. The move by the cross-party committee places renewed pressure on ministers to take decisive action after the site was flooded with images including sexualised and unclothed pictures of children, generated by its AI tool, Grok. Sarah Owen, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said that given preventing violence against women and girls was among its key policy areas, "it has become increasingly clear that X is not an appropriate platform to be using for our communications".


Samsung says RAM costs will likely lead to price hikes soon

Engadget

It's going to affect everyone, Samsung's marketing leader said. A problem has been detected. Samsung says AI data center-fueled RAM scarcity could raise the company's prices. Wonjin Lee, Samsung's global marketing leader, sounded the alarm in an interview with on Tuesday at CES 2026. As recently as early December, Samsung told that it was monitoring the market but wouldn't comment on pricing.


Switchbot came to CES with a laundry robot you might actually be able to buy

Engadget

The Onero H1 offers an intriguing look at the future of robot helpers. CES 2026 isn't the first year we've seen a wave of interesting robots or even useful robots crop up in Las Vegas. But it's the first year I can remember when there have been so many humanoid and humanoid-like robots performing actually useful tasks. Of those, Switchbot's Onero H1 has been one of the most intriguing robot helpers I've seen on the show floor, especially because the company says that it will actually go on sale later this year (though it won't come cheap). Up to now, Chinese company Switchbot has been known for its robot vacuums and smart home devices.