Three books unpack our infatuation with prediction, and what we lose when we outsource this task to machines. To be human is, fundamentally, to be a forecaster. Trying to see the future, whether through the lens of past experience or the logic of cause and effect, has helped us hunt, avoid hunted, plant crops, forge social bonds, and in general survive in a world that does not prioritize our survival. Indeed, as the tools of divination have changed over the centuries, from tea leaves to data sets, our conviction that the future can be known (and therefore controlled) has only grown stronger. Today, we are awash in a sea of predictions so vast and unrelenting that most of us barely even register them. As I write this sentence, algorithms on some remote server are busy trying to guess my next word based on those I have already typed.

Modern social life often begins on screen. Digital profiles invite us to inspect the lives - and social circles - of friends, colleagues and strangers. Before meeting someone new, chances are we may have scanned their Instagram, LinkedIn or dating profile, forming assumptions from a carefully curated snapshot of their life. Somewhere along the way, we've forgotten the value of a considered, human introduction as the foundation for genuine connection. Bridget Jones's Shazza had it right when she said that making introductions with thoughtful details can go a long way: mentioning an unexpected talent or hobby, highlighting a mutual interest or sharing a funny anecdote.

AI chatbots can take on many roles in our lives. James Muldoon's Love Machines looks into the relationships we're forging with them Artificial intelligence is now unavoidable - although there are those among us who try. Even if you don't seek out a chatbot, you will see new icons in your current apps to bring them within a single click: WhatsApp, Google Drive, even Microsoft Notepad, the simplest program imaginable. The tech industry is making an enormous and costly bet on AI, and, in turn, is forcing it on users to make good on this investment. Many are embracing it to take over writing, admin or planning, and a minority are going a step further and forming intimate relationships with it.

Heiress granddaughter of iconic socialite Babe Paley reveals horrifying way she discovered hedge funder husband was having affair while they sheltered from COVID at $7.5million Martha's Vineyard beach house Mexico's next'on the menu' as top Republicans roll over to grant Trump unlimited war powers Truth about Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie's past disclosed by his blushing grandma... as unseen photos are revealed Killer beauty queen breaks cover with'obedient' boytoy lover after beating husband to death... and flaunts luxurious new life Former Fed chiefs warn US looks like an'emerging market' as Powell faces criminal probe Real reason Amanda Seyfried grimaced at Golden Globes... what Timothee Chalamet KEPT doing to Kylie's butt... and Ariana Grande's replacement boyfriend: All the off-camera gossip Nikki Glaser fans can't believe how different she looked before fame as she glowed while hosting the Golden Globes Elon Musk says he's applying for custody of youngest known child, 1, after mother'hinted she will transition him' Trump's darkest days erased from Smithsonian exhibit after 250th anniversary review Meghan Markle teases a'save the date' on her As Ever social media The REAL Golden Globes losers: Fashion expert JANE TIPPETT says what everyone is thinking about all THOSE dresses... and spares no one in her savage ranking Ron DeSantis' wife Casey mercilessly mocked for fashion faux pas... as she'tries to emulate Jackie Kennedy' My husband only wants sex once a month... but I know he masturbates in the shower every day. Tinnitus torments more than 50m Americans. Now doctors have uncovered the surprising foods that trigger it... and ingredients that can STOP the ringing in your ears Gaunt Tucker Carlson's hollowed-out new appearance sparks rumors he is on Ozempic Glen Powell and Landman star girlfriend Michelle Randolph hit first event together... after three months of dating I met the hippo-hunting cowgirl of my dreams, showered her with Rolexes and spent a fortune making her a MAGA star... but then everything went horribly wrong Wild conspiracy theory behind 49ers' injury nightmare resurfaces after George Kittle's Achilles tear Lip reader deciphers argument they tried to hide behind smiles: 'You must hate me' Bioprinted organs, a space elevator and robot roommates might sound like science fiction - but they could become reality by 2050. That's according to futurologist Tom Cheeswright, who has predicted the most exciting breakthroughs set to improve our lives by the middle of the century. He has joined forced with astrophysicist Dr Alastair Reynolds to come up with the most impressive innovations that could soon become part of our everyday.

Wellbeing has become such a priceless (or in many cases pricey) endeavour that we can't seem to get enough of it. Last year, we were mainlining magnesium, consuming creatine - a muscle boosting supplement that became mainstream, and we turned to AI chatbots for help with anything from a personalised training regime to a daily meal plan. What is the multi-trillion pound industry focussing on in 2026? Several experts give us their thoughts on what's on the wellbeing agenda. If 2025 was about smashing targets at the gym, tracking runs to the second and lifting heavier and heavier weights, then this year is all about recovery.

AI teachers and cybernetics - what could the world look like in 2050? The last 25 years has seen some mind-bending technological changes. At the start of the century, most computers connected to the internet with noisy dial-up connections, Netflix was an online DVD rental company, and the vast majority of people hadn't even heard of a smartphone. Fast forward two and a half decades, and innovations in AI, robotics and much else besides are emerging at an incredible rate. So we decided to ask experts what the next 25 years could bring.

A new pilot program aims to help EMS respond quicker, not act as a replacement. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. When they aren't baffling the public or grounding wildfire planes, drones have some pretty solid uses. Apart from unnecessarily fast same-day deliveries, the pilotless aircrafts may soon become a lifesaving emergency response tool . A collaborative team of health experts, community organizations, and universities are in the middle of a pilot program using drones and automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Militia leader Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted for his role in the January 6 attack, is asking potential new members and supporters to send money. Stewart Rhodes announced last week that he is relaunching the Oath Keepers, his anti-government militia which virtually disappeared after dozens of its members--including Rhodes--were arrested for their roles in the January 6 attack on the Capitol . Rhodes, speaking to the Gateway Pundit this week, says that he sees the relaunched group as playing a role in combating what he labeled an "insurrection by the left" on the streets of US cities. "Right now, under federal statutes, president Trump can call us up as the militia if he sees it necessary, especially for three purposes: to repel invasions, to suppress insurrections, and to execute the laws of the union," Rhodes said. But in the days since Rhodes announced their return, experts, former members, and online chatter suggest there is little to no interest in restarting what was, at one point, one of the largest militias in America with a leaked database listing 38,000 supposed members in 2021. This hasn't stopped Rhodes from asking potential new members and supporters to send money in support of the cause.

Measuring the full abilities of large language models (LLMs) requires benchmarks representing multiple tasks. We aim to create large, high-quality datasets for comparison of logical reasoning skills across several languages and of suitable difficulty for LLMs of various reasoning ability. We explore multiple ways of increasing difficulty. We generate zebra puzzles in multiple languages, themes, sizes and including 14 different clue types and 8 red herring types (uninformative clues). We find puzzle sizes 2x3 and 4x5 are sufficiently challenging for GPT-4o mini (a non-reasoning model) and o3-mini (a reasoning model), respectively. Including 5 red herrings decreases o3-mini puzzle-level accuracy on 4x5 puzzles by 15$\pm$7 %. Scores of o3-mini on 4x5 puzzles are not significantly affected by use of English vs. Danish or the common houses theme vs. the country-specific smoerrebroed theme. We find no correlation between difficulty and the selected clue types. Datasets of 128+1024 puzzles are published as MultiZebraLogic in each of nine Germanic languages for sizes 2x3 and 4x5. We publish code for puzzle generation, designed for adaptablity into more languages and themes.

Are Kids Still Looking for Careers in Tech? AI is changing what careers are possible for students interested in STEM subjects. WIRED spoke with five aspiring scientists to find out how they're preparing for the future. Today's high school students face an uncertain road ahead. AI is changing what skills are valued in the job market, and the Trump administration's funding cuts have stalled scientific research across disciplines.