Tech and Science Daily | The Standard

Orcas in North America have been found to make tools out of seaweed to scratch each other’s backs, according to a study by the Centre for Whale Research and the University of Exeter.Rachel John, co-author of the study, tells us more.The NHS will offer at-home cervical cancer screening test kits to boost participation in this life-saving programme.Google may have to make changes in the UK to give consumers more choice over who they use for online search services.And Microsoft is adding Steam games to its Xbox PC app on Windows.Also in this episode:-A lethal fungus associated with the ‘pharaoh’s curse’ could help fight blood cancer.-The music industry is developing technology to hunt down AI-generated songs, according to The Verge.-Tesla Robotaxis have finally been rolled out in Texas, but they could be breaking traffic rules. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Standard's Bill Bowett on the bunker-busting bombs which US President Donald Trump unleashed on Iran.As part of this weekend's offensive, twelve of the bunker buster bombs were used to target three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.We meet American zoologist Dr Laurie Marker, who has made it her life mission to save the cheetah from extinction.Plus, GPs can prescribe the weight loss jab Mounjaro from today.Also in this episode:Why are activists protesting against Jeff Bezos's Venice wedding festivities?Lightweight material to extract clean drinking water from air.Millions of galaxies shine in first images from the largest camera ever built. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That’s according to neuroscientists at UCL, UCLH and King's College London, who investigated how different types of pain processing develop very early on, by scanning the brains of premature babies two weeks after birth.Tech & Science Daily spoke to the lead author of the breakthrough study, Lorenzo Fabrizi, professor in developmental system neuroscience at UCL.We were told their research can help support vulnerable babies with paediatric care, tailored pain management, and contribute to the planning of medical interventions.US President Donald Trump has extended the impending US TikTok ban for a third time.The new deadline is September 17th, pushing the decision back another 90 days.Plus, in a world-first discovery, researchers say that Australia’s nocturnal Bogong Moth - whose population is in decline - uses constellations of stars and the Milky Way to navigate hundreds of kilometres across the country during its annual migration.Also in this episode:-Be careful with heading your football; it can subtly alter the brain, regardless of whether there is a concussion or not.-The UK's amber heat health warning, as London experiences its first "tropical night" forecast of the year.-ESA's driverless spacecraft creates 'fake' solar eclipse in space.-Ozzy Osbourne's iced tea cans, which include his DNA, for a price of £365 a piece. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A SpaceX rocket exploded into a huge fireball when getting ready for a flight test. The disastrous explosion of Elon Musk’s Starship 36 happened on Wednesday evening at Starbase in Texas; thankfully, no one was hurt. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has raised concerns about the ‘Wild West’ of fat injections, Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), botox and fillers, which they say are being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets.Kerry Nicol from the CTSI joins us to explain more.Plus, Iran’s largest crypto exchange Nobitex has been hacked.Also in this episode:-Doctors warn that patients who film their treatment for TikTok or Instagram are endangering themselves and others.-Toxic air will claim 30,000 lives this year due to pollution.-Apple has a new short film - Big Man - which was shot on an iPhone 16 Pro and features Stormzy.-Captain Cook’s ship HMS Endeavour, has been discovered off the US coast, 250 years after the vessel sank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the help of Nvidia, Hexagon, a leading global robotics, AI, automation and measurement technology company, has revealed its humanoid robot, AEON.The humanoid has been designed to support the automotive, aerospace, transportation, and warehousing industries, safely without direct supervision.The Tower of London and Central Park are part of five sites from across the globe to join a Cultivating Resilience programme.Tech & Science Daily spoke to Meredith Wiggins, senior director of Climate Adaptation at the World Monuments Fund.As part of the programme, the sites will receive climate modelling, planning resources and technical support to tackle climate-related threats, such as flooding, drought, biodiversity loss, and extreme weather.The Natural History Museum’s first immersive exhibition, Our Story with David Attenborough, opens on June 19Also in this episode:-Moon dust is significantly less toxic than city pollution, research suggests-Pamela Anderson says AI and photo filters lead to people becoming ‘boring-looking’-A young tarantula can run just as fast after losing two of its legs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Air India flight to London Gatwick carrying 242 people, which crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, marked the latest aviation disaster of 2025.We’re still waiting for the investigation into the cause, which is expected to take some time.With aviation disasters seemingly on the rise this year, the safety of air travel has come under increasing scrutiny, alongside questions around climate change and its relationship with air travel safety.Joining us to explain how safe air travel currently is and the future of aerodynamics in the face of rising global temperatures is Dr Guy Gratton, associate ​professor ​of ​Aviation ​and ​the ​Environment ​at ​Cranfield ​University.Dr Gratton has nearly 40 years of aviation experience, including a PhD and three commercial pilot licenses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blaise Metreweli will take over from Sir Richard Moore as “C”.To walk us through her role, why she got the job, and how important her job is in current times, we’re joined by the Standard’s political editor, Nicholas Cecil.The UK prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said Blaise joins at a time when Britain is facing “unprecedented threats”Also in this episode:Signing up for clinical trials to be a new feature on NHS AppBlood test for early signs of pancreatic cancer trialled by UK doctorsNew GPS tracking of Australian birds reveals a remarkable 38-hour journeyYoung homeowners turn to TikTok for design inspo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London Tech Week has wrapped for 2025.For a look at this year’s highlights, we’re joined by The Standard’s technology editor, Alex Pell, who not only attended the event but also joined multiple panels across the week.Alex told us about why he thinks ​we ​need ​to ​use AI ​to ​become ​more ​than ​human (​"​bionic ​if ​you ​will”), plus, he explains the rise of the artificial intelligence super agents.UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation into the Air India Crash, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has said.The Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college moments after takeoff on Thursday in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board.Blood cancer patients in England and Wales will be among the first in the world to have access to a new “Trojan horse” treatment.Blenrep has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for NHS use.Also in this episode:-Tesla sues former Optimus humanoid robotics engineer over alleged trade secret theft-A 'Google Maps for the sea' that’s aiming to help cut the shipping industry’s CO2 emissions-Flo Health respond to claims that women face “real and frightening privacy and safety risks” when using period tracker apps-US caregivers are dressing up as bears to care for a bear cub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An Air India plane bound for London Gatwick has crashed, with 53 Britons on board.UK consumers urged not to buy ‘unsafe’ American sweets amid cancer concerns.And from London Tech Week the COO of Altilium, Dr Christian Marstona, explains the critical role minerals play in the clean energy transition.Altilium is recycling EV batteries and creating a circular economy for critical minerals in the UK.Also in this episode:-ESA release world-first views of the Sun's poles-Fan of a T.Rex? Well... a new species of dinosaur could rewrite its history-World-famous movie props are going up for auction in July Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Stefanie Felsberger from Cambridge’s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, alongside her team at the University of Cambridge, are calling for better regulation in FemTech.They believe women face “real and frightening privacy and safety risks” when using period tracker apps.Flo Health respond to their claims on this episode of Tech & Science Daily.Humpback whales could be secretly trying to talk to humans by creating circular bubbles in water during friendly interactions.And why a TV ad for the chocolate bar Twix has been banned.Also in this episode:-History-making week for Nintendo: More than 3.5 million of the Switch 2 consoles have been sold so far.-Robotic surgeries are set to soar under NHS plans.-Tesla boss Elon Musk says he ‘went too far’ in posts against Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.