Worldcrunch
As climate threats increase, thousands of communities become at risk of floods and other natural disasters. Americans have witnessed deadly flooding this month in Texas, New Jersey and New York. Here, we look at those communities around the world that have been relocated after a disaster, or are thinking of changing location to avoid further risks.
As staff shortages grow, a Munich startup is testing and training childlike AI companions designed to talk, remember and emotionally connect with the elderly — without ever losing patience.
As a European court rules that the iconic toy can’t be trademarked, we go back to an earlier interview with Erno Rubik, who explained what inspired him to design that singular brain-and-fingers toy that has sold billions. And why it may be more relevant than ever in our digital world.
The online world is now a second home to so many people, with the effect of streamlining and distorting the human activity of communication. This was to be expected in an age obsessed with unending productivity and swift results.
We need awareness of how AI systems work, of how to be critical and how to be able to leverage AI.
A report from Oxford University lists the 32 countries – 16% of the world’s nations – with the infrastructure needed to develop artificial intelligence. The gap is widening with the rest of the world, in the key technological sector of the 21st century.
Scientists are racing to define and map the human exposome — the sum of all environmental exposures over a lifetime — in a groundbreaking effort that could transform our understanding of disease and precision medicine.
As artificial intelligence begins to mimic pain and emotion, a new moral frontier is emerging — and society is poised to fracture along deep ideological lines over whether machines deserve rights, empathy, or even love.
A laboratory at Spain’s University of Murcia is trying to find the common denominator among all the intelligences that inhabit this planet, no matter how different they may be.
While French law theoretically allows employers to justify job cuts by the introduction of Artificial Intelligence, unions and labor law experts are warning that AI is becoming an alibi for unjustified cost-cutting.
As Europe debates how to play a bigger role in the digital sphere, the industry and some politicians blame strict regulations for stifling innovation. But a closer look reveals that smart rules may be Europe’s greatest strength — not its weakness — in the global tech race.
In the U.S., Catholics have been embracing technological innovations to transform the way their faith is practiced and shared. Even Pope Leo XIV has highlighted the importance of using modern communication tools such as social media.
President Donald Trump has begun eroding the United States presence in Antarctica by announcing deep funding cuts to his nation’s science and logistics on the icy continent.
Following immunotherapy treatments in the last decade, new therapeutic strategies for cancer are beginning to emerge.
There is enough evidence already on the harm done by screen addiction among minors to justify banning smartphones for the entire school day, yet many schools and countries have yet to take strict action on this issue.
In the trade war against the U.S., China has moved to curb supply of critical minerals. Can Australia seize this opportunity – or will it come with strings attached?
Tired of being set up on blind dates by family and friends, some young people in China are turning to live stream blind dating chats on the social media platform Xiaohongshu to look for potential partners — with an online audience.
Yet another female social media influencer is facing accusations of violating Egyptian family values. This crackdown, which is linked to Egypt’s broader social and legal climate, disproportionately impacts women.
The country supports some of the world’s most important satellites. But experts worry about its proximity to Russia.
In southern Italy, a 19-year-old woman was kidnapped by her parents for falling in love with a transgender man. Tracked down with a GPS, imprisoned, and forced to “recover” from her “disturbance.” Are we returning to the days of witch hunts?
The industry needs to embrace innovation with technology towards novel drug development to remain relevant in the marketplace.
In a region known for its strong, centuries-long ties to the mining industry, areas once dedicated to coal are now being transformed into cultural hubs. Among these is a disused mine in the town of Pszów, which has now been transformed into a library.
In Botswana’s Okavango Delta — declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 — warming trends over the past two decades are approximately twice the global average.
In the wake of attacks on the research enterprise, scientists need to focus on protecting its fragile infrastructure. But they must also adapt to a new world.
Trump’s media company Truth Social and the far-right video platform Rumble have joined forces in a U.S. lawsuit against a Brazilian judge. The case, packed with conspiracy theories and legal acrobatics, is less about law and more about politics, turning the American courts into a stage for Bolsonaro’s allies and Trump’s broader war on institutions.
Researchers are exploring the possibilities for people with physical disabilities to venture into space via advancements in technology, spacecraft design and assistive tools. This could make missions safer for all astronauts.
Ukraine needs satellite internet defense capabilities like that provided by Starlink. But do they really want to be dependent on Elon Musk? The good news is that Europe is not completely empty-handed. But time is of the essence.
Artificial intelligence can solve tasks that previously only humans could solve. So what distinguishes us from machines?
Whether it’s to narrow the digital divide or to attract tourists, foreign businesses, remote workers and digital nomad influencers, it might be time to offer free internet access across society. Here are some of the places leading the push.
New technologies that allow researchers to understand DNA and other genetic markers are advancing quickly, but the law surrounding who actually owns the information that researchers collect is not advancing fast enough.
Washington once promoted an open, unrestricted internet, and criticized Beijing’s efforts to control its citizens’ access. But the recent “sell or ban” controversy over ByteDance’s social media platform TikTok shows that the United States may now be siding with China when it comes to digital sovereignty. Is internet freedom dead — and if so, who killed it?
From war zone risks to head-scratching tourists, the manipulation of the GPS navigation system by hackers (jamming and spoofing) can wreak havoc on our modern habits of relying on real-time digital mapping apps. The surest alternative may be going back to paper maps.
Breaking through where no one expected it, the UAE is becoming a major power in AI. MGX, Abu Dhabi’s dedicated fund, has just joined Donald Trump’s gigantic Stargate project. It’s a new golden age for the Gulf.
French author and philosopher Gaspard Koenig recently updated his Word software only to discover that the Copilot generative AI chatbot wants to do his writing for him. A real “existential threat…”?
The United States did not sign the Paris AI Summit Declaration, with Vice President JD Vance taking a stand against what he called the EU’s “excessive regulation.” It’s yet another sign of the Trump administration’s rejection of multilateralism — Washington now seems to believe in the survival of the fittest.
American crayfish, introduced to Spain in the 1970s, have decimated Iberian crayfish populations. However, experts debate reintroducing Iberian crayfish, as they too may not actually be native to the region.
Artificial intelligence is now able to secretly pursue its own goals and hide its intents. How dangerous are these so-called treacherous “AI agents”?
From war zone risks to head-scratching tourists, the manipulation of the GPS navigation system by hackers (jamming and spoofing) can wreak havoc on our modern habits of relying on real-time digital mapping apps. The surest alternative may be going back to paper maps.
At universities and startups around the globe, researchers are searching for microbes, bacteria, fungi and algae that could serve as a substitute for ingredients like eggs, milk, meat, and flour.
A French writer goes deep into the imagined reality of the violent Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, and finds a full-throttle, 360-degree takedown of American society.