Science & tech in English

Poland opens terror probe into fire at factory supplying Ukraine drones

Amid suspicion of Russian sabotage, Warsaw eyes link to foreign intelligence services.

Kyiv suffers hours of daytime air raids as Russia deploys new jet-powered drones

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says about 800 Shahed drones fired into Ukraine in four days in effort to ‘wear down’ countryKyiv is enduring hours of daytime air raids and air raid warnings as Russia has fired 800 jet-powered drones into Ukraine in four days, using the faster weapons to sustain prolonged waves of attacksThe new-model Shahed drones have a cruising speed of 200mph to 250mph , about double the 115mph achieved by the piston-engine version and beyond the speed of Ukraine’s cheap interceptors, making them harder to stop. Continue reading...

Forbidden planet: was Pluto’s 2006 demotion a big mistake?

Since it was stripped of planetary status, Pluto’s defenders have been fighting the decision – and they’re only getting more passionateTwenty years ago, Pluto got demoted. After a vote by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in August 2006, Pluto was relegated from major planet to dwarf planet status. Our solar system dropped from nine planets to eight. At the time, many scientists were unhappy with the decision. Two decades on, the debate is, if anything, even more polarised.“The definition of a planet they created, you can’t use it at all,” says Philip Metzger, the director of the Stephen W Hawking Centre for Microgravity Research and Education at the University of Central Florida. “It makes the definition of a planet completely non-useful in science.” Continue reading...

Science & tech

Social Media and Our Attention

Jack and Emma discuss how apps like Instagram and TikTok try to hold our attention. They share personal stories about screen time and how they try to use social media in a healthier way.

Science & tech

My Smart Speaker at Home

Jack and Emma talk about smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home. They share simple stories about using voice assistants every day.

Science & tech

Apps I Use Every Day

Jack and Emma talk about the phone apps they use every day, like maps, weather, and translation apps. They share simple, everyday stories.