AI’s claimed mathematical breakthrough: what did the proof checker verify?
AI has been credited with a proposed answer to the million-dollar Navier–Stokes problem. Mathematicians are examining both the proof and the process used to check it.
Tech
Webb follows a brief radio burst to a distant galaxy
Following a fleeting radio signal, the James Webb Space Telescope identified a distant galaxy. Its unexpectedly small size offers new clues to the signal’s origin.
How Perseverance set a new driving record on Mars
Earth cannot steer a rover continuously from afar. By assessing its own route, Perseverance has surpassed the cumulative driving record on Mars.
A virtual avatar translates brain signals into speech and gestures
A greeting accompanied by a wave: researchers have connected attempted speech and movements in people with paralysis to the speech and gestures of a virtual avatar.
HomeView, a new smart home device announced by Apple
Checking a recipe, listening to music and calling family: a look at the household tasks Apple HomeView is designed to handle.
How electronic ink keeps text visible without power
Electronic ink holds an image rather than continually lighting and refreshing it. While a reader stays on one page, the display can retain that page without power.
Android alerts you to unfamiliar trackers that move with you
Technology for finding lost objects also helps detect unfamiliar tracking. Android’s alerts look for supported tags traveling with you while separated from their owners.
Roborock’s developing robot uses legs to climb and clean stairs
A robot may clean the floor, but the stairs still need a person. Saros Rover aims to cross that boundary with a structure combining wheels and legs.
IceCube searches for cosmic particles deep in Antarctic ice
To study the universe, researchers buried 5,160 sensors in ice. Francis Halzen, the 2026 Nobel laureate in physics, and the IceCube team use neutrinos to find information that starlight alone cannot easily provide.
Meta moves the battery off its VR glasses to lighten the load on your face
Less weight on your face for a movie, music in your glasses for a walk: Meta’s new glasses adapt a familiar shape to different parts of the day.
Android detects earthquakes using motion signals from phones
A single phone may shake because someone bumped a desk. Signals from many Android devices can indicate an earthquake, allowing alerts to reach some areas before strong shaking.
Fairphone: replace the broken part, not the whole phone
Does a worn-out battery mean replacing the entire phone? Fairphone Gen. 6 pairs spare parts with repair guidance and long-term support, making it possible to start with the part that has failed.