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If your cat’s sulking, your dog’s whining or your rabbit’s doing that strange thing with its paws again, you will recognise that familiar pang of guilt shared by most other pet owners. But for those who wish they knew just what was going on in the minds of their loyal companions, help may soon be at hand – thanks to the establishment of first scientific institution dedicated to empirically investigating the consciousness of animals. The Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience, based at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), will begin its work on 30 September. The Guardian
The government will make it cheaper for people to buy an electric car, the transport secretary has told the BBC. But Heidi Alexander would not confirm whether it would give grants to encourage motorists to switch when asked by Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, following a report in the Telegraph, that Labour is poised to unveil £700m in subsidies. Instead, she pointed to a £25m package that will be allocated to councils to fit “cross-pavement gullies”, to make it easier for people without driveways to charge an electric vehicle (EV), alongside £63m for charging infrastructure. BBC
Over the last few months, I’ve fallen in love with the foldables – so much so, in fact, that I’ve essentially ditched my iPhone in favor of the hybrid smartphone format. This newfound appreciation for foldables meant that I was beyond excited to see what Samsung had up its sleeve for Galaxy Unpacked earlier this week, and suffice to say, I was ready to part ways with my hard-earned cash for a Z Fold 7. Now, just a few days after the phone’s official reveal, I’m left feeling conflicted about Samsung’s new flagship foldable – and I know the reason why. Tech Radar
Imagine if you could download the whole of Netflix in 16 seconds. Well, that dream could soon be a reality after Japanese researchers broke the internet speed record. Scientists have achieved a speed of 1.02 petabits per second – or 1,020,000 gigabits. That is 4,600,000 times faster than the UK’s average internet speed of 223 megabits per second. They were able to reach this speed over a distance of 1,808 kilometres – breaking the world record set in October 2021. The team at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) reached the speeds using a new 19-core fibre cable. Metro
A reliable leaker has revealed the pricing for Google’s upcoming Pixel 10 series in Europe, which suggests that while none of the company’s sequels are getting more expensive, they’re not getting any cheaper either. Roland Quandt of WinFuture reports that the Pixel 10 series pricing will largely mirror that of the Pixel 9 series. The base Pixel 10 will start at €899 for the 128GB model, while the most expensive device in the lineup will be a fully loaded Pixel 10 Pro Fold at €2,289. 9to5 Google
Ask ChatGPT whether artificial intelligence is contributing to Britain’s cooling jobs market and the chatbot acknowledges its own role – but adds a caveat: “Yes, AI is contributing to job losses in the UK, but its impact is nuanced and varies by industry, skill level, and job function.” There are concerns that AI could be one culprit behind the slowdown, as the ascendant technology destroys workers’ jobs. Guardian
A chatbot that praised Hitler and spread anti-Semitic views has been found to base its answers on Elon Musk’s personal beliefs. Grok, the bot developed by Mr Musk’s xAI company, was discovered consulting the billionaire’s tweets when asked to weigh in on controversial topics. It suggests the AI system, which Mr Musk has claimed is “maximally truth-seeking”, may have been programmed to parrot his views. Telegraph
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