Category: Other

The rats running around New York sewers are carrying multiple COVID variants, study finds

Rats are susceptible to a number of variants of COVID-19, and wild rats have been carrying the disease around the sewer system in New York City, according to a new study. In a city with an estimated rat population of 8 million, researchers warned that infected wild rats have “ample opportunities” to interact with humans.…

How AI can save you time: 5 skills you no longer need to learn

Over the past few months, developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have taken huge strides and its use has skyrocketed, especially after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, while it might be reasonable to start preparing for a world ruled by AI, more often than not results might be exaggerated and AI capacities overhyped. People are…

The EU tells Twitter to hire more human content moderators amid concerns of rise of illegal content

The European Union and Twitter boss Elon Musk are currently butting heads over the social media giant’s content moderation policies According to the Financial Times, EU regulators have asked Musk to hire more people to fact-check and review illegal content and disinformation. All major social media platforms will have to comply with the EU’s Digital…

Project Clover: TikTok’s charm offensive aiming to calm data sharing fears in the UK and Europe

TikTok has unveiled new measures to protect user data in Europe as it seeks to prevent further government bans on staff using the Chinese-owned video-sharing app over security concerns. The plan, nicknamed “Project Clover,” aims to create a “secure enclave for European TikTok user data,” said Theo Bertram, vice-president for European government relations and public policy.…

Could autonomous hydrogen-powered aircraft be the answer to connecting the world to the Internet?

One of the main challenges telecoms companies (TELCOs) face is how to get a signal to hard-to-reach places. Billions of people still don’t have reliable access to the Internet or mobile coverage. It’s not just populations in remote areas that suffer from a lack of connection. Physical barriers such as mountains, valleys and forests can…

Young European women nearly four times more likely to face workplace sexual harassment than men

European women aged 18-34 are nearly four times more likely to experience unwanted sexual attention in the workplace compared with men of the same age, and 10 times more than men over 50, according to a new research. The analysis, carried out by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound),…

These are the 25 best hospitals in the world. How many of them are in Europe?

Access to good healthcare is consistently one of the key concerns when we put a cross at the ballot box or find ourselves ill and needing the best treatment available. For the past five years, Newsweek, in partnership with data firm Statista, has ranked the best hospitals in the world. If you consider what those…

‘Childcare puzzle’: Which countries in Europe have the highest and lowest childcare costs?

Sarah Ronan once had to resign from a job because she couldn’t afford childcare. Far from being a rare example, it’s a story that’s all-too-familiar in the UK, which has some of the highest childcare costs in Europe, and where women are actively discouraged from going back into the workplace after starting a family, because…

This app uses AR, ‘3D sound’ and a camera to guide blind people around big cities

When people who are blind or visually impaired try to move around a city like Paris, they can easily get lost the minute they exit a subway station. A pair of young French engineering students are working to tackle this problem by developing an augmented reality (AR) navigation app that identifies the most practical route…

Exercise in Europe: Which countries do the most and least physical activity?

We all know that regular physical activity in the form of exercise or sports is essential for improving physical and mental health. Among other benefits, it supports cognitive functioning and well-being. However, the prevalence of insufficient physical activity remains high in Europe. Almost half of EU residents (45 per cent) report that they never exercise…