Science

A deepfake video of Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese on a smartphoneAustralian Associated Press/Alamy A universal deepfake detector has achieved the best accuracy yet in spotting multiple types of videos manipulated or completely generated by artificial intelligence. The technology may help flag non-consensual AI-generated pornography, deepfake scams or election misinformation videos. The widespread availability of cheap AI-powered deepfake creation tools has fuelled the out-of-control online spread of synthetic videos. Many depict women – including celebrities and even schoolgirls – in nonconsensual pornography. And deepfakes have also been used to influence political elections, as well as to enhance financial scams targeting both ordinary consumers and...

Light particles seem to exhibit quantum weirdness even when they aren’t entangledWLADIMIR BULGAR/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Particles that don’t seem to be entangled have earned a high score on a famous test of entanglement. The experiment could offer a fresh look at what makes the quantum world so strange. Nearly 60 years ago, physicist John Stewart Bell devised a test for whether our world is best described by quantum mechanics or by a set of more traditional theories. The key difference is quantum theory includes “non-locality”, or effects that can span any distance – even very large ones. Strikingly, all of the experiments that have implemented Bell’s test to date have affirmed our physical reality is non-local, suggesting we live in a quantum world. However, those...

As global trade tensions mount and countries recalibrate their economic priorities, tariffs may have the ability to play an unexpected role in the sustainability conversation. Tariffs on imports, while often viewed as controversial and protectionist weapons, could paradoxically drive the shift not only toward less production, but also toward more localized, circular and environmentally conscious systems. Whether this transformation occurs depends on the adaptability of policymakers, businesses and consumers. When interpreted through the frameworks of behavioral economics, supply and value chain theory, and circular economy principles, tariffs can transform consumption patterns and support a more sustainable global economy. Credit: Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels At their core, tariffs ...

The Skydweller droneSkydweller A solar-powered surveillance drone with a wingspan larger than a Boeing 747 jumbo jet could fly for weeks or months at a time, according to its operator, while watching for drug-smuggling vessels, pirates or naval warships. It has been performing test flights off the US Gulf Coast this month. The Skydweller drone, operated by US-Spanish firm Skydweller Aero, has a wingspan of 72 metres – exceeding the width of most commercial passenger jets. But it weighs only about 2500 kilograms – as much as a Ford F-150 truck. It is based on the Solar Impulse 2 aircraft, which performed the first solar-powered flight around the world in 2016. Skydweller Aero purchased and converted the pioneering aircraft with the goal of building a fleet of similar so...

Researcher used a laser to superheat a sample of gold and measured its temperature with a pulse of ultra-bright X-raysGreg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Wafer-thin sheets of gold shot briefly with lasers can be heated up to 14 times their melting point while remaining solid, far beyond the theoretical limit, raising the possibility that some solids may have no upper melting point at all. Superheating is a common phenomenon where a solid can heat up beyond its melting point, or a liquid can heat up past its boiling point, without changing state. For example, a cup of water heated in a microwave can reach temperatures above 100°C (212°F), as long as the cup is sufficiently smooth and still. However, as soon as the cup is jostled, the water will violently b...