2025 News
Selected Science & Sci-Fi news from around the world on the latest in technology, space exploration, artificial intelligence, robots, and everything that leads science fiction to become reality.
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Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (December 2025)
France targets Australia-style social media ban for children next year
France intends to follow Australia and ban social media platforms for children from the start of the 2026 academic year. A draft bill preventing under-15s from using social media will be submitted for legal checks and is expected to be debated in parliament early in the new year. (Read more: The Guardian)
The world’s smallest programmable, autonomous robots
Researchers at Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and collaborators from the University of Michigan have created the world’s smallest fully programmable, autonomous robots: microscopic swimming machines that can independently sense and respond to their surroundings, operate for months, and cost just a penny each. Barely visible to the naked eye, each robot measures about 200 by 300 by 50 micrometers, smaller than a grain of salt. Operating at the scale of many biological microorganisms, the robots could advance medicine by monitoring the health of individual cells and manufacturing by helping construct microscale devices. Powered by light, the robots carry microscopic computers and can be programmed to move in complex patterns, sense local temperatures, and adjust their paths accordingly. (Read more: upen.edu)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (November 2025)
Interstellar soil science: Aggie researcher explores farming on Mars
Coker’s reduced gravity plant growth research spends a week on International Space Station. In a fusion of soil science, space exploration and brewing beer, Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences doctoral student Harrison Coker ’23 is leading research that could one day help humans thrive on another planet. (Read more: agrilifetoday)
Blue Origin unveils plan for bigger New Glenn rocket variant to take on SpaceX
Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin said on Thursday it will build a bigger, more powerful variant of its New Glenn rocket, drawing early plans for a family of orbital satellite launchers akin to the fleet of Falcon rockets from Elon Musk’s dominant SpaceX. The new rocket, announced after New Glenn’s second mission launched last week, will be called New Glenn 9×4, a name referencing nine engines that will power its first stage and four engines on its second stage. That is an increase of two engines for each stage from New Glenn’s current design. (Read more: Reuters.com)
Most humans set to become Cyborgs, says Nobel winner
Most humans may eventually become cyborgs, the Dubai Future Forum 2025 heard on Wednesday from Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov, Nobel Prize laureate and researcher at the National University of Singapore. He told participants during “Beyond Medicine: What’s the Next Disruptor?” that society is increasingly “risk hungry” and that “crazy ideas can find funding”. He added: “At some time in the future, it will become normal to be implanted with chips and prosthetics. We are all set to become cyborgs.” (Read more: tradearabia.com)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (October 2025)
The NICE experiment achieves its first milestone
After months of hard work, the Nulling Interferometer Cryogenic Experiment (NICE) team have managed to achieve their first preliminary milestone: a stable null at the level of 1:100000 over a period of about half a minute.NICE is a testbed being developed at ETH Zurich within the Exoplanets and Habitability group that aims to verify the measurement principle behind the ambitious Large Interferometer For Exoplanets space mission, also being led by the group. The principle behind LIFE and NICE is to take high contrast measurements of planets using the principle of nulling interferometry to block out the starlight. (Read more: quanz-group.ethz.ch)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (September 2025)
NASA Says Mars Rover Discovered Potential Biosignature Last Year
A sample collected by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero Crater could preserve evidence of ancient microbial life. Taken from a rock named “Cheyava Falls” last year, the sample, called “Sapphire Canyon,” contains potential biosignatures, according to a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature. A potential biosignature is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin but requires more data or further study before a conclusion can be reached about the absence or presence of life. (Read more: space.com)
New super-cold chip helps build the quantum computers of the future
Scaling up quantum computers is challenging, particularly due to the extremely low temperatures required for these computers. Traditionally, every qubit needs multiple wires running to room-temperature electronics. This becomes unmanageable at the million-qubit scale: the wires take up too much space, heat, and complexity. Researchers from TU Delft and Bluefors found a smarter way. They present a cryo-CMOS system that operates at temperatures below 70 millikelvin, right next to the qubits. This breakthrough reduces complexity and makes large-scale quantum devices more practical. (Read more: tudelft.nl)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (August 2025)
China pairs packs of ‘robowolves’ with soldiers
China is taking another step forward in integrating robotic systems into its military, this time with the introduction of “robowolves.” They’re Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicles (Q-UGVs) now equipped for reconnaissance and precision strike missions. In recent exercises shown on Chinese state media, the robot canines were deployed alongside dismounted PLA infantry, maneuvering across rugged terrain and engaging simulated enemy targets. (Read more: san.com)
Demis Hassabis on our AI future: ‘It’ll be 10 times bigger than the Industrial Revolution – and maybe 10 times faster’
The head of Google’s DeepMind says artificial intelligence could usher in an era of ‘incredible productivity’ and ‘radical abundance’. But who will it benefit? And why does he wish the tech giants had moved more slowly? (Read more: theguardian.com)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (July 2025)
Melbourne woman’s body the second to be cryogenically frozen by Southern Cryonics
A Melbourne woman who died in hospital from chronic illness has had her body cryogenically frozen at a facility in Holbrook. More than 600 people around the world have undergone cryopreservation, hoping to be revived in the future if science allows it. Scientists remain deeply sceptical about whether whole-body cryopreservation will ever work. (Read more: abc.net.au)
China’s Steady Ascent to the Moon: How Beijing Is Rewriting Lunar Geopolitics
China’s lunar ambitions have evolved from symbolic flag planting to a systematic push for permanent space infrastructure. Meanwhile, officials say China remains “on track” to land its first astronauts on the Moon by 2030. This spring’s successful trials of the country’s new two-part crewed spacecraft (Mengzhou and its lander, Lanyue) reinforced that timeline. And with the launch of Tianwen 2 in May, a mission to return samples from both an asteroid and a comet, China has made its intentions unmistakably clear. In space, China is not merely catching up anymore, but rather it is starting to lead. (Read more: thediplomat.com)
Can AI really code? Study maps the roadblocks to autonomous software engineering
A team of researchers has mapped the challenges of AI in software development, and outlined a research agenda to move the field forward. Recent advances appear to have nudged that future tantalizingly close, but a new paper by researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and several collaborating institutions argues that this potential future reality demands a hard look at present-day challenges. (Read more: news.mit.edu)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (June 2025)
Ecuador Adopts First Artificial Intelligence (AI) Code of Ethics in a Public Institution
UNESCO celebrates the adoption of the first AI Code of Ethics in Ecuador’s public sector, aligned with its recommendations. The UNESCO Office in Ecuador expresses its deepest satisfaction with the official presentation of the Code of Ethics for the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Guide for the Use of AI Tools by the Superintendence of Economic Competition (SCE), in an event led by its highest authority, Dr. Hans Ehmig. This milestone sets a precedent in Latin America, marking the first ethical regulatory framework adopted by a public institution in Ecuador to govern the use of AI. The initiative represents a crucial step toward a digital transformation that mutually reinforces technological innovation, economic productivity, and the protection of human rights and dignity. (Read more: unesco.org)
Robots that know themselves: MIT’s vision-based system teaches machines to understand their bodies
“Today, many robotics tasks require extensive engineering and coding. In the future, we envision showing a robot what to do, and letting it learn how to achieve the goal autonomously.” This decoupling of modeling and hardware design could significantly expand the design space for robotics. (Read more: csail.mit.edu)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (May 2025)
Amazon’s new robot has a sense of touch, but it’s not here to replace humans
Amazon has just unveiled its newest warehouse robot called Vulcan, which has a “sense of touch”. Designed to gently stow items using pressure-sensitive gripping and artificial intelligence (AI), Vulcan is now being tested in two Amazon facilities, in Spokane, Washington state, US, and Hamburg, Germany. (Read more: theconversation.com)
China launches landmark mission to retrieve pristine asteroid samples
China has successfully launched a spacecraft as part of its first-ever mission to retrieve pristine asteroid samples, in what researchers have described as a “significant step” in Beijing’s ambitions for interplanetary exploration.
China’s Long March 3B rocket lifted off at about 1.31am local time (18:30 GMT) on Thursday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan province. It was carrying the Tianwen-2 spacecraft, a robotic probe that could make China the third nation to fetch pristine asteroid rocks. (Read more: aljazeera.com)
UK aims to lead an instrument on NASA mission to find habitable worlds
The UK Space Agency is taking its first major step towards contributing to NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a next-generation space telescope designed to search for Earth-like planets and signs of life beyond our Solar System. This early-stage investment will support studies to develop concepts for instruments such as imagers or spectrographs. These studies will determine whether a UK-led instrument could be included on the mission. While the mission won’t launch until the early 2040s, the UK must act now to be ready for NASA’s selection process in 2026. (Read more: space.blog.gov.uk)
‘Marsquakes’ reveal clues about a hidden body of water on Mars
A new study offers key insights into Mars’ water cycle. Scientists have found seismic clues that suggest liquid water may be hiding beneath Mars’ surface. By listening to the echoes of “marsquakes” — seismic waves rippling through Mars’ crust — researchers uncovered signs of water lingering at the base of the planet’s upper crust, which sits between 3.4 and 5 miles (5.4 and 8 kilometers) below the surface. (Read more: space.com)
New report details China’s push to dominate artificial intelligence
WASHINGTON — China’s campaign to lead the world in artificial intelligence is being driven by a tightly coordinated effort between state and private sectors — and increasingly, that effort is reaching into space. A new report titled “China’s AI Infrastructure Surge,” released May 29 by the Special Competitive Studies Project and the intelligence firm Strider Technologies, describes a sweeping, state-led initiative to build out the physical backbone of AI dominance: massive data centers across the country, with plans that now stretch beyond Earth’s atmosphere. (Read more: spacenews.com)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (April 2025)
Terrifying study reveals AI robots have passed ‘Turing test’ — and are now indistinguishable from humans, scientists say
Researchers found that, when “prompted to adopt a humanlike persona, GPT-4.5 was judged to be the human 73% of the time.” Interestingly, the experts at Psychology Today concluded that the bots had beaten the Turing Test, not through smarts, but by being a “better” human than the actual humans. (Read more: New York Post)
China advances in brain-computer interface technology, aiming for US$900 per procedure
The semi-invasive system developed by CIBR and its affiliated start-up NeuCyber NeuroTech have completed their first three human implants. A Chinese brain-computer interface (BCI) company said it had seen positive results from three human implants, matching Elon Musk’s Neuralink in the number of human patients, as China prepares for wider commercialisation of the technology. (Read more: scmp.com)
Strange sphere-studded rock on Mars found by NASA’s Perseverance rover
The rock has hundreds of spherules on it, some of which have tiny pinholes. Named “St. Pauls Bay” by the mission team, the Mars rock features hundreds of millimeter-size dark gray spheres, some of which have tiny pinholes. Perseverance discovered this rock on March 11 on the rim of the Jezero Crater, an ancient lakebed that the rover has been exploring since 2021 for signs of past microbial life. Scientists say determining the geological origins of this area’s features could provide valuable insights into how rocks in the region evolved over billions of years. (Read more: Space.com)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (March 2025)
The man with a mind-reading chip in his brain – thanks to Elon Musk
Having a chip in your brain that can translate your thoughts into computer commands may sound like science fiction – but it is a reality for Noland Arbaugh. In January 2024 – eight years after he was paralysed – the 30-year-old became the first person to get such a device from the US neurotechnology firm, Neuralink. (Read more: bbc.co.uk)
China unveils first homegrown space mining robot
China’s first space mining robot has been developed by the China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT). It not only adapts to the microgravity conditions of space but also navigates the rugged, cratered terrain of asteroids, CCTV News reported on Sunday. The prototype has now filed patents with relevant authorities and successfully cleared preliminary reviews, the report said.(Read more: globaltimes.cn)
‘Brain pacemakers’: implants to be tested to help alcohol and opioid addicts
Trial will determine whether electrical pulses can control and decrease yearnings. Surgeons are to put implants into the brains of alcoholics and opioid addicts in a trial aimed at testing the use of electrical impulses to combat drink and drug cravings. (Read more: The Guardian)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (February 2025)
Humanoid robot springs to life in ‘dystopian’ viral video: ‘Straight out of science fiction’
An eerily realistic humanoid robot — purported to be the “world’s first bipedal, musculoskeletal android” — twitched to life in a viral clip, which viewers have slammed as “dystopian” and “terrifying.” Created by Clone Robotics, the faceless “Protoclone” is manufactured with a body to look as lifelike as possible — muscles, tendons, joints and all. The company claims that the Protoclone android can walk, talk, complete chores and more — just like any human could. (Read more: New York Post)
Science, Technology & Sci-Fi News (January 2025)
‘Are we the first generation that won’t die?’: Bryan Johnson on his controversial lifestyle
The 47-year-old multimillionaire spends $2m a year on staying youthful and, in a new documentary, he explains why we should be following his lead. Bryan Johnson, the biohacking centimillionaire who made a fortune selling payment apps, knows what his biggest online skeptics have been saying about him ever since he went viral in January 2023. Critics seized on the way he spends his days eating sludge and a jumble of vitamins and minerals (more than 50 a day) while wired up to devices monitoring his heart rate, brainwaves and erections (because they signal good health), and experimenting with far-out treatments like blood transfusions from his teenage son, all in an effort to slow the ageing process, live longer and, as his motto turned branded campaign says, Don’t Die. (Read more: theguardian.com)
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