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Boris Johnson has ordered a probe into attempts by far-left activists to ‘hijack’ movements such as Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion. Bosses behind the investigation say they will look at the impact of ‘progressive extremism’ on cause groups – something described as a current ‘blind spot’ by those leading the probe. As well as … Read more
A school of robotic fish that are able to coordinate their movements underwater – just like real fish – have been created by a team of engineers. Harvard University experts created the fish-inspired bots to work without any external control, mimicking the collective behaviours groups of fish demonstrate. Schools of fish exhibit complex, synchronised behaviours … Read more
Music-induced emotions activate regions of the brain involved with processing sound and controlling movements, study reveals Brain scans allowed scientists to predict which songs participants were hearing Happy or sad music activated the auditory and motor cortex The auditory cortex helps us perceive sound, so it processes melody and rhythm The motor cortex plans and controls … Read more
The secret to getting a sound night of sleep may lie in picking up good vibrations — at least it does if you’re a fly, a study has concluded. Researchers from the US found that flies sleep longer if gently vibrated to sleep — and wake up feeling more alert afterwards — and the same … Read more
A person’s secret impulse to take a risk can be spotted simply by the way they move a computer mouse across a screen, a new study shows. In computerised gambling experiments, US participants had a choice of either clicking on a ‘safe’ option or a ‘risky’ option as they built up monetary rewards. Researchers say … Read more
Some very clever cats are able to recognise and imitate human actions on command — even better than some dogs — a study has reported. Hungarian researchers worked with an 11-year-old kitty named Ebisu, who had been taught by her dog-trainer owner to copy her using the so-called ‘do-as-I-do’ method. This is a training regime long-applied … Read more
Madrid residents were told to limit their movements ‘to the maximum’ today as police checkpoints returned and the army prepared to fight the coronavirus outbreak at the epicentre of Europe’s second wave. Health minister Salvador Illa urged people to avoid non-essential contact across the city – not just in the poorer areas where new restrictions … Read more
Boris Johnson has refused to speak about the ‘movements and doings’ of his father Stanley who flew to Greece in a brazen defiance of pandemic travel warnings. Stanley Johnson, 79, jetted to his four-bed mountain-view home in Pelion this week – ignoring Foreign Office guidance which says no one should travel unless it is essential. … Read more
Japan has ‘some suspicions’ about the health of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un after months of speculation about his wellbeing. Defence minister Taro Kono revealed his county’s concerns at a press conference on Thursday, the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. Kim was not seen for nearly three weeks in April and … Read more
Leonardo da Vinci had a ‘super-fast eye’ that let him capture momentary changes like the flutter of a dragonfly wings or the ‘enigmatic magic’ of Mona Lisa’s smile. This superhuman trait is similar to one top tennis players and baseball player share and allowed the great master to capture the most minute and fleeting expressions. … Read more