Author: Andrew Rogers

Japan is developing the L0 Series maglev, built by Central Japan Railway Company, which has reached test speeds of 603.5km/h, making it the fastest train ever. It far exceeds China’s Shanghai Maglev (460km/h) and Europe’s fastest conventional services such as France’s TGV and Italy’s AGV Italo (around 300–350km/h). The train will run on the Chūō Shinkansen maglev line, cutting Tokyo–Nagoya to about 40 minutes, with Tokyo–Osaka targeted at around one hour. The project relies on magnetic levitation, lifting trains above the track to reduce friction, but it comes at a high cost—about £52bn (€60bn)—and has been delayed to a likely…

Influencers linked to the online “manosphere” are persuading healthy young men that normal variations in energy, mood or libido signal low testosterone, according to a study published in Social Science and Medicine. Researchers analysed popular posts on TikTok and Instagram, finding that testosterone testing and treatment were often promoted as essential to masculinity, despite routine screening being medically unwarranted for most young men. Normal experiences were frequently framed as health problems, driving demand for tests, supplements and hormone therapies. The study’s lead author, Emma Grundtvig Gram from the University of Copenhagen, said this trend contributes to a “medicalisation of masculinity”…

Plants growing close together can warn one another about environmental stress, helping nearby plants survive conditions that would otherwise cause serious damage. In experiments with thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), researchers grew plants either alone or packed closely so their leaves touched. When exposed to intense light, isolated plants suffered heavy damage, while crowded plants coped far better by rapidly activating protective responses. Within one hour, densely grown plants switched on more than 2,000 genes linked to defence against multiple stresses. Isolated plants showed little change in gene activity, suggesting they lacked early warning signals. The study indicates that stressed plants…

Netflix has revised its $82.7bn (£61.5bn) offer for Warner Bros Discovery into an all-cash deal, aiming to speed up approval and block a hostile bid from Paramount Skydance. The offer keeps the valuation at $27.75 per share but removes shares from the structure, allowing WBD investors to vote as early as April. Netflix said the change provides greater certainty and simplifies the process. WBD shareholders would also receive shares in a spun-off global networks business, including CNN and Discovery, which Netflix is not buying. Paramount continues to pursue a $108.4bn takeover and is preparing a proxy fight after a Delaware…

Ein neuer DNA-Bluttest kann vorhersagen, wie gut Brustkrebspatientinnen auf eine Behandlung ansprechen werden.Der Test analysiert zirkulierende Tumor-DNA im Blut, die von Krebszellen freigesetzt wird.Niedrige oder nicht nachweisbare DNA-Werte stehen in engem Zusammenhang mit besseren Behandlungserfolgen.Die Analyse ist bereits vor Therapiebeginn oder nach vier Wochen möglich.So könnten unwirksame Therapien früh vermieden und bessere Alternativen gewählt werden.Besonders aussagekräftig war der Test bei aggressivem, triple-negativem Brustkrebs.Studien zeigen deutlich längere krankheitsfreie Zeiten bei Patientinnen mit niedrigen DNA-Werten.Weitere klinische Studien prüfen nun, ob eine frühzeitige Therapieanpassung die Überlebenschancen verbessert.

Newcastle United missed the chance to climb the Premier League table after a flat 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Despite dominating possession, Newcastle showed little creativity or cutting edge, failing to test José Sá for long spells. Wolves were organised and disciplined under Rob Edwards, defending comfortably and offering occasional counterattacking threat. Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle lacked quality in attack, relying too heavily on crosses and set pieces. The point reflected Wolves’ growing resilience and highlighted Newcastle’s need for greater attacking invention.

Nvidia suppliers have reportedly stopped production after Chinese customs blocked shipments of the firm’s H200 AI chips from entering China, according to a report cited by Reuters. The move comes despite the chips being cleared for export by the United States government. Chinese officials have allegedly warned domestic tech companies against buying the processors and offered no clear explanation, leaving uncertainty over whether the restriction is temporary or a de facto ban. The situation is further complicated by US rules requiring the chips to transit through American facilities, triggering a 25% tariff. The H200 has become a flashpoint in US-China…

A controversial US-funded study on hepatitis B vaccination in newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been cancelled following widespread criticism over its ethical design. The decision was confirmed by Yap Boum, a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, who said the trial raised serious concerns about withholding a proven, life-saving vaccine from thousands of infants in a country with a high burden of hepatitis B. The $1.6m study, funded under the oversight of Robert F Kennedy Jr at the US Department of Health and Human Services, proposed vaccinating only half of participating newborns, prompting outrage from scientists…

West Ham United are willing to sell Lucas Paquetá this month only if he is loaned back for the rest of the season, but that condition is being resisted by Flamengo. The Brazilian club saw an initial €35m bid rejected and may raise it to €40m, yet believe they can wait and buy him more cheaply in the summer. Paquetá wants to return to Brazil after a difficult spell in England following a spot-fixing investigation that ended last year but derailed a move to Manchester City. West Ham, seven points above the relegation zone, fear losing him now could damage…

BP has warned it expects to write down up to $5bn on its underperforming green energy operations as it refocuses on oil and gas under new chair Albert Manifold. The writedowns relate mainly to BP’s gas and low-carbon “transition” businesses and include setbacks in solar and hydrogen projects, though the company said they would not affect underlying profits. BP has been trying to sell a stake in its Lightsource solar arm and has cancelled hydrogen developments in the UK, Oman and Australia. The announcement comes amid weaker oil trading and falling crude prices, with Brent averaging $63.73 a barrel in…