Tech and Science Daily | The Standard

For Episode Eight, Evgeny is joined by Carl Pei, founder and CEO of Nothing, the London-based consumer tech company trying to make devices feel fun. Carl explains how Nothing evolved from earbuds to smartphones, why he believes design and “focus-first” features can counter distraction, and what it means to build products with a distinct, instantly recognisable identity.Evgeny and Carl also explore the psychological cost of always-on devices, the battle for attention and consciousness, and what it might mean to build technology that helps people stay intentional. The episode ends on a wider view of the AI era: enormous promise for medicine and science, but serious unanswered questions about jobs, governance, and whether society is ready for what comes next

The UK’s shiny digital ID plan gets a proper timetable reality check — small features first, big promises later. Over in London, a major MS genetics study pushes the science past its old “one-size-fits-one-ancestry” problem, and NASA’s Van Allen Probe A is making a dramatic return to Earth. Plus: a multivitamin ageing headline with a big pinch of salt, a UK games studio closure, and Whoop deciding fitness tracking should look more like streetwear than a wrist shackle. More on all of it at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing.

Evgeny Lebedev is joined by Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP, to explore recovery, sleep, and why “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Will shares how overtraining as a Harvard athlete led him to build a wearable focused not on steps, but on the missing piece of performance: how ready your body actually is.He explains what WHOOP tracks - sleep quality, strain, heart rate variability (HRV), recovery, and stress. Will dives into why seven hours in bed can still mean poor sleep, how REM and deep sleep drive real restoration, and why consistency of bedtime and wake time often matters more than raw hours.Will and Evgeny get practical on what moves the needle, address the criticism that wearables can create anxiety - and how to use metrics as a tool, not a verdict.

Al’s on the mic with a London-led study suggesting specialist palliative care can improve quality of life and ease pressure on the NHS — yes, a rare win-win. Then the UK ADHD debate gets a much-needed reality check as experts say the bigger issue isn’t overdiagnosis… it’s unmet need and long waits. After that, we jump to physics where atom-thin magnets start forming tiny vortices like it’s completely normal, before China’s brain-computer ambitions give the sci-fi crowd something to talk about. In gaming, Marvel Rivals brings back Chrono Rush, and we finish on commuter tech: The Standard’s take on Google’s Pixel 10a. More on all of it at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing.

Al’s on the mic as British Science Week kicks off today — ten days of pure “go on then, show me how it works” energy across London and the UK. Then the government backs a new fundamental AI research lab, aiming for proper long-term breakthroughs, not just flashy demos. After that, Cambridge researchers give robots a better sense of touch with graphene-based “artificial skin”… and scientists unveil a half-Möbius molecule that sounds like sci-fi but lands in Science anyway. We’re finishing with a London phone launch from Nothing — plus a quick gaming nod for your weekend queue.

a UCL researcher picks up the 2026 Novo Nordisk Prize for work that’s shifting Duchenne muscular dystrophy from “nothing we can do” to “we can actually intervene.” Then the UK Space Agency drops fresh cash on satellite comms, because in 2026 even “space” is basically an internet argument. Elsewhere, researchers flip a magnet with a laser like it’s casual, a Nature paper raises a big red flag about ancient carbon leaking out through Congo Basin la kes, and there’s a quick gaming palate cleanser with League’s latest patch. Oh — and Apple’s here to remind your laptop it’s replaceable. More on all of it at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing.

The Met starts trialling handheld facial recognition ID checks — because apparently London wasn’t futuristic enough already. Then we’ve got the UK laying down security expectations for 6G networks at MWC, plus a proper side-eye moment as new reporting suggests some chatbots will happily fabricate academic papers if you ask nicely. After the break: Nintendo’s Indie World roundup, Rainbow Six Siege drops Operation Silent Hunt with Solid Snake, and Google’s March Pixel Drop quietly upgrades your Pixel while you’re just trying to eat a meal deal in peace. More at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing.

Your commute’s doing that thing again: Tube and rail fares are increasing, while buses and trams stay frozen (for now). Alan Leer also dives into the UK’s real-world trial of teen social media limits — bans, curfews, the lot — and what it could mean for platforms and parents alike. Then it’s global gadget season at MWC, where Lenovo and Samsung are pushing the “adaptable devices” future, whether your bank account likes it or not. Plus: a genuinely slick science story where iron and blue LEDs pull off precision chemistry that usually needs rare metals. And in gaming, Pokémon hits the big 3-0. More at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing.

For this episode of Brave New World, Evgeny is joined by Dr Sabine Donnai, a physician specialising in precision medicine, preventive health, and is the founder of Viavi Healthcare. They explore brain health beyond standard scans, discussing how gut function, inflammation, environmental exposure, and stress interact over time. Drawing on Evgeny’s own test results, Sabine explains why she believes long-term cognitive resilience starts not with extreme biohacks, but with fixing the basics - particularly the gut. The conversation concludes with practical takeaways: reduce inflammatory foods, increase dietary diversity and fermented foods, support cardiovascular health, and avoid turning longevity into another source of stress.