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Pope Leo XIV made his first public appearance from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in front of a packed St Peter’s Square on Thursday evening. But since he became pontiff, the revelation of his online footprint has captured the imagination of Gen Z. For more, we hear from The London Standard’s features writer and columnist, Maddy Mussen.A new environmentally friendly technique to extract tiny cellulose strands from cow dung and turn them into manufacturing-grade material has been developed by a team of UK researchers.You can find cellulose in everything from cling film to surgical masks.To tell us about their new ‘pressurised spinning’ technique, we caught up with the senior author of the study, UCL Professor Mohan Edirisinghe.Plus, two friends are found guilty of cutting down world-famous Sycamore Gap tree in act of 'mindless thuggery'Also in this episode:How a ‘simple selfie’ through AI tool can help predict patients’ cancer survivalCould this psoriasis treatment free patients from having to use multiple products?An “accordion worm” which contracts, like the instrument, is discovered off the Northwest coast of Spain.

A powerful rallying cry to protect the world's oceans has been issued from Sir David Attenborough.His message features in a new film, Ocean with David Attenborough, which opens in cinemas across the world today.Plus, Owkin has launched K Navigator, an AI-powered research co-pilot designed to revolutionise biomedical science.They say the technology is an “agentic playground” where researchers can explore, refine, and validate a theory, therefore accelerating the quality and pace of their discoveries.According to the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, it takes around 12 years for a laboratory discovery to become an approved medicine. There is also a high failure rate.Tech and Science Daily spoke to Dr Ingo Ringshausen, a consultant at University College London Hospital who runs a research group for the Cancer Institute and—importantly—was also one of the first to test the technology.Also in this episode:Could Nasa switch up and launch to Mars as early as 2026?London NHS worker awarded £29,000 after being likened to Darth VaderIs Scotland home to the world’s oldest football pitch?

AI could be “disrupting” students’ views on their skills and the ability of employers to accurately assess them, according to the Institute of Student Employers. Their recent study shows that around half of employers polled are concerned that graduates might be using artificial intelligence to misrepresent their abilities. Steve Isherwood, Joint Chief Executive of the Institute of Student Employers, joins us to discuss the impact of AI on the recruitment process for graduates and school leavers. Meanwhile, after years of fierce debate paleontologists say they’ve tracked down where the T.Rex dinosaur originates from. Tech & Science Daily speaks to lead author of the international study, Cassius Morrison, a PhD student at UCL Earth Sciences. Also in this episode:The second GTA 6 trailer dropped racking up over 50 million views, but what has it revealed? Amazon reveals their new ‘sense of touch’ robot  Thousands of students will receive their GSCE results via an app this summerFancy copying Mark Zuckerberg and purchasing a nuclear bunker? A UK Cold War era bunker is going under the hammer.

How a new Quantum Optical Ground Station is hoping to prevent cyber attacks. Dr Ross Donaldson from Heriot-Watt University tells Tech & Science Daily how their new £2.5 million facility will help secure next-generation communications against cyber threats.TikTok has been fined 530 million euros by the Irish data protection watchdog for breaching EU privacy rules around transferring user data to China.And a ‘shark skin’ coating for planes, which could save the airline industry $34 billion in fuel costs.Also in this episode:British public says AI should not fully replace NHS doctorsScientists warn of the threat of a bubbling underwater volcanoThe sea lion who has better rhythm than humans

Dr Eisert, from Humboldt University in Germany, told us how pulse rates in super-realistic deepfakes are hard to detect and could escape traditional detector technology.A new AI tool to spot suspected skin cancer has been approved for NHS use.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said that the technology has the potential to reduce waiting times.Plus, a soviet rocket entry capsule, which was headed for Venus, is expected to come crashing back to Earth in the coming days.Also in this episode:One in three report the ability ‘to sing better than speak’ after a strokeThe UK could experience the warmest start to May ever recordedArchaeologists discover ancient penis shaped pendant near Hadrian’s Wall - and it’s believed to have been a good luck charm

A major fire at a London electrical substation this week, along with a power blackout in Spain and Portugal, has raised fresh questions about the stability of the UK's power network?We spoke to John Loughhead, Professor of Clean Energy at the University of Birmingham and Fellow and Former President at the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Click here to hear the full interview.A doctor contemplating eye removal surgery has her sight restored thanks to a first-of-its-kind genomics lab… just in time for her wedding… Plus, is your energy meter among 300,000 set to be switched off on June 30? Also in this episode:Which London airport has installed a bird hide to resemble an air traffic control tower?Has the recorder finally lost popularity in music class?‘Fart walking can help long term health’, say physicians

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said a "strong oscillation" in the European grid was behind the unprecedented power outage across Spain and Portugal on Monday.Both countries saw train stations, phone lines, traffic lights, and ATM machines knocked out.A large fire has broken out at an electrical substation in West London. This comes a month after a substation fire shut down Heathrow airport.Plus, ZSL hope to unravel the mystery of 230 film reels found hidden in their archive - some with cryptic titles, some with no title at all.Tech & Science Daily spoke to Tina Campanella, ZSL’s Bicentenary Project Manager, to find out what help they need from historians and film buffs.Also in this episode:Hugging Face release their latest 3D printed arm for $100World-first clinical trial for fridge-free vaccine launches in the UK15% rise in applications to study artificial intelligence at UK universitiesWhy 15 avatar dogs interrupted a live football match on Twitch

The GMB union says school staff have voiced concerns about the impact of AI, such as cheating, plagiarism, lazy thinking, loss of human touch and too much screen time.Why industrial waste is turning into rock, and transforming our coastline, faster than predicted… with Dr Amanda Owen, senior lecturer in sedimentology at the University of Glasgow (School of Geographical and Earth Sciences)Nasa release first image of their Curiosity Rover travelling across Mars.Also in this episode:Instagram's Edits app has 7 million downloads in first weekSome shark bites could be a form of self-defence, researchers sayNew digital live map helps you never miss a train again

Giant icebergs that scientists believe drifted off the UK coast 18,000 years ago are now helping researchers at the British Antarctic Survey to understand the impact that climate change and global warming are having on the Antarctic. Dr James Kirkham joins us on the podcast to explain how.  Why ​Apple is reportedly planning to diversify its supply chain, moving its iPhone production away from China and making India its primary source.The rapidly crumbling exoplanet hurtling through space, with Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Finn Burridge. Also in this episode: Google’s“call to arms” over a worrying gap in the UK’s adoption of artificial intelligence.Volkswagen America and Uber’s plans for a robotaxi service as soon as 2026And how marathon runners’ urine could soon be enriching our soil