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Artificial intelligences need specific training to excel at a task, but now a more generally intelligent one from DeepMind has performed as well as humans in a virtual world test

The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed that blood donor assessments measure individual risk and do not exclude people based on their sexual orientation or gender

Six of the most powerful astronomical observatories have captured a stunning image of Abell 2256, which is made of multiple galaxy clusters smashing together

Dolphins off coast of southern Brazil drive mullet towards the nets of local fishers and in return get some extra fish themselves

An experiment in beetles shows that when parents care for their young, the population accumulates more mutations over time, but this may have benefits

Banded mongooses have long been used as a model of animal cooperation. Now, researchers in Uganda are starting to get to grips with the harsh realities of their long-running and bloody battles

A US startup will soon begin planting genetically engineered trees in Georgia and Pennsylvania that may be able to capture more carbon than regular trees

Growing demand for air travel is counteracting the aviation industry push to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Carbon offsets will be necessary – or fewer passengers

The polyethylene microplastic pollution commonly found in wastewater can be extracted to create electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

Intermittent fasting led to a group of people with obesity losing 7.6 kilograms in 14 weeks when combined with them receiving advice on reducing their calorie intake, compared with 3.9 kilograms among those who only received the advice

Shooting a brief but powerful laser beam shaped like a doughnut through the air created a light pulse that acts like an optical fibre, carrying data 45 metres

Where black bears are abundant, Bigfoot sightings usually follow – which could make reports of the mythical creature a way to measure American black bear populations

In response to a shortage of liquid ibuprofen, the US Food and Drug Administration is temporarily allowing manufacturers to produce and distribute non-FDA approved drugs for relieving fever and pain

Brown bears often scratch their backs on trees, leaving behind chemical signals to other bears. Now, it seems the act also helps protect them from ticks

Most UK water companies have dropped the scientifically discredited method of dowsing to find water leaks, but Thames Water and Severn Trent Water say they still use it

Dirty solar panels reduce global solar energy output as much as 5 per cent, but a start-up in Israel has tested drone delivery of a new autonomous robot to clean rooftop arrays

Single-celled organisms called Stentor can feed more efficiently by pairing up, illustrating a possible stage in the evolution of complex life forms

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends intensive interventions to manage weight loss, including drugs and surgery – but it’s unclear whether they will reduce childhood obesity

Prairie voles still form social bonds without oxytocin sensors in the brain. The findings challenge the long-held belief that the hormone is a crucial part of the bonding process for all mammals

A study finds the UK’s 2018 sugar tax prevented 5000 cases of obesity in school girls in England, but the picture is more murky than headlines suggest