The first patient to communicate through a brain implant has taken the opportunity to ask to be played an album by the rock band Tool. The man in Germany was able to communicate dozens of thoughts, including, “I love my cool son” and “I would like to listen to the album by Tool loud”. Melanie Fried-Oken, who studies brain-computer interface at Oregon Health & Science University, was thrilled by the development. “It’s so cool,” she told Science.org.
Commons staff told to stop drunkenly sleeping in offices
Sir Charles Walker, the Conservative MP who chairs parliament’s administration committee, says MPs’ staff who drunkenly sleep in the office after missing their trains home are a fire and security risk. He asked MPs “to be vigilant in ensuring that passholders, be they our staff or anyone else, conduct themselves to the highest standard at all times”. Parliamentary staff could be banned from consuming alcohol in the office unless for a specific work-related function.
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Farts research explains shower mystery
Farts smell worse in the shower but it is not their fault, said an expert. Hussain Abdeh, a clinical director and superintendent pharmacist, told the Daily Star “there is no evidence to suggest that farts are actually stronger in the shower than they are anywhere else,” but “certain practical factors of showering make the smell much more noticeable”. The factors range from the lack of clothing to shield your nostrils from the worst of it to the fact you are in a small, warm and steamy room.
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Film reviews: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Frankenstein, and Blue MoonFeature A rock star on the rise turns inward, a stressed mother begins to unravel, and more
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Podcast reviews: ‘Fela Kuti: Fear No Man,’ ‘David Bowie: Changeling’ and ‘The Adam Friedland Show’feature Fela Kuti’s revolutionary life, David Bowie’s early years, and Adam Friedland reinvents the talk show
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What does history say about Trump’s moves in Latin America?Today's Big Question ‘Bitter memories’ surface as US targets Venezuela
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Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
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Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
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Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
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China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
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How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
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One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
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What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
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Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
