Matthew Sparkes
@sparkes.bsky.social
Reporter at New Scientist magazine. Got a story? Email: matthew.sparkes@newscientist.com
Scientists are using AI to design new experiments, but research shows that all major models fail to spot serious safety problems that risk causing fires, explosions or poisonings.
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
All major AI models risk encouraging dangerous science experiments
Researchers risk fire, explosion or poisoning by allowing AI to design experiments, warn scientists. Some 19 different AI models were tested on hundreds of questions to assess their ability to spot an...
www.newscientist.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:40 AM
Scientists are using AI to design new experiments, but research shows that all major models fail to spot serious safety problems that risk causing fires, explosions or poisonings.
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
Big Tech is making an enormous and costly bet on AI, and, in turn, is forcing it on users to make good on this investment. Many are embracing it for writing or admin, but a minority are going a step further and forming intimate relationships with it.
www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
We're getting intimate with chatbots. A new book asks what this means
AI chatbots can take on many roles in our lives. James Muldoon's Love Machines looks into the relationships we're forging with them
www.newscientist.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:19 AM
Big Tech is making an enormous and costly bet on AI, and, in turn, is forcing it on users to make good on this investment. Many are embracing it for writing or admin, but a minority are going a step further and forming intimate relationships with it.
www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
In Ukraine your service station coffee currently earns loyalty points which go towards supplying the army with drones.
Great 8-bit design on those flames.
Great 8-bit design on those flames.
January 14, 2026 at 10:17 AM
In Ukraine your service station coffee currently earns loyalty points which go towards supplying the army with drones.
Great 8-bit design on those flames.
Great 8-bit design on those flames.
Staggering to see people putting such faith in AI. It makes stuff up, it doesn't understand your question. It just cobbles together a statistically-likely bit of text that might follow your bit of text. Don't trust it with documents that may end your career.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
West Midlands police chief apologises after AI error used to justify Maccabi Tel Aviv ban
Craig Guildford says he gave incorrect evidence to MPs and mistake arose from ‘use of Microsoft Copilot’
www.theguardian.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Staggering to see people putting such faith in AI. It makes stuff up, it doesn't understand your question. It just cobbles together a statistically-likely bit of text that might follow your bit of text. Don't trust it with documents that may end your career.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Reports claim that not only has Iran's government shutdown internet access, but they're jamming Starlink signals on a wide scale too.
They *really* don't want people organising - and perhaps also don't want the world watching their crackdown on protests.
iranwire.com/en/features/...
They *really* don't want people organising - and perhaps also don't want the world watching their crackdown on protests.
iranwire.com/en/features/...
Why There’s No Starlink Access During Nationwide Shutdown in Iran?
Nearly twenty hours after Iran’s national internet went dark, the country remains locked in a digital blackout. For hours, Iranians have ...
iranwire.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Reports claim that not only has Iran's government shutdown internet access, but they're jamming Starlink signals on a wide scale too.
They *really* don't want people organising - and perhaps also don't want the world watching their crackdown on protests.
iranwire.com/en/features/...
They *really* don't want people organising - and perhaps also don't want the world watching their crackdown on protests.
iranwire.com/en/features/...
Nice to see @newscientist.com stories @mjflepage.bsky.social and I did on Colossal highlighted in this @theguardian.com long read.
Biased take, obviously, but nobody cuts through the hype and explains the facts behind new science claims as well as New Scientist.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Biased take, obviously, but nobody cuts through the hype and explains the facts behind new science claims as well as New Scientist.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘They didn’t de-extinct anything’: can Colossal’s genetically engineered animals ever be the real thing?
The bioscience startup has attracted billions in investment – and a flurry of criticism, but founder tells the Guardian plans to bring back the woolly mammoth will not be derailed
www.theguardian.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:20 AM
Nice to see @newscientist.com stories @mjflepage.bsky.social and I did on Colossal highlighted in this @theguardian.com long read.
Biased take, obviously, but nobody cuts through the hype and explains the facts behind new science claims as well as New Scientist.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Biased take, obviously, but nobody cuts through the hype and explains the facts behind new science claims as well as New Scientist.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
My garden path is alternating rows of lighter and darker bricks. Snow only settled on the lighter bricks today: slightly warmer because they absorb more energy from the sun?
January 6, 2026 at 5:29 PM
My garden path is alternating rows of lighter and darker bricks. Snow only settled on the lighter bricks today: slightly warmer because they absorb more energy from the sun?
I have salvia amistad and calendula officinalis still flowering in the garden here in London - two plants the RHS lists as flowering in autumn but not winter. Lots of other anomalies too.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Winter blooming of hundreds of plants in UK ‘visible signal’ of climate breakdown
New year plant hunt shows rising temperatures are shifting natural cycles of wildflowers such as daisies
www.theguardian.com
January 2, 2026 at 10:39 AM
I have salvia amistad and calendula officinalis still flowering in the garden here in London - two plants the RHS lists as flowering in autumn but not winter. Lots of other anomalies too.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
In February, for the first time in decades, there will be no treaty limiting the size of the US and Russian nuclear arsenals. Experts are divided on whether New START genuinely made the world safer, but there is agreement on one thing: a replacement is unlikely.
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
Russia-US nuclear pact set to end in 2026 and we won't see another
After the New START treaty expires in February, there will be no cap on the number of US and Russian nuclear weapons - but some are sceptical about whether the deal actually made the world safer
www.newscientist.com
January 1, 2026 at 9:26 AM
In February, for the first time in decades, there will be no treaty limiting the size of the US and Russian nuclear arsenals. Experts are divided on whether New START genuinely made the world safer, but there is agreement on one thing: a replacement is unlikely.
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
Drone from RAF Waddington flying loops around the Wash this afternoon, while a Eurofighter watches on. Likely to be more tests of the RAF's Protector: www.raf.mod.uk/news/article...
December 10, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Drone from RAF Waddington flying loops around the Wash this afternoon, while a Eurofighter watches on. Likely to be more tests of the RAF's Protector: www.raf.mod.uk/news/article...
Very hard to judge with the limited information leaked publicly, but it would be easy to infer from what we have here that Europe has no handle at all on how to tackle drone incursions.
bsky.app/profile/nycs...
bsky.app/profile/nycs...
Christ on a cracker — these seemingly hostile drones only missed Zelensky’s plane because he was unexpectedly early www.thejournal.ie/drones-dubli...
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 5, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Very hard to judge with the limited information leaked publicly, but it would be easy to infer from what we have here that Europe has no handle at all on how to tackle drone incursions.
bsky.app/profile/nycs...
bsky.app/profile/nycs...
The AI industry consumes vast amounts of energy, fresh water and investor cash. Now it also needs memory chips - the same ones used in laptops, smartphones and games consoles. It's dramatically pushing up prices and unlikely to stop any time soon.
www.newscientist.com/article/2507...
www.newscientist.com/article/2507...
Why is AI making computers and games consoles more expensive?
The AI industry consumes vast amounts of energy, fresh water and investor cash. Now it also needs memory chips - the same ones used in laptops, smartphones and games consoles
www.newscientist.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The AI industry consumes vast amounts of energy, fresh water and investor cash. Now it also needs memory chips - the same ones used in laptops, smartphones and games consoles. It's dramatically pushing up prices and unlikely to stop any time soon.
www.newscientist.com/article/2507...
www.newscientist.com/article/2507...
"Take two airport expansions, a new oil field and a motorway widening project, and call me in the morning"
bsky.app/profile/jjar...
bsky.app/profile/jjar...
My leader this week on COP www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
December 3, 2025 at 10:48 AM
"Take two airport expansions, a new oil field and a motorway widening project, and call me in the morning"
bsky.app/profile/jjar...
bsky.app/profile/jjar...
The ISS may soon become slightly less international. Russia’s only launch pad capable of sending humans to orbit is damaged and may be out of commission for two years. That would pose a dilemma for NASA: take on more costs and responsibility or let the ISS die. www.newscientist.com/article/2506...
What would Russia's inability to launch crewed missions mean for ISS?
Russia's only launch site capable of sending humans to orbit has suffered serious damage that may take two years to fix. Will NASA keep supporting the ISS without Russian involvement, or is this the e...
www.newscientist.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:03 PM
The ISS may soon become slightly less international. Russia’s only launch pad capable of sending humans to orbit is damaged and may be out of commission for two years. That would pose a dilemma for NASA: take on more costs and responsibility or let the ISS die. www.newscientist.com/article/2506...
November 27, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Freezing fuel duty and a promise of £9bn for a new motorway tunnel under the Thames. But no Bakerloo Line extension for London. Really a cracking Budget for continuing to prop-up driving at the expense of public transport...
Climate emergency? What climate emergency?
Climate emergency? What climate emergency?
November 26, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Freezing fuel duty and a promise of £9bn for a new motorway tunnel under the Thames. But no Bakerloo Line extension for London. Really a cracking Budget for continuing to prop-up driving at the expense of public transport...
Climate emergency? What climate emergency?
Climate emergency? What climate emergency?
My only hope is that after my death my proboscis can be useful to science.
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
Mosquito proboscis repurposed as a fine nozzle for 3D printing
When engineers struggled to make 3D printer nozzles narrow enough for their needs, they turned to nature and found the proboscis of a female mosquito had exactly the properties they needed
www.newscientist.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:16 AM
My only hope is that after my death my proboscis can be useful to science.
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
A £4k electric bike sounds high-end but is actually just a cheap and practical alternative to a car.
Nobody baulks at people spending £30k on a little hatchback, but a £4k electric bike is seen as extravagant.
Gov should be begging people to start cycling.
www.ft.com/content/e41e...
Nobody baulks at people spending £30k on a little hatchback, but a £4k electric bike is seen as extravagant.
Gov should be begging people to start cycling.
www.ft.com/content/e41e...
Rachel Reeves to curb high-end bike purchases in Cycle to Work scheme
Introduction of new cap comes after retailers warned some higher-rate taxpayers were exploiting the perk
www.ft.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:12 AM
A £4k electric bike sounds high-end but is actually just a cheap and practical alternative to a car.
Nobody baulks at people spending £30k on a little hatchback, but a £4k electric bike is seen as extravagant.
Gov should be begging people to start cycling.
www.ft.com/content/e41e...
Nobody baulks at people spending £30k on a little hatchback, but a £4k electric bike is seen as extravagant.
Gov should be begging people to start cycling.
www.ft.com/content/e41e...
A team of experts doesn't trust our governments are doing enough to protect society from technological collapse caused by Russian hackers, solar storms, floods...
So they're planning to do it themselves.
www.newscientist.com/article/2500...
So they're planning to do it themselves.
www.newscientist.com/article/2500...
How preppers plan to save us if the whole internet collapses
Recent outages have revealed how vulnerable the internet is, but there seems to be no official plan in the event of a catastrophic failure. Meet the team of hackers who are ready to jump into action
www.newscientist.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:30 PM
A team of experts doesn't trust our governments are doing enough to protect society from technological collapse caused by Russian hackers, solar storms, floods...
So they're planning to do it themselves.
www.newscientist.com/article/2500...
So they're planning to do it themselves.
www.newscientist.com/article/2500...
Reposted by Matthew Sparkes
So, is the US actually going to start testing nuclear weapons? Here's what the experts tell @sparkes.bsky.social and New Scientist www.newscientist.com/article/2502...
The US is unlikely to test nuclear weapons, despite what Trump says
President Donald Trump appears to have ordered a return to nuclear testing after decades of uneasy but effective treaties banning the practice – but will it actually happen?
www.newscientist.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:12 PM
So, is the US actually going to start testing nuclear weapons? Here's what the experts tell @sparkes.bsky.social and New Scientist www.newscientist.com/article/2502...
Reposted by Matthew Sparkes
Here's @sparkes.bsky.social on what happens if/when the AI bubble bursts. If you're expecting it to all go away, you're probably wrong www.newscientist.com/article/2499...
The AI bubble is heading towards a burst but it won't be the end of AI
Economists, bankers and even the boss of OpenAI are warning of a rapidly inflating AI bubble. If and when it bursts, what will happen to the technological breakthroughs of the past few years?
www.newscientist.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Here's @sparkes.bsky.social on what happens if/when the AI bubble bursts. If you're expecting it to all go away, you're probably wrong www.newscientist.com/article/2499...
Very strange story. Police seem to be saying it takes longer to review CCTV to spot moment of bike theft as the length of time the bike was left there increases. Surely you jump to midpoint of footage then, if bike is there, jump to midpoint of second half, etc etc?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Bike thefts at stations 'decriminalised'
The British Transport Police will not investigate many categories of bicycle theft, the BBC learns.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 2, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Very strange story. Police seem to be saying it takes longer to review CCTV to spot moment of bike theft as the length of time the bike was left there increases. Surely you jump to midpoint of footage then, if bike is there, jump to midpoint of second half, etc etc?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Great paper on arXiv today for anyone who doesn't find musical theory complex enough already. Very pretty.
arxiv.org/pdf/2509.21428
arxiv.org/pdf/2509.21428
September 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Great paper on arXiv today for anyone who doesn't find musical theory complex enough already. Very pretty.
arxiv.org/pdf/2509.21428
arxiv.org/pdf/2509.21428
After many, many interviews I'm sitting down to write up a long feature today.
My cat has taken that as a cue to be sick on my keyboard, rendering it not only gross but also, somehow, entirely broken.
Tiny laptop keyboard it is, then.
My cat has taken that as a cue to be sick on my keyboard, rendering it not only gross but also, somehow, entirely broken.
Tiny laptop keyboard it is, then.
September 16, 2025 at 9:46 AM
After many, many interviews I'm sitting down to write up a long feature today.
My cat has taken that as a cue to be sick on my keyboard, rendering it not only gross but also, somehow, entirely broken.
Tiny laptop keyboard it is, then.
My cat has taken that as a cue to be sick on my keyboard, rendering it not only gross but also, somehow, entirely broken.
Tiny laptop keyboard it is, then.
Small modular nuclear reactors sound great, but they won't be ready any time soon.
”This is very rich men giving a few crumbs off the table to this technology they’ve always loved the idea of, without really looking too carefully,” says one expert.
www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
”This is very rich men giving a few crumbs off the table to this technology they’ve always loved the idea of, without really looking too carefully,” says one expert.
www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
Modular nuclear reactors sound great, but won't be ready any time soon
The UK government has announced a raft of tiny nuclear power projects, while Russia, China and a host of tech giants are also betting big on small nuclear reactor designs. Does the idea make sense and...
www.newscientist.com
September 16, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Small modular nuclear reactors sound great, but they won't be ready any time soon.
”This is very rich men giving a few crumbs off the table to this technology they’ve always loved the idea of, without really looking too carefully,” says one expert.
www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
”This is very rich men giving a few crumbs off the table to this technology they’ve always loved the idea of, without really looking too carefully,” says one expert.
www.newscientist.com/article/2496...