China tackles the hardest problem in robotics: making hands
China is leading a race to develop 'embodied AI' with a focus on creating dexterous robotic hands. Amy Hawkins reported from Beijing on how this innovation aims to transform humanoid robots from gimmicks into useful products. The human hand, with its nimble nerve-filled appendages, is the most flexible part of the skeleton. Tasks like tying shoelaces or buttoning a shirt require complex neurological instructions and precise choreography, making robotic hand development a significant challenge.
How AI is changing language
David Shariatmadari spoke to linguists about the interplay between AI and human writing, creating a 'linguistic hall of mirrors.' As allegations of LLM use rock literary and media worlds, novelists including Jennifer Egan and Jeanette Winterson reflected on the future of fiction in the age of ChatGPT. The uncertainty of whether a piece is AI-generated fuels paranoia, as AI trains on human writing and humans are stylistically influenced by AI.
Stalker neighbours turned dream home into nightmare
Amanda Hutton and Richard Burton shared their ordeal in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, where a young couple's increasingly troubling behaviour escalated into a full-blown campaign of terror. The couple, who were doing up a dilapidated farmhouse, initially found the neighbours odd yet harmless, but soon faced a nightmare scenario.
The rise of blue-space therapy
Tamara Davison wrote about the theory of 'blue space' or 'blue mind,' where exposure to oceans, rivers, and lakes can be medicine for the brain. The ocean has long framed restorative practices, from Victorian-era 'sea cures' to modern cold-water swimming. As one expert noted, 'When we go to the water, our shoulders drop, our eyes and face soften. We start breathing more slowly.'
Ukraine's fortress belt: kill zones and drone nets
Peter Beaumont visited Ukraine's strategic line of towns and cities, where anti-drone nets cover roads and buildings. Technology has transformed warfare, with soldiers and civilians living under constant threat of Russian attack. The fortress belt epitomises Kyiv's strategy to tie down and exhaust Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
Writers remember legendary gigs
Guardian writers relived incredible performances by artists from Amy Winehouse at the North Sea jazz festival to Kanye West at Glastonbury. Beyoncé's Coachella performance in 2018 was described as creating 'dialogue between screens, props and flesh-and-blood artist' that was 'nearly a decade ahead of the curve.' Other memories include Brian Wilson, Britney, Oasis, and Daft Punk.
