What is XFG Covid strain? Symptoms to look out for as UK cases rise
More than half of the positive tests were found to be a variant of XFG (American Covid)
Hospital admissions for #Covid are up five-fold this month, according to latest data (PA)
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

silver bead necklace comes with seven ice cubes that sweat, shrink and eventually vanish

The ooOoooOoooOh la l’ice necklace turns water into a piece of wearable art that measures time on the body.
www.designboom.com/design/silve... #design

Researchers improve weather forecasts looking two to six weeks out
A new machine-learning approach broke records for weather forecasting for an important time frame in emergency planning.
news.mit.edu/2026/researc...

“What you see is what you get”
New tool lets users repair AI-generated 3D models, then fabricate them just the way they want
“InstructMesh” can generate designs for everyday objects that are easy to edit and fabricate for both experts and newcomers to 3D modeling.
news.mit.edu/2026/instruc...

This model is not a real person: how AI is changing online shopping – video
www.theguardian.com/fashion/vide...

Four threadlike motors lifted a 46-gram chocolate bar without gears, using sliding fibers to generate motion while remaining flexible.
techxplore.com/news/2026-10...

A self-disinfecting fabric eliminates bacteria, fungi and viruses in hospital settings
medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10...

Helping others linked to younger-looking adult brains, even after accounting for health and lifestyle
medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10...

Shape-sensing sheet digitally tracks its movement as it bends and twists
Developed by MIT engineers, this flexible material could be used as a wearable, motion-monitoring “skin” in physical therapy, virtual reality, and gaming.
news.mit.edu/2026/shape-s...

Can Beauty Justify Complexity?
parametric-architecture.com/can-beauty-j...

Bezos Earth Fund Channels $34 Million to Sustainable Fashion Tech
www.esgtoday.com/bezos-earth-...

Can Snap’s Evan Spiegel Sell You a Computer for Your Face?
www.vogue.com/article/can-...

22 inventions that changed the world

From the wheel 5,500 years ago to the birth control pill, these 20 inventions had huge ramifications and have helped humans shape the world around us.
www.livescience.com/33749-top-10...

Had a fabulous day illustrating this Scaberstalk #Bolete species #Leccinum cyanobasaileucum #fungus today,the illustration aims to show the scaly stem and nut Brown cap.

The last picture is me chatting with visitors to my stand at #haycastle - and a lovely lot they were, too! #botanicalillustration

MIT class project turns into an FDA-cleared treatment for tremors
Wristband device from Encora Therapeutics started as a project in 2.009, MIT’s iconic product-design class.
news.mit.edu/2026/mit-cla...

New cell-collection device could improve early cancer detection
MIT researchers developed a handheld system that gently collects living cells from patient samples to aid cancer testing and development of personalized medicines.
news.mit.edu/2026/new-cel...

AlphaFold ‘goes viral’: database adds protein complexes of common viruses
AI predictions could help with pandemic preparedness, but they will need experimental confirmation.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Light speed reduction to 17 metres per second in an ultracold atomic gas
Source:
Hau, L. V., Harris, S. E., Dutton, Z., & Behroozi, C. H. (1999). Light speed reduction to 17 metres per second in an ultracold atomic gas. Nature, 397, 594–598.
www.nature.com/articles/17561

Why Every Business Should Be Built To Sell (Even If You Never Plan To Sell)
www.forbes.com/sites/meliss...

Five health tech trends to watch

As the global healthcare landscape continues to evolve, the sector is facing a critical balancing act.
www.worldhealthexpo.com/insights/med...