Using descriptions of flavours or chemical data, artificial intelligence can tell apart whiskies from different countries and identify their constituent aromas

Advances in artificial intelligence mean that machines can now perform certain diagnostic tasks with far better accuracy than human doctors - but the picture is more complicated than you might think

This year has delivered some awe-inspiring imagery of space, from the James Webb Space Telescope’s stunning shots of faraway stars and galaxies to images of the skies taken from here on planet Earth

In 2024 the James Webb Space Telescope released stunning new images of the beauty of space, here are the best

Small robots directed by magnetic fields can cooperatively lift heavy objects, form floating rafts and push through clogs. They may one day deliver drugs within the human body

Electronics made using diamond-based chips would have many advantages, but have been hard to make – a new technique involving sticky tape could change that

Quantum computing hardware has been progressing rapidly in recent years – and quantum software is following

Dextromethorphan inhibits secretion of collagens, latent TGF-β–binding proteins (LTBP1 and LTBP2), and like cargoes to ameliorate lung fibrosis.

A(H5N1) mRNA vaccines elicited neutralizing antibodies against 2.3.4.4b HPAI isolates from 2022 and 2024 and protected ferrets from lethal infection.

Studies reveal pharmacological characteristics for activating the GLP-1 receptor with a nonpeptide agonist.

Developing an animal model of human brain stimulation therapy reveals that striatal DBS enhances the brain’s ability to process conflicting evidence.

Treg cell–specific deletion of Ca2+ influx results in a Sjögren’s disease–like phenotype in mice that is mediated by IFN-γ–producing CD4+ T cells.

Mouse models of papillary craniopharyngioma enable drug screening and reveal that hypothalamic neurons drive tumor growth through synaptic contact.

Biological nanopore technology revolutionised DNA sequencing – now it has been adapted for analysing alcoholic drinks, providing a quick test for quality and safety

An asteroid orbiting near our planet that temporarily became our second moon seems to have come from the actual moon, hinting that a hidden population of lunar rocks is drifting in space

One of the biggest uncertainties in the ongoing AI revolution is whether these systems can legally be trained on copyrighted data. Now, the UK says it plans to clarify the matter with a change to the law

A long-envisioned futuristic world of humanoid robots doing all the work has yet to arrive, but these startling images reveal some of the surprising ways that advanced robotics is becoming more ubiquitous in people's lives

A cheap method for forming the tiny components of chips, such as transistors and diodes, harnesses simple fluid physics to make the electronics self-assembling

The age of the rings that encircle Saturn is under dispute thanks to calculations that show they could have been formed billions – rather than millions – of years ago

The past 12 months have been packed for the world’s wealthiest person as he has juggled Tesla, X, Neuralink, SpaceX and relations with Donald Trump – has it been a success?