Friday, February 20

Science

First Android 17 Beta arrives soon for Pixel phones
Science

First Android 17 Beta arrives soon for Pixel phones

With Android 16 QPR3 taking another beta step closer to its release, Google has started preparing for its next beta cycle. Following the release of Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1, the company announced that the first beta of Android 17 is right around the corner. In the last few years, Google has typically released Developer Preview builds of a major new Android release first before starting a public beta channel. But with cutting-edge Android Canary builds now available, it seems the company has changed its approach, directly jumping to public beta testing of Android 17. While the company did not provide a concrete release date, based on the announcement, the first Android 17 beta could go live on or around February 18, the same day the Pixel 10a goes up for pre-order. The stable bui...
The science behind love at first sight
Science

The science behind love at first sight

A computer illustration of dopaminergic neuron, specialized brain cells that synthesize and release the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is a key factor of love at first sight, as it activates the brain's reward system, creating intense feelings of pleasure and euphoria.KATERYNA KON, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARYWhy are we able to fall so fast?The ability to experience love at first sight rests on a cognitive skill you might not even realize you have: Humans are incredibly good at quickly assessing other people. “In less than seven seconds, we can form impressions that are actually fairly accurate,” says Wendi Gardner, a social psychologist at Northwestern University.By that, she means “they're accurate in terms of they're likely to be widely shared by other members of our culture.” The human b...
TikTok is tracking you, even if you don’t use the app. Here’s how to stop it
Science

TikTok is tracking you, even if you don’t use the app. Here’s how to stop it

But most people might not realise that TikTok holds data about them even if they have never used the social media platform.An invisible trackerTracking pixels are nothing new. For years, companies that run advertising networks – including Google, Meta and hundreds of others – have used them to eavesdrop on what people do across the web. They're an invisible image the size of one pixel of your screen that loads in the background of a website, full of data-harvesting tech. They're everywhere, and they're constantly watching you.Here's how it works. TikTok, for example, encourages companies to put pixels on their websites to help the social media giant harvest more data. Let's say I have an online shoe store. If I use a pixel, it lets TikTok collect lots of data about my customers in order to...
International Women and Girls in Science Day Special
Science

International Women and Girls in Science Day Special

To mark International Women and Girls in Science Day, Olivia Friett, editor of the FemTech section of Med-Tech Insights, spoke with women working across women’s health about their journeys to becoming leaders in their fields. Dr. Emily Fitch, chief medical officer, Viospex What first sparked your interest in science, and was there a moment when you realised this could be a career for you? My interest in science began early, rooted in curiosity. As a child, I spent a lot of time exploring the woods I grew up around, observing plants and animals and asking questions about how the natural world worked. A chemistry kit my family gave me became an early outlet for experimentation, allowing creativity and curiosity to grow side by side.   My path to a career in medicine emerged later...
Jaw-Dropping Black Myth Sequel Effectively Confirmed for PS5
Science

Jaw-Dropping Black Myth Sequel Effectively Confirmed for PS5

Update [Wed 11th Feb 2026, 5:45am]:The official word from Chinese dev Game Science on Black Myth: Zhong Kui is that it will release on “PC and all mainstream console platforms”. That obviously suggests PS5, but doesn’t confirm it. However, a Sony upload of the latest Lunar New Year trailer, along with a ‘PS5 Games’ label in the title, suggests the sequel is very much in development for the device. It’s notable that PlayStation didn’t upload Zhong Kui’s original reveal trailer, so we’d now consider this confirmation in a roundabout way. Original Story: Lunar New Year is almost here, and Black Myth: Wukong maker Game Science is here to remind us it’s cooking up something special. While not technically announced for consoles just yet, we’d be shocked if the dev’s next project, Black Myth: Zho...
Congressman Rogers Announces $7.54 Million for Morehead State University’s Space Science Center
Science

Congressman Rogers Announces $7.54 Million for Morehead State University’s Space Science Center

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) secured a $7.54 million Community Project Funding earmark for the Morehead State University (MSU) Space Science Center. The federal funding will provide payload operations for government and commercial space stations, allowing students to continue aerospace education and engineering in partnership with NASA and private space science companies. “Students at Morehead State University not only have a front row seat to NASA’s lunar missions and deep space pioneering, but they also get to participate in these missions through coding and engineering, as a result of key investments like this Community Project Funding,” said Congressman Rogers, a cardinal member of the House Appropriations Committee. “MSU launched this flagship mission more th...
Suda51 Says Grasshopper Is Still Working On A “Switch 2 Version” Of Its New Game
Science

Suda51 Says Grasshopper Is Still Working On A “Switch 2 Version” Of Its New Game

Image: Grasshopper ManufactureGrasshopper Manufacture, the developer known for the No More Heroes series, launches its new game Romeo Is A Dead Man on multiple platforms today, but this doesn't include Nintendo's systems. If you have been wondering about the chances of this new title getting a Switch release, we've got another update. During a special five-minute 'Grasshopper Direct' broadcast earlier on, company CEO Goichi Suda (aka Suda51) reiterated how the team is doing what it can to make a "Switch 2 version" happen. "We're doing what we can to make it happen, so again, please give us a little more time." This actually follows a comment Suda51 made last December, mentioning how the team wanted to bring the game to the Switch 2 but needed to make sure Unreal Engine 5 was "going to pl...
Science that serves society: Celebrating women scientists improving lives through the science of food
Science

Science that serves society: Celebrating women scientists improving lives through the science of food

11 Feb 2026 | Company Stories This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are celebrating our women scientists whose work shapes what millions of people eat every day and helps tackle some of society's biggest challenges. [...] This is an abstract of the document. To keep reading, click here and get access to the original version.AttachmentsOriginal documentPermalinkDisclaimer Tate & Lyle plc published this content on February 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 11, 2026 at 09:07 UTC. Source link
Square Enix Reveals Save Data Bonuses For Its New HD-2D Game
Science

Square Enix Reveals Save Data Bonuses For Its New HD-2D Game

The new HD-2D title The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales locked in a June release last week, and alongside this news, the team has also revealed multiple save data bonuses if you own certain other Square Enix titles. As long as you've got existing save data (or for certain platforms, purchase history on the same player account), you should be able to unlock these bonuses. It's noted how demo save data for titles "may also fulfill the bonus eligibility requirements". The save data eligible includes saves from Octopath Traveler 0, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, Various Daylife and TRIANGLE STRATEGY. Here's the full rundown from Square Enix's official website: OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 "Sword magicite "Guidance of the Sacred Flame" - Incr...
Some PS5 Fans Believe a New God of War Game Could Shadow Drop This Week
Science

Some PS5 Fans Believe a New God of War Game Could Shadow Drop This Week

While this doesn’t feel like much substance alone, Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb – one of the first people to mention this spin-off’s existence – also had an interesting reaction when discussing the project. Speaking on his daily Game Mess Mornings show, guest Lex Luddy asked him if he thinks “the God of War thing will finally show up”. With a wry smile, Grubb responded: “Who could say? I certainly could not.” So, there’s not much to go on here really beyond a bunch of teasing and assertions, but stranger things have happened. Shadow drops do tend to get decent momentum, and we daresay a side-scrolling God of War game would attract a lot of interest. What’s going to be particularly fascinating about this one is which platforms it’s on. PS5 is a lock, of course, but could Sony also explore the S...