‘World’s most advanced robot’ arrives in Scotland – Tech & Science Daily podcast

An AI-powered humanoid robot described as “the world’s most advanced human shaped robot” has been bought by Heriot-Watt University’s National Robotarium in Edinburgh.

Ameca was built by Engineered Arts, with embedded microphones, cameras, facial recognition software and articulated motorised components, to make real human conversation possible.

As well as talking, Ameca is capable of making facial expressions including “playful” and “pondering”.

Teams at the Robotarium are keen to show off what Ameca can do, with a core mission ‘to break down barriers and build trust between humans and robots’.

Scientists in Canada have discovered that hibernating bumblebee queens have a resilience to flooding, surviving up to a week submerged underwater.

The study, published in Royal Society’s Biology Letters, was set up after scientists discovered that bees hibernating inside test tubes that had filled with water were still alive when the water was drained out.

Dr Sabrina Rondeau at the University of Guelph in Ontario tells Tech & Science Daily what happened when they later tested the resilience of 143 bumblebee queens underwater.

In Dubai there’s been carnage at the city’s airport, following the heaviest rainfall in the area for 75 years.

The United Arab Emirates has seen over 14 cm of rain in one day, about as much as it expects in a year-and-a-half.

Footage on social media shows planes landing on flooded runways and passengers wading through water at the flooded Onpassive Metro Station in Dubai.

On Wednesday morning Dubai International Airport said on X that the flooding had left “limited transportation options” and “recovery will take some time”.

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue says social media site X was ‘flooded’ with fake AI-generated images and videos in the hours after Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel on Saturday.

The ISD said in just the first seven hours of the drones being launched “34 false, misleading or AI generated images and videos claiming to show the ongoing conflict received over 37 million views on X”.

Of the identified content, 77% came specifically from paid ‘verified’ accounts, which are amplified via the site’s algorithm, and could mislead users into thinking they were legitimate.

ISD also found that the Iranian government ran repurposed footage of a wildfire in Chile on their state TV, claiming to be showing damage in Israel from the strikes, which were widely circulated on social media.

Also in this episode:

Barclays says £14,000 is being lost to investment scams on average, Meta’s Nick Clegg makes pitch for virtual reality in the classroom, and Motorola is bringing back the wooden phone.

Listen above, find us on Apple, Spotify or wherever you stream your podcasts.