Deus in machina: Swiss church installs AI-powered Jesus
Peter’s chapel in Lucerne swaps out its priest to set up a computer and cables in confessional booth
Donald Trump joins Elon Musk for SpaceX Starship rocket launch
The launch was Starship’s sixth experimental flight following first successful test in June
Hi-tech recreation of Richard III’s voice has a Yorkshire accent
A digital avatar of the king’s head, complete with ‘meticulously researched’ voice, is on display at York Theatre Royal
AI could cause ‘social ruptures’ between people who disagree on its sentience
Leading philosopher says issue is ‘no longer one for sci-fi’ as dawn of AI consciousness is predicted for 2035
Lost your sense of direction? Turn off your phone and you’ll soon reconnect
Tech giants said today’s digital native kids would be the first generation who would not know what it meant to get lost. But is that a good thing?
The week in audio: Make Me a Mixtape; 16 Sunsets; Cinematic Soundtracks; How to Play – review
Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens return with more bespoke celebrity playlists; a new space shuttle podcast goes into orbit; Radio 3’s spin-off station takes unwinding to the next level. Plus, the ins and outs of Holst’s Planets
Get away, grizzly: why scientists are chasing bears with drones
Wildlife experts in US west have found small aircraft are ideal for protecting humans and livestock from predators
‘The most expensive photos ever taken’: the space shots that changed humanity’s view of itself
Taken at 28,000km/h and costing billions of dollars, the first ever photos taken by astronauts are on show at Paris Photo. For Nasa print dealer Daniel Blau, they are proof that nothing is impossible when nations collaborate
Using abbreviations in text messages comes across as less sincere, study finds
People who use abbreviations were less likely to receive responses, analysis by psychologists found
How ghost hunters turned weather meters into spectre detectors
Paranormal investigators use the devices to show presence of ghosts – or give their claims a gloss of plausibility
Genetic testing firm 23andMe cuts 40% of its workforce amid financial struggles
Company says it will cut about 200 employees as value plummets in aftermath of huge data breach
How a second Trump term could further enrich Elon Musk: ‘There will be some quid pro quo’
Experts say new government could blunt regulation and appoint officials sympathetic to Musk’s brood of companies
‘Rachel had been ready to leave me if our IVF hadn’t worked’: writer Jack Thorne on how his family’s fertility struggles inspired his new film
The screenwriter behind hit TV dramas National Treasure and Kiri, as well as the Harry Potter stage play, talks about his new, more personal project created with his wife - a feature film, Joy, celebrating the birth of IVF
Reasons to be hopeful: five ways science is making the world better
If Trump’s re-election is getting you down, these innovations in medicine and technology should cheer you up
First artwork painted by humanoid robot to sell at auction fetches $1m
Portrait of English mathematician Alan Turing was created by Ai-Da, one of the most advanced robots in the world