On the Future of Species by Adrian Woolfson — are we on the verge of creating synthetic life?

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Lead Adrian Woolfson’s new book argues that a biological revolution is imminent, one that could let humans design entirely new species. In a review published on 4 February 2026, the author’s case links breakthroughs in large-scale DNA synthesis and AI-driven protein prediction to a near-term shift from describing life to engineering it. Woolfson warns of … Read more

Textbooks will need to be updated: Jupiter is smaller and flatter than we thought, Juno spacecraft reveals

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New radio-tracking data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft show that Jupiter is marginally smaller and more oblate than long-standing figures indicate. Using signal bending as Juno’s radio transmissions passed through and were occulted by Jupiter’s atmosphere, researchers recalculated the planet’s equatorial and polar radii with tighter precision. The study, published Feb. 2, 2026 in Nature Astronomy, … Read more

Ryan Routh to be sentenced for 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump

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Lead: Ryan Routh, 60, who a jury convicted last fall of planning a sniper attack on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in federal court. Arrested on Sept. 15, 2024, Routh faces a statutory maximum of life imprisonment; federal prosecutors are asking … Read more

S&P 500 Futures Edge Up After Tech Sell-Off Pulls Major Averages Down

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Feb. 3, 2026 — U.S. index futures nudged higher Tuesday night after a pullback in technology stocks sent major benchmarks into the red during regular trading. S&P 500 futures rose about 0.16% and Dow futures gained roughly 147 points (0.29%), while Nasdaq 100 futures were largely unchanged. The retreat followed a session in which investors … Read more

Harry Melling Went From PG ‘Harry Potter’ to B.D.S.M. ‘Pillion’ – The New York Times

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Actor Harry Melling, best known for playing Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter series, reintroduces himself in Harry Lighton’s queer romantic comedy Pillion, which opened in theaters on Feb. 6, 2026. In the film Melling, 36, performs a physically and emotionally explicit role opposite a brooding biker, a contrast that has surprised many who remember … Read more

4 takeaways as Celtics beat Mavericks with new-look lineup after trade – MassLive

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Feb. 3, 2026 — The Boston Celtics closed out a 110-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas on Tuesday night, winning their third straight game with a reconfigured starting five after a midafternoon trade. Payton Pritchard shifted to the bench for the first time this season and produced 26 points and seven assists as … Read more

Bitcoin-Led Selloff Wipes Out Nearly $500 Billion in a Week

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Lead Between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, 2026, global cryptocurrency valuations plunged by $467.6 billion, driven by a sharp drop in Bitcoin prices. CoinGecko data recorded the decline, which accelerated through the week and sent Bitcoin to its lowest level since early November 2024. The move unfolded as markets digested shifting sentiment after the U.S. … Read more

Nvidia Stock Investors Got Great News From Palantir and Teradyne – The Motley Fool

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Palantir and Teradyne released stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results on Monday after the market close, and investors quickly interpreted the reports as a positive signal for Nvidia ahead of its Feb. 25 earnings release. Palantir reported sharp revenue and EPS gains led by U.S. commercial growth, while Teradyne cited AI-driven demand for semiconductor test equipment and raised … Read more

2026 Pro Bowl Games: What We Learned from NFC’s 66-52 win – NFL.com

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Lead: On Tuesday night in San Francisco at the Moscone Center, the NFC erased a 52-36 third-quarter deficit to beat the AFC 66-52 in the fourth annual Pro Bowl Games — the first edition staged during Super Bowl week. A two-quarterback deployment and late scoring by several Cowboys receivers keyed the comeback, while George Pickens … Read more

What is Liberty Prime From the Fallout Games? – IGN

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Lead: Liberty Prime is the colossal combat robot from the Fallout series first conceived before the Great War and glimpsed again in Fallout media and the TV adaptation. The Fallout season two post-credits scene (Feb 4, 2026) shows blueprints labeled “Liberty Prime Alpha,” tying the show to the games’ lore. In the games the machine … Read more

Saif al‑Islam Gaddafi Reportedly Shot Dead

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Lead Saif al‑Islam Gaddafi, 53, the son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, was reported shot dead, a development his political team publicly confirmed on Tuesday. Accounts differ on where he died—his lawyer said an attack at his Zintan home, while his sister said he died near the Libya–Algeria border. The lawyer told AFP that … Read more

Trump, 79, Lets Cankles Slip in Photo With World Leader

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In their first in-person meeting on Feb. 3, 2026 in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump, 79, met Colombian President Gustavo Petro, 65, for talks that covered Venezuela, oil and energy policy, and Colombia’s upcoming elections. A widely circulated photograph from the meeting drew attention to Trump’s visibly swollen ankles protruding from his shoes while … Read more

HRW: Trump-era abuses deepen ‘democratic recession’, threaten human rights

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Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the world is experiencing a “democratic recession,” with roughly 72% of the global population now living under autocratic rule — a concentration of non-democratic governance not seen since the mid-1980s. HRW executive director Philippe Bolopion identified 2025 as a watershed year for rights in the United States, arguing that actions … Read more