A humanoid robot made by the Chinese company Honor ran a half-marathon in Beijing faster than the human world record. The robot completed the 21-kilometer race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, showing big progress compared to last year’s robot race time of 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Key Facts
The half-marathon distance was 21 kilometers (about 13 miles).
The robot’s time was 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
The human world record holder, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, finished a half-marathon in about 57 minutes in March 2026.
Last year, the winning robot finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds.
The robot was designed with long legs about 95 cm (37 inches) and a liquid-cooling system to help it run faster.
About 40% of the robots ran by themselves, while the others were remotely controlled.
One remotely controlled Honor robot finished the race even faster, in 48 minutes.
The event was held alongside a human race, and some robots had minor accidents during the race.
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The Texas Petawatt (TPW) is one of the most powerful lasers in the United States, located underground at the University of Texas at Austin. It was used by scientists from around the country to conduct research in physics, fusion energy, and medical treatments before closing due to funding cuts.
Key Facts
TPW is housed two floors below ground in a building at the University of Texas at Austin.
The laser produces extremely powerful light pulses that last only a trillionth of a second.
These pulses can have more power than the entire U.S. electrical grid during that brief moment.
Scientists use TPW to study topics like star interiors, fusion energy, and cancer treatment methods.
A typical “shot day” involves careful preparation, alignment, and testing before firing the laser briefly.
The laser amplifies a tiny initial light pulse through several stages using glass rods and disks plus flash lamps.
Maintaining perfect alignment during the process is critical to avoid damaging the expensive optics.
TPW was part of LaserNetUS, a Department of Energy network of high-power laser labs, but is now closed due to funding cuts.
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A humanoid robot set a new world record by completing a half-marathon in Beijing faster than human runners, finishing the 21-kilometer race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. This shows fast progress in robot technology, with over 100 robots competing this year compared to about 20 last year.
Key Facts
The robot ran the half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the current men’s human record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds.
The race took place in Yizhuang, a southern district of Beijing, with robots and humans running in separate lanes.
The robot was made by Chinese smartphone maker Honor and used an autonomous navigation system, allowing it to run without human control.
Last year’s best robot time was more than two hours and 40 minutes, showing large improvements in one year.
More than 100 humanoid robots competed this year, up from about 20 last year, indicating growing interest in robot racing.
Spectators noted the technology is advancing quickly, with potential future uses in jobs like caregiving, housework, and firefighting.
China invested 73.5 billion yuan ($10.8 billion) in robotics and embodied artificial intelligence in 2025.
The event aims to encourage innovation and make robot technology more popular.
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Humanoid robots took part in a half-marathon in Beijing, running alongside human runners. A Chinese robot completed the race in 50 minutes, breaking the previous record set last year.
Key Facts
The half-marathon race took place in Beijing.
Humanoid robots competed side by side with humans.
A Chinese-developed robot finished the race in 50 minutes.
This time broke the record from the previous year.
The event shows China’s efforts to become a leader in robotics.
Humanoid robots are robots designed to look and move like humans.
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A humanoid robot in Beijing finished a half-marathon faster than the human world record, completing the 21-kilometer race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. This event showed progress in China’s robot technology, with the winner designed to run fast and cool itself during the race.
Key Facts
The robot race took place in Beijing on April 19, 2026.
The winning robot, made by Chinese company Honor, ran the half-marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds.
This time is faster than the human world record of about 57 minutes set by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo.
Last year’s winning robot took over 2 hours and 40 minutes to finish the same race.
The robot has long legs and a special liquid-cooling system to help it perform well.
About 40% of robots ran the course by themselves; the rest were controlled remotely.
A remotely controlled robot finished even faster (48 minutes 19 seconds) but didn’t win due to race rules favoring autonomous robots.
A robot also acted as a traffic officer during the event, guiding participants.
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Robots took part in a half marathon race in Beijing, China. The fastest robot, named Lightning and made by the smartphone company Honor, finished the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, which is quicker than the human world record.
Key Facts
The race was a half marathon held in Beijing, China.
Robots competed both autonomously and via remote control.
About 40% of the robots raced by themselves without human control.
The winning robot, Lightning, was created by the Chinese smartphone maker Honor.
Lightning completed the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
The human men’s half marathon world record is 57 minutes and 20 seconds, set by Jacob Kiplimo in 2024.
The event showed robots running faster than top human athletes in this race.
The competition highlights advances in robotics technology.
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Humanoid robots in Beijing showed big improvement by running a half-marathon much faster than last year. The fastest robot finished the race in 50 minutes, beating the world record time set by a human runner, though it needed help near the end.
Key Facts
Last year, many robots struggled to start or finish the marathon; this year, more than 100 participated.
The winning robot was made by Honor, a Chinese smartphone company.
The winning robot’s time was 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than the human world record of 57 minutes.
Robots ran on separate tracks alongside humans to avoid crashes.
Robots showed physical skills that could help in dangerous jobs and even military uses.
China is investing a lot to become a leader in humanoid robots with government support and policies.
In February, China showed off robots doing martial arts on national TV alongside human kids.
The marathon highlights how robot technology is improving quickly in China.
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A humanoid robot made by the Chinese company Honor completed a half-marathon race in Beijing faster than the human world record. The robot finished the 21-kilometer race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the human record time of about 57 minutes set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo.
Key Facts
The half-marathon race was held in Beijing and included robots competing against each other.
The winning robot used autonomous navigation, meaning it operated on its own without remote control.
About 40% of the robots in the race ran autonomously, while the rest were controlled remotely.
A remotely-controlled robot crossed the finish line earlier but did not win under the event’s scoring rules.
This year’s winning time was much faster than last year’s winning robot time of 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Other robots from Honor finished the race in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes.
The event highlights China’s focus on advancing technology like humanoid robots in its national development plans.
Chinese companies AGIBOT, Unitree Robotics, and UBTech Robotics Corp. are leading robot makers, shipping thousands of units annually.
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People are using AI chatbots like ChatGPT for health advice because they are easy to access and can give quick answers. However, studies show these chatbots often give wrong or misleading medical advice when people share incomplete or unclear information.
Key Facts
Abi, a user from Manchester, uses ChatGPT for health advice and finds it more personalized than internet searches.
ChatGPT sometimes gives helpful advice, like recommending a pharmacist visit for a urinary tract infection.
In a more serious case, ChatGPT incorrectly advised Abi to go to A&E urgently, causing unnecessary hospital wait time.
England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, says chatbot answers can sound confident but often are wrong.
Research by Oxford’s Reasoning with Machines Laboratory found chatbots are 95% accurate when given full detailed information.
When people interact naturally with chatbots and give partial information, accuracy drops to 35%.
Human conversation style, where information is shared little by little or incompletely, causes chatbots to make mistakes.
Serious conditions like brain bleeding can be missed or misdiagnosed by chatbots depending on how symptoms are described.
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A new James Bond video game called "007 First Light" is coming out on May 27, 2026, for major gaming platforms. The game features Patrick Gibson as James Bond and includes an original song by Lana Del Rey, continuing the franchise’s tradition of themed music and stylish visuals.
Key Facts
"007 First Light" is a James Bond origin story video game developed by IO Interactive and Amazon MGM Studios.
Patrick Gibson stars as James Bond in the game.
The game will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC in May 2026, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version arriving later in the summer.
Lana Del Rey performed and co-wrote the original song "First Light" for the game’s title sequence.
The developers released a full cinematic title sequence showcasing typical Bond themes like explosions and glamorous imagery.
This is the first major James Bond video game since 2012’s "007 Legends."
Amazon MGM Studios has taken over the James Bond film series from EON Productions.
IO Interactive is known for creating the popular "Hitman" series.
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A man named Daniel Moreno-Gama threw a molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home and later tried to break into OpenAI’s headquarters. He was arrested and charged with serious crimes, including attempted arson and attempted murder, amid growing anger towards artificial intelligence.
Key Facts
The attack happened early on April 10 in San Francisco.
Moreno-Gama threw a flaming molotov cocktail at Altman’s house but no one was hurt.
He then tried to break into OpenAI’s office with kerosene, a lighter, and an anti-AI manifesto.
Authorities charged him with attempted arson, attempted murder, and other crimes.
Moreno-Gama traveled from Houston, Texas to carry out the attack.
His manifesto threatened to kill AI company leaders and warned of AI destroying humanity.
Two days later, two people fired shots near Altman’s home; they were arrested but later released and face no charges yet.
Altman called for calming the AI debate and shared a family photo to discourage violence.
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A new study shows that Earth’s artificial light at night has increased by 16% from 2014 to 2022, but this change is uneven and sometimes reverses in certain regions. Factors like the Covid-19 pandemic, energy regulations, economic problems, and conflicts have caused some areas to get dimmer while others get brighter.
Key Facts
Researchers analyzed over 1.1 million satellite images from 2014 to 2022 to measure night-time light on Earth.
Artificial night light grew by 16% globally in that period, continuing a trend of increasing light pollution.
Some places, such as Europe and Venezuela, saw a decrease in night-time light due to energy efficiency rules and economic collapse.
The Covid-19 pandemic and reduced industrial activity caused temporary dimming in many regions.
The Ukraine-Russia war affected night light patterns in that area.
Asia led the world in the increase of artificial night light, with rapid urban growth in China and northern India.
The study revealed widespread gas flaring (burning off natural gas) in US oil production areas like Texas and North Dakota.
Scientists used advanced image processing to remove interference like clouds and moonlight to get accurate measurements.
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A dermatologist named Lindsey Zubritsky shared a popular video encouraging people to try traditional skincare products often used by grandmothers. She highlighted affordable brands like Vaseline, Pond’s, Gold Bond, Olay, Dove, and Nivea as effective and simple skincare options in a market full of expensive and complex products.
Key Facts
Lindsey Zubritsky is a board-certified dermatologist who posted a viral Instagram video about "grandma skincare."
Her video has nearly 500,000 views and urges people not to ignore classic skincare products.
She recommends four key products: Vaseline, Pond’s cold cream, Gold Bond, and Olay.
Zubritsky also likes Dove beauty bar and Nivea cream for being gentle and affordable.
These older products are praised for moisturizing well and treating common skin issues.
The skincare market is very large, with expected global revenue of $204 billion in 2024.
People appreciate simple and familiar skincare routines amid many new, costly products.
Zubritsky uses social media to educate and simplify skincare information for viewers.
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Nintendo named the video game character Mario after a real businessman, Mario Segale, who was their landlord in the 1980s. A recent research study found Segale’s father was also named Luigi, which might have inspired the name of the character Luigi, Mario’s brother in the games.
Key Facts
Mario Segale was a businessman from Washington state who inspired Nintendo’s character Mario.
Nintendo created the character Luigi as Mario’s brother, but the real Mario Segale did not have a brother named Luigi.
Researcher Elisabeth Zetland found that Mario Segale’s father was named Luigi.
Luigi Segale immigrated from Italy to the US in 1909 and later became a farmer in Washington.
Luigi Segale served in the US military during World War I.
The video game creator Shigeru Miyamoto said Luigi’s name was chosen because it rhymes with a Japanese word meaning “similar.”
Some thought Luigi’s name came from a nearby pizza parlor called Mario & Luigi’s.
Nintendo has not commented on the new information about Segale’s father’s name.
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The White House and AI company Anthropic met recently to discuss cooperation despite ongoing legal disputes between them. Anthropic released a new AI tool called Claude Mythos that can help find and exploit security flaws in computer code, raising both interest and concern within the U.S. government.
Key Facts
Anthropic is suing the U.S. Department of Defense after being labeled a "supply chain risk," meaning its technology was considered unsafe for government use.
The Claude Mythos AI tool can find bugs in old software and identify ways to exploit them autonomously.
Only a few dozen companies currently have access to the Mythos tool.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently met with high-level White House officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The White House described the meeting as productive, focusing on potential collaboration and balancing innovation with safety.
Despite previous hostility, including President Trump's public rejection of Anthropic, government agencies continue to use the company’s AI tools.
The legal fight escalated after the Defense Department restricted Anthropic's access due to security concerns, which Anthropic says was retaliation.
The White House acknowledged the importance of Anthropic’s AI technology for national security and expressed willingness to work together.
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This article explains how certain smart home devices can help homeowners save money by reducing energy use. It highlights four types of devices: LED bulbs, smart power strips, smart thermostats, and electric fireplaces, showing how each contributes to energy savings and efficiency.
Key Facts
LED bulbs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs.
Lighting accounts for about 15% of a home’s electricity use, and switching to LED bulbs can save around $225 per year.
“Energy vampires” are devices that use power even when turned off; they can cost up to $183 per year in wasted energy.
Smart power strips can automatically stop electricity to devices not in use, cutting down on wasted standby power.
Heating and cooling make up more than half the energy used in U.S. homes; smart thermostats can reduce these costs by 10% to 23%, saving $50 to $200 per year.
Smart thermostats adjust home temperature automatically using technology linked to your phone to save energy when you’re not home.
Traditional fireplaces lose over 90% of heat through the chimney, but electric fireplaces convert almost all electricity into heat efficiently.
Electric fireplaces improve air quality because they do not produce smoke or fumes.
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Netflix’s sci-fi series "3 Body Problem" will have fewer episodes in its next two seasons, with season 2 having six episodes and season 3 possibly only five. The show adapts a popular Chinese science fiction book series and aims to finish the story by the end of season 3.
Key Facts
"3 Body Problem" season 1 on Netflix has 8 episodes.
Season 2 will have 6 episodes, confirmed by a production photo.
Season 3 is reported to have as few as 5 episodes.
The show is based on the Chinese novel series "Remembrance of Earth's Past" by Liu Cixin.
Season 2 adapts the second book, "The Dark Forest"; season 3 adapts the third book, "Death’s End."
The creators want to tell a complete story with a clear ending in the next seasons.
Season 2 is expected to release on Netflix in 2026.
New cast members for season 2 include Claudia Doumit and Alfie Allen alongside returning actors.
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Some podcasts that use artificial intelligence to generate health information are sharing wrong or misleading facts. Medical experts warn that this misinformation can hurt people who rely on these podcasts for health advice.
Key Facts
Millions of Americans listen to podcasts for health information.
Some podcasts use AI technology to create their content.
Experts have noticed that certain AI-generated podcasts spread false health information.
Misinformation in health can cause harm by leading people to make bad decisions.
Dr. Céline Gounder, a medical contributor for CBS News, discussed these concerns.
The issue highlights the need for checking the accuracy of health information on podcasts.
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Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, met with senior officials at the White House to discuss the company’s future and its ongoing issues with the Pentagon. The White House described the meeting as productive and constructive.
Key Facts
Anthropic is an artificial intelligence (AI) company.
CEO Dario Amodei had a meeting with top officials at the White House.
The meeting took place on a Friday.
It was described as an introductory meeting.
The White House officials called the meeting productive and constructive.
The discussion included opportunities involving Anthropic.
Anthropic currently has ongoing disputes with the Pentagon.
The meeting raised questions about how Anthropic will work with the Trump administration going forward.
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At the 2026 Bafta games awards in London, the role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the superhero comedy Dispatch both won three awards, making them the biggest winners of the night. Other games, including Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2, also received several honors across various categories.
Key Facts
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received 12 nominations and won best game, debut game, and best lead performer (Jennifer English).
Dispatch won awards for animation, audio achievement, and best supporting performer (Jeffrey Wright).
Ghost of Yōtei won for music and technical achievement.
Death Stranding 2 had seven nominations and won for artistic achievement.
Atomfall won the British game category, beating games like Two Point Museum and Power Wash Simulator 2.
South of Midnight won new intellectual property, beating strong competition.
Despelote received the game beyond entertainment award for its unique story about Ecuador’s 2002 World Cup qualifying.
Ilkka Paananen, CEO and co-founder of Supercell, received the Bafta Fellowship award.
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