Do insects have feelings?

The roll-call of creatures recognised by law as sentient — capable of feelings such as joy and fear — has expanded beyond the easily anthropomorphisable to animals such as octopuses and lobsters. So why not insects? Scientists have started to explore whether insects go beyond simple ‘reflex machines’ with experiments that aim to reveal something about their inner lives.

How AI is unlocking ancient texts — and could rewrite history

From deciphering burnt Roman scrolls to reading crumbling cuneiform tablets, neural networks could give researchers more data than they’ve had in centuries.