Sir Demis Hassabis discovered he had won the Nobel Prize in chemistry this week when his wife — also a scientific researcher — received several calls on Skype to urgently request his phone number.

“My mind was completely frazzled, which hardly ever happens. It was . . . almost like an out-of-body experience,” said Hassabis, co-founder and chief executive of Google DeepMind, the artificial intelligence division of the Silicon Valley search giant.

The chemistry Nobel, which Hassabis shared with his colleague John Jumper and US biochemist David Baker, was won for unlocking an impossible problem in biology that had remained unsolved for 50 years: predicting the structure of every protein known to humanity, using an AI software known as AlphaFold.

Having cracked that long-standing challenge, with widespread implications in science and medicine, Hassabis has his sights set on climate change and healthcare. “I want us to help solve some diseases,” he told the Financial Times.

His team is working on six drug development programmes with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novartis, which focus on disease areas such as cancers and Alzheimer’s. Hassabis said he expects to have a drug candidate in clinical trials within two years.

His other big areas of focus are using AI to model the climate more accurately, and to cross the ultimate frontier in AI research: invent machine intelligence at par with human intelligence.

“When we look back in 10 years, I hope [AI] will have heralded a new golden era of scientific discovery in all these different domains,” said Hassabis, who was formerly a neuroscientist and video game designer. “That’s what got me into AI in the first place. I see it as the ultimate tool in accelerating scientific research.”

The DeepMind duo was recognised on Wednesday, a day after former Google colleague and veteran AI scientist Geoffrey Hinton won the physics prize alongside physicist John Hopfield for their work on neural networks, the foundational technology for modern AI systems that underpin healthcare, social media, self-driving cars — and AlphaFold itself.

The recognition of AI breakthroughs highlights a new era in research, emphasising the importance of computing tools and data science in cracking complex scientific problems at far shorter timescales, in everything from physics to mathematics, chemistry and biology.

“It’s obviously interesting that the [Nobel] committee has decided to make a statement like this by having the two together,” Hassabis said.

The awards also encapsulate AI’s promises and potential pitfalls.

Hopfield and Hinton were pioneers in the discipline in the early 1980s. Hinton, who is 76 and left Google last year, said he didn’t plan to do further research. He instead intends to advocate for work on the safety of AI systems, and for governments to facilitate it.

By contrast, the DeepMind pair won for work unveiled mainly in the past five years, and remain extremely optimistic about its societal impact.

“The impact of [AI] in particular on science but also on the modern world more broadly is now very, very clear,” said Maneesh Sahani, director of the Gatsby unit at University College London, a research institute focused on machine learning and theoretical neuroscience. Hinton was the Gatsby’s founding director in 1998, while Hassabis worked as a postdoctoral researcher there in 2009, eventually spinning out DeepMind from the UCL institute in 2010.

“Machine learning is showing up all over the place, from people analysing ancient text in forgotten languages, to radiographs and other medical imaging. There is a toolkit that we now have that will push science and academic disciplines forward in all sorts of different directions,” said Sahani, who is also a neuroscience professor. 

AlphaFold’s recent iterations have “ramifications across all of medicine, biology and many other areas” because they are so fundamental to living organisms, said Charlotte Deane, a professor of structural bioinformatics at Oxford university.

“Many were sceptical when they started, but very quickly their program outperformed all other programs to predict protein structures,” said Venki Ramakrishnan, a biologist who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2009 for his work related to protein synthesis. “It really dramatically changed the field.”

AlphaFold has been used by more than 2mn scientists to, among other things, analyse the malarial parasite to develop a vaccine, improve plant resistance to climate change, and to study the structure of the nuclear pore — one of the largest protein complexes in the human body.

Rosalyn Moran, a neuroscience professor at King’s College London, and chief executive of AI start-up Stanhope AI said: “Tool building is blue collar scientific work . . . they are often the unsung heroes of science. For me that was the most exciting part of the award.”

AlphaFold still has shortcomings as reported by its creators earlier this year, including “hallucinations” of “spurious structural order” in cell regions that are in fact disordered. Another challenge facing the use of AI for scientific research is that some important fields of investigation may be less rich than protein analysis in experimental data.

In the physics Nobel, Hinton and Hopfield’s work used fundamental concepts from physics and neuroscience to develop AI tools that can process patterns in large information networks.

The Boltzmann machine, which Hinton invented, was able to learn from specific examples rather than instructions. The machine was then able to recognise new examples of categories it had been trained on, such as images of cats.

This type of learning software, known as neural networks, now form the basis of most AI applications, such as facial recognition software and large language models, the technique that underpins ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. One of Hinton’s former students, Ilya Sutskever, was co-founder and chief scientist of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. 

“I would say I am someone who doesn’t really know what field he’s in but would like to understand how the brain works,” said Hinton, a computer scientist and cognitive psychologist, during a press conference this week. “And in my attempts to understand how the brain works, I’ve helped to create a technology that works surprisingly well.”

The AI prizes have also brought to the fore the interconnected nature of scientific discoveries, and the need for sharing of data and expertise — an increasingly rare phenomenon in AI research occurring inside commercial outfits such as OpenAI and Google.

Neuroscience and physics principles were used to develop the AI models of today, while the data generated by biologists helped invent the AlphaFold software.

“Scientists like me have traditionally solved protein shapes using laborious experimental methods which can take years,” said Rivka Isaacson, professor of molecular biophysics at King’s College London, who was an early beta tester of AlphaFold. “It was however these solved structures, which the experimental world deposits for public use, that were used to train AlphaFold.”

She added that the AI technique had allowed scientists like her to “skip ahead to probe deeper into protein function and dynamics, asking different questions and potentially opening up whole new areas of research”.

Ultimately, AI — like electron microscopy or X-ray crystallography — remains an analytical tool, not an independent agent conducting original research. Hassabis insists the technology cannot replace the work of scientists.

“The human ingenuity comes in — asking the question, the conjecture, the hypothesis, our systems can’t do any of that,” he said. “[AI] just analyses data right now.” 

NEIGHBOURS are at war over a “Grand Designs”-style home which is said to be an “eyesore” and has been compared to a pile of “shipping containers”.

The property – in a historic stockbroker town in the Home Counties – was constructed on a road where homes sell for more than £1million.

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Plans to build the home were initially approved in 2017 but the landowner made it two metres too high, located it in the wrong place on the plot of land and clad it in a plastic material rather than natural stone and oak.

After an outcry from residents, last year the local council imposed a demolition order on the house.

However, the Independent Planning Inspector, as part of the appeals process, instructed the landowner to make modifications to the building, but they were different to the originally approved planning permission.

Developer Peter Strange was given permission by Waverley Borough Council to build the home in Farnham, Surrey, seven years ago.

The original planning permission was for an “innovative cantilever design”, which would nestle into the woodland backdrop of the steep hillside plot.

The house is positioned just up the road from the Bourne Woods – a location used for the filming of blockbusters such as Napoleon, Gladiator and Harry Potter.

However, the finished building – which appears to be currently unoccupied – was out of line with the submitted plans.

The house was built six metres further to the south than planned, rotated approximately ten degrees from the consented dwelling, and was two metres higher than planned.

And, despite natural stone and oak cladding used in the plans – neighbours said a plastic material was used instead which “radically” changed the appearance.

After the landowner was threatened with enforcement action, Mr Strange – who bought the land in March 2018 for £450,000 – applied for retrospective planning permission for the new home.

This application received over 170 objections from locals who cited a variety of complaints.

One objector, Kevin Lester, wrote that it was an “ugly building” which is “far too big” and “imposing”.

“As it is, it looks like a number of Grey Shipping Containers have just been dumped on site, stacked and bolted together,” he said.

The application was not approved and an appeal was later dismissed with an enforcement order for demolition issued.

Last year, Mr Strange sought permission for the “erection of a dwelling with associated works following demolition of original dwelling”.

This application attracted further objection from residents who questioned why they were having to protest the plans again.

Nearby resident Paul Webb branded the situation a “carbuncle” and said the house was “completely out of character” when compared to the neighbouring properties.

As it is, it looks like a number of Grey Shipping Containers have just been dumped on site, stacked and bolted together

Kevin Lester

“The dreadful abuse then carried out by the developers, flouting the Council’s permission and attempting to foist the ‘shipping container’ house in our beautiful area of Farnham was rightly reversed with the demolition order, and it is impossible to believe that the miscreants even have a right of appeal?”

Mr Webb stated the planning process “risks falling into farce” unless the council sends a “clear signal” to developers that “they must abide by the law”.

Despite further push back from neighbours, the council have upheld part of the landowner’s appeal, meaning the property can stay up as long as changes are made in the next 12 months.

Noel Moss chairs the Bourne Conservation group and has lived in Farnham for 10 years.

‘BLOT ON THE LANDSCAPE’

The 88-year-old said the property is a “blot on the landscape”, adding: “What was built there, as an architectural design, is completely out of keeping with other buildings in the area – for example, the nice cottage opposite.

“With my conservation hat on, it is also taking up character of the very nice green space which faces you as you drive into Farnham from the South – that was always a very nice view.”

Mr Moss, who served in the Army for 30 years, said the site was also a ‘very important foraging area for bats”.

“What I think none of us can understand, is how the planning authority – who would also be aware of the character of the area – allowed such a design to go through, and secondly, didn’t check what was being built,” he continued.

“I don’t think the planning authority at Waverley are exempt from criticism on this matter.”

On the update to the plans, he said: “No one, including the planning committee, understands the present situation.

“My view, and the view of other neighbours I talk to, is that they can’t understand if it needs to be demolished.”

Everyone has to stick to the planning law

Louisa Bristow

Jewellery designer Louisa Bristow also lives near the house and admitted she didn’t “mind” what it looked like as it was “a little bit different”, which she welcomed.

But, the 46-year-old said “everyone has to stick to the planning law”, adding: “The rules are they for a reason and we need to follow them.

“Most people live and left live, some people are very vocal – we just don’t want people to take the mick.”

Jamie Dobse, 52, also lives near the property – and admitted he quite liked the “modern” appearance of it.

“I think it’s a shame it’s not occupied now,” he said of the property, “It wasn’t built as it was designed. I think as it was being built, it seemed quite obvious that it wasn’t how it was agreed.

“It seemed quite obviously different to the proposal.”

Mr Dobse, who works as a designer, said it would be “incredibly wasteful” to demolish the “contemporary” house.

“We need more housing,” he added.

Upholding part of the appeal, the planning inspector said: “As revised, the dwelling would nestle comfortably in the woodland setting in local views, retaining the informal rural character and well-wooded appearance of the locality.

“Owing to its greater overall height the permitted dwelling would have been a more visible built feature, even though set back further into the wooded hillside at a slightly different angle.

“Consequently, the revised dwelling would not appear as a prominent built feature in the surroundings, the immediate setting being largely dominated by maturing trees consistent with the visual qualities of the Arcadian Area.”

A Waverley Borough Council spokesperson told The Sun Online: “We need planning laws to protect our local environment and it is vitally important that they are followed.

“The landowner of 17 Frensham Road did not stick to the agreed plans for their development, and the council issued them with an enforcement notice requiring the demolition of the building.

“The landowner appealed the council’s ruling, and an independent planning inspector has given them until 16 August 2025 to modify the building.

“Various changes are required, including the removal of an external staircase, lowering the roofline and the use of timber cladding, otherwise the building will need to be demolished.”

The Sun Online has attempted to track down Mr Strange for comment.

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STARING at the gigantic copper cauldron where the King of England used to bathe, I kick myself for ­forgetting my swimmers.

It’s not often you get the chance to share the same hot tub as the supreme ruler of the British Empire.

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I’m in a spa town deep in a Bohemian forest, unearthing areas of the Czech Republic I’d never heard of.

For three exciting days I would be exploring this beautiful central European country entirely by rail.

My journey begins in Prague. The beautiful capital city on the Vltava River is packed with history.

Climbing the hill up to Prague castle is a must.

The fortress is the largest castle complex in the world. Inside its towering walls are historical buildings and museums including the Old Royal Palace and the city’s gothic temple, St Vitus Cathedral.

That evening I catch a train west.

Unlike those in the UK, trains in Czechia run smoothly and are dirt cheap.

Prague is soon far behind as the IC 558 train trundles along, following the Berounka river’s meandering path through the countryside.

I catch snapshots through the window.

Paddle boarders punt down the river.

Giggling kids tumble down a giant inflatable slide at a village fete.

As the sun sets the train pulls into the serene spa town of Marianske Lazne in the deep Bohemian forest.

Since local monks discovered the mineral-rich springs in the early 19th century, people have been coming here to drink, bathe in, and even inject the healing water and gases that bubble out of the ground.

The town’s heyday was in the Victorian era when spa treatments were popular among high society.

One such spa obsessive was King Edward VII, who visited Marianske Lanze nine times for weight-loss treatments in a purpose-built room at the Nové Lázně spa.

The hotel is still there and for a hefty price, guests can book a session in the large copper bath he used.

My own treatment takes place at the Falkensteiner hotel and spa, a five-star resort with a 2,500sq metre spa complex, 162 rooms, heated pool, excellent restaurant and stylish bar.

After a buffet breakfast, I’m ushered into a dimly lit wood-panelled room where a bath of warm water the colour of milky tea is waiting.

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The slightly sparkling mineral-rich water is pumped directly from the hotel’s own Alexandra Spring, 800 metres away.

The treatment is said to widen blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation to relax the mind and body.

The health benefits of spa treatments like this are taken seriously.
Drinking fountains dotted around the town deliver water from the local springs.

Iron-rich and metallic- tasting it is believed to help alleviate inflammation. I hope it does, because it tastes revolting.

Staying at the spa resort hotels is pricey.

But there are plenty of cheaper hotels in the town and treatments at the spa complexes are available for walk-in customers too.

Czechs are the world’s most prolific beer drinkers, consuming 184.1 litres of it each every year.

Nowhere is this obsession more obvious than in my next stop, the city of Pilsen.

It’s just over an hour away by rail and my train ticket costs the equivalent of £6.

Home of the world-famous Pilsner beer, the town is swimming in the stuff and by the end of the day, I will be too — literally.

Among the most popular brews is the famous Pilsner Urquell. The first ever pilsner beer, it has been brewed here since 1842.

A tour of the Pilsner Urquell brewery is fascinating.

The 90-minute walk-through shows the original brewing method and vats from the early 19th century.

Then, the modern, vastly scaled-up operation, where staggering amounts are brewed, bottled then shipped worldwide.

The tour ends in the miles of subterranean tunnels where the beer was once stored.

Here, brewmasters keep the traditional method alive, brewing the Pilsner in oak barrels.

Comparisons are regularly made to the modern method to ensure it tastes authentic.

And you can judge for yourself, with a glass of cold Pilsner poured straight from the barrel at the end.

I head off to soak up some more beer, this time through my pores.

On the outskirts of Pilsen, at the Purkmistr Brewery, an interesting mash-up has spawned the “beer spa” — a big wooden bathtub full of warm, hoppy lager, minus the alcohol (it dries out the skin).

Submerged up to my neck in barley, hops and yeast with a large keg of pilsner within arm’s reach and Oasis’s Wonderwall playing over the complex’s sound system, I feel I have achieved lager-nirvana.

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HOUSEHOLDS across England can get up to a whopping £2,665 worth of cost of living payments this month.

The money comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £421million in total.

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The fund has been split up between councils in England who are in charge of distributing their allocation before the end of September.

What you can get depends on where you live, as each local authority has been given its own unique amount.

Now households across England are being offered a collective of £2,665 cost of living payments – with up to £500 per household depending on your location.

The government recently encouraged state pensioners who have just missed out on a Winter Fuel Payment to claim money from the Household Support Fund where they live instead.

Discussing the fund, the government said: “Over a million pensioners will still receive the Winter Fuel Payments, and our drive to boost Pension Credit take up has already seen a 152per cent increase in claims.

“Many others will also benefit from the £150 Warm Home Discount to help with energy bills overwinter while our extension of the Household Support Fund will help with the cost of food, heating and bills.”

Below is a list of councils known to be offering support and how much:

• Brent: £500
• Blackpool: £300
• Rutland: £200
• Herefordshire: £500
• Sunderland: £220
• Bracknell Forest: £315
• Rotherham: £250
• Wiltshire: £200
• Cambridgeshire: £110

You will only receive the payment if you were found to have been eligible after applying.

Anyone who qualifies for help will have received an email telling them.

A maximum of one payment will be made per household and any payments are being made direct into bank accounts.

Some councils started distributing help in April and have already depleted their share, so you might have missed out for now.

The Household Support Fund has been extended multiple times since its inception in October 2021, so it may be extended again though.

There are currently a number of councils offering help via the HSF.

Leicestershire Council is handing out payments worth £300 to thousands of households.

Households in Stockport can claim up to £315 worth of free supermarket vouchers to help with the cost of living.

Meanwhile, Wokingham Council is handing out grants worth up to £140.

If you want to check if you are eligible for help, contact your local council.

You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool.

How else to get help with the cost of living

If you’re not eligible for the Household Support Fund in your local area, it’s worth checking if you qualify for benefits.

Recent figures from Policy in Practice reveal millions of people aren’t claiming the extra help when they could be.

In total, £23billion went unclaimed over the last financial year, with £8.3billion worth of Universal Credit not claimed for.

You can apply for benefits on the Government’s website.

It’s not just extra money you get from benefits either, with a number opening up additional perks.

Those on Universal Credit can get help covering the cost of childcare, for example, while those on Pension Credit can get a free TV licence.

Those on the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit also qualify for the Warm Home Discount – a £150 discount off energy bills once a year.

You may also be able to get grants to cover your energy bills if you’ve fallen into arrears.

A number of energy firms offer grants to struggling customers, including Scottish Power, Octopus Energy and British Gas.

If you’re struggling to pay your bills, speak to your supplier to see if they can give you any help.

I fear that in the Budget this month UK chancellor Rachel Reeves may be seduced by the proposal your distinguished contributing editor Andy Haldane puts forward for jettisoning International Financial Reporting Standards — the accounting rules for public companies (Opinion, FT Weekend, August 5).

Deriding these standards as probably “not . . . among the finest inventions of the human mind”, Haldane contends that they have materially damped business investment in the EU and the UK, and delayed decarbonisation. The suggestion is that by decreeing they be ditched the chancellor could boost investment, raise gross domestic product, cut carbon emissions and burnish her reputation for cutting red tape — and all this without spending government money. On the face of it, a very tempting addition to her other measures due to be announced on October 30.

I normally find Haldane’s pieces persuasive. But not this time, because he seriously misunderstands the current form and past development of international, UK and US financial reporting standards (admittedly, not a quick and easy read for a non-accountant). This negatively impacts the force of his statistical work and the heroic inferences he seeks to draw.

And he has turned a blind eye to the significant body of rigorous peer-reviewed analysis of relevant data by independent experts, which presents a markedly contrary picture and concludes that, by reducing information asymmetry in financial markets and increasing transparency, adoption of IFRS has lowered the cost of capital and stimulated, rather than eroded, funding of business investment.

Haldane’s suggested policy would be counter-productive. The chancellor would do well to resist this tempting policy choice.

Geoff Meeks
Emeritus Professor and Fellow
Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK