Even advanced technology can struggle when the real world becomes unpredictable. In April 2026, a Waymo robotaxi in San Antonio, Texas, drove into a flooded lane during severe weather, prompting the company to recall about 3,800 vehicles for a software fix.

No one was injured, but the incident exposed a deeper challenge: intelligence is not just about processing data. It is about knowing where to look, what to notice, when to act and how to use previous experience when conditions change.

AI researchers are now looking at bees and other insects to help them design machines and robots that can make better decisions.

My research explores how bees learn, from identifying simple visual patterns to mastering high-level concepts, and how they adapt their behaviour when conditions change.

By combining behavioural experiments, neural recording (for example, measuring signals from the brain) and neuromorphic computing (an approach to computing inspired by the animal brain), my goal is to uncover the biological code that allows tiny brains to navigate a complex world and make efficient decisions. I have also worked in industry to translate these biological discoveries into robotic applications – bringing the intelligence of the hive to machine intelligence.

Research on honeybee decision making has shown that bees make rapid and accurate choices about whether to accept or reject flowers. They do not need perfect information. Instead, they combine sensory evidence, past experience and the likely value of a reward (for example, how much nectar they might gather).

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Many autonomous systems need to be able to do this. A robot exploring a greenhouse, warehouse or disaster zone cannot wait for perfect data. Bees offer a model based on flexible decisions and useful shortcuts rather than huge computation.

With brains smaller than a sesame seed, bees navigate long distances, move through cluttered landscapes, identify rewarding flowers, avoid danger, communicate with nestmates and make rapid decisions. They achieve this with a tiny fraction of the energy used by modern computers, and can learn after only a few experiences that a new colour, scent or pattern predicts food.

This makes the bee an unlikely blueprint for low-power, robust AI and autonomous systems that can cope with the real world.

Bees can multitask

Many AI systems are designed to do one task well, such as recognising an image, following a route or detecting an object. Robotics has a harder ambition: compact machines that handle many tasks in unpredictable environments while using little power.

Bees offer a working example. During one foraging trip, a bee must find food, stay orientated, avoid danger and update its choices from experience, all with a brain containing around one million neurons. They do this by combining vision, smell, touch, vibration and airflow. Rather than processing every detail, they fuse information streams and extract what matters for survival.

Bees are valuable for robotics because they show how a small system can coordinate many tasks without huge computing power. That principle could guide low-power autonomous systems for agriculture, search and rescue, environmental monitoring and planetary exploration.

Bees also show that intelligence depends not only on what an animal senses, but also on how it moves to gather and shape information. This idea, known as active sensing, could transform robotics. When a bee approaches a flower, it does not take a still image like a camera. It moves its head and body; changes angle and creates patterns of visual motion across its eyes. These movements help useful information stand out, allowing the bee to ignore irrelevant details. This is why bees do not need to remember a flower as a detailed image. They only need to learn the key cues that help them recognise it again. Movement becomes part of sensing.

That is different from many machine-vision systems, which passively analyse images. A small robot using the bee’s strategy would not need to process every pixel. It could move to make the scene easier to understand, shifting position to judge distance, turning to improve contrast or using motion to detect obstacles.

The lesson is simple: intelligence is less about processing everything and more about using the right strategy to find the right information at the right time.

For a foraging bee, a bad decision can be costly. Visiting the wrong flower after a long journey wastes time and energy. Taking too long can mean losing an opportunity or being exposed to danger. To solve this, bees use relatively simple neural circuits to make rapid, accurate and risk-aware decisions. They do not need a huge brain or vast computing power. Instead, this minimal circuit helps them quickly decide whether to reject a flower or land on it safely.

Navigation without a map

Navigation is another area where bees inspire engineers. Bees can travel several kilometres from the hive to food sources and return home using visual landmarks, distance estimates and memory. New research inspired by honeybee flights has shown how tiny drones could navigate using very small neural networks. In the study, a bee-inspired system called Bee-Nav allowed small robots to travel away from home and return using only a compact neural memory. Therefore, future drones may not need GPS, detailed maps or large onboard computers.

Instead, they may use compact memories of important views and simple movement rules. Such systems could be useful where GPS is unreliable, such as in forests, tunnels, greenhouses or collapsed buildings.

Many future machines, from small drones to farm robots and environmental sensors, will need to act without heavy batteries or constant cloud computing. Like bees, they will need simple navigation strategies that work with limited energy, memory and information.

The real lesson is broader: intelligence does not always require scale. As AI becomes more common in daily life, the bee offers an elegant answer to rising energy demands. For decades, the ambition of AI was to build systems that match the human mind, but the bee shows that smart does not have to mean big.

By mimicking the bee’s ability to learn fast, navigate without maps and integrate multiple sources of information, we may build technology that is more efficient, flexible and resilient.

43% say they’d pay extra for destinations or accommodation with limited or no connectivity

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Two-fifths of people say their screen time increases on holiday despite 88% actively trying to disconnect. 41%, equivalent to 16.7million people, said they spend longer glued to devices while out of office even when trying to be offline.

More than half say social media makes holidays feel like work, while the same proportion admit their phones have compromised key travel moments – through distraction, pressure to post or an inability to fully switch off.

The research from Tourism Tasmania suggests disconnection has become a new status symbol. Nearly six in ten British holidaymakers describe being able to switch off completely as the ‘new luxury’ and a status symbol in itself.

Peace and quiet has overtaken traditional hotel perks, with 83% naming it the most luxurious part of a getaway, while 51% believe a proper holiday is one where they can’t be contacted at all.

More than a third (37%) of holidaymakers said they’d forgo Wi-Fi altogether over room service.

This shift is also reshaping how travellers plan to splash the cash when travelling.

Two-fifths (43%) of British holidaymakers say they’d pay extra for destinations or accommodation with limited or no connectivity.

Those actively seeking a tech-free escape admitted they’re willing to spend up to £32.50 more per night for this.

The same proportion (42%) rank remote, nature-led destinations as the most appealing option for a true digital reset.

Tasmania, Australia’s only island state, is emerging as a restorative haven. Recent high-profile visitors, including Gordon Ramsay and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, have praised the island’s world-class culinary offerings and pristine environment.

More than half of Tasmania’s land is protected in national parks and reserves and more than 20% of the island is a World Heritage wilderness. It offers a concentration of nature – from glacial lakes and ancient rainforests to rugged coastlines, iconic walks and more than 1,500 beaches.

Across parts of Tasmania limited coverage and low-population density means switching off isn’t something visitors necessarily need to plan for.

Tourism Tasmania CEO Sarah Kingston Clark said: “British travellers are telling us that holidays don’t feel like a proper break when the pressure to be online follows them everywhere.

“When people say social media is making holidays feel like work, and that being unreachable is now the marker of a ‘real’ escape, it points to a deeper shift in how many are wanting to travel.

“What’s changing for many is the role holidays play. For a long time, they’ve been about seeing more, doing more, sharing more.

“But that constant layer of connectivity means many travellers never truly switch off.

“What we’re seeing now is a growing desire to step out of that cycle altogether and spend time in places where there’s less connectivity, less noise and fewer expectations.

“That’s why Tasmania is resonating with so many people right now.

“Being an island set apart from mainland Australia, there’s a natural sense of distance from the noise and pace of the rest of the world – and with it a very different kind of holiday experience.

“Travellers can step away from devices, avoid large crows and queues and immerse themselves in remarkably pristine nature, while still enjoying easy access to world-class food and drink, arts and culture and a vibrant calendar of events – often all within close reach.

“If travellers want to stay connected they absolutely can, but if they’re looking to switch off, it tends to happen quite naturally here.

“For many people it’s not about disconnecting for the sake of it, it’s about slowing down, feeling present and reconnecting with what matters.

“For British travellers in particular, that’s increasingly what they’re looking to get out of a holiday.”

The World Health Organisation has acknowledged that the Ebola outbreak started “a couple of months ago” after criticism from the US – this is a breaking story

The World Health Organisation has acknowledged that the Ebola outbreak started “a couple of months ago” after facing sharp criticism from the US.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the United Nations’ health agency had been “a little late” in identifying the disease. Rubio told reporters: “The lead is obviously going to be CDC [Centers for Disease Control] and the World Health Organisation [WHO], which was a little late to identify this thing unfortunately.”

At a press conference on Wednesday morning, a reporter asked how long Ebola had been spreading before it was detected and whether the WHO had any response to criticism from Rubio.

Anais Legand, an Academic Researcher from WHO, replied: “Surveillance starts within the communities and starts with the health organisations in every single country.”

This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link. You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads – or visit The Mirror homepage.

Deep in the forests of Sweden lies a haunting graveyard where hundreds of classic cars have been left to rot among the trees.

The eerie Båstnäs Car Cemetery has become an unlikely attraction for photographers and urban explorers thanks to its rusting collection of abandoned motors slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Hidden close to the Norwegian border, the site is littered with decaying Volvos, Saabs and American cars dating back to the 1940s and 50s – many now covered in moss, swallowed by vegetation and sinking into the woodland floor.

The remarkable collection began decades ago when brothers Rune and Tore Ivansson used the remote forest clearing as a scrapyard for unwanted vehicles.

At its peak, thousands of cars passed through the site, with usable parts stripped and sold on while the remaining shells were simply left where they stood.

Over time, the scrapyard was abandoned and nature gradually took over – transforming the forgotten vehicles into a striking post-apocalyptic landscape.

Today the site has become world famous among photographers, who travel from across Europe to capture the surreal sight of classic cars frozen in time beneath towering pine trees.

Some appear almost untouched apart from thick blankets of moss crawling across their bonnets and roofs.

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Others have collapsed completely into the undergrowth after decades exposed to harsh Scandinavian winters.

Many of the vehicles still contain original details, from cracked steering wheels and faded dashboards to rusted chrome grilles and shattered headlights.

Despite its decaying appearance, the car cemetery has become an atmospheric symbol of nature reclaiming the man-made world.

The haunting woodland graveyard now offers a rare glimpse into motoring history – with each rusting vehicle telling its own silent story.

Photographer Tim Brakemeier captured the striking images while exploring the abandoned site, documenting the beauty hidden within the rusting wrecks.

The stunning series highlights the strange contrast between industrial decay and the peaceful Swedish wilderness surrounding it.

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An hour after the BBC’s announcement, Rylan posted on Instagram: “Just wanted to say as it was reported I was in ‘the race’ for Strictly, the biggest congrats to my Emma and equal congrats to Johannes and Josh. You’re all going to have the best time. Made up for yous.

“This wasn’t my time sadly but [I’m] extremely grateful to even have been considered.”

“I’m taking the news really well (see next slide) but genuinely looking forward to the new series with you three,” he added, before reposting an iconic clip of himself crying during his early days as a contestant on the talent search The X Factor.

Rylan isn’t the only It Takes Two alum to have spoken about missing out on the role hosting the main show.

Fleur East also admitted she’s been feeling “bothered” about being overlooked for the hosting job, having fronted the spin-off series since 2023.

GENEVA (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday the risk of global spread of the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda is high at national, regional levels but low at the global level.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said so far 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo in the northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu provinces in Congo, “although we know the scale of the epidemic is much larger.”

He said Uganda has also told the U.N. health agency of two confirmed cases in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. “Beyond the confirmed cases, there are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected,” he said. “We expect those numbers to keep increasing.”

Tributes have poured in for Langley School pupil Adriana Retyte, 14, who died in hospital two days after emergency services were called to her family home in Norfolk

The family of a talented schoolgirl who was tragically found dead at her home in Norfolk have spoken of their “heartbreak” following her sudden death.

Adriana Retyte, 14, a keen footballer who “brought joy, laughter and light to people around her,” died in hospital two days after emergency services attended her family home in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk, just before 10pm on May 8.

The teenager was given CPR at the scene before being taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where she sadly died on Sunday, May 10.

An inquest, which opened at Norfolk Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, heard that the medical cause of Adriana’s death was hanging.

Announcing the teenager’s passing in a post on Facebook, Adriana’s mother, Greta Saggers, 31, said: “It is with broken hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Adriana. Thank you to everyone for the love, kindness, and support shown to our family during this incredibly difficult time.”

Mrs Saggers works as a managing director for the Norwich-based employment agency Anglian Recruitment.

She is also employed as a manager at her husband Ben Saggers’s property business Strand Development Limited, which is a major sponsor of Wymondham Rugby Club, as well as Taverham Toucans – a girls football team for under-14s where Adriana was a player.

Tributes have poured in for Adriana on a fundraiser set up in her honour to support Papyrus – a young suicide prevention charity.

Writing on the appeal page, Sofiia Katrechko said: “It is truly heartbreaking for someone so young, with so much life ahead of her, to be taken too soon. I will always cherish the time I spent with Adriana and the fun memories we shared together.

“She brought so much joy, laughter and light to the people around her, and those moments will stay with me forever.”

Adriana was born on February 27, 2012, in Drogheda, Ireland, Norfolk assistant coroner Maeve Sykes confirmed at the inquest opening on Tuesday. A full inquest into the circumstances surrounding her death is scheduled for 10am on October 16.

A funeral will be held for Adriana at St Faith’s Crematorium on Manor Road in Norwich at 2pm on May 21.

Adriana was a Year 9 pupil at the independent Langley School, near Loddon, Norfolk. In a statement following her death, the school said: “Everyone at Langley School has been profoundly saddened by the loss of Adriana Retyte, a Year 9 pupil at Langley Senior School.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with her family, friends, and all of those impacted by this tragic loss. This is a devastating loss for our whole school community.

“Adriana was a much-valued and cherished member of the school community, known for her warmth, kindness and positive spirit. She approached her studies with diligence and pride, and was respected by staff and pupils alike for her thoughtful and considerate nature.

“She also made a significant contribution to wider school life, embracing opportunities in sport, the performing arts and academic work with enthusiasm. Adriana will be remembered with great affection by all who knew her, and she will be deeply missed.

“We have ensured that appropriate pastoral support is available for all members of our community affected by this sad news, and we will continue to support one another in the days and weeks ahead.

“As a close-knit school community, we respectfully request that the family’s privacy is protected as they come to terms with their loss.”

Samaritans (116 123 in UK and Ireland) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.

It is believed they gained entry to the property by smashing a window

The occupant of a Hillsborough property returned home to find two burglars in their property on Tuesday, one of whom is believed to have been armed with a penknife.

The incident occurred in the Gloucester Court area of the Co Down village. It is believed that the pair gained entry to the property via a smashed window.

Detective Sergeant Crossett said: “Shortly before 5pm, the occupant of a residential property in the Gloucester Court area reported returning home to locate two men inside the house.

“They both were reported to have approached the occupant, one of whom was believed to be holding a pen knife, before making off from the property.”

Detective Sergeant Crossett continued: “One of the men was described as being tall and of slim build, and dressed in dark coloured clothing, trainers, and a mask covering his face.

“The other male was also described as being of slim build, dressed in a dark coloured jacket with a white/grey hood pulled up, and dark coloured trousers, shoes and a face mask.

“It is believed that entry to the property, which was left ransacked, was gained via a smashed window.

“An investigation is underway, and we are appealing to anyone who might have noticed any suspicious activity in the area at the time to get in touch via 101, quoting reference number 1300 of 19/05/26.

“Alternatively, a report can be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/, or you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk”

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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland did not mince his words after the Blues saw their Premier League title hopes ended

For the last few weeks, Erling Haaland has taken on the role of Declan Rice. Just as the Arsenal star made a point of telling his teammates that the title race wasn’t over when they lost at the Etihad, so Manchester City’s No.9 has been spreading that message where he can.

Haaland made a point of it after the 3-3 draw with Everton that ultimately left City needing to go to Bournemouth needing a win just to stay in the title race, and he could be seen on the pitch at the Vitality trying to gee the players up as they trailed. If your eyes strayed from the Norwegian, you could see Pep Guardiola doing exactly the same on the touchline.

This season has been a learning curve for Haaland, not as a goalscorer – he tucked home his 38th goal of the campaign in injury time on Tuesday night – but as a leader. The decision to sign a lengthy new contract in January 2025 saw Guardiola bump the striker up to the captaincy group and Haaland has been working out how best to lead.

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After weeks of offering carrots to his teammates supporting their efforts in games, after Bournemouth came the stick. For anyone still at the club next season, more is expected.

“Everything is relative. It was better than last season,” the Norweigan told club media. “I felt we could have still pushed a little more in the league but again it’s over now so it’s easy to say that now. We won two trophies, that is important but we wanted the Premier as well.

“In the end, every game in the Premier League is difficult. We tried. It wasn’t enough. The whole club should use this as motivation now. We should be angry, we should feel a fire inside our belly because it’s not good enough.

“It’s gone two years now, it feels like forever. We’re going to do everything we can, everyone that will be here next season, to win the league.”

City will be losing their captain this summer when Bernardo Silva departs and their chief motivator as well in Guardiola, so there needs to be a stepping up across the squad. Going close to winning the league this year does not guarantee that the Blues will be any nearer next time so if Haaland’s message seems brutal it does need to be heard loudly and clearly at the Etihad.

That also applies to Haaland, who has admitted over the course of the campaign that his level has not always been up to scratch. But as City look to go one better, they need to keep this mentality to push each other to be better.

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The committee’s letter to Ofcom, meanwhile, asks about the regulator’s role in the complaints process, its powers to investigate potential breaches of the broadcasting code, and the timeline for launching its own investigation into the Married at First Sight allegations.