Polestar has launched a pilot research project with the University of Oxford to measure how performance driving affects the human body and mind, not just the car's specs. Twelve drivers track-tested rear- and all-wheel-drive versions of the Polestar 4 in Sweden while wearing heart rate monitors and EEG-equipped skullcaps, with data also drawn from the car's gaze-tracking driver monitoring system and post-drive interviews.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-20
Researchers at the University of Oxford used a quantum system combining qubits with quantum oscillators to recreate the Aharonov-Bohm effect, in which a charged particle's quantum phase shifts due to magnetic flux it never physically passes through. In their simulation, this invisible influence caused a modeled particle's motion to halt entirely. The results were published in Nature Physics.
sciencedaily.com
· 2026-10-13
A study led by Oxford researcher Noam Angrist tested a low-cost intervention combining text-message nudges and a weekly 20-minute phone call from a teacher to support children's learning when schools shut down. The randomized trials, involving more than 16,000 households across India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines and Uganda during COVID-19 closures, followed an earlier pilot in Botswana and were published in Nature.
nature.com
· 2026-09-09
An Oxford University researcher who studies AI's effect on decision-making argues that generative AI tools should be treated as intellectual sparring partners rather than sources of ready-made answers. The piece cites data showing 94% of UK undergraduates use AI for assessed coursework and that over half of 2025 scientific papers show signs of LLM-generated text, up from roughly one in ten in 2023. The author contends fears about AI eroding critical thinking are misplaced, and that the real risk lies in passive use rather than active engagement with the technology.
nature.com
· 2026-09-09
AI experts say the strange, unsettling appearance of AI-generated food photos stems from how diffusion models build images—starting with noise and forming rough shapes before adding fine texture. When the underlying structure is wrong, as with malformed hands, the model still layers convincing-looking detail on top, producing food that looks structurally off despite realistic textures. Researchers from Oxford and the University of Naples note these models also struggle with thin, continuous shapes, compounding the issue.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-04
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