Researchers at the University of Tsukuba estimated Japan's spring leaf flush dates in recent years using data from the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI) sensor onboard the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C) satellite. Their analysis revealed that in 2023 and 2024, years characterized by exceptionally high spring temperatures, leaf flush occurred significantly earlier than usual, indicating that elevated temperatures linked to climate change are affecting Japanese ecosystems.

Researchers have been putting ChatGPT essays to the test against real students. A new study reveals that the AI generated essays don't yet live up to the efforts of real students. While the AI essays were found to be impressively coherent and grammatically sound, they fell short in one crucial area – they lacked a personal touch. It is hoped that the findings could help educators spot cheating in schools, colleges and universities worldwide by recognising machine-generated essays.

Chatbots are getting better at holding conversations — but can they offer meaningful support in a therapy setting? A new study by USC researchers suggests that large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT still fall short when it comes to the nuances of human connection