Tech and Science Daily | The Standard — Podkast

Is it easier than ever to build a start up now? With AXA Startup Angel Competition judges 29.04.2026 20min

Small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 99.9% of the UK’s 5.7 million new companies last year. So what does it really take to build a business from scratch today, and how easy is it to secure funding?In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick sits down with Raphael Sofoluke, the founder of the UK Black Business Show and UK Black Business Week, and Izzy Obeng, the founder and CEO of Foundervine. Both guests are on the judging panel for the AXA Startup Angel Competition from AXA Business Insurance - in partnership with the Standard - and in a couple of months they will select impressive entrepreneurs to win top prizes, including £25,000, expert mentoring, plus business insurance for a year. Together, they discuss what it takes to be a founder, including the most common mistakes, tips on how to impress investors, and how to build a supportive business network that pays dividends in the long run.Competition entries close on 21 June 2026. For more information and to enter this year's AXA startup Angel competition, visit https://axastartupangel.standard.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pesticide “Safe Levels” Questioned, SpaceX Falcon Heavy Scrubbed, and Diablo IV’s Lord of Hatred Lands — Al’s Final Episode 28.04.2026 5min

It’s the final show with Alan Leer, and we’re not going out quietly. A major study is mapping pesticide exposure against cancer hotspots and raising awkward questions about what “safe” even means when chemicals mix in the real world. Meanwhile SpaceX tries to get Falcon Heavy back up, but the weather does what it does. Back home, London gets a proper academic flex out of UCL, and in gaming, Diablo IV drops Lord of Hatred — the kind of expansion that eats your evening and asks for seconds. For the full reads, it’s all on standard.co.uk — and cheers for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London’s new Imperial–Lenovo AI hub, Apple’s iPhone privacy patch, and Nintendo hit with a tariff refund lawsuit 27.04.2026 6min

Al’s on for your Monday commute as White City gets a fresh AI flex — Imperial and Lenovo are launching a new London AI Technology Centre aimed at turning big-model theory into real deployments. Then we pivot to your iPhone, because Apple’s patched a privacy flaw tied to message notifications that really shouldn’t have been hanging around. And in gaming, Nintendo’s dealing with a class-action headache as gamers argue tariff refunds should trickle down to customers — not just sit on a balance sheet. Plus, Motorola’s teasing a new Razr launch this week, because foldables refuse to die and honestly… fair enough. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London recycling robots bought, volcanic lightning explained, Cisco’s quantum switch, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and DJI Lito drones 24.04.2026 6min

Al’s in your ears for the Friday commute, because London’s recycling future just got a bit more robotic — Imperial-linked Recycleye has been acquired, and the bin-sorting glow-up continues. Then it’s proper science cinema: researchers get closer to explaining why volcanoes throw lightning tantrums mid-eruption. After the break, Cisco shows off a universal quantum switch prototype — basically plumbing for the quantum internet — and in gaming, Ubisoft finally leans into the “we know you know” era with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Plus, DJI drops new beginner drones with UK pricing that’s dangerously convincing. More on all of it at standard.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fleming Centre approved in Paddington, UK ramps up AI cyber defence, and Xbox teases new Discord Game Pass perk 23.04.2026 6min

Alan Leer in your ear for the Thursday commute, because London’s just green-lit a new research hub in Paddington aimed at taking on antimicrobial resistance — the superbug problem that makes modern medicine quietly terrifying. Then it’s CyberUK season: ministers want AI companies helping build national cyber defence, while security chiefs warn the worst threats are coming from hostile states. After that, science goes full sci-fi with extreme laser work, plus a space project you can join from your sofa — Euclid wants your eyes on gravitational lenses. And in gaming, Xbox is teasing another Discord link-up for Game Pass. More on everything at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday hit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PlayStation age verification hits the UK, UCL bowel cancer trial follow-up, and London’s Open Science week at the Crick 22.04.2026 6min

London’s open-science crowd takes over the Francis Crick Institute, UCL and UCLH share a seriously encouraging bowel cancer trial follow-up, and Sony starts nudging UK PlayStation users toward age verification ahead of June. Plus, Oppo’s next flagship tees up its UK arrival, and Fallout 76 gets its latest tune-up. Read more at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London Parkinson’s gut-bacteria clue, UK robotics adoption hubs, Hubble’s Trifid Nebula anniversary 21.04.2026 4min

Al’s on the mic with a tight commute sprint: London-led researchers say gut bacteria could help flag Parkinson’s risk years before symptoms — then it’s a UK move to get robots out of the lab and into actual workplaces, with “one-stop shop” adoption hubs. After the break, Hubble celebrates 36 years with a gorgeous Trifid Nebula update. More at standard.co.uk — follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BAFTA Games winners in London, Tesco’s QR-code barcodes, Breakthrough Prize gene therapy, and a new clue to finding rare earth minerals 20.04.2026 4min

Al’s back with a tight commute sprint: London rolls out the red carpet for the BAFTA Games Awards, as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 nabs Best Game and Dispatch hoovers up the craft gongs. Then Tesco quietly tries to bin the barcode — swapping in QR codes on sausage packs, because even your weekly shop is basically software now. We’ve also got a proper science win as Luxturna’s sight-restoring gene therapy team bags a Breakthrough Prize, plus a geology breakthrough that could help locate the rare earth minerals powering everything from phones to clean tech. Read more at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OpenAI’s London office move, UK emergency-response robots, and Pragmata finally launches 17.04.2026 6min

Al’s in your ears with a proper commute sprint: OpenAI locks in a permanent London office for 2027, the UK trials robots for the kind of hazardous incidents you really don’t want humans walking into first, and a major immunity study hints at how the post-Covid landscape could shape the next outbreak response. After that, gaming gets loud — Pragmata finally lands — and Fortnite quietly opens up Save the World for free. Plus, DJI teases the next Osmo Pocket, because London pavements are basically a stabilisation test course. More on everything at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Starmer summons TikTok & Meta to No.10, cancer drugs go “off-label” (properly), and Microsoft Patch Tuesday is massive 16.04.2026 4min

Al’s on with a quick commute sprint: Downing Street drags TikTok, Meta, X and mates into No.10 to talk kids’ online safety — because infinite scroll isn’t exactly a public service. Then a genuinely hopeful medical headline: a major trial looks at using existing targeted cancer drugs “off label”, guided by tumour genetics, with actual evidence and guardrails. After the break, it’s Patch Tuesday chaos — 167 Microsoft fixes including zero-days — so yes, you’re updating today. And in gaming, Animal Crossing quietly drops a 25th anniversary gift that politely reminds you the GameCube was… a while ago. More on everything at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

District line gets LiDAR track scanning, UK battery materials push, Adobe PDF zero-day patch, and Webb redraws the planet–star line 15.04.2026 6min

Al’s back with a quick sprint through the stuff shaping your day — starting on the District line, where TfL expands LiDAR scanning to check the network without sending everyone down the tunnel. Then it’s a very UK-flavoured battery boost, with a new £25m innovation round aimed at materials, recycling, and supply-chain resilience.After that: a genuinely urgent one — Adobe patches an Acrobat/Reader flaw that’s already being exploited, so maybe don’t raw-dog random PDFs today. And because we deserve something fun, NASA’s James Webb telescope has spotted a monster “planet” that formed like a planet… even though it’s basically trying to be a star. Plus, Battlefield gets a fresh update, and Samsung’s letting you test-drive the Galaxy S26 experience on your current phone. More on all of it at standard.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anthropic withholds “Mythos” AI as Project Glasswing launches, ICO uses an LLM for case admin, Tech.eu Summit London agenda lands — plus Bond game delay 14.04.2026 5min

Alan Leer's on the mic for your London commute as Anthropic admits it’s built an AI model it won’t release — and launches Project Glasswing with a who’s-who of tech to secure critical software. We also hit a London bit of calendar-watching as Tech.eu reveals what it’s pushing at its London summit, and a UK transparency drop as the ICO details how an LLM helps turn messy complaints into real cases. In gaming, 007: First Light slips again on Switch 2 — “later this summer” doing a lot of heavy lifting. Plus the UK’s ongoing experiment in teen screen rules at home. More on everything at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UCL’s cancer “visibility” breakthrough, UK signal jammer ban plan, brain organoids boom, Cyberpunk PS5 Pro upgrade 13.04.2026 6min

A UCL team in Bloomsbury is finding ways to make tumours less “invisible” to the immune system, while the government looks to clamp down on signal jammers — the sneaky gadgets that help thieves blank your doorbell, tracker, or shop alarms. After that, we go full sci-fi-but-real with lab-grown mini brain models, then land in gaming with Cyberpunk showing off on PS5 Pro. And yes, there’s even a “not-a-smartphone” gadget for kids that might save a few parents’ sanity. More on everything at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BNW Preview: Michael Pollan 10.04.2026 14min

For Episode Nine, Evgeny is joined by Michael Pollan, journalist, author, and one of the leading voices exploring the human mind. Drawing on his new book A World Appears, Pollan makes an impassioned case for consciousness as something precious, private, and increasingly under threat. Together, they explore how social media and AI are not just competing for our attention, but beginning to shape attachment, emotion, and even our sense of self.The conversation ranges from chatbots and “AI psychosis” to meditation, psychedelics, and the idea of “consciousness hygiene” - the habits and practices that might help us protect our inner lives. Pollan also reflects on why writing is a form of thinking, why boredom and mind-wandering matter, and how experiences of ego dissolution, art, and nature can deepen our understanding of consciousness. The episode ends on a wider question: whether the real challenge is not only understanding consciousness, but learning how to practise it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London hosts quantum alliance talks, telecoms bill rules tighten, and Nature warns of AI “fake disease” chaos — plus April’s Game Pass hits 09.04.2026 5min

Al’s on the mic for a quick commute-friendly sprint: London’s hosting a 13-nation quantum pow-wow as the UK tries to help write the rules for the next big tech era. Then up to Sheffield, where researchers say the way we make chips could get a lot greener if supply chains shift closer to home. Also: telecoms firms re-promise to stop the sneaky bill stuff, with legacy inflation-linked rises heading for the exit after April 2026. After the break, Nature delivers a proper AI reality check — chatbots confidently chatting about a disease that doesn’t exist — before we finish with Xbox Game Pass loading April like it wants you to cancel plans. More on everything at standard.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London fibre speed record, new UK Online Safety reporting rules, and Starfield lands on PS5 08.04.2026 6min

Alan Leer is in with a proper commute-friendly sprint through today’s tech and science. London researchers linked to UCL hit a bonkers fibre speed record — using existing installed cable — while the UK’s Online Safety regime gets sharper as a key reporting duty kicks in today. Then we go brainy with a study teasing out a “neural fingerprint” for psychedelics, before switching to gaming where Starfield finally opens up on PS5 with a big update and fresh story content. Plus, a quick reality check on why your next phone might cost more than your last — and what to do about it. More at standard.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artemis II Moon Flyby, TfL Tests Smart Tube Safety Tech, and UK Skynet Satellite Row 07.04.2026 5min

Al’s back in your ears with a proper mixed bag: TfL quietly tests smarter detection tech on Tube tracks (eyes peeled at Mile End) and roads with radar cameras, while the UK’s next-gen Skynet military satellite plan sparks a very serious “who controls what” debate. Then we go full cosmic — Artemis II swings behind the Moon and pushes past an Apollo-era distance record — before a clean-energy research result hints at squeezing more power out of sunlight and heat. After that, Xbox FanFest puts London on the global gaming tour… and Evercade’s new handheld waves the flag for physical retro in a world that’s trying to subscription-everything. More on all of it at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London Tech Week goes “Deep Tech”, UKRI chair pick named, and scientists find ‘trade winds’ inside cells 02.04.2026 4min

London Tech Week tees up a new Deep Tech Stage for June, the government names its preferred candidate to chair UKRI, and researchers report something that sounds made-up but isn’t: “trade winds” inside cells that help move proteins as cells migrate. Plus, April gaming season begins — and yes, Goat Simulator 3 is on Switch 2 today. More on all of it at standard.co.uk, and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UCL stem-cell therapy breakthrough, CMA probes Microsoft, and a “sound laser” gravity leap — plus Arc Raiders Flashpoint 01.04.2026 6min

UCL teams up on a stem-cell therapy plan to help babies with Hirschsprung disease — the kind of story that actually changes lives. Then it’s the UK CMA poking around Microsoft’s business software ecosystem, because “it’s fine, everyone uses it” is not a competition policy. In the lab, a phonon “sound laser” shows off a wild new way to measure gravity with extreme precision. After the break: Arc Raiders drops Flashpoint and the playerbase immediately starts debating it like Parliament. Plus, CityFibre goes full show-off with an 8.5Gbps wholesale fibre product.More on all of it at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing.Sound Laser. One more time for the people Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London Games Festival kicks off, UK gene breakthrough for childhood epilepsy, 31.03.2026 5min

Al’s running you through a very modern mix: London Games Festival turns the city into one big playable space, UK genomic science pulls a major epilepsy-linked diagnosis out of the “dark genome”. After the break, space science gets strange — microgravity may mess with sperm navigation — and Apple’s iOS 26.4 UK age checks arrive with equal parts safety intent and privacy drama. More at standard.co.uk — and follow Tech and Science Daily from The Standard for your weekday briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.