Equipment from a massive biometrics programme in Afghanistan has been seized by the Taliban. From police and election commission programmes, they “have everything” according to one expert. The team explores the potential dangers caused by the Taliban’s access to this equipment. They also discuss the past and future of artificial intelligence with author Jeanette Winterson as she dives into her new book ‘12 Bytes’. A uranium cube that dates back to the Nazi’s atomic bomb programme is being examined by experts, and the team finds out exactly how the identification process works. They also learn about the nefarious goings-on of pollen-stealing bees, and they find out how astronomers have discovered a load of never-before-seen asteroids. On the pod are Penny Sarchet, Timothy Revell and Matthew Sparkes, Leah Crane and Chelsea Whyte. To read about these stories and much more, subscribe at newscientist.com/podcasts. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.