China’s humanoid robots are sprinting ahead: this week one of their number, called Superman, clocked up a running speed of 12.66 metres per second, beating the record set by Usain Bolt. After doing so, Superman then crashed into a wall. Chinese companies expect to sell 50,000 humanoid robots this year, more than triple last year’s figure. But having mastered the hardware behind the machines, can they tackle the software?

And could cancer vaccines work? It sounds as sci-fi as the sprinting Superman. Recent news of the success in a trial of intismeran, a vaccine for melanoma, a skin cancer, has got clinicians excited. (This article is free to read for non-subscribers.)

What to expect in the week ahead:

▸ Nvidia, the world’s most valuable firm, announces its results on Wednesday. Its revenue last quarter came to $82bn, up by 85% against the previous year, and is expected to rise again this quarter. Yet investors have doubts about the durability of the AI boom—and Nvidia, the biggest beneficiary, is busy investing in and arranging loans for its customers, thus raising the stakes.

▸ America releases inflation data on Wednesday. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure, rose by 3.7% in June compared with the previous year. Though still well above the central bank’s 2% target, the decline of 0.1 percentage point on the previous month was a modest reprieve from a run of increases.

▸ Iceland will hold a referendum on whether to restart membership talks with the European Union on Saturday. The vote comes amid transatlantic tension and concerns about Donald Trump’s intentions in the Arctic. But the pro-European camp is nervous: polls indicate only a narrow lead, with just over half of Icelanders favouring restarting talks.