Telescope #119

Oct 30, 2024

SUSTAINABILITY

Current climate policies will result in global warming of more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, according to a United Nations report on Thursday, more than twice the rise agreed to nearly a decade ago. DETAIL
For the first time, scientists have found evidence that marine mammals could be inhaling microplastics, according to new research that detected the potentially harmful particles in the breath of bottlenose dolphins off the coasts of Louisiana and Florida. DETAIL

According to the new European COO Jean-Philippe Imparato, Stellantis is prepared to reduce the production of cars with combustion engines in order to meet the EU emission targets for 2025 instead of paying fines. The production cuts could start as early as 1 November. DETAIL
The CSO at a Crossroads, a BSR report, highlights important issues on sustainability. 83% of CSOs report that collaboration with other C-Suite leaders is essential for achieving ambitious sustainability objectives. 64% of CSOs believe regulation enables meaningful strategic impact. 50% of CSOs spend the majority of their time on “high-impact” work, highlighting the need for more strategic focus. DETAIL
A UK transport firm has implemented and tested new sail technology on its specialized ships to lower its carbon footprint. FastRig is a retractable wing sail for retrofitting on ships, cutting fuel use and GHG emissions by up to 30%. DETAIL

The largest ever UN biodiversity summit, COP16, is officially underway in Cali, Colombia. DETAIL

HEALTH

The levels of caffeine in your blood could affect the amount of body fat you carry, a factor that in turn could determine your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. "Genetically predicted higher plasma caffeine concentrations were associated with lower BMI and whole body fat mass," the researchers wrote in their paper, published in March 2023. DETAIL
Beta cells are pancreatic cells responsible for producing and releasing insulin, a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels. A recent study indicates that adults with mild type 2 diabetes might enhance their beta-cell function by adopting a low-carbohydrate diet. Experts are concerned about the low-carb diet’s sustainability but offer tips for success and alternative, evidence-based ways to improve beta-cell function. DETAIL

DIGITAL / TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

DJI, the world’s largest drone manufacturer, has sued the US Department of Defense for being designated a Chinese military company in 2022. DJI, based in Shenzhen, China, was estimated to control 90% of the consumer drone market in 2024. Its drones, such as the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, are commonly used for civilian use cases like aerial photography. They are popular in industries like film and TV and also with hobbyists. DETAIL
Exotic quantum rifts have been created with charged atoms, and they exist in a superposition of being in two places at once. This is a first step towards better understanding the behaviour of such quantum defects in everything from materials to an entire universe. Adolfo del Campo at the University of Luxembourg says the experiment could mark a beginning of using ion-based simulators, a nascent quantum technology, to clarify fundamental quantum phenomena. Eventually, he says, these simulations may even relate to complex questions about how quantum properties in the universe, such as superposition states, disappear to produce the non-quantum world that we experience. DETAIL
Polish robotics firm MAB Robotics has released footage of its flagship Honey Badger quadruped robot trotting around a swimming pool. The robot operates just as well underwater as on land, making it readily usable for underwater operations like search and rescue or inspection. DETAIL

A lake formed after a cyclone walloped parts of northern Africa in September, causing huge amounts of rain in the Sahara Desert. And now, it’s helping researchers study what the Sahara may have looked like thousands of years ago—perhaps not a jungle, but a much wetter environment than it is today. DETAIL

Dried cells—it’s what’s for dinner. At least that’s what a new crop of biotech startups, armed with carbon-guzzling bacteria and plenty of capital, are hoping to convince us. Their claims sound too good to be true: They say they can make food out of thin air. DETAIL
Universal Music Group on Friday released a Spanish version of country music star Brenda Lee's 1958 hit song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" using SoundLabs' AI technology. DETAIL
Tardigrades, tiny, eight-legged creatures that look like alien bears, are tougher than any beast on Earth. These little guys can withstand massive amounts of radiation, nearly 1,000 times higher than the lethal level for humans, and survive in harsh environments that no other organism can withstand. A recently discovered species of tardigrades reveals new insights into how the microscopic animal pulls it off by repairing damage to its DNA when exposed to high doses of gamma rays. DETAIL

ENERGY / TRANSPORTATION

Turkey's "renewable energy and energy transformation 2035 roadmap" has been announced. Accordingly, our country's 2035 RES-GES installed power target is 120,000 MW and an investment of 80 billion dollars is targeted in this area. DETAIL
In a world-first, German-Swiss equipment manufacturer Liebherr has rolled out L566 H, a prototype large wheel loader powered by hydrogen. Teaming up with construction company Strabag, the loader is being deployed as part of a two-year pilot project at Gratkorn quarry in Austria. DETAIL

A fusion energy firm has revealed the first details of its pilot plant design. Tokamak Energy claims that its pilot plant will be capable of generating 800 megawatts (MW) of fusion power and 85MW of net electricity. This will reportedly be enough to power and heat more than 70,000 American homes. DETAIL

Tesla has confirmed that it produced its 7 millionth electric car yesterday — a great milestone for a company that greatly accelerated the electrification of the auto industry. DETAIL

CYBERSECURITY

OpenAI's researcher in charge of making sure the company (and the world) is prepared for the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI) has resigned — and is warning that nobody is ready for what's coming next. DETAIL
On August 8th, the Cybernews research team discovered a leak that affected German eyewear retailer Brillen. The company provides a wide selection of glasses and contact lenses both online and in its physical stores in Germany and other European countries. The massive data leak affected over 3.5 million customers in Germany and the company’s affiliate sites in Spain and Austria. DETAIL
The accused Iranian hacking group who intercepted Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign emails have finally found some success in getting their stolen material published after initially failing to interest the mainstream media. DETAIL
Data on over 100 million people was exposed because of the ransomware attack on UnitedHealth subsidiary Change Healthcare earlier this year, according to a document from the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights. DETAIL

HUMANITY / CURIOSITY

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has found an innovative way to engage younger audiences with the science behind nuclear energy—through a comic book. The newly released Spark Squad Nuclear comic follows the adventures of three middle schoolers as they learn about nuclear power in a fun and engaging way. DETAIL

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