SUSTAINABILITY
The European Commission has adopted a new package of proposals to simplify EU rules, boost competitiveness, and unlock additional investment capacity. This is a major step forward in creating a more favourable business environment to help EU companies grow, innovate, and create quality jobs. DETAIL
As part of its continued efforts to own the libs, or get rid of anything President Trump does not like or understand, the General Services Administration is gearing up to remove electric chargers from all federal properties nationwide. DETAIL
Coffee prices have soared to a 50-year high, but producers in Honduras are concerned, The New York Times reports. Climate change is damaging their crops, while rising costs and a shortage of workers add to the challenges. Despite higher prices, farmers may earn less this year due to poor harvests. Some worry that the price increase could lead coffee drinkers to reduce consumption. Ultimately, farmers are left questioning if they can sustain production in the future. DETAIL
A sustainable, wood-based hair conditioner may be pitch black and smell like peat, but its creators claim it could be the future of haircare after tests suggest it may work just as well as commercial products. “We are using the power of nature,” says Ievgen Pylypchuk at Stockholm University in Sweden. “We combine a high level of science with old traditions… [to] get something really cool: simple, useful and quite effective.” DETAIL
The fossil fuel industry is making an unsustainable switch this week as BP and other firms are shifting their focus to oil and gas and cutting back on clean energy. BP's chief executive is scrapping its target to increase renewable generation 20-fold by 2030, returning the focus to fossil fuels, as part of a strategy shift, two sources told Reuters. DETAIL
The European Commission will propose exemptions for "the vast majority" of companies covered by the European Union's carbon border levy on the grounds that they produce only 1% of emissions in the scheme, a draft proposal showed. DETAIL
Changes in Earth’s orbit drive long-term glacial cycles, but a new forecast suggests this ancient pattern is being disrupted for tens of thousands of years due to human-induced global warming. DETAIL
Earth's history is a roller-coaster of climate fluctuations, of relative warmth giving way to frozen periods of glaciation before rising up again to the more temperate climes we experience today. What triggers these periods of glaciation, or ice ages, is difficult to pin down, though for some time researchers have strongly suspected quirks of Earth's orbit around the Sun are involved. DETAIL
Negotiators have concluded an extended session of the UN biodiversity conference, COP16, with commitments on how nations would contribute $200bn a year to protect the world’s biodiversity by 2030, according to the Associated Press. DETAIL
China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has “outlined the main goals of energy work” this year in the published “guiding opinions”, which call for the “new energy generation capacity to surpass 200 gigawatts (GW)” and the share of “non-fossil sources” in total power generation be increased to 60%, says industry media outlet China Energy News. DETAIL
HEALTH
A new review has found a link between chlorine byproducts in our drinking water and a greater chance of bladder and colorectal cancer. DETAIL
Human “mini-brains” that contain 80 per cent of the cell types in a 40-day-old fetal brain have been created by fusing different organoids together. “We’re getting to the point that we are getting closer to the fetal brain,” says Annie Kathuria at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. The reason for doing this is to create organoids that are better suited for studying conditions such as autism and schizophrenia, which is hard to do in animals, she says. DETAIL
Researchers recently conducted a review to examine what effects GLP-1 medications (used to manage type 2 diabetes and treat obesity) may have on cognitive functioning and mental health issues. The scientists found mixed results: While some studies showed the drugs offer neuroprotective benefits, other studies in the review raised the alarm that some medications in the drug class may increase depression and suicidal ideality. DETAIL
Personalized mRNA vaccines show promise in the treatment of pancreatic cancer in phase one clinical trials, according to research published in the journal Nature. DETAIL
The United States just had its first measles death in a decade, the Associated Press reports, a grim inflection point as the extremely contagious — yet easily preventable — respiratory disease continues to spread nationwide. DETAIL
Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, is generally considered to be the safest painkiller to use during pregnancy, and yet emerging research that has linked the drug to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD) suggests there may be overlooked risks to early brain development. DETAIL
DIGITAL / TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
There has been an acceleration in the development of humanoid robots recently. Here are five important ones: Protoclone (the world's first bipedal, musculoskeletal android); NEO Gamma (prioritizes companionship, assistance, and adaptability, unlike traditional humanoid robots produced for industrial use); Optimus (a general-purpose, autonomous humanoid robot that can perform unsafe, repetitive, or tedious tasks); Atlas (meeting the needs of sectors around the world, primarily the automotive industry); Apollo (will work in warehouses and manufacturing facilities in the near future. In the future, the robot will serve in many different areas, including construction, oil and gas, electronics manufacturing, retail, home delivery, and elderly care). DETAIL
A team of researchers in Japan says it has developed a robot hand that moves using cultivated human muscle tissues and is the largest of its kind yet developed, with the hope of applying the technology to prosthetic hands. The biohybrid hand has five fingers that move individually using multiple joints and can perform complex finger movements, such as grasping and moving the tip of a small object, said the researchers at the University of Tokyo and Waseda University. It measures 18 centimeters in length, including a forearm section. DETAIL
'Bystander' mice attempt to revive unconscious companions, a new study reveals, suggesting our natural inclination to help others in need runs deep within our mammalian heritage. DETAIL
University of Guelph (U of G) researchers have invented a slime-like material that generates electricity when squeezed or compressed, which has opened the door to a wide array of applications. DETAIL
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius around 2000 years ago caused one man’s brain to explode and turned the fragments to glass. The discovery is the only known instance of soft tissue turning to glass and sheds new light on how eruptions kill – and how we might protect people. DETAIL
Amazon has introduced Alexa+, the AI-powered version of its voice assistant Alexa. The assistant, which can answer user questions and perform tasks such as ordering groceries or making restaurant reservations on behalf of users, will also be able to offer personalized suggestions. In addition, we should mention that it can also perform visual analysis. DETAIL
Chinese scientists have developed the world's first inclined explosion engine, capable of reaching speeds 16 times the speed of sound. DETAIL
The strangely adorable and resilient tardigrade, or water bear, just might hold the key to making cancer treatment a lot more (water-) bearable. That’s because a team of researchers just found evidence that a protein produced by these microscopic creatures could protect our healthy cells from the ravages of radiation therapy. DETAIL
The extinction of the Neanderthals is one of the most intriguing mysteries in paleoanthropology, with researchers speculating everything from shifts in the climate to war with modern humans may have escalated their demise. A new study backs up the hypothesis that a dramatic decline in the diversity of their genes prior to their extinction is likely to have played a major role. DETAIL
ENERGY / TRANSPORTATION
Japanese automobile giant Honda introduced its new generation fuel cell module at the 23rd International Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Exhibition in Tokyo. While production costs have been reduced by 50 percent compared to the previous model, the durability of the module has also been doubled. This offers a longer lifespan and reduces costs. DETAIL
Amprius Technologies announces order by drone manufacturer: Californian battery developer Amprius Technologies has received an order for its innovative lithium-ion cells worth 15 million US dollars. The customer is a “leading Unmanned Aircraft System manufacturer.” DETAIL
US-based bicycle manufacturer Aventon has introduced its new smart electric bike, Level 3. The Level 3 is powered by a 500W electric motor. Offering a range of 112 kilometers on a single charge, the bike increases security with smart features such as remote locking, GPS tracking, 4G connectivity, and password protection. The bike, which is offered for sale for $1,899, is expected to be shipped in April. DETAIL
CYBERSECURITY
The suspected North Korean hackers who stole $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency from Bybit pulled off the heist by infiltrating a digital wallet provider and tampering with its software. DETAIL
CURIOSITY
DOGE staffer who goes by “Big Balls,” 19-year-old Edward Coristine—an alleged former member of online cybercriminal organization The Com and a cybersecurity worker who reportedly got fired from his job for leaking company secrets? Well, turns out there’s another layer to his dubious background. According to independent journalist Jacob Silverman, Coristine is the grandson of Valery Martynov, a former KGB spy. DETAIL