SUSTAINABILITY
Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF-1,7 trillion $) has outlined a comprehensive policy to ensure long-term, stable investment returns by prioritizing sustainability-focused investments, incorporating ESG and impact considerations across its portfolio. DETAIL
Climate change could wipe 40% off global economy, study predicts. DETAIL
More than 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed an open letter warning Americans about the “danger” of the Trump administration’s attacks on science. The letter comes amid the administration’s relentless assault on US scientific institutions which has included threats to private universities, federal grant cancelations and ideological funding reviews, mass government layoffs, resignations and censorship. DETAIL
New Scientist reports that a “recent surge in the rate of global warming has been largely driven by China’s efforts to reduce air pollution, raising questions about how air quality regulations are influencing the climate and whether we fully understand the impact of removing aerosols from the atmosphere”. The outlet adds: “This extra warming, which was being masked by the aerosols, accounts for 5% of global temperature increase since 1850.” DETAIL
William Becker, a former regional director at the US Department of Energy, writes in the Hill that Donald Trump is “imposing short-sighted, irrational and profoundly destabilising energy policies on this and future generations of Americans”. He says that Trump “dwells in a fantasy land where there are no downsides to America’s fossil-fuel addiction”, adding that he “still calls climate change a hoax”. DETAIL
Retreating glaciers created 2,500km of “new” coastline and 35 “new” islands in the Arctic between 2000 and 2020, according to a new study. The research uses satellite images of more than 1,700 glaciers in Greenland, Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, Russian Arctic, Iceland and Svalbard. The findings show that 85% of these glaciers retreated over 2000-20, revealing 123km of new coastline per year on average. DETAIL
A recent “extraordinary” heatwave throughout Central Asia was strengthened by climate change, which bolstered the warming by nearly half and made the event roughly three times as likely, according to a new study from the World Weather Attribution (WWA). DETAIL
Colorado State University (CSU) researchers are predicting an “above-average” Atlantic hurricane season this year, with a likelihood of more frequent storms, including nine hurricanes and 17 named storms. The Tropical Cyclones, Radar, Atmospheric Modeling, and Software (TC-RAMS) Team within the Department of Atmospheric Science at CSU cited warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the subtropical eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea as a primary factor in their prediction, a press release from CSU said. DETAIL
Maisy Weicherding from Amnesty International said the EU should lead by example and make mechanisms such as ‘human rights impact assessments’ mandatory for infrastructure projects. DETAIL
HEALTH
People report being hungrier after consuming the artificial sweetener sucralose and experience heightened brain activity in regions involved with appetite. The finding suggests that artificial sweeteners may encourage overeating instead of satisfying our sweet tooth. DETAIL
There are currently a few tests, including blood tests, that can be used to help diagnose Alzheimer’s and determine which stage the disease is in. Researchers at WashU Medicine have developed a blood test that can not only help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, but can also provide information to doctors on how far the disease has progressed. DETAIL
DIGITAL / TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Scientists have developed a device that can convert thoughts about speech into spoken words in real time. Although the device is in the experimental phase, it is thought that it could one day help those who cannot speak to become a voice. DETAIL
A huge explosion of energy occurred in the Sun's spot known as AR4046. As a result of this explosion, particles were ejected from the Sun. It is estimated that the region in question will remain active for at least another week. According to scientists, the particles ejected from the Sun do not come directly to Earth. However, when the Earth and the Sun are more directly aligned, this can cause disruptions such as the northern lights or interruptions in electronic devices on Earth. DETAIL
An international team of researchers has reconstructed the evolutionary tree of one of Earth’s earliest life forms, revealing that bacteria may have adapted to the presence of oxygen long before it was plentiful in our atmosphere. Their work, detailed in a study published today in the journal Science, challenges the previous assumption that most life prior to the GOE (Great Oxidation Event) was anaerobic, that is, organisms that don’t need oxygen to survive. DETAIL
OpenAI competitor Anthropic announced yesterday that it has launched its Claude for Education plan. The company is preparing to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT Edu plan with this new plan. Targeting higher education, Claude for Education will give students, faculty, and university staff access to Claude, which has education-focused capabilities. DETAIL
Building items on the moon using materials that are already there would be more practical than shipping them from Earth. Now researchers have created and tested several solar cells featuring moon dust as an ingredient. Their efficiency indicates that future lunar bases could be powered by solar cells made on-site from melted moon dust. DETAIL
ENERGY / TRANSPORTATION
For many years, it was thought that hydrogen was not found in large quantities in nature. However, two major discoveries in France discovered that hydrogen was formed underground through natural, renewable means. In May 2023, scientists came across natural hydrogen deposits in abandoned mines in the Lorraine region of France. Then, in March 2025, with a discovery made at a depth of 1,250 meters in the Moselle region, the size of these reserves became even clearer. According to estimates, there is a total of 92 million tons of white hydrogen (naturally occurring hydrogen) in these regions and its economic value is calculated as approximately 92 billion dollars. This resource is equivalent to more than half of the gray hydrogen (hydrogen produced from fossil sources) produced worldwide. In a separate study conducted last year, it was estimated that there were approximately 6.2 trillion tons of hydrogen in underground hydrogen reservoirs. It was even stated that mountains could be the primary source point. DETAIL
China-based battery maker Betavolt is entering mass production with its BV100, a coin-sized nuclear battery that promises a 50-year lifespan. DETAIL
CYBERSECURITY
The 2021 T-Mobile cyberattack affected 76 million customers. Those who claimed out-of-pocket losses could receive up to $25,000; others may receive up to $25. A class-action lawsuit was filed in 2022. Without admitting any wrongdoing, T-Mobile agreed to settle the case for $350 million, making it the second-largest data breach settlement in the US. DETAIL
CURIOSITY
Substack Says It Will Protect Writers Targeted by Trump’s Government. The promise comes as a Tufts student faces deportation over an op-ed. DETAIL
