SUSTAINABILITY
A group of government-backed scientists in the UK are working on an unconventional solution to slow global warming: reducing sunlight. This will test methods such as creating clouds of reflective particles in the atmosphere or spraying seawater into the sky to make the clouds brighter. DETAIL
Night Bloom, a surreal projection on Shanghai’s SuHe Haus building, reimagines climate narratives through Chinese Sign Language and Visual Vernacular (the latter is a sign-based storytelling method using expressive movement). The one-time performance, which took place on March 29, 2025, featured three deaf dancers portraying a blend of climate themes and deaf expression. For instance, sudden storms and wilting plants represented exclusion, while flourishing gardens symbolized hope and renewal. The art piece was co-created by British artist Cathy Mager and Shanghai-based deaf performer Hu Xiaoshu and was developed through a yearlong collaboration between deaf communities in China and the UK. DETAIL
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has proposed significant amendments to its climate disclosure standard (IFRS S2), offering new reliefs primarily for financial sector companies. These changes are designed to ease the reporting burden around Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without diminishing the value of disclosures for investors. DETAIL
Biomas, a Brazilian reforestation company backed by Vale, Marfrig, Suzano, Santander Brasil, Itaú, and Rabobank, has launched its first major project: restoring 1,200 hectares of the Atlantic rainforest in Bahia state. The Mucununga Project represents a $9.7 million investment to plant over 2 million native trees, aiming to regenerate one of the world’s most biodiverse yet threatened ecosystems. DETAIL
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has launched a new ESG dashboard that provides centralized, comparable climate risk indicators for EU/EEA banks. According to the data presented in the dashboard, more than 70% of EU/EEA banks' corporate exposures are linked to sectors that significantly contribute to climate change. Less than 30% of banking activities are located in regions with high physical climate risk. The Green Asset Ratio (GAR) remains low, averaging below 3%, reflecting the slow taxonomy alignment across the broader economy. DETAIL
The US House of Representatives has voted to withdraw California’s ability to bring in “its own, tougher pollution regulations” which would end the sale of fossil fuel-powered cars and trucks by 2035, according to the Verge. DETAIL
The US Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, has filed lawsuits against the states of Hawaii and Michigan due to their planned legal action against fossil-fuel companies for climate-induced harms, according to the Associated Press. DETAIL
HEALTH
Los Angeles-based startup is bringing an unexpected twist to the fertility industry with a social impact model typically seen in consumer goods. Cofertility's Split program allows women to freeze their eggs for free when they donate half of the retrieved eggs to families who cannot otherwise conceive. This innovative approach transforms the traditional egg donation process, which has historically been criticized for commodifying women's bodies and reproductive capabilities. DETAIL
Is daily smartphone use rotting our brains and bringing on cognitive decline? Probably not, according to new research. An analysis of 136 studies covering 400,000 older adults reveals digital technology users have a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment — a direct challenge to the notion that smartphones and computers harm our brains. DETAIL
In a major breakthrough, scientists have identified a little-known enzyme as a key trigger in the chain reaction behind cognitive decline. Researchers at South Korea’s Institute for Basic Science (IBS) discovered that SIRT2, previously overlooked in the context of astrocytic GABA production, may help untangle the specific effects of degenerative molecules linked to Alzheimer’s disease. DETAIL
Coronary artery disease is a serious but common type of heart disease that can lead to heart attacks. A recent study suggests that measuring levels of apolipoprotein B particles and lipoprotein(a) could help predict the risk of coronary artery disease. These findings could contribute to a shift in heart disease screening practices. DETAIL
DIGITAL / TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
An industry-standard league table for ranking artificial intelligence models is being deliberately distorted by technology giants, researchers have claimed, leading to a misleading picture of which AIs are the best. Sara Hooker at Cohere Labs, a US non-profit, and her colleagues say the popular Chatbot Arena benchmark is a “distorted playing field”, with policies that end up giving an advantage to large companies like Meta, Amazon and Google by allowing them to discard models that score poorly. DETAIL
The discrepancy between expectations and reality faced by young college graduates entering the workforce has hit an all-time low in the United States, with figures published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that new grads are struggling to find jobs. As The Atlantic reports, the cause behind the shift is likely a combination of several factors — including the emergence of generative AI, which it argues has already begun to slowly replace young workers with algorithms. DETAIL
Meta, Spotify and other companies, frustrated with Apple and Google’s “unfair” walled app stores, have formed a coalition to challenge the two giants. DETAIL
Scientists have developed a new generation battery system that uses hydrogen as an anode. This innovation has achieved unprecedented levels of energy density and efficiency, increasing the potential for use in long-range electric vehicles, aviation and large-scale renewable energy plants. DETAIL
ENERGY / TRANSPORTATION
On April 22, 2025, California-based Joby Aviation made aviation history. It became the first company to fly an all-electric tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft with a pilot onboard through a full transition, taking off vertically, flying horizontally, and then landing vertically again. DETAIL
Scientists in Switzerland have developed an innovative mushroom battery that could be the energy storage technology of the future. Made almost entirely from natural materials and completely biodegradable, this living power source generates energy by being fed instead of being charged with electricity. With these features, mushroom batteries offer an environmentally friendly solution and have the potential to alleviate the problem of electronic waste. DETAIL
CYBERSECURITY
From its development to its application, the facial recognition industry is rife with shady practices. But things can always get shadier. In Milwaukee, police are now considering an almost cartoonishly evil deal: Trade 2.5 million mugshots to a private company in exchange for free access to facial recognition software. DETAIL
Britain's Co-op Group said on Wednesday hackers had attempted to break into its systems, the second high-profile cyber attack on a major UK retailer in as many weeks, following an ongoing incident at Marks & Spencer. DETAIL
CURIOSITY
India-based publishing house Navneet has published a children's book that allows for early diagnosis of color blindness.
Starbucks' new drive-thru in Texas is the coffee giant's first 3D printed store in the US. DETAIL
Latimeria, commonly known as the dinosaur fish and thought to have been extinct for about 70 million years, has been spotted again in the Maluku Archipelago of Indonesia. This rare species, described as a living fossil, was recorded for the first time by cameras, alive and free in its natural habitat. DETAIL