SUSTAINABILITY
Fish similar to those made famous by the movie Finding Nemo are shrinking to cope with marine heatwaves, a study has found. The research recorded clownfish living on coral reefs slimmed down drastically when ocean temperatures rocketed in 2023. DETAIL
Rising seas will severely test humanity's resilience in the second half of the 21st century and beyond, even if nations defy the odds and cap global warming at the ambitious 1.5 degrees Celsius target, researchers said Tuesday. DETAIL
Humans love beer: worldwide, we can go through more than 187.9 million kiloliters (49.6 billion gallons) of it in just one year. But new research adds this beloved beverage to the long list of products found to contain PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), aka 'forever chemicals'. DETAIL
HEALTH
Scientists are taking a fresh look at what it means to feel energised – or not – and the research is revealing that how we perceive this state largely hinges on the brain’s ongoing assessment of how much energy is available to our cells. This discovery is changing how we think about our general health, opening up possible new avenues to treat clinical levels of fatigue, and suggesting practical things we can all do to stop feeling like we are running on empty. DETAIL
The average human brain contains around 7 grams of plastic, but it’s unclear how this affects us. Now animal studies are revealing links to poor cognition and weird behaviour. DETAIL
The FDA announced a new COVID-19 vaccine policy yesterday limiting access to adults ages 65 and over and others at high risk, and raising questions about who will be able to get one this fall. DETAIL
Researchers have identified a promising drug candidate, DDL-357, that improves memory in Alzheimer’s mouse models by increasing levels of a protective brain protein called clusterin (CLU). CLU helps prevent the buildup of toxic amyloid-beta plaques and tau proteins, both key drivers of Alzheimer’s disease. DETAIL
Prolonged sedentary behavior in adults over 50 is linked to cognitive decline and brain shrinkage in regions vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease. Even among those who exercise regularly, spending more time sitting was associated with worse cognitive outcomes. DETAIL
DIGITAL / TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
You, along with all living things, produce subtle, ethereal, semi-visible light that glows until you die, according to a recent study. Dr Daniel Oblak, physicist at the University of Calgary and last author of the study, told BBC Science Focus that, while auras are a metaphysical, spiritual, unscientific idea, this light is not. Instead, it's called ultraweak photon emission (UPE) and is a natural product of your metabolism. DETAIL
Astronomers searching for massive black holes shredding stars found one in an unusual place -- 2,600 light years from the core of a galaxy. The roque black hole may be from an earlier merger with another galaxy, or have been tossed out of the core after interacting with two other black holes. This is the first ever optically discovered off-nuclear tidal disruption event. Eventually, the two could merge and produce ripples of gravitational waves. DETAIL
Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Discovery platform, which uses agent-driven artificial intelligence to contribute to the scientific discovery process. According to Microsoft; Microsoft Discovery is extensible and will be able to manage certain scientific workloads end-to-end. DETAIL
Far from the sleek humanoids of science fiction that are meant for complex and adaptive work, boxy and utilitarian robots - some the size of industrial tool chests - are built to handle tasks such as hauling parts, collecting trash or inspecting equipment. Interest has been rising in such specialized robots as they offer a clear path to profitability, given the stress on automation across industries, including retail, defense and waste management, company executives, analysts and investors told Reuters. DETAIL
Google DeepMind describes the vireo generaton ai new model, Veo 3, as capable of delivering "best in class quality, excelling in physics, realism and prompt adherence" — and as videos posted to social media indicate, that marketing doesn't fall too far short. DETAIL
A group of fossils of elasmosaurs -- some of the most famous in North America -- have just been formally identified as belonging to a 'very odd' new genus of the sea monster, unlike any previously known. This primitive 85-million-year-old, 12 meter-long, fiercely predatory marine reptile is unlike any elasmosaur known to-date and hunted its prey from above. DETAIL
Cold-adapted animals started to evolve 2.6 million years ago when the permanent ice at the poles became more prevalent. There followed a time when the continental ice sheets expanded and contracted and around 700,000 years ago the cold periods doubled in length. This is when many of the current cold-adapted species, as well as extinct ones like mammoths, evolved. DETAIL
Antarctica’s icy landscape is rapidly warming due to human-induced climate change. However, a new study has uncovered an unexpected ally in the fight to keep the continent cool: penguin droppings. Research shows that ammonia gas released from penguin excrement enhances cloud formation in coastal regions of the continent. These clouds help lower temperatures by blocking sunlight. DETAY
ENERGY / TRANSPORTATION
We already rely heavily on hydrogen gas as a fuel source, and it's considered key to reaching crucial carbon-neutral goals. Now researchers have come up with a recipe for naturally forming hydrogen, which could help locate the vast reserves of the gas that are locked away in Earth's crust. Tapping into these reserves, the researchers say, could meet our hydrogen energy needs for up to 170,000 years. It would mean we no longer have to use hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen – which contributes to carbon dioxide emissions. DETAIL
Power Outage in Cannes During Film Festival Is Sabotage, Officials Say. An arson attack and damage to a transmission tower cut off power to about 160,000 homes in southeastern France. The outage briefly disrupted the Cannes Film Festival ahead of its closing ceremony. DETAIL
CYBERSECURITY
Texas is set to lead the nation in restrictive legislation. Under a proposed bill, minors would be banned from social media, while platforms would also be required to introduce age verification methods. While supporters say the change would make children safer, critics argue that such legislation may do the exact opposite. DETAIL
US President Donald Trump has signed the Take It Down Act into law, criminalizing the distribution of non-consensual intimate images (NCII) and requiring social media platforms to immediately remove such images upon notification. This includes AI deepfakes. DETAIL
European, American and Canadian authorities have taken down over 300 servers worldwide and issued international arrest warrants against 20 suspects in a crackdown on malware, EU agency for criminal justice cooperation Eurojust said in a statement, the latest phase in Operation Endgame. DETAIL
CURIOSITY
At 40, Aron D'Souza is pursuing an ambitious project in which he has full confidence. He aimed to "build a superhumanity" through the Enhanced Games – an international sporting event where competitors would be allowed, under medical supervision, to use performance-enhancing substances. His goal is also to end what he calls the "hegemony" of the Olympic Games and the "hypocrisy" of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). DETAIL
