Telescope #78
To look Beyond visual range …
"You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make." — Jane Goodall
SUSTAINABILITY
It turns out that bottled water contains many more tiny plastic particles than previously thought; This likely means many additional unforeseen harmful effects on the human body and our environment. DETAIL
A study by the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) made a frightening finding: 'one in nine bird species' have become extinct throughout human history. Of the approximately 11 thousand bird species identified in the world, 1500 are endangered on a global scale. The extinction of 200-230 of these species has declined to the 'critical level'. This can create significant risks, from food shortages to rabies outbreaks and rat infestations. DETAIL
This is a ‘reverse sustainability’ news. In a blow to the electric vehicle market, car rental company HERTZ is selling its electric vehicles to use the money to buy gasoline-powered vehicles. For those interested, let's add that it is offering serious discounts to Teslas. The reason for the sale is interesting: There is no demand for electric vehicles. DETAIL
The sandy beaches of Spain’s northwestern Galicia region have been inundated with millions of plastic pellets, sometimes referred to as “nurdles” or “mermaid tears,” reported Reuters. The pellets ended up in the sea when a container fell off the Liberia-registered ship Toconao, BNN Breaking reported, and are the remnants of common plastic items like plastic bags and water bottles. DETAIL
Some European Union lawmakers are pushing to strengthen a planned law on microplastics pollution, after millions of plastic pellets washed up on the coast of Spain's northwestern Galicia region. DETAIL
HEALTH
Cellectar Biosciences said on Monday its therapy for a rare form of blood cancer met the main goal in a late-stage study, sending shares up about 16% in early trade. In the study, 75.6% of patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) saw cancer decrease in size or disappear after treatment with Cellectar's therapy iopofosine. The study also showed 76% of patients who took the four-dose course of therapy remained progression-free or lived without the disease worsening for eight months on average following treatment with iopofosine. DETAIL
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia made wearing masks mandatory in healthcare centres around the country from Wednesday as the country faces a peak of flu and COVID-19 infections. DETAIL
The University of Oxford said on Thursday it had begun human testing of an experimental vaccine against the brain-swelling Nipah virus that led to outbreaks in India's Kerala state and other parts of Asia. DETAIL
Last week, researchers at the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute reported that by using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier, they improved delivery of a new Alzheimer’s treatment and sped up clearance of the sticky plaques that are thought to contribute to some of the cognitive and memory problems in people with Alzheimer’s by 32%. DETAIL
DIGITAL / TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE /AI
Steakholder Foods, an Israeli cultivated meat company, has created “the world’s first” plant-based 3D-printed eel. Using a “unique combination of materials,” and a “precise layering technique,” the company has created a proprietary technology that it says replicates an eel with a significantly less amount of product compared to other plant-based alternatives. The Israeli firm said that it is now looking to commercialize its plant-based printed product with collaborations through providing proprietary 3D printers and ink. DETAIL
With the support of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK), Dr. Founded 3 years ago by Tayfun Koçak, the company has reached the mass production stage of its boron-added and environmentally friendly hydrogen ion battery. DETAIL
A potential battery material was found as a result of a study carried out in collaboration with Microsoft and a laboratory in the USA. This discovered substance can reduce lithium use in batteries by 70%. DETAIL
The humble Hubble Space Telescope has been instrumental in observing something remarkable: the possible and highly unusual birthplace of the most distant fast radio burst (FRB), extremely powerful and unresolved flashes of radio frequency, ever observed. The FRB was first discovered 18 months ago by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder radio telescope. DETAIL
Choosing compatible fonts during design processes is one of the tasks that takes all of our time. Fontjoy, which allows you to produce font combinations with deep learning, can shorten the time you spend on this process. DETAIL
OpenAI has officially opened its GPT Store following last year's CEO drama. The store offers access to custom versions of ChatGPT. It was originally announced at the company's Dev Day in early November, but was delayed after the shock ousting (and quick return) of CEO Sam Altman. DETAIL
ENERGY / TRANSPORTATION
In the newly launched "BSR HyAirport" project, 16 partners are working to create the conditions for flights with hydrogen aircraft and enable the first demonstration flights in the Baltic Sea region before the end of this decade. Hamburg Airport is playing a central role. DETAIL
Honda presented its new generation of electric cars at CES with two design concepts under the name ‘Honda 0 Series.’ The market launch of the first model of the new 0 Series is scheduled to begin in North America in 2026. DETAIL
CYBERSECURITY
How did the Securities and Exchange Commission lose access to its Twitter account yesterday? According to Twitter/X, the hacker did so by resorting to a SIM-swap attack to take over the phone number tied to the @SECGov account. DETAIL