“Deforestation is changing our climate, harming people and the natural world. We must, and can reverse this trend.” — Jane Goodall
SUSTAINABILITY
A team from Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in China ran tests on both soft water and hard tap water (which is richer in minerals), adding in nanoplastics and microplastics (NMPs) before boiling the liquid and then filtering out any precipitates. In some cases, up to 90 percent of the NMPs were removed by the boiling and filtering process, though the effectiveness varied based on the type of water. Of course the big benefit is that most people can do it using what they already have in their kitchen. DETAIL
A new satellite backed by Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab and the Environmental Defense Fund group will launch from California on Monday with a mission to pinpoint oil and gas industry methane emissions from space. DETAIL
The Securities and Exchange Commission adopted rules to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures by public companies and in public offerings. The final rules reflect the Commission’s efforts to respond to investors’ demand for more consistent, comparable, and reliable information about the financial effects of climate-related risks on a registrant’s operations and how it manages those risks while balancing concerns about mitigating the associated costs of the rules. DETAIL
Last month was the warmest February on record globally, making it the ninth month in a row with record temperatures for the time of year, scientists have said. Global sea surface temperatures are also at their highest ever recorded, data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service shows. DETAIL
Record winter heat continued to fan the flames of the “largest wildfire on record” in Texas, reported Axios. It added the blazes had left “a burn scar so large it is clearly visible from space”. DETAIL
China targets modest reduction in energy intensity for 2024. The country aims for 2.5% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP and has fallen behind key climate measures in 5-year plan. DETAIL
The 2 to 4 million species of fungi in the world offer us endless possibilities — from creating alternative building materials and textiles, to cleaning up environmental toxins, to providing new sources of plant-based proteins. Now, scientists are turning to mushrooms and mycoremediation to solve our plastic pollution crisis. DETAIL
HEALTH
As a fetus grows in the womb, it sheds cells into the amniotic fluid surrounding and protecting it. Now researchers have demonstrated that they can use those cells to grow organoids, three-dimensional structures that have some of the properties of human organs—in this case kidneys, small intestines, and lungs. DETAIL
An experimental weight loss pill looks set to be more potent than existing injectable treatments such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, based on early trial results. The medicine, called amycretin, caused people to lose 13 per cent of their weight over three months, more than twice the amount seen with Ozempic and Wegovy specifically. DETAIL
A recent study of US veterans found that 10% of those diagnosed with dementia actually had a liver condition called hepatic encephalopathy (HE) – a treatable condition. The liver can be damaged by several things, including alcohol, fatty deposits and hepatitis viruses. When the damage continues over several years, the liver becomes scarred (known as cirrhosis) and, at a certain point, can no longer perform one of its critical tasks: detoxifying the blood. Toxins (mainly ammonia) can build up and get into the brain, interfering with brain function. This is HE. DETAIL
DIGITAL / TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE / AI
Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab Chief Executive Jensen Huang on Friday said that artificial general intelligence could - by some definitions - arrive in as little as five years. Huang, who heads the world's leading maker of artificial intelligence chips used to create systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT, was responding to a question at an economic forum held at Stanford University about how long it would take to achieve one of Silicon Valley's long-held goals of creating computers that can think like humans. DETAIL
In a search for novel materials that can contain bizarre new states of matter, physicists from Rice University in the US led an experiment that forced free-roaming electrons to stay in place. Quantum traffic laws applied to the 3D streetscape of a specific kind of crystal can put the brakes on electron rush hour. DETAIL
The Accenture and Cohere partnership aims to deliver tailored manufacturing AI solutions that can significantly increase productivity and efficiency across enterprise sectors. DETAIL
Microscopic worms that live their lives in the highly radioactive environment of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) appear to do so completely free of radiation damage. Nematodes collected from the area have shown no sign of damage to their genomes, contrary to what might be expected for organisms living in such a dangerous place. DETAIL
Asian elephants loudly mourn and bury their dead calves, according to a study by Indian scientists that details animal behaviour reminiscent of human funeral rites. DETAIL
ENERGY / TRANSPORTATION
At the InterBattery in Seoul, South Korean battery manufacturer SK On presented improved versions of its SF cells (SF stands for Super Fast), first launched in 2021. SK On is also showcasing the Winter Pro LFP battery, designed to perform particularly well at low temperatures. DETAIL
Nissan wants to offer SAE Level 4 autonomous mobility services in Japan from 2027. Nissan is gaining initial practical experience with the technology with a Leaf, which will be used as part of a pilot project in Yokohama from this year. DETAIL
The Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation has invested in a lithium mine for the first time. Mitsubishi is investing 25 million Canadian dollars in a 7.5 per cent stake in a project of the Canadian lithium mining company Frontier Lithium in Ontario. DETAIL
Gravity batteries are a type of electrical storage devices that store gravitational energy. Switzerland-based gravity batteries company Energy Vault has connected the first commercial Gravity Energy Storage System (GESS) to the grid in China. Earlier this week, the company announced that its 25 MW and 100 MWh capacity EVx system, located in Rudong, Jiangsu province, China, was connected to the grid.
CYBERSECURITY
The Los Angeles Police Department is warning residents that burglars are using WiFi jammers to easily disarm "connected" surveillance cameras and alarms that are available for cheap on marketplaces like Amazon. DETAIL
UnitedHealth ilaç hizmetlerini yeniden başlattı ve sistemlerindeki 'virüslü kodu' düzeltmek için çalddışıyor. Bu ayın sonlarında talep ağını tekrar çevrimiçi hale getirmeyi hedefliyor. DETAIL
HUMAN
Commercial AI chatbots demonstrate racial prejudice toward speakers of African American English, despite expressing superficially positive sentiments toward African Americans. DETAIL/