Major technology companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, are investing in next-generation geothermal energy, a low-carbon source that could complement solar and wind power. Start-ups like Fervo Energy and Sage Geosystems are racing to tap into the Earth’s heat, using enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) that create their own reservoirs of heated water. While costs are…
Scientists have successfully edited two genes in tomatoes to increase their sugar content by up to 30%, making them sweeter and more flavorful. This breakthrough could lead to a significant improvement in the global tomato industry, with potential applications in various sectors, including food production and research. Forecast for 6 months: Expect a surge in…
Researchers at Google have successfully used real-time data from around 40 million mobile phones to map conditions in the ionosphere, a region of the upper atmosphere where some air molecules are ionized. This breakthrough could improve satellite navigation, especially in areas where data are scarce, such as Africa, South America, and South Asia. The study,…
The world is bracing for the consequences of climate change, with extreme storms and rising temperatures wreaking havoc across the globe. The re-election of Donald Trump as US president has cast a shadow over the COP29 climate summit, where representatives from nearly 200 countries are gathering to discuss financial aid for low- and middle-income countries…
A recent study has revealed a significant increase in private jet emissions over the past five years, with the number of flights and distance covered by these aircraft soaring. The study found that private flights produced 15.6 million tonnes of CO2 in 2023, a 46% increase from 2019. This trend is concerning, as it exacerbates…
Researchers in South Africa have updated the country’s health-research ethics guidelines to include a new section on heritable human genome editing, a technique that involves introducing genetic changes to sperm, eggs, or embryos, which will be passed down through successive generations. This move has sparked concerns globally, as it could put South Africa one step…
Researchers at the University of Florence have made a groundbreaking discovery at Pompeii, Italy, by analyzing DNA from human bone fragments recovered from plaster casts of people who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The genetic data revealed details about the sex, ancestry, and family ties of five individuals, challenging old…
Researchers have made a significant discovery in understanding the molecular pathway behind endometriosis, a painful condition affecting millions of women worldwide. The study suggests that drugs already used to treat migraines could be effective in treating endometriosis by inhibiting a key protein that promotes pain and exacerbates the disease. This breakthrough offers new hope for…
The scientific community is facing a new challenge with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), which can create fake images, text, and data that are difficult to distinguish from real ones. This has raised concerns about the integrity of scientific research and the potential for widespread manipulation of data. As a result, researchers and…
Researchers have found that cats may hold the key to understanding human ageing, as their brains show signs of atrophy and cognitive decline that more closely resemble the deterioration seen in ageing humans than do the changes in the brains of ageing mice. The Translating Time project, which compares brain development across more than 150…
