Ultrasound treatment 'jump-started' the brains of 2 people in coma-like state
The two patients who received the treatment showed significant progress over just days.
28/01/2021 LiveScience
2021
Best News of 2021
Despite the ongoing pandemic good things happen every month. Hence in the tradition of the year in review we like to remind you of three randomly selected news articles of each month.
January
February
‘Nothing like it really exists’: the Paris ‘bio house’ made mostly from organic matter
With the construction industry the greatest creator of waste in Paris and elsewhere, what can be learned from the city’s new ‘bio-house’?
10/02/2021 Positive News
March
In Heidelberg, cars are not welcome any more
A fleet of hydrogen-powered buses, a network of bicycle superhighways, and free public transport for a year if you give up your cars – this is how Heidelberg is getting rid of cars, writes Jack Ewing
09/03/2021 The Independent
April
Move over, corn and soybeans: The next biofuel source could be giant sea kelp
Making biofuels from crops grown on land poses trade-offs between food and fuel. A new study looks offshore.
01/04/2021 The Conversation
Lose the gluten, keep the taste: Israeli firm Ukko is reinventing wheat
Israeli startup Ukko is redesigning wheat so it doesn’t hurt celiac patients, and may even be able to solve ‘the holy grail’ of allergies - peanuts
14/04/2021 Haaretz
‘Insanely cheap energy’: how solar power continues to shock the world
In the year 2000, the International Energy Agency (IEA) made a prediction that would come back to haunt it: by 2020, the world would have installed a grand total of 18 gigawatts of photovoltaic solar capacity.
24/04/2021 The Guardian
May
Oman plans to build world’s largest green hydrogen plant
Oman is planning to build one of the largest green hydrogen plants in the world in a move to make the oil-producing nation a leader in renewable energy technology.
27/05/2021 The Guardian
June
DeepMind uses AI to tackle neglected deadly diseases
The company’s technology maps out the shape of proteins, an otherwise costly and time-consuming process.
23/06/2021 BBC
July
Europe’s night trains are making a comeback amid concern about the climate
Budget airlines pushed them towards extinction, now concern about plane emissions is sparking a night train renaissance across Europe
02/07/2021 Positive News
A new green air-conditioning system manages without nasty gases
In A Warming world it helps to stay cool. But doing so also threatens the planet. Most air conditioners use refrigerant gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Though these do not deplete Earth’s ozone layer in the way the chlorofluorocarbons they…
21/07/2021 Economist
August
This center in Dubai is growing 'future-proof' food in the desert
Rising temperatures and extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change are making farming conditions increasingly challenging and disrupting food distribution. But scientists in some of the world's driest places are coming up with solutions to…
26/08/2021 CNN
September
Menstrual cups are a cheaper, more sustainable way for women to cope with periods than tampons or pads
Menstruation cups are increasingly being used as an environmentally friendly alternative to tampons and sanitary pads.
15/09/2021 The Conversation
How special soil observatories in China are helping to create more sustainable agriculture
Soil degradation is a huge challenge for farmers around the world. But new research is showing how farmers can balance crop yields with protecting the environment.
03/09/2021 The Conversation
‘Psychedelics renaissance’: new wave of research puts hallucinogenics forward to treat mental health
It was out of desperation that Michael Raymond found himself sitting in a remote retreat in the Peruvian Andes, sipping a cup of bitter tea. Raymond had reached breaking point.
25/09/2021 The Guardian
October
Clean and clear: Can we produce drinking water without leaving a carbon footprint?
Producing clean drinking water can be highly energy intensive. But in Saudi Arabia, one of the driest places on earth, there’s a growing industry for producing this resource sustainably
18/10/2021 The Independent
Technological leap for ‘urban mining’ could recover precious metals from electronic waste in seconds
A new process to extract valuable metals from electronic waste could use 500 times less energy than existing methods, lower demand for mined raw materials, and produce eco-friendly waste, scientists have said.
05/10/2021 The Independent
November
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Portugal's power production goes coal-free long before deadline
Portugal shut down its last remaining coal plant over the weekend, ending the use of the polluting material for electricity generation and becoming the fourth country in the European Union to do so.
22/11/2021 Reuters
December
Tropical forests can recover surprisingly quickly on deforested lands – and letting them regrow naturally is an effective and low-cost way to slow climate change
As governments and corporations pledge to help the planet by planting trillions of trees, a new study spotlights an effective, low-cost alternative: letting tropical forests regrow naturally.
09/12/2021 The Conversation
“We grow meat from cells, they are just not connected to a cow”: Didier Toubia on the future of farming
Reducing the environmental impact of meat is becoming big business. The CEO of Aleph Farm explains why he is betting on lab-grown meat.
01/12/2021 New Statesman
Lab-grown meats and cow-free dairy can meet the demand for protein and help address climate change
Technological advancements in food production have created new ways to meet the growing demand for protein. Canada’s investment in this industry may create jobs and reduce carbon emissions.
15/12/2021 The Conversation