Herbal remedies can help to treat neglected tropical diseases
“WHAT DO YOU call traditional medicine that works?” “Medicine.” This old joke contains more than a milligram of truth.
07/01/2021 Economist
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
Yellow mealworm safe for humans to eat, says EU food safety agency
Yellow mealworm finger foods, smoothies, biscuits, pasta and burgers could soon be mass produced across Europe after the insect became the first to be found safe for human consumption by the EU food safety agency.
13/01/2021 The Guardian
Spider-Man-style medical gun spins out 'skin substitute' for burns
Doctors in Europe, India and Israel have begun using a medical gun that spins out a protective web to cover burns and wounds, hoping the breathable “skin substitute” will help patients recover without the need for painful bandage changes.
04/01/2021 The Guardian
February
Why helping others is good for you
People who volunteer report higher levels of wellbeing, greater life satisfaction and less depression. But your motivation can impact how happy helping makes you feel.
04/02/2021 Deutsche Welle
Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions
Researchers are developing ways to lock captured CO2 into cement. It could help rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure and deal with climate change at the same time.
14/02/2021 The Conversation
Airlines can now pick their own routes across the Atlantic. Huge fuel savings could follow
Airlines are poised to reduce their emissions and reap huge fuel savings on transatlantic flights in the coming weeks as air traffic controllers experiment with giving pilots free rein to chart their own paths across skies that have been cleared out…
10/02/2021 CNN
March
'Success story': Number of American bald eagles has quadrupled since 2009, experts say
The number of American bald eagles has quadrupled since 2009, with more than 300,000 birds soaring over the lower 48 states, according to experts.
29/03/2021 USA Today
April
The 'elite controllers' who can naturally suppress HIV
The year was 1998 when Joel Blankson encountered a patient he would never forget. Blankson was working in the HIV clinic at John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, when an HIV-positive woman in her mid-40s arrived for some routine tests.
04/04/2021 The Guardian
Scientists create ‘whitest paint ever’ to help reduce reliance on air conditioning
Scientists have developed what they claim is the whitest ever paint as a way to tackle global warming by reducing the need for air conditioning. Engineers at Purdue University say said it reflects up to 98.1 per cent of sunlight – up from 95.
15/04/2021 The Independent
May
An avenue to other worlds: Auditorial, a new idea for accessible storytelling
Audio storytelling is an avenue into other worlds. So when the Guardian was approached to take part in an experimental project to make journalism more accessible to low-vision and blind users, it felt like an opportunity we couldn’t turn down.
20/05/2021 The Guardian
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
Installing solar panels over California's canals could yield water, land, air and climate payoffs
Installing solar panels over California's 4,000 miles of canals could generate less expensive, renewable energy, save water, fight climate change – and offer a solution for the thirsty American West.
03/05/2021 The Conversation
June
New discovery could help take down drug-resistant bacteria
Scientists have found a new way to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The new approach disarms their natural defense mechanism, making existing antibiotics more lethal.
10/06/2021 LiveScience
‘This isn’t ideological’: reluctant activists behind Exxon coup
The activist hedge fund behind ExxonMobil’s boardroom coup last week has claimed another seat from the oil giant’s board, to take the number of new directors who will push for climate action from within the company to three.
04/06/2021 The Guardian
July
Bitcoin alternatives could provide a green solution to energy-guzzling cryptocurrencies
Some alternative cryptocurrencies, called 'altcoins', demand far less electrical power than bitcoin.
12/07/2021 The Conversation
The seaweed farmers with high hopes for their harvest
Kelp grown off the coast of the Isle of Skye could be used in food, packaging and cosmetic products.
29/07/2021 BBC
Off University: The Free Online University Created by Exiled and Blacklisted Academics
When authoritarian regimes clamp down on freedoms, academics are often the first targets. Now, suppressed academics have teamed with international universities to create a platform that allows their voice to continue to be heard.
16/07/2021 Reset.org
August
These 3 energy storage technologies can help solve the challenge of moving to 100% renewable electricity
The US is generating more electricity than ever from wind and solar power – but often it’s not needed at the time it’s produced. Advanced energy storage technologies make that power available 24/7.
26/08/2021 The Conversation
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
Harvard University Will Stop Investing In Fossil Fuels After Years Of Public Pressure
Harvard University says it will stop investing its $41.9 billion endowment in the fossil fuel industry, citing the threat of climate change. Activists have called on the university to do so for years.
10/09/2021 NPR
Solar-Powered Food: Study Reveals Microbial Proteins Could Lead the Way in a Sustainable Future for Food
A new study has revealed edible proteins which are much more efficient and sustainable than traditional staple crops. But does the world have an appetite for powdered microbial proteins?
06/09/2021 Reset.org
October
Luxembourg becomes first in Europe to legalise growing and using cannabis
Adults in Luxembourg will be permitted to grow up to four cannabis plants in their homes or gardens under laws that will make it the first country in Europe to legalise production and consumption of the drug.
22/10/2021 The Guardian
November
Hallucinogen in 'magic mushrooms' relieves depression in largest clinical trial to date
Psilocybin, the hallucinogen found in "magic mushrooms," helped to relieve symptoms in people with hard-to-treat depression in the largest clinical trial of its kind to date, the trial's organizers announced Tuesday (Nov. 9). Earlier this year, a…
11/11/2021 LiveScience
‘Great step forward’ for HIV treatment as long-acting jabs to replace daily pills
The NHS has been given the green light to offer people living with HIV the first "long-acting injectable" to keep the virus at bay. Charities have hailed the "incredible news" which offers an alternative to adults living with HIV who have to take…
18/11/2021 The Independent
December
This Copenhagen neighbourhood is leading the way for sustainable cities
The Nordhavn district, 20 minutes from central Copenhagen, is positioning itself as a model sustainable community. Shilpa Ganatra takes a look
10/12/2021 The Independent
Canada bans conversion therapy, a practice Trudeau calls 'despicable and degrading'
Canada on Wednesday banned conversion therapy, which are treatments that claim to be able to change a person's sexual orientation or identity.
09/12/2021 CNN
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