February | BetterNews

Why England’s hospitals are putting venison on the menu

Instead of farmed meats, patients at some hospital are being served wild venison, which proponents say is healthy and sustainable

28/02/2023 Positive News

From displacement to homecoming: Dispatch from Nigeria

A community in northeast Nigeria, devastated by Boko Haram, is rebuilding a remarkable story of resilience and hope.

28/02/2023 Al Jazeera

You Can Turn Your Backyard Into a Biodiversity Hotspot

New research shows that if done right, urban farms and gardens can support all kinds of species—for the good of people and the environment.

27/02/2023 Wired

A Slice of ‘Bacon’ Made Me Believe in Fake Meat

Last month, at a dining table in a sunny New York City hotel suite, I found myself thrown completely off guard by a strip of fake bacon. I was there to taste a new kind of plant-based meat, which, like most Americans, I’ve tried before but never…

23/02/2023 The Atlantic

This Lab-Grown Skin Could Revolutionize Transplants

A new kind of “edgeless” engineered tissue can fit any irregular shape, paving the way for hand and face grafts that look and move better.

21/02/2023 Wired

Peatland restoration project to grow reeds which will go to help insulate homes

Project managers say their experiment can make marshland productive as well as help to achieve biodiversity and climate goals.

20/02/2023 The Independent

A Stroke Paralyzed Her Arm. This Implant Let Her Use It Again

Electrical stimulation applied to the spinal cord temporarily restored arm and hand movement in two patients.

20/02/2023 Wired

Riding the Green Wave: Exploring the Role of Bicycles and Digital Tools in the Green Mobility Transition

Can bikes and technology join forces to create a greener tomorrow? How are cities harnessing the power of digital tools to make cycling the preferred mode of transportation?

20/02/2023 Reset.org

A kid in Guatemala had a dream. Today she's a disease detective

Neudy Rojop made a girlhood pledge. When family members fell ill, she says she decided to become a nurse "so I could change my community for good."

19/02/2023 NPR

‘Marriage made in heaven’: Awnings that shade car parks can power cars

Solar awnings over car parks that are becoming compulsory in France and are under consideration in California could save emissions, water and lives in Australia.

18/02/2023 Sydney Morning Herald

Guaranteed basic income pilot programs are growing around the country, and community leaders are doing something about it

Guaranteed basic income pilot programs across the country are launching to give people a little extra money

17/02/2023 USA Today

First RSV vaccine paves the way for ‘new era’ in fight against emerging pathogens

Thanks to years of research into the respiratory syncytial virus, scientists were able to develop Covid-19 vaccines in record time

16/02/2023 El País

The ‘bin-novative’ approach to rubbish that’s slashing beach litter

AI and some creative thinking have slashed litter by three quarters in one English seaside town. Here’s how

16/02/2023 Positive News

A new way to clean up the steel industry

Making steel is a dirty business. For every tonne of it some 1.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) are emitted into the atmosphere. As a result, steelmaking accounts for 7-9% of the world’s anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions. Cleaner ways of…

15/02/2023 Economist

All major road building projects in Wales are scrapped

All major road building projects in Wales have been scrapped over environmental concerns. Plans for a third Menai bridge will not go ahead and neither will the controversial Red Route in Flintshire. The move is part of the Welsh government's…

14/02/2023 BBC

Revolutionizing Urban Delivery: The Rise of Cargo Bikes in Last-Mile Logistics

Are we ready to move towards a greener and more efficient urban delivery system? With the help of digital infrastructure such as cargo bikes, last-mile logistics might just be picking up speed.

14/02/2023 Reset.org

Why Singapore Is Breeding Millions of Mosquitoes

Dengue is a common scourge in Singapore. To slow the spread, a government lab infects mosquitoes with a bacterium called Wolbachia. When the males mate with wild females, the eggs don’t hatch. So far, this effort has helped suppress wild insect…

13/02/2023 Undark Magazine

Schizophrenia Drugs Are Finally Getting an Overhaul

Current antipsychotics are plagued by patchy efficacy and unwanted side effects—but a new treatment could change all that.

10/02/2023 Wired

Electric buses are driving a silent revolution in Nairobi

During the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in Nairobi, Kenya, something improbable happened: a mountain appeared. To curb the transmission of the virus, authorities called on the city's thousands of private bus operators to cease trading.…

10/02/2023 CNN

This Fake Skin Fools Mosquitoes—to Fight the Diseases They Spread

Research on new repellents and the viruses these insects carry relies on lab animals and human volunteers. What if there was a better option?

09/02/2023 Wired

Loofah-inspired gel purifies contaminated water with warmth of the sun

A material that sucks up water while leaving behind contaminants such as oils, metals and microplastics could help improve water quality in regions without electricity

08/02/2023 NewScientist

Study finds way to help children overcome peanut allergy

Consuming small, sequential doses of boiled peanuts help overcome children’s allergic reactions, according to a new study.

06/02/2023 The Independent

MDMA and Psilocybin Are Approved as Medicines for the First Time

Many are celebrating Australia’s decision to pave the way for these psychedelic therapies, but questions around accessibility remain.

03/02/2023 Wired

Guinea worm: A nasty parasite is nearly eradicated, but the push for zero cases will require patience

After nearly 40 years of effort, Guinea worm disease is on the cusp of being the second human disease – after smallpox – to be eradicated on Earth.

02/02/2023 The Conversation

India: How Goa succeeded in eliminating rabies

Goa has become the first state in India to eliminate rabies in humans, with no cases since 2018. DW examines what Goa has done right and whether its program could be rolled out across India.

02/02/2023 Deutsche Welle