There Was Never Such a Thing as ‘Open’ AI
At the turn of the century, when the modern web was just emerging and Microsoft was king, a small but growing technology movement posed an existential threat to the company.
04/01/2024 The Atlantic
2024
Best News of 2024
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
The real threat to gender-diverse children is the politicization of care issues like puberty blockers and detransition
On both sides of the transgender care debate, what is presented as ‘fact’ distorts real complexities of gender-affirming health care, leaving many in the dark about what is really at stake.
13/02/2024 The Conversation
Solid-state batteries: inside the race to transform the science of electric vehicles
Working in the dry room at Deakin University’s Battery Research and Innovation Hub is no day at the beach. “[It’s] more desert than beach,” says its general manager, Dr Timothy Khoo. “At the beach, you at least still get the moisture coming in.
04/02/2024 The Guardian
March
Should people suffering from mental illness be eligible for medically assisted death? Canada plans to legalize that in 2027 – a philosopher explains the core questions
Assessing a patient’s autonomy can be more difficult when mental illness is the main source of their suffering.
11/03/2024 The Conversation
April
Making cement is very damaging for the climate. One solution is opening in California
The cement industry is one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide and is responsible for some 8% of global emissions each year
11/04/2024 The Independent
May
Making merry: how we brought Melbourne’s Merri Creek back from pollution, neglect and weeds
It was once a gross industrial sewer. But decades of work has turned Merri Creek into a green ribbon in Melbourne’s north.
06/05/2024 The Conversation
Could ‘Science Courts’ Help Build Public Trust?
In the U.S., surveys have shown that public trust in science dropped significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some scientists propose that holding science courts — where citizen juries listen to relevant topics debated in a courtroom setting —…
16/05/2024 Undark Magazine
June
Wanna be a good dad? A 'School for Men' teaches diapering, ponytail making
An innovative program in Colombia gives men a chance to master the skills needed to be a hands-on dad — and become closer to their kids along the way.
16/06/2024 NPR
July
The simple fix that could reduce bird deaths from wind farms
Painting one blade black, or using contrasting stripes, on wind turbines is proven to dramatically reduce bird strikes. There are also more high-tech solutions working for endangered Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles.
17/07/2024 Sydney Morning Herald
August
Paris Olympics embrace accessibility technology for visually impaired fans
As Paris shines under the global spotlight of the Olympic Games, technological innovations are enabling people with visual impairments to take it in
10/08/2024 The Independent
September
‘They’re setting an example for us’: the small Spanish town welcoming refugees
They filed on to the football pitch as applause rang out, punctuated by shouts of bienvenidos. Their improbable journey had begun months earlier and about 3,000km away; now the asylum seekers, many from Mali, were being heartily greeted by the…
13/09/2024 The Guardian
How to Cool the World Without Blocking the Sun
In the fall of 1993, a ship sailed into the Pacific Ocean carrying nearly 1,000 pounds of iron crystals packed into barrels, then dumped it all into the waves. The next morning, the water was tinged a subtle green from newly sprouted phytoplankton.
20/09/2024 The Atlantic
October
Meet the microbes that transform toxic carbon monoxide into valuable biofuel
The world is full of microbes, and many of them like the taste of waste. Some carbon monoxide-loving microbes can be harnessed to transform waste into valuable biofuel.
07/10/2024 The Conversation
November
Denmark will plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of farmland into forest
Danish lawmakers have agreed on a deal to plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of farmland into forest and natural habitats in an effort to reduce fertilizer usage over the next two decades
18/11/2024 The Independent
Are scientists finally beating antimicrobial resistance?
Researchers have been using AI to predict new antibiotic agents. Observers said the fight against antimicrobial resistance is gaining momentum.
18/11/2024 Deutsche Welle
Salmon return to lay eggs in historic habitat after largest dam removal project in US history
Less than a month after four towering dams on the Klamath River were demolished, hundreds of salmon made it into waters they have been cut off from for decades to spawn in cool creeks
17/11/2024 The Independent
December
Could mosquitoes deliver vaccines against malaria?
Scientists have engineered the pests to provide enhanced immunity to the disease they transmit, according to new study.
21/12/2024 Al Jazeera
