🤰 New obesity drug delivers highest weight loss yet in clinical trial
Patients on the highest dose lost an average of 23.7 percent of their body weight after 68 weeks. The drug also reduced knee arthritis pain by up to 62.6 percent. More than one in eight patients who took the drug became completely free of knee pain by the end of the trial.
🛰️ Startup successfully transmits solar energy with laser from aircraft – a step toward space-based solar power
Overview Energy has tested transmitting thousands of watts from an aircraft to a ground-based receiver using near-infrared laser light. The technology makes it possible to deliver solar energy to existing ground-based solar facilities when the sun is not shining.
🚛 Self-driving trucks to transport sand around the clock in Texas
Detmar Logistics has signed an agreement with Aurora Innovation to use autonomous trucks to transport frac sand in the Permian Basin. The trucks can operate over 20 hours per day and double the capacity to move sand. The technology allows the vehicles to see 400 meters ahead in total darkness.
💉 DR Congo launches vaccination campaign for 62 million children
DR Congo is launching a nationwide vaccination campaign against measles and rubella that will reach 62 million children aged 6 months to 14 years. The combined vaccine replaces the previous measles vaccine in the national immunization program.
🐟 São Paulo's river was an open sewer – after major cleanup life returns to the water
The Novo Rio Pinheiros program has installed 280 kilometers of sewage networks and given more than 7,000 households access to basic sanitation. Two million residents have stopped dumping sewage into the Pinheiros River, and 173,000 residents along the Zavuvus stream now have clean water.
🔋 Battery storage has become cheap enough for solar power to be delivered around the clock
The cost of large-scale battery storage fell by 40 percent in 2024 and continues to drop in 2025. Over the past decade, battery costs have fallen by an average of 20 percent per year while deployment has increased by 80 percent per year.
🧪 AlphaFold's protein database has been used by three million researchers in five years
AlphaFold has been cited in more than 35,000 scientific articles. Over 200,000 articles have used elements of AlphaFold 2 in their methodology. It has contributed to understanding heart disease, conserving bee colonies, and developing more resilient crops.
🦾 AI tool analyzes startups 537 times faster than human analysts
AI agents can screen early-stage startups 537 times faster than human venture capital analysts without sacrificing quality. The AI tool cost an average of 6.9 cents per search compared to 70 dollars for human analysis. Startups selected by the AI agent had a higher probability of receiving funding.
💩 Goodbye, camera up the bum – swallowable bacterial capsule can detect intestinal diseases
Researchers have developed a capsule with bacteria that is swallowed, detects bleeding in the gut, and can then be easily collected from stool using a magnet. The entire process from collection to analysis takes about 25 minutes.