🧬 Scientists have for the first time sequenced RNA from 40,000-year-old mammoth
The RNA shows which genes were active in the muscles just before the mammoth died, providing direct evidence of gene regulation in real time. The results show that RNA can survive much longer than previously thought, opening up the possibility of studying RNA viruses from the Ice Age.
📉 Tuberculosis deaths have decreased by 29 percent globally since 2015
Global tuberculosis deaths fell to 1.23 million – the lowest number ever recorded. Since 2000, tuberculosis treatment has saved an estimated 83 million lives. Over 100 countries have reduced mortality by at least 20 percent since 2015.
🚀 Saab invests 10 million dollars in Swedish space company, Pythom Space
Pythom was founded by Swedish explorers Tina and Tom Sjögren who have three records in the Guinness Book of Records. The company develops lightweight rockets that can be deployed quickly to make access to space more flexible and affordable.
🚀 Blue Origin landed rocket at sea – second company in history after SpaceX
Blue Origin became the second company ever to land an orbital rocket on a platform at sea. The landing shows that reusable rockets are no longer unique to SpaceX, which increases competition in the space industry.
🚗 Waymo first with driverless taxi rides on highways in the US
Waymo becomes the first robotaxi company in the US to offer driverless rides on highways, available around the clock in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. The service uses the same software and sensors as for city driving.
🦾 New AI-designed enzyme breaks down plastic foam into recyclable building blocks
An AI-designed enzyme can break down 98 percent of polyurethane in 12 hours at industrial scale. Polyurethane is a type of plastic used in foam cushions, mattresses, insulation and other products. The process recovers pure building blocks that can be used to manufacture new plastic.
☢️ Nuclear reactor creates its own fuel from common thorium
A 2 megawatt reactor in the Gobi Desert converts thorium into uranium-233 inside the reactor while producing energy, which means it creates new fuel continuously. Thorium is much more common than uranium.
🐘 Elephant poaching decreased by 50 percent after China's ivory ban
Elephant poaching decreased by 50 percent after China implemented its total ivory ban in 2018. The number of illegal ivory seizures also declined after the ban. No "last-minute rush" in smuggling occurred before the ban took effect.
📉 China's carbon dioxide emissions lower than 18 months ago
China's carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or declining since March 2024. Solar power increased by 46% and wind power by 11% in the third quarter, covering nearly all the increase in electricity demand. Emissions from the transport sector fell by 5% due to the rapid spread of electric vehicles.