🏆 XPRIZE launches prize competition to combat water scarcity with innovative desalination techniques
The competition has a total prize pool of $119 million. The goal is to develop sustainable, reliable, and affordable solutions for desalinating seawater.
🤖 Klarna's new AI assistant does the same job as 700 people, after one month
The AI assistant has handled 2.3 million conversations, equivalent to two-thirds of all customer service chats, in its first month. Customers now resolve their issues in less than 2 minutes, an improvement of 82 percent compared to before.
🔋 Battery price wars: Prices reach record lows
The world's largest battery manufacturers are reducing the costs of batteries for electric vehicles. In one year, the cost has more than halved. The progress is years ahead of what forecasters have believed. It is likely that prices will continue to fall.
🌌 Private capsule returns to Earth with space-grown antiviral medicine on board
Varda Space Industries' capsule has landed in Utah after nearly eight months in orbit. The capsule contains crystals of an antiviral medicine that was grown in space.
🦟 Cape Verde reaches milestone – free from malaria
Cape Verde has been declared free from malaria by WHO. No cases of local transmission have been reported for three years, thanks to strengthened health care systems and increased access to diagnosis and treatment.
🍌 Genetically modified banana resistant to Panama disease approved for consumption in Australia
Australian researchers have developed a genetically modified banana that is nearly immune to Panama disease. Panama disease is a fungal infection that prevents banana plants from absorbing nutrients and eventually kills the plant. The banana is the first genetically modified fruit to be approved.
🔋 Electric car sales hit record with over 1 million sold in January
An increase of 69 percent compared to the previous year. In the EU, EFTA, and the United Kingdom, sales increased by 29 percent year over year, while the USA and Canada saw a 41 percent increase and nearly a doubling in China.
🔫 Sharp decline in U.S. murders during 2023
The United States is on track for a record reduction in murders, according to the FBI. Of the nine categories of violent and property crimes, only motor vehicle theft has increased.
🌚 A private company successfully lands on the moon for the first time
Intuitive Machines has successfully soft-landed a robotic lander on the moon. The last time an American spacecraft landed on the moon was in 1972. This is the first time a private company has managed to land on the moon without crashing.