Microsoft’s Paint update adds layers and transparency features
Microsoft has announced a new update to its flagship image editing software Paint, which will include layers, transparency support, and background removal tools. It could make advanced image editing far more accessible to young people. A new update to Microsoft’s Paint could make image editing much easier and accessible...
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How are noise cameras tackling sound pollution?
The technology, which is paired with a sound meter to detect noise of at least 85 decibels from a source of 50ft or more away, has recently been installed across several cities in the US to help police identify vehicles that have been illegally modified to be louder. While having...
New study reveals the extent of teenage smartphone use
A recent report from Common Sense Media has found that, on average, half of 11 to 17-year-olds get at least 237 notifications a day, raising concerns that this is affecting the cognitive ability, attention span, and memory of their still-developing brains. It’s no secret that young people are addicted to...
Soil home to more than half of the Earth’s species
According to a new study, 90 per cent of fungi, 85 per cent of plants, over 50 per cent of bacteria, and 59 per cent of life overall dwells in this ecosystem – double what many previously thought. A recent analysis has found that soil – the top layer of...
Biden greenlights $1.2 billion for two carbon-capture tech firms
The Biden administration has announced a tremendous investment into regional hubs that use technology to suck carbon out of the atmosphere and store it. Why are most scientists and environmentalists already calling it a failed plan? Carbon capture, storage, and removal are processes that have been carried out by...
Surgeons perform UK’s first-ever successful womb transplant
Set to make the procedure another option for treating infertility within the next few years, the breakthrough is being hailed as the ‘dawn of a new era’ in reproductive medicine, as well as an incredible advancement in gynaecology. According to Imperial College London, one in 5,000 British women are born...
UNESCO calls for a global tech detox in schools
The use of technology in schools has become increasingly prevalent in the past few decades. UNESCO’s new report sheds light on the consequences of this reliance. Over the past few decades, technology has become so pervasive that it’s hard to imagine a world without it. It has allowed interconnectivity throughout the world whilst making day-to-day activities much easier. The rise of digital learning is transforming the way students learn as they...
Bacteria is now being used to create endlessly recyclable plastic
Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a new way to engineer bacteria to produce raw materials that can be made into plastic. They’re completely recyclable. We probably don’t need to tell you that plastic is bad for the environment. A major polluter that causes significant headaches around the world, plastics can be found everywhere. From our foods to our seas, it has become a huge pillar of concern in the...
How the pandemic upended our perception of time
A new paper by cognitive neuroscientist Nina Rouhani has uncovered that isolating to curb the spread of COVID-19 significantly impacted our ability to accurately recall events – findings that are consistent with memory lapses experienced by prison inmates. Though almost everyone agrees that time has been passing very strangely since the pandemic took hold in early 2020, discussing how some days feel eternal while moths appear to be flying...
Ethiopia restores social media after 5 months of shutdown
Ethiopia has taken a momentous stride towards reinstating communication freedom and reconnecting its citizens with the digital realm by lifting its social media ban after a prolonged five-month shutdown. The restoration of access to popular platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, and YouTube comes as a welcome relief for millions of Ethiopians who were cut off from the global digital landscape since the government's drastic measure in February. The Ethiopian government imposed...
