Seaweed film could be the future of single use plastic packaging
London-based company Notpla was granted $13 million to boost sustainable packaging using seaweed. It hopes to replace hard-to-recycle plastic films used for food and clothing wrapping. The magical plant that holds together sushi rolls, adds flavour to our ramen bowls, and grows abundantly in the ocean has become an unlikely,...
Current in Tech
Twitter bans ‘Politics For All’ account without specifying why
The integrity of Twitter as a democratic platform is again under scrutiny. This time, after permanently banning a political news aggregator account for a strange and minor offence. Another day, another censorship storm involving Twitter. The topical social media giant is under scrutiny after removing a popular political news aggregator account...
SafeUP app makes solo travelling safer for women
As a woman, travelling involves regularly assessing where is safe to go and what is safe to do. The SafeUP app is helping women stay connected to one another in case they need to ask for help - wherever they are. Women change their personal behaviours in the interest of...
Twitter plans to ban photos and videos taken of strangers in public
The social media platform says it will ban unsolicited videos in public settings. Unwitting strangers cannot give consent, creating a problematic grey area for social media content. Sceptics, however, are already asking a lot of questions. We’ve all seen them. The photos or videos of people in public doing strange...
NASA hires theologians to prepare humanity for extra-terrestrial life
A priest and other religious experts have been called on to determine how different religions around the world would react to contact with aliens. As favourable as it is to live in blissful ignorance and choose to disregard the fact that we’re tiny creatures on a rock floating through...
The 2022 mission to clean-up electric battery production
Precious metals like cobalt and nickel are vital components of electric batteries, but extracting them is a dirty and dangerous. As the demand for green tech grows in 2022, are we any closer to fixing the labour and sustainability issues? 2022 is going to have to be a big one...
Climate tech start-ups raise a record $32bn in 2021
Opinions may vary on how significant the role of tech should be in solving the climate crisis, but that isn’t stopping overall investment growing within the sector every year. A decade ago, tech entrepreneurs searched for ways to emulate the likes of Zuckerberg and Bezos, filling market gaps with what they hoped would become profitable endeavours. However, amidst our growing climate crisis, the landscape is drastically changing and start-ups are now...
Scientists discover perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo
Believed to be between 66 and 72 million years old, the fossil was found in southern China and offers new insight into the very first stages of animal life on Earth. On Tuesday, scientists announced the discovery of the most complete dinosaur embryo ever found, tucked into a position that's strikingly similar to today’s unhatched chickens. Found in the Late Cretaceous rocks of Ganzhou in southern China, the fossil – which...
NASA launches its first asteroid-deflecting spaceship
Named DART, the spacecraft has no other purpose but to slam into and redirect an asteroid 6.8 million miles out in space. It’s the first planetary defence mission of its kind. Considering that we exist on a floating rock in the endless, chaotic abyss of the universe, NASA’s plan to practice deterring an asteroid from hitting our planet is warranted. Though DART’s target isn’t a threat to Earth at present, there...
Are sustainable aviation fuels the future of flying?
Reaching a net zero emissions target by 2050 will require innovation, particularly within the transport sector. SAFs could be the answer to cleaner, greener aviation. I’ll be honest, I love planes. They take us on holidays, get us closer to the people we love, and give us a fleeting bird’s eye view of the world below. They provide a chance to switch off with our favourite playlists, take a nap,...
