Innovative ‘sand battery’ is green energy’s beacon of hope
Two young engineers have succeeded in using sand to store energy from wind and solar by creating a novel battery capable of supplying power all year round. When you think of batteries, you probably think of lithium. If you’re old enough to remember when one started corroding inside your CD...
Current in Science
There may be no link between serotonin levels and depression
A major review of 17 existing studies has uncovered ‘no convincing evidence’ depression is caused by a chemical imbalance. According to new research, depression may not be caused by low levels of serotonin. The finding comes after University College London conducted a major review of 17 existing studies and realised there...
NASA plans to send swimming robots to habitable ocean worlds
Most nearby planets thought to be habitable are completely covered in water. With many taking years to get to, NASA has secured funding for a project that will help us get a look into their depths. As humans come to grips with the possibility of one day living on another...
Drug that increases human lifespan to 200 years is in the works
Taken in pill form, the drug would eliminate cells in the human body that are responsible for advancing the ageing process – potentially doubling our lifespan. But is this desirable? Are you ready to live an additional hundred years? British computational biologist Dr Andrew Steele has published a new book on...
NASA’s JWST telescope delivers deep infrared images of Universe
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has delivered the most detailed and vivid images of the early Universe to date. Within these snapshots, thousands of distant galaxies are visible. Feast your eyes on the deepest infrared images of the universe to date. I’ve got a headache. These mind-blowing snaps arrive courtesy of...
Are space-built supermaterials a secret weapon against climate change?
‘Earth is a terrible place to make things,’ according to aerospace engineer Andrew Bacon. Here’s how low gravity provides the unique conditions to build high-performance materials which may arm us against climate change. Finding ways of building sustainable technologies in a sustainable way is a requirement which perpetually limits our...
AI is being taught to monitor coral reef health through its ‘songs’
Who’s making the hardest beats under the sea these days? We’ll soon find out, because British scientists have trained AI to track the sounds of coral reefs to monitor their health. It’s not all Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo narratives down there, but regardless, the ocean is a noisy place - especially in areas where sea life is abundant. In particular, the complex soundscapes discovered amongst coral reefs can offer up...
Love drugs could soon be a reality
An Oxford University academic has suggested that a new substance to help failing relationships could become commercially available in the next three to five years. Imagine a world where, rather than working on our relationships the old-fashioned way, we just pop a pill and the spark is reignited (at least until it wears off and we need another fix). Though this may sound like something straight out of Harry Potter, it...
Scientists discover the largest known bacteria on record
Measuring roughly the length of an eyelash, Thiomargarita magnifica is 50 times larger than any bacteria we’ve previously discovered. This challenges long held basics about our understanding of bacterial cells. Germaphobes, get ready to squirm. ‘We’re going to need a bigger dish.’ Government scientists have discovered the first form of bacteria that is instantly visible to the naked eye, as reported in the journal Science. Resembling white filaments around a centimetre...
UK government announces plan to drive space sustainability
The UK has just unveiled a raft of new measures to ensure the sustainable use of space in the years ahead. Already a leader of green initiatives on Earth, the nation is now looking to lead into the great beyond. Speaking at the Space Sustainability Summit, UK science minister George Freeman has just outlined the government’s plan of action to protect the ecological integrity of space in the years ahead. Having...
