Scientists successfully divert lightning strikes with laser device
Scientists have successfully diverted lightning strikes for the first time using a powerful laser beam directed at the sky. This looks to be the future of novel protection strategies. Without recovering Thor’s hammer, this is probably the next best way of controlling the fierce phenomenon of lightning. Scientists have demonstrated a...
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Bitcoin mining is a noise pollution menace across the US
We know all about the ecological toll of Bitcoin mining, but a lesser talked about issue is just how damn noisy its industrial processes are. Residents at Niagara Falls claim it’s ruining their quality of life. The US border town of Niagara Falls was once among the most tranquil and...
Can cloud technology help banking transition to net zero?
Data from IDC shows that transitioning away from legacy systems within banking could prevent 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the coming years. A growing consensus from experts is that the green future of the industry lies within cloud computing. Our financial worries and existential dread about the climate...
Study shows coronavirus can have long-term effects on the brain
Researchers have found differences in the frontal lobe and brainstem of recovered COVID-19 patients when compared to healthy people. These changes are linked to issues such as anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and other cognitive abnormalities. Feeling out of whack despite finally testing negative for COVID? A recent small study may have...
Complex metal Bismuth may be the future of clean energy
Bismuth is a heavy, brittle metal that forms colourful geometric crystals when melted down. Completely nontoxic and able to absorb light almost anywhere, it may one day power our homes with clean energy. Looking like an artifact straight from a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Bismuth, or Bismuth Subsalicylate is...
Students are using AI language tools to ace assignments
In a world where AI can be used to do almost anything, students are using language algorithms to write their assignments and are circumventing plagiarism software. As a 14-year-old, I remember attempting to blag my French language homework by using translation tools on Google. My poor attempt failed to fool...
Loud listening habits risk hearing loss for 1 billion young people
Take a walk outside and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone not wearing headphones. But could this everyday habit be detrimental to our hearing in the long run? Several recent studies say yes, if we’re not careful. Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you over my LOUD taste in music. New studies suggest that over 1 billion young people globally are at risk of hearing loss due to poor music...
Tuvalu to preserve its culture in the metaverse
Climate change is affecting the Pacific Island of Tuvalu in a serious way. Anticipating its population will be forced into climate migration in the near future, the government is turning to the metaverse to preserve its unique culture. While COP27 isn’t over, betting on actual environmental policy implementation is risky, if previous summits are anything to go by. This is especially true for the Global South. The reality is that business...
Magnetic powder could be key to ridding ocean microplastics
When plastic pollution degrades into tiny fragments it can no longer be detected by wastewater treatment plants. A newly developed magnetic material, however, can effectively hoover up all forms of microplastic to be removed. It may have only entered global discourse in the last few years, but people are now generally aware of the ecological threat posed by microplastics. Split into two categories, primary microplastics are tiny items (typically smaller than...
Cosmic Venus dust inspires pollution cleaning automobile tech
When talking climate innovation, carbon removal is the trendy topic. Researchers from The Conservation, however, are preoccupied with the more immediate threat of nitrogen oxides – found in urban pollution. It sounds cliché to say that inspiration can be found within the stars, but climate innovators are proving exactly that. Right now, efforts to utilise tech for the future prosperity of the planet largely revolve (no pun intended) around decarbonisation. Whether...
