Energy

A collage of agricultural elements including a satellite, crop fields, tomatoes, and growth charts illustrating data, boosted breeding techniques, chemical formulas, and a seedling highlights efforts to combat hunger.

Boosted Breeding and beyond: 3 tech trends that could end world hunger

A world without hunger is possible, and the development and deployment of new farming technologies could be one key to manifesting it.

Kristin Houser

Aerial view of solar panels arranged in rows on green grass, partially obscured by a yellowish haze.

Clean Energy

US hits 180 GW of solar power. Here’s how we get to 1,000 by 2035.

A quick look at the history of solar power in the US and the trends that could lead us into our sun-powered future.

Kristin Houser

Clean Energy

Which technologies will enable a cleaner steel industry?

Technologies like hydrogen-based direct reduction of ore, electrolysis, and advanced furnace technologies could reduce steel emissions.

Daniel Boero Vargas and Mandy Chan | World Economic Forum

Oceans

Google built a neural network to warn ships of whales. will it help?

Google introduced an artificial neural network that can locate whales in the ocean. They want to use it to keep the animals safe from ships.

Teresa Carey

Disaster Response

Firefighting satellites help track wildfires in California

High-tech instruments on satellites are helping emergency responders and members of the public track wildfires in California.

Kristin Houser

Climate Crisis

Could a Norwegian “hurricane net” stop storms by cooling the sea?

Norwegian company OceanTherm uses bubble nets to keep ice out of fjords. Could a hurricane net weaken the storms?

B. David Zarley

Video Games

Storm chasers explore Hurricane Laura with new flight simulator

Virtual storm chasers are using Microsoft’s new flight simulator to explore Hurricane Laura as it moves across the U.S.

Kristin Houser

Animals

The murder hornet’s genome may help stop the invasion

The Asian giant hornet has invaded the Pacific Northwest. Researchers hope a map of the murder hornet’s genome can help their hunt for them.

B. David Zarley

Climate Crisis

Raising Pacific islands to save them from high sea levels

The president of Kiribati announced a new plan to fight against sea level rise: raise the islands.

Teresa Carey

Animals

Scientists have found the locust swarm pheromone

A locust swarm is flying famine, devouring millions of pounds of crops. Researchers have found the swarming trigger — and perhaps an answer to stopping it.

B. David Zarley

Disaster Response

Google wants to make the world’s largest earthquake detector

Google wants to create the world’s largest earthquake detector by using the accelerometers of Android phones and city-level location data.

B. David Zarley

Animals

These ultra-black deep-sea fish absorb over 99% of light

Researchers have discovered ultra-black deep-sea fish that can absorb over 99% of light. Their skin may hold secrets to creating new ultra-dark materials.

B. David Zarley

Oceans

Divers remove wildlife-killing “ghost nets” from shipwreck

The Healthy Seas initiative removes wildlife-killing “ghost nets” from the ocean so that they can be recycled into useful Econyl yarn.

Kristin Houser

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