#breakthrough

CAR-T cell therapy is curing cancer

The cure rate for lymphoma using CAR-T therapy is 45%.

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Dengue rates plunged after release of lab-altered mosquitoes

Wolbachia bacteria-infected mosquitoes have been linked to a significant 97% reduction in dengue infections in three Colombian cities.

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Mining asteroids in deep space

Startup AstroForge aims to mine asteroids for resources.

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The Psyche Mission will take us to an infant planet

For the first time ever, we’ll explore an asteroid made not of rock or ice, but of metal. The mission will investigate planet formation and could be a building block towards asteroid mining.

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Wireless power over distance is arriving

Wi-Charge is beta testing a wireless power solution that transmits power using infrared. Essentially, an infrared laser beams energy onto a photovoltaic cell (like a solar panel).

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Tumour-destroying sound waves receive FDA approval

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of sound waves to break down tumours in humans for liver treatment.

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Dreams are just a screensaver

Due to neurological plasticity, regions of the brain must maintain their territory through constant stimulation/activity. Scientists hypothesise that REM sleep (and therefore dreams) is a sort of screensaver to keep your visual system active while you sleep. Use it or lose it!

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Functional prosthetics are getting very good

The current cutting edge of cybernetic prosthetics is astounding.

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Autonomous flying taxis are coming

China’s FAA (i.e., the CAA) has approved the first autonomous flying (VTOL) taxis.

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Boom Supersonic begins certification process

Boom Technology is developing Overture, it’s new supersonic jet.

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Progress on carbon capture

Swiss company Climeworks is capturing carbon in Iceland, bucking widespread skepticism for direct-air capture.

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Desalination is getting much more viable

Desalination is a crucial technology for the future because it allows us to keep up with rising demand for fresh water, and will enable us to green our growing deserts.

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Renewables now cheaper than fossil fuels in most markets

In most places power from new renewables is now cheaper than new fossil fuels.

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Build geothermal power plants wherever you want with hydraulic fracturing

Startup Fervo is using hydraulic fracturing techniques to expand the applicability of geothermal energy. They will contribute to the Nevada grid as soon as this year.

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Batteries without rare-earth materials are here

Form Energy has developed a battery platform made from iron, air, and water. One of many emerging battery solutions that avoid rare-earth minerals.

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Reducing the carbon footprint of cement

Cement accounts for 8% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, so is a major hurdle in reducing carbon.

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Reducing air conditioning emissions by 60% with modern dehumidification

Air conditioning accounts for 4% of global greenhouse-gas emissions. Perversely, as the globe warms, we use air-conditioning more, furthering the problem.

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Progress on artificial kidneys

UC San Francisco researchers developing a new treatment for kidney failure, potentially eliminating need for dialysis or immunosuppressant drugs post-transplant.

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Mind reading music listeners

Researchers from UC Berkeley, Shanghai, and Osaka University have trained a computer to analyse brain activity while listening to music and recreate the song, including a recognisable version of Another Brick in the Wall.

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Pig heart xenotransplanation

Gene-edited pig hearts were transplanted into two brain-dead human recipients. The cardiac function and immune response were then assessed over 66 hours. Both hearts:

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Using AI to predict infectivity and variant evolution of viruses

The study presents an AI model that can predict how viral variants affect protein–protein binding.

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Parkinson's predicted from smartwatch data

Scientists analysed accelerometry data from those who later developed Parkinson’s. Machine learning models trained on this data were highly accurate in predicting the disease.

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Reversing aging with Yamanaka factors

This study aimed to tackle a crucial aspect of ageing in eukaryotic cells, involving a loss of epigenetic information. Epigenetic changes play a pivotal role in regulating gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself.

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Using AI to invent new antibiotics

Scientists are using AI to design new antibiotics, as shown in a study by researchers from MIT and McMaster University that identified an antibiotic effective against the drug-resistant bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii.

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Treating melanoma with fecal transplants

A trial shows fecal transplants with PD-1 inhibitors are safe and effective for treating advanced melanoma.

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