Asia has an e-waste problem. But it’s not the amount of dead gadgets that’s the issue, really—it’s the ability to process them at the end of their lives. New research from the United Nations University shows that in 2014 Asia generated 16 million metric tons …Continue reading
Why Some Autonomous Cars Are Going to Avoid the Internet
Self-driving cars are essentially large computers on wheels. No surprise, then, that some of them will be kept offline in the name of security. John Krafcik, the CEO of Alphabet’s self-driving car company, Waymo, explained to the Financial Times (paywall) that its vehicles only …Continue reading
Spray-On RNA Protects Plants from Viruses for Weeks
Scientists have demonstrated that they can use a crop spray to silence genes in plants, rendering the plants resistant to a virus for several weeks. A team at the University of Queensland in Australia has developed a technique that allows it to …Continue reading
Obama’s Drilling Ban Is Just One of Many Forces Pushing the U.S. Toward Renewables
Barack Obama has banned new oil and gas drilling in huge stretches of U.S.-owned waters across the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. In a statement, the White House deemed “the vast majority of U.S. waters in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas as indefinitely …Continue reading
A Coal-Fired Power Plant in India Is Turning Carbon Dioxide Into Baking Soda
In the southern Indian city of Tuticorin, locals are unlikely to suffer from a poorly risen cake. That’s because a coal-fired thermal power station in the area captures carbon dioxide and turns it into baking soda. Carbon capture schemes are nothing new. Typically, …Continue reading
Should the Super-Rich Save Climate Research from Trump?
Judging from statements made by President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, and the growing list of nominees for key jobs in his administration, the future of environmental science and clean energy research is looking shaky. The question is, even if America’s climate-friendly billionaires …Continue reading
An Amazon Drone Has Delivered Its First Products to a Paying Customer
Amazon has had made its first ever commercial drone delivery. And while its Prime Air setup is barely little more than a stunt, it is now at least a stunt that demonstrates the technology could finally be of some use. At MIT …Continue reading
Ukraine’s Power Grid Gets Hacked Again, a Worrying Sign for Infrastructure Attacks
Russian hackers have reportedly taken down power grids and tracked military units in Ukraine. Security researchers at CrowdStrike believe that the hacking collective known as Fancy Bear, which was linked to hacking of Democratic National Committee’s e-mail servers earlier this year, used …Continue reading
Following Rocket Failure, SpaceX Struggles to Relaunch
On September 1, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded catastrophically at a launch site in Florida. Now a series of delays and setbacks in repreparing for launch are beginning to impact its customers. While SpaceX still hasn’t confirmed the cause of what …Continue reading
This Super-Tall Robotic Arm Is Made of Helium Balloons
What’s bright silver, weighs next to nothing, and can reach up to the fifth floor? No, not an aluminum ladder. This inflatable robotic arm. While most robot arms are trying to develop brains, this one’s gone on a strict diet. Unlike the …Continue reading