Current Events & Recent News

When bloodstream infections set in, fast treatment is crucial — but it can take several days to identify the bacteria responsible. A new, rapid-diagnosis sepsis test could cut down on the wait, reducing testing time from as much as a few days to about 13 hours by cutting out a lengthy blood culturing step, researchers report July 24 in Nature.

“They are pushing the limits of rapid diagnostics for bloodstream infections,” says Pak Kin Wong, a biomedical engineer at Penn State who was not involved in the research. “They are driving toward a direction that will dramatically improve the clinical management of bloodstream infections and sepsis.”

Each year, 2 million people in the United States suffer from rotator cuff injuries — but only 600,000 get surgical fixes. A new, python-inspired device might close that gap.

Rotator cuff surgeries have failure rates between 20 and 94 percent. With the likelihood of retearing, doctors sometimes decide not to operate. But a medical instrument modeled after python fangs could double surgical repair strengths and prevent retearing when used alongside standard sutures, researchers report in the June 28 Science Advances....

In a significant move for treating PTSD, a group of bipartisan US lawmakers is advocating for the inclusion of a provision that allows medical research on psychedelic drugs within the annual defense policy bill.

The lawmakers argue that such research could have potential benefits in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other ailments.

During a press conference on Capitol Hill, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has been championing this cause since 2019, spoke about the significance of psychedelics. “These are powerful substances, I don’t want to give that short shrift,” she said. “But they also have powerful potential as well.”....

Around the world this summer, professional and amateur astronomers alike will be fixed on one small constellation deep in the night sky. But it’s not the seven stars of Corona Borealis, the “Northern Crown,” that have sparked such fascination.

It’s a dark spot among them where an impending nova event – so bright it will be visible on Earth with the naked eye – is poised to occur.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create a lot of new astronomers out there, giving young people a cosmic event they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions, and collect their own data,” said Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist specializing in nova events at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’ll fuel the next generation of scientists.”

T Coronae Borealis, dubbed the “Blaze Star” and known to astronomers simply as “T CrB,” is a binary system nestled in the Northern Crown some 3,000 light-years from Earth. The system is comprised of a white dwarf – an Earth-sized remnant of a dead star with a mass comparable to that of our Sun – and an ancient red giant slowly being stripped of hydrogen by the relentless gravitational pull of its hungry neighbor......

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, June 1 (Reuters) - A second attempt at launching Boeing's (BA.N), opens new tab new Starliner space capsule on its inaugural test flight with NASA astronauts on board was automatically halted with minutes to go before liftoff by a computer-abort system, mission officials said.

The scrubbed launch, capping a string of 11th-hour technical issues that ground teams worked through and resolved earlier in the countdown, adds another indefinite delay for the highly anticipated and much-delayed test flight........

Scientists in China have developed an innovative new water-based battery that could be a game-changer for electric vehicles and the fight against atmospheric pollution, according to Interesting Engineering.

So, what makes this breakthrough exciting? These aqueous batteries are not only much safer than traditional lithium-ion batteries — they can store almost double the energy.

Today's lithium batteries have enabled the rise of EVs, but they have some serious limitations. Their flammable organic electrolytes make them a fire risk, and their energy density puts a cap on EV driving range.

The new water-based design replaces those combustible components with a safer, more stable water-based electrolyte. The result is a battery that can pack way more energy into the same space.

Researchers have been working hard on this water battery concept for years, and their efforts are paying off. In the lab, they've already achieved an impressive energy density of 1,200 watt-hours per liter, according to findings published in the journal Nature Energy. That's on par with cutting-edge solid-state batteries and double that of top lithium-ion cells......

In a first for the European Union (EU), wind energy has surpassed gas, with more of it being used to generate energy in 2023.

In a win for the renewable energy sector, wind energy produced 18 percent of the electricity generated last year, compared with 17% for gas. Combined with solar energy, the two renewable sources created 27% of the EU’s electricity, which is the first time it has ever generated more than a quarter. This is an increase from 2022, where wind energy generated 13% of all electricity.

“The EU’s power sector is in the middle of a monumental shift,” says Sarah Brown, Ember’s Europe programme director. “Fossil fuels are playing a smaller role than ever as a system with wind and solar as its backbone comes into view.”

This is great news for the EU, as they battle to cut their greenhouse gas usage by 90% by 2040.

Some countries are leading the way in renewable wind power. With 58% of its electricity coming from turbines, Denmark’s wind production exceeds any other OEDC (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) country per capita.

In Cairo, Egypt a group of refugee women meet regularly, pooling their money together and making financial decisions for the good of others. Out of the 29 women Fatima is by far the oldest at the age of 110.

Despite being a centenarian, Fatima looks at least forty years younger, with a passion for life to match. She has been affectionately given the nickname “Umena,” by her group, which means “mother.” It’s a fitting title- not just because of her age. Fatima is a mother of seven. She was also the first person to open a school for girls in her hometown of Maqal in Sudan.

Fatima belongs to one of the many Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups that CARE, an anti-poverty and human rights charity, has worked with around the world since 1991. Each group has between 15 to 25 people, the majority of which are women, who meet regularly to save their money in a safe space. The money is used to support each other to set up businesses, negotiate fair prices in the marketplace, advocate for gender equality in their communities, and pursue public office. By 2030, CARE International hopes to have supported over 50 million people to build their businesses by providing training in savings, loans, and financial literacy.

Fatima’s group is called El Lama El Helwa — which is loosely translated as “the best company”. The group saved 100,000 EGP ($3,231 USD) which is equivalent to the average Egyptian’s annual salary. The savings allow loans to be given to vulnerable women, giving them financial security. One member of the group used the entrepreneur sessions within the group to launch her own hair care range. Another took a loan to buy a hand mixer to make and sell baked goods.