Three mule deer wandered up to a brand-new bridge near Grass Lake, in the far north of California, and walked across it. The bridge was built just for them, and other animals, and a trail camera caught them taking advantage of it. Remarkably, the bridge was not even finished being built when they used it.…Continue reading The Kind of People Who Build Bridges for Animals
For years, the only way to fight against the weedkiller Roundup has been in a courtroom. Individuals who asserted that their lives had been forever altered by cancer from the weedkiller sued its maker, Bayer, which purchased the chemical’s original manufacturer, Monsanto, by the tens of thousands. At times, juries agreed with the plaintiffs and…Continue reading Kennedy Is in the Room. But Whose Science Is on the Table?
$53.5 billion. That is what twenty of the world’s largest grain, fertilizer, meat, and dairy companies paid their shareholders over 2021 and 2022. The United Nations estimates that it would cost about $51.5 billion to feed the 230 million most desperate, hungry people on earth. So a single slice of the food industry handed out…Continue reading $53.5 Billion: A Food System That Feeds Its Investors
Illicit online pharmacies—and there are 35,000 of them around the world—are a significant and growing threat, and nearly all are being operated illegally. These pharmacies distribute counterfeit medicines, which pose a significant health risk to consumers. The illegal pharmacies employ sophisticated deceptive practices to mimic legitimate pharmacies, contributing to the widespread availability of unregulated and…Continue reading Significant Risks on Global Health From Illegal Online Pharmacies
The world’s first farm to grow indoor, vertically farmed berries at scale opened in September 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. Opened by a company called Plenty Unlimited Inc., partnered with Realty Income Corporation, the new facility will support its development of the world’s largest indoor vertical farms campus, with a focus on scaling sustainable agriculture technology…Continue reading Largest Vertical Farming Research Center Aims to Grow Healthy, Pesticide-Free Foods Indoors
Have you ever heard of mirror bacteria? Mirror bacteria are synthetic organisms in which the molecular structure found in nature is reversed. It is not currently possible to create mirror bacteria. Nonetheless, dozens of scientists are warning of the dangers of mirror bacteria research, noting that, with no natural enemies and access to essential achiral…Continue reading Dozens of Scientists Warn of The Dangers of Mirror Bacteria Research
Autonomous weapons are often pitched as the answer to the chaos of war. With advanced vision algorithms, they could, in theory, tell the difference between, for example, a school and a weapons depot better than any human. Moreover, unlike their mortal counterparts, they don’t loot, massacre, or act out of rage. In fact, some ethicists…Continue reading Killer Robots: Can They Say “No,” and Should They?