Paid Subscriber Posts
246: Jetpack Grand Prix
Plus, a risky prediction, electron crystals, better batteries are coming, and good news on education in Ghana, electricity in Rwanda, EV sales in China and conservation in Peru
245: Do Birds Dream?
Plus, the avian tree of life, ketamine therapy, the most detailed MRI ever, and good news on global population growth, democracy in the USA, forest restoration in the Mediterranean, and Volvo's last diesel car.
244: Digital Twin
Plus, the last repair shop, Vernor Vinge, the quantum internet, and good news on malaria in India, democracy in Senegal, deforestation in the Amazon, and solar in China.
243: X-Men
Plus, parkour robots, 3D printed windpipes, that Dune chant, and good news on global child deaths, same-sex marriage in Thailand, ocean conservation in the Southern Ocean, and electric vehicle sales in China
242: Solarpunk Is A Valid Belief System
Plus, bioastronautics, medicine music, rescuing chimps, and good news on cervical cancer elimination, poverty in Kazakhstan, reforestation in China, and carbon emissions in the United Kingdom.
241: Ant Geopolitics
Plus, nuclear submarines, robot evolution, sexy solar, and good news on reproductive rights in France, poverty in India, river restoration in Maine, and carbon emissions (sort of).
240: Coda
Plus, drill baby drill, nerd fandom, DNA data drives, and good news on healthcare in Southeast Asia, human rights in Greece, environmental legislation in Europe, and electric vehicle wrecking balls.
239: Firefly Petunia
Plus, the Future Circular Collider, no one eats alone, modern cathedrals, and good news on tolerance in Poland, land restoration in the Dominican Republic and how the WSJ ate clean energy humble pie.
238: The Kid in the Omelas Hole
Plus, ancient scroll magic, inflatable space stations, the problem with doom-saying, and good news on gun violence in America, crime in Mexico, ocean conservation in Spain and plummeting carbon emissions in the EU.
237: The Little Copter That Could
Plus, a new form of life, trackless Ferris wheels, the $100 genome, and good news on Obamacare, education in the Seychelles, conservation in Mexico and Ireland, and rooftop solar in India.
236: Algorithmically Incompressible
Plus, lab-grown steak, Dan Wang, epigraphene, and good news on the malaria vaccine, poverty in India, reforestation in China, and offshore wind in Europe
235: Voldemort Year
Plus, universe-spanning rings, the real colours of 2024, proteomics, and good news on cancer in Canada, sanitation in Tanzania, elephant populations in Africa, and clean energy projections from the IEA
234: System Two
Plus, the world's smallest national park, anthrobots, a golden age for workers, and good news on poverty in Vietnam, HIV in South Africa, methane restrictions in the US, and mangrove restoration in Mexico.
233: Black Mamba
Plus, cosmic goddess rays, orange peels, digital twin hearts, and good news on global poverty, gender gaps in science, ocean conservation in Papua New Guinea, and EV sales in Europe.
232: Hacking is Forever
Plus, CRISPR gets clinical approval, hot-staging, making infrastructure sexy again, and good news on women's rights in Africa, poverty reduction in Malaysia, a whale sanctuary in the Dominican Republic, and solar power in India.
231: Retro-Walking
Plus, bad vibes versus good data, airships, weeding robots, and progress on tuberculosis, yellow fever, human rights in Latvia, carbon emissions in China, solar in Poland, and deforestation in Colombia.
230: Book of the Dead
Plus protostars, applebots, Werner Herzog, and good news on leprosy in the Maldives, disaster preparedness in Odisha, dam removal on the Klamath, and global projections on fossil gas.
229: Bush Pilot
Plus, fluorescent squirrels, Luddites, restoring lost senses, and good news on neglected tropical diseases in Africa, reproductive rights in France, brown bears in Europe, and an earlier-than-expected peak in carbon emissions.
228: Stormwater
Plus, talking trees, Project Silica, and good news on girls' education, crime in the UK, renewables in Spain and ocean conservation in New Zealand
227: Yo
Plus, a really cute robot, Ghost in Hong Kong, why you're living in an explosion, and good news on polio eradication, conservation in Israel, education in low-income countries, and a carbon border tax in Europe
226: The Eighth Continent
Plus, a bad week for humanity, the deer stones of Mongolia, fractal robot fingers, and good news on global poverty, malaria vaccines, conservation in the Caribbean, and falling emissions from the global power sector.
225: Empire
Plus dark stars, human cells, the sterile world of infinite choice, and good news on maternal and child health in Asia, social attitudes in the UK, Indigenous rights in Brazil, new hope for net zero, and crime (and cycling) in the United States.
224: Gigacasting
Plus, unintended consequences, artificial wombs, sex versus gender, and good news on child poverty, leprosy, girls' education in Nigeria, a conservation law in California, EV sales in Germany, and wind power in the UK.
223: Alice Ring
Plus, speaking to whales, the road trip of dreams, chirality, how electric vehicles made the Wall Street Journal look foolish, and good news on human rights in Mexico, mangroves in China, Medicare in the US, and coal generation in the EU
219: Glimmers
Plus, modern day doom machine, back-of-the-pack running, CRISPR crops, thanobots, and good news on global breast-feeding rates, healthcare in India, serial killers, conservation in Gabon and wind energy in the UK.
218: Nothing Compares
Plus, heavy metal, Miyazaki food, a golden age for palaeontology, and good news on poverty in India, hepatitis in Egypt, democracy in the United States, electric vehicle sales in Europe, and tigers in Nepal
217: Honey & Vinegar
Plus, connectomes, bioreactors, psychedelics for anorexia, why we're all night animals, and good news on AIDS, poverty in Cambodia, offshore wind in the United States and conservation in Borneo.
216: Unicorn Meat
Plus, extended childhoods, jetpack racing, bionic hands, and good news on trachoma, human rights in Mexico, domestic violence in South Korea, clean energy in Denmark, and river restoration in Madrid.
215: Don't Hesitate
Plus, interstellar methenium, Korean sci-fi, neuroprotective CPR, and good news on global water, sanitation and hygiene, animal comebacks, rewilding in Spain and rock-weathering for carbon removal.
214: Gravity Hum
Plus, the myth of the lizard brain, airships, psychedelic first responders, and good news on funding for a new TB vaccine, crime in Mexico City, deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia, and electric vehicles in Canada.
213: The Path to Happiness
Plus, cosmic ray muons, industrial stem cell engineering, new sci-fi recommendations, and good news on rubella in southeast Asia, breast cancer in the UK, blue whales in California, food waste in South Korea, and industrial clean energy policy in the US and Japan.
209: Topias
Plus, open-source sourdough, synesthesia, the oldest architectural plans, and good news on tropical disease elimination in Bangladesh, Mali and Benin; homicide rates in the United States; deforestation in Brazil; platypus reintroductions in Australia; and falling emissions in Europe.
208: Pangenome
Plus, a cloning milestone, mapping the planet's seabed, eavesdropping on animals, and good news on poverty (and deforestation) in Indonesia, press freedom in Fiji, debt for nature in Ecuador, shade in American cities, and wind power in the United Kingdom.
207: Universal Acts of Kindness
Plus, the oldest living thing on Earth, hiking in heels, sperm-injecting robots, Toyota enters the ring, and good news on respiratory diseases, smoking in the US, a new conservation area in Bolivia, snail restoration in Tahiti, and clean energy policy in Canada.
206: Numinous Stranger
Plus, superalloys, figure-skating, hope for liberal arts grads, and good news on the R21 malaria vaccine, breast cancer in Canada, women's rights in Uzbekistan, conservation in Colombia, and China's electric vehicle market.
205: Hug Pylons, Not Trees
Plus, making astronauts great again, clever bees, journalism for flourishing, and good news on heart disease in the United States, teen pregnancy in the Philippines, climate legislation in Australia, and cleaner vehicle standards in China.
204: Nose Print
Plus, unreal motion capture, unreal lightning capture, amazing mathematicians, and good news on population growth, malaria vaccines in Kenya, global river restoration, private conservation in South America and rooftop solar in China.
203: Aperiodic Monotile
Plus, free lunches, why the doomers are wrong, Jetson-style home delivery, clever seabirds, and good news on homicides in Brazil, infrastructure in India, cycling in London, and electric scooters in Indonesia.
202: The Heresy of Decline
Plus, connectomes, glowscopes, robot worship, a whole lotta seaweed, and good news on the global malaria map, LGBTQ warriors, renewables in Latin America, the first wild river national park in Europe, and whooper swans in the UK.
201: The Ship Has Reached The Shore
Plus, superconductivity, a secret corridor in the Great Pyramid, why dying matters, and good news on global maternal mortality, vaccine delivery in Ghana, the restoration of the Atlantic Forest, ocean conservation in Panama, and solar in Australia.
200: The Rift
Plus, the innermost inner core, lab-grown tenderloin, gold hydrogen, and good news on watersheds in Bolivia, a new reserve in Ecuador, solar in China, a green bank in the United States, and riding across Africa on an electric motorbike.
199: The Perfect Explosion
Plus, light drones, civilizational states, slime mold, and good news on prison populations in the US, a bold prediction on global carbon emissions, wildlife in Uganda, and the White Helmets in Syria
198: The 13th Commandment
Plus, fish-friendly hydropower, AI for animal communication, the best-selling electric vehicle in the world, and good news on psychedelic medicine in Australia, maternal health in India, and fishing restrictions in the Indian Ocean
197: Toroidal
Plus, Kai Lenny stomping Jaws, vortex ultrasound, very sad coal bosses, and good news on neglected tropical diseases, women's rights in China (and Sierra Leone), conservation in Alaska, and clean energy acceleration in Europe.
196: Where Shamans Dream
Plus, pipebots, mother-child microbiomes, a new Atlas video, and good news on global child mortality, democracy in Nigeria, safer births in Kenya, renewables in the UK and flamingos in Mumbai.
195: Density Is Not Destiny
Plus, lightning lasers, artificial intelligence in court, an astonishing genetic editing milestone, and good news on global democratic resilience, measles in south-east Asia, carbon emissions in Europe, and the one-horned rhino in India.
193: What Water Wants
Plus, holographic wormholes, lab-grown salmon, floating wetlands, and good news on measles, education in Sierra Leone, de-mining in Cambodia, a new drug for Alzheimer's, windfarms in Scotland, clean energy in the United States, and global mangrove protections.
192: Quettabyte
Plus, Dutch farming, the tyranny of time, an amazing new map, and good news on tuberculosis in Tanzania, literacy in Latin America, crime in the UK, electric two wheelers, protections for sharks and forests in Nepal.
191: Artemis
Plus, never look at a date the same way again, AI Dolly Parton, two dads one baby, and good news on global smoking rates, de-mining in Angola, traditional burning in California, elephant conservation in Zimbabwe, solar in Asia, and EVs in China (again).
190: A Good Day for Democracy
Plus, tetrataenite, air-purifying house plants, green civilization, and good news on blindness in India, veteran homelessness in the US, global EV spending, wind in South Dakota, and the restoration of the Mapocho River in Chile.
188: Scuderia
Plus, Snoop Dogg on nature, how the Moon was made, and a hydrogen reality check.
187: The Most Complicated Thing You Could Possibly Imagine
Plus, human hibernation, the Pillars of Creation, landmine-detecting rats, and good news on malaria vaccines, poverty in India, rewilding in Spain, ocean conservation in Congo, fossil fuel insurance markets, and electric trucks.
186: Silphion
Plus, magnet-grown meat, why parody matters, old-fashioned sobriety, and good news on global inequality, women's rights in India, wetland conservation in Argentina, an ICE ban in New York, and industrial decarbonization in Europe.
185: Disconnection Event
Plus, planetary defence systems, Roger Federer, The Queue, autonomous driving, and good news on US cancer deaths, gay marriage in Cuba, mammal recoveries in Europe, coal closures in Australia, and EV sales in Germany.
184: Stone Skipper
Plus, a new comments section, solving Saturn's mysteries, the greatest jump of all time, and good news on AIDS, youth crime in the US, ocean conservation in Indonesia, river restoration in Europe and Canada, clean air zones in Spain and an electric truck from Mercedes.
183: Middle Out Economics
Plus, a new charity partner, liberating your mama in Ukraine, 3D-printed houses, and good news on leprosy, child poverty in the US, ospreys in the UK, animal rights in Italy, rooftop solar in Spain, and global clean energy jobs.
182: Barreleye
Plus, Vitalik, AOC and the Sun, and good news on a new malaria vaccine, literacy in Iran and Cambodia, social attitudes in the US, global solar manufacturing and ocean conservation in Thailand.
181: Scruffy Hospitality
Plus, the largest artwork ever made, LLMs meet the robots, one of the best life advice essays ever, and good news on tropical diseases in Togo, conservation funding in the United States, a combustion engine ban in California, and puffins in Maine.
179: The Scent of God
Plus, why the medium really is the message, a new flying car, planetary nervous systems, and good news on climate politics in the US, life expectancy in Africa, teenage pregnancy around the world, and wolves in the Alps.
177: The Art of Maintenance
Plus, one of the greatest scientific leaps of our lifetimes, the three pillars of happiness, opti-ox technology, and good news on hepatitis B, crime in New York, conservation in Colombia, electric vehicles in China, and tiger populations in Asia.
176: Torpor
Plus, galactic whirlpools of Eldritch horror, how technology keeps on saving us, and good news on AIDS in Botswana, a new cure for hemopholia, some surprising news about EVs in the United States, and an important win for honeybees in Europe.
174: A Message From Deep Space
Plus, three nanometre chips, the Caminho de Peabiru, Steph Curry, and good news on malaria in India, plastic legislation in California, parental leave around the world and 'a good day' for climate action in Europe.
173: Ouroborous Quine
Plus, the Aztec Pantheon, light therapy for cancer, dark skies, and good news on global fertility rates, road safety in Colombia, global offshore wind pipelines, Ferrari's electrification strategy, and a plastic ban by Canada.
171: Normothermic Perfusion Machine
Plus, an insane mercenary story from Mozambique, fossil-free steel trucks, the largest ever bioreactors for lab-grown meat, and good news on trachoma in Togo, human rights in Mexico, golden lion tamarins in Brazil, and two mega ocean conservation stories
168: Tabula Sapiens
Plus, our very own black hole, Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalism, a visit to the human factory, and good news on cancer in Canada, poverty in Vietnam, a global insurance giant ditching fossil fuels, and the end of greyhound racing in the US.
167: Hyperaccumulator
Plus, electric airplanes, mRNA vaccines for cancer, globalists versus patriots, and good news on diabetes, poverty in Canada, grid upgrades in the United States, and a bucketload of new funding for ocean conservation.
166: Earendel
Plus, how Alphafold is upending life sciences, the end of the end of history, the care economy, and good news on womens' rights in Indonesia, a solar power boom in the Phillipines, and the return of forests in Scotland.
165: Molecular Dissasembly Line
Plus, Gigafactory fly-throughs, knitted soup bowl monsters, the first gap-free human genome, and good news on marine conservation in Australia, one-horned rhinoceroses in Assam, and walruses in Svalbard.
164: Spider Talk
Plus, the little copter that could, grid synchronization, lorecraft, and good news on maternal and neonatal tetanus, recyclable wind turbines and spotted owls.
163: Book of Job
Plus, gyrotron-powered millimeter-wave geothermal drilling, swimming outdoors, Mali magic, and good news on clean cooking, EVs in France, and a mega donation for the Amazon.
162: Russian Warship, Go F*ck Yourself
Plus, the energy of freedom, Endurance, love as biological bribery, and good news on bilharzia, renewables in California, and a new national park in Chile.
161: Moon Trees
Plus, the Great Smushing, an incredible gene therapy story, Russia-China realpolitik, and good news on women's rights in Colombia, cancer in Japan, electric trucks, and the return of the Tequila Fish.
160: Stephen Hawking's Blackboard
Plus, The Hum, the science of love, uncanny valleys and caring robots, and good news on rubella, the four day work week, gray wolves in the US, and clean energy down under.
159: Elite Mountain Rescue
Plus, micromorts, a fusion breakthrough, electric schoolbuses, TED talks, and good news on sleeping sickness, HIV in Australia, clean steel in Europe, and ocean conservation in Cuba.
158: No More Dead Butterflies
Plus, an mRNA vaccine for HIV, ten love letters to Earth, exoplanets, and good news on Guinea Worm, divorce, record clean energy investments, butterflies, and tigers.
157: Hickory, Dickory, Dock
Plus, a new kind of MRI, hiking robots, world rugby XV, and good news for the Everglades, women's rights in Pakistan and India, rewilding in Finland, and electric vehicle range anxiety.
156: Immortality on the Neck of a Giraffe
Plus, sub-eight hour genetic sequencing, grumpy old men, silicon carbide body armour, and good news on cancer in the US, children's rights in the Phillipines and fin whales in Antarctica.
155: The Birth of Lightning
Plus, sea dragons, superheated plasma, gold-coated cosmic eyes, and good news on global child mortality, girls' education in Tanzania, animal rights in Italy and a game-changing new regulation on renewables in China.
No 153: Hopepunk
Plus, phenomenal imaging resolution in a live brain, cancelling Leunig, a Glasgow half full, Mama Elephant and good news on measles, global tobacco use, prostate cancer in Canada, the Amazon of Europe and the regeneration of the Thames.
No 152: Space Tacos
Plus, ghost ancestors, the most impressive computer vision we've ever seen, good news on stroke rates, the recovery of a Saharan antelope, and conservation in the Pacific.
No 151: An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles and Stars
Plus, a guide to Glasgow, the mathematical secrets of 42, why emotions are nurture not nature, and good news on global war deaths, polio vaccine rollouts, democracy in central Asia, poaching declines in Malawi, and the return of sea turtles in Cape Verde
No 150: Primordial Compound Eye
Plus, neuroaesthetics, cancer-killing parasitic fungi, the Dionysus effect, and good news on public health in Haiti, a new global tax arrangement, energy storage, conservation in China, and the end of overfishing in the United States.
No. 149: If You Say The Word
Plus, farmscrapers, the first ever vaccine for a parasitic disease, plastic-eating enzymes, and good news on global landmine clearances, good governance in Indonesia, a coal ban in Guangdong, and the restoration of three national monuments in the United States
No. 148: Rainbow Circles
Plus, a new story for the New World, why astrology matters, 3D-printed army barracks, and good news on children's rights in the Phillipines, gay marriage in Switzerland, fossil fuels divestment in Quebec, and new animal protections in Hawaii.
No. 146: E-Ute
Plus, starling murmurations, artificial kidneys, Buddhism for dogs, and good news on poverty reductions in the US, the decline of leprosy, vanishing global coal pipelines, and bandicoot recoveries in Australia.
No. 145: Fungal Intelligence
Plus, the most powerful magnetic field ever created, how a deep ocean bacteria led to a cure for brain cancer, and good news on human rights in Mexico, sanitation in India, a major divestment milestone in the US, and the recovery of tuna stocks in the Atlantic.