"I've never been balanced in my life..."
Introducing Hunger & Heart, a podcast for anyone who has struggled to combine massive ambition with fierce compassion. Kaila Colbin talks to people who have managed to perform at the absolute highest level while still holding tightly to their values — specifically, sportspeople — revealing insights that apply not only to sports but to the world of work and beyond.
Hi everyone, Gus here. I've just come back from the annual TED conference in Vancouver, where despite everything that's going on, I was reminded that there are some truly extraordinary people out there moving things forward. I met Boyan Slat, the founder of the Ocean Cleanup, whose river barriers are preventing millions of tons of plastic from entering the ocean, Wawira Njiru, whose organisation Food for Education is feeding over half a million Kenyan school children every day, and David Fajgenbaum, who is using artificial intelligence to find existing medicines that work for rare diseases.
In my conversations with all three of them, I was struck by their common humility. There was no pitching, no selling, no bragging about their accomplishments, and not one of them complained about the awful state of the world, or expressed dismay at the headlines. Instead, they all had this quiet, potent steeliness, and what I can only describe as an inner light that I guess comes from making a decision to solve a really big problem, no matter what it takes.
As I said in my TED talk this year, "Progress isn't a rule - it's contested terrain, fought for daily by millions of people who refuse to give in to despair." Boyan, Wawira, David, and so many of the other incredible changemakers I met last week aren't sitting there thumbing their phones and shaking their heads at how shocking it all is. They're doing something, and they're going to keep on doing it until their very big problem gets fixed. I'll try to remember that the next time I'm doom-scrolling on a Thursday morning.
This week's top stories
Astronomers have found signs of biological activity on a planet 124 light years from Earth, in what they call the strongest evidence yet of extraterrestrial life. Scientists detected specific organic molecules in the atmosphere of K2-18b, a distant water-covered planet that is 8.6 times bigger than Earth and orbits a red dwarf star. On Earth such molecules are only produced by living organisms. FT 🎁
Given everything we know about this planet, a world with an ocean that is teeming with life is the scenario that best fits the data
A strain of flu appears to have disappeared from Earth. No confirmed cases of B Yamagata have been reported worldwide in the last five years, with experts attributing this to COVID-19 measures like social distancing and travel restrictions that likely caused the virus to die out. Health bodies have recommended removing its inclusion in seasonal flu vaccines. Our World in Data
Intelligence evolved twice - independently in birds and mammals
Scientists have discovered that intelligence evolved independently in birds and mammals, through different developmental pathways despite ending up with similar functional outcomes. Using RNA sequencing to track neural development, researchers found that while mature circuits look alike across species, they develop from different embryonic regions through different pathways. Quanta
Clean power surpasses 40% of global electricity for first time since 1940s. Clean electricity reached a historic 40.9% of global power in 2024, driven by record renewables growth, with solar and wind together exceeding hydropower for the first time. Solar is leading the charge (now doubling every three years) and 80 countries now generate over half their electricity from clean sources. Ember
The expectations for demand and clean growth mean that fossil generation is set for structural decline over the rest of the decade, by a small margin in the near-term and a confident margin by the end of the decade.
And solar and battery prices keep on falling... solar panel prices dropped 37-46% and batteries fell by 20% last year. This cost reduction drove nearly 600GW of global solar installations, with 700GW expected this year and 1,000GW annually by 2030. Solar manufacturing capacity is now three times current global demand, while 30% of all new battery storage is getting paired with solar, an irresistible combination Renew Economy
Social services reach a historical zenith. A new World Bank report shows social services now reach 4.7 billion people in low-and middle-income countries. “Social protection goes well beyond direct cash or in-kind support; it includes policies and programs that bridge skill, financial and information gaps.” At the current rate, it will take 18 years to get social services to everybody living in extreme poverty, which seems like a while, but it’s closer than we’ve gotten at any other point in (recorded, human) history. World Bank
We’ve captured the first-ever footage of the elusive colossal squid in its deep ocean habitat. Scientists have recorded the first confirmed video of a colossal squid in its natural environment—a 30-centimeter juvenile at 600 meters depth—a century after the species' discovery. The planet's heaviest invertebrate, growing to 7 meters and 500 kilograms, was captured during deep-sea exploration near the South Sandwich Islands, providing crucial insights into this rarely seen species. NPR
Plastic pollution along Australia’s coastline has dropped by more than a third over the last decade. Researchers recorded a 39% decrease in coastal debris density and a 16% increase in areas with “no plastic debris at all.” SBS
Members of the EU have struck a deal to introduce a ban on toys containing forever chemicals. Long-term exposure to PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) has been linked to reduced immune responses; the measures will target both imported toys and those made in the bloc. Le Monde
What even are PFAS? “PFAS came into use with the invention of Teflon in 1938 to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. They are now used in products including waterproof fabric such as Nylon, yoga pants, carpets, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, mobile phone screens, wall paint, furniture, adhesives, firefighting foam, and the insulation of electrical wire.” — Thanks, Wikipedia!
Scientists map half-million neural connections in breakthrough mouse brain study. A team of over 100 scientists achieved what was once declared "impossible," mapping 200,000 brain cells and 523 million connections within a cubic millimeter of mouse brain. This study is absolutely extraordinary - the level of detail defies belief. Brains are COMPLICATED. NYT 🎁
The Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor is now bigger and better, thanks to international cooperation. Started in 2004 to strengthen connectivity across five marine protected areas in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama, today it has expanded to include 10 MPAs, protecting 2 million square kilometres of ocean. Shaped by powerful currents, it’s one of the world’s most ecologically significant marine regions, supporting over 160 migratory and endemic species. World Bank
China and India are often seen as the key drivers behind the decline in global poverty, but other countries deserve some credit too. Take Indonesia, where the number of people living in extreme poverty fell from 120 million to 5 million between 1984 and 2023, from 75% of the population to less than 2%. Our World In Data
Countries agree on the first ever binding targets for global shipping emissions. The International Maritime Organization has secured agreement on mandatory emissions targets requiring shipping (responsible for around 3% of global emissions) to reach net-zero by 2050. Starting in 2028, ships that exceed emissions thresholds will face financial penalties up to $380 per ton of CO₂. This is a big deal - it sends a market-wide signal that efficiency pays, and unlocks an estimated $40 billion in annual carbon revenues, one of the largest pools of climate finance ever created. Clean Technica
"Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures." While maternal, newborn and child mortality rates have improved worldwide, nowhere has progress been as striking as in the WHO South-East Asia region, which, since 2010, has recorded a 53% reduction in the maternal mortality ratio, a 44% reduction in the neonatal mortality rate, a 39% reduction in the stillbirth rate, and a 49% reduction in the under-five mortality rate. WHO
Deforestation in the Amazon continues to decline. According to satellite data from DETER, the first three months of 2025 saw around 400 km² of forest lost in the Amazon. That's 20% lower than the first three months of 2024, and less than half the 844 km² that was lost in the first three months of 2023.
Plus, new satellite data reveals promising restoration progress across Latin America, with 13 of 18 countries maintaining or increasing tree cover between 2015-2023, and two-thirds of countries experienced greening in urban areas. WRI
AI decodes dolphin communication patterns using decades of recordings. Google has developed DolphinGemma, an AI model specifically designed to analyze and understand complex dolphin vocalizations. The system runs on Pixel phones in the field and is set to be shared as an open model in summer 2025, with the aim of determining whether dolphin communication constitutes a true language. Ars Technica
Kenya's boosts electricity access from 37% to 79% between 2013 and 2023. Access has more than doubled in ten years, with urban areas reaching 100% coverage and nine million rural residents gaining connections. One in five Kenyan households now uses off-grid solar systems, and renewable sources including geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar generate 90% of Kenya's electricity, positioning the nation to achieve universal access by 2030. Energy Monitor
In Egypt, the Sustainable Rural Sanitation Services Program has brought access to improved sanitation services to 1.73 million citizens in the Nile Delta. This stuff isn't glamorous, it doesn't get headlines, and it doesn't feature on the front page of any websites...but as you'll hear from the people in this video, it's life-changing.
All hail the NHS. The United Kingdom's publicly-funded health system is launching a new vaccine trial for patients with advanced skin cancer, aiming to provide personalised cancer treatments to up to 10,000 patients in England by 2030. Plus, after two decades of intensive research, a new drug that slows incurable breast cancer has now become officially available via the NHS and the morning-after pill will soon be available without charge via the NHS across England’s pharmacies in a bid to end the “unfair postcode lottery” for women seeking emergency contraception.
Long accused of being a laggard on sustainable energy, in the past four years India has suddenly leapt ahead: solar capacity has doubled since 2021, with the country adding 24 GW in 2024, more than twice as much as in 2023. With these gains, India has overtaken Germany to become the world's third-largest generator of wind and solar electricity. The Hindu
Helicopters from the Vietnam war are airlifting rhinos to safety. In the best kind of plot-twist - using a war machine to save lives, Hueys are revolutionising rhino translocation across Africa; a conservation measure designed to create new populations and ensure genetic diversity. The use of helicopters decreases the health risks associated with crate travel and long transportations due to lack of roads. BBC
👇 For paid members this week
A racist bill gets annihilated in New Zealand, over $30 billion of medical debt paid off in the United States, South America almost eliminates food and mouth disease, good news for residents of Dublin, really great news on global coal plant construction, Florida lives up to its name as the Sunshine State, and some truly amazing new research on the origins of life (it's all about the pressure baby).