When change-makers need software, they call us
When Stanford wanted to help 100,000+ people living with diabetes, they called UpShift. When scientists needed to show the ecosystem health of 3,800 lakes, they called UpShift. When carbon analysts needed days of calculations carried out in minutes, they called UpShift. We build software that powers change in sustainability, health and food. Will you be the next to call?
Check us out here, or email us at kia.ora@upshift.co.nz
This week's top stories
World’s biggest space camera fires up. The Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile has snapped the first test shots with its 3.2-gigapixel sensor (about 40,000 phone cameras stitched together). Starting later this year, it’ll scan the southern sky every three to four nights, dumping 20 terabytes of data each night and tracking roughly 20 billion galaxies, asteroids and supernovae to probe dark matter and spot risky space rocks. Science
In case it wasn't obvious, this telescope is a big deal.
By repeatedly 'stacking' images as the 10-year survey progresses, Rubin will repeatedly scan the entire visible sky in wide and fast exposures, gradually building up a time-lapse movie. The data should reveal the secret forces at work in the deep universe, how the Milky Way grew and evolved, and a huge new population of Solar System objects.
It's already given us crucial information about what's out there.
In just 10 hours of observations, Rubin discovered 2,104 previously unseen asteroids in our solar system, including seven near-Earth asteroids, according to a news release. None of the seven asteroids poses a danger to our planet, according to the Rubin team.
Oh, and it's got a great back story.
The new observatory was formerly named the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, but in 2019, two members of Congress, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas and Jenniffer González-Colón of Puerto Rico, led the charge to change the observatory’s name in honour of Dr. Rubin. Their bill became law in December 2019.
Gavi secures $9 billion to immunise 500 million children, despite attempted sabotage by the United States 😠. Earlier this week, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, secured enough pledges to deploy 24 vaccines to half a billion children by 2030, plus create 150 outbreak stockpiles. RFK Jr announced that the United States was pulling out on the eve of the summit, but Europe, the UK and the Gates Foundation bridged the gap, while multilateral banks offered concessional loans, debuting a hybrid model that should buffer Gavi from future political swings. Reuters
Plus: The WHO has opened a permanent pandemic intelligence hub in Berlin to detect, assess, and respond to emerging global health threats.
UK researchers have kicked off the world’s first effort to assemble full human chromosomes in the lab, using ever-bigger synthetic DNA blocks to probe how genes work and design disease-proof cells for hearts, livers and immune systems. Supporters say the “Synthetic Human Genome” could fast-track cures for incurable illnesses; critics warn the same tech might let bad actors brew designer humans or bio-weapons. BBC
China created its first national park four years ago. Now it has five, covering ~230,000 km², placing nearly 30% of the country’s key wildlife under state-level protection. The government just announced that by 2035 there will be 49 parks covering over 1.1 million km², prioritising ecological connectivity, Indigenous rights, and wildlife protection for species like pandas, tigers, and snow leopards. Nat Geo
While the United States pioneered the Yellowstone model - preserving vast wilderness areas - it also made significant missteps,” Zhang says. “Such as enclosing land and forcefully displacing Indigenous communities to create an image of ‘pristine’ wilderness. In contrast, China has the chance to chart its own course. By fostering a symbiotic relationship between local communities and wildlife conservation, China can create a national park system that integrates cultural vitality with ecological stewardship.
Mei Zhang, CEO, Wild China
29 countries (mostly in Latin America) now criminalise femicide, up from zero before 1996, Decades of activism are slowly turning gender-based killings into a defined crime, reflecting a growing awareness around the world. The trend marks global normative progress, but systemic protection gaps still leave most victims invisible. Real enforcement is the next fight. World Bank
Batteries are so cheap, solar doesn’t sleep. Thanks to plummeting prices, analysts say that solar plus batteries can now provide round-the-clock power in the sunniest parts of the world, undercutting fossil gas and reshaping grid planning. Cities like Muscat, Oman, and Las Vegas can already hit that steady power mark for up to 99% of the hours in a year, while Hyderabad, Madrid, and Buenos Aires can get 80-95% of the way there using the same setup. Ember
China installed 93GW of solar in May 2025. That's a 1% increase in world electricity supply in one month, almost as much in 31 days as Germany, the fourth largest country for solar capacity, has installed... ever. Lauri Myllyvirta
Younger generations are less likely to have dementia. A huge study of over 150,000 people in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States has found that people born in the mid-1940s are up to half as likely to have dementia as those born in the 1920s, with the biggest drop among women. Researchers think better schooling, cleaner air, and heart healthcare are pushing the disease back, which could ease the pressure on future nursing homes and carers. Guardian
India’s Madras High Court has ruled that 'families of choice' deserve legal recognition, expanding constitutional protections to LGBTQ+ relationships, single-parent households, and other non-traditional arrangements. The judgment directs state agencies to avoid discrimination in housing, welfare, and benefits. Washington Blade
The number of wild tigers in Thailand's western forests has increased fivefold. The wild tiger population in Thailand's Western Forest Complex, near the border with Myanmar, has increased from about 40 in 2007 to between 179 and 223 last year, driven by reintroductions of native prey species and tighter protection. Tiger recoveries have also been recorded in India and Nepal in recent years. France24
A new report from UNESCO shows that girls’ access to education has surged worldwide, with gender parity now in most regions, including parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Tertiary enrolment now favours women in many countries, and female leadership is also delivering measurable gains: schools led by women in Africa and Southeast Asia show improved learning outcomes equivalent to six months to a year of extra education.
Assam slashes child marriage by 81% in two years. Child marriage in the northeastern Indian state, home to over 30 million people, dropped by 81% between 2021 and 2024, following a statewide crackdown that included thousands of arrests, community outreach, and expanded education for girls. Authorities are now aiming for full elimination by 2026. The shift marks one of India’s sharpest ever reductions in child marriage, tackling a practice long considered socially entrenched. India Today
Fog nets turn Chile’s Atacama Desert into a salad bowl. In Chañaral, growers are using mesh 'fog catchers' to harvest up to 1,400 litres of water daily from coastal mist, enough to raise lettuce and lemon trees in the planet’s driest desert. Researchers will publish a national fog-water map to replicate the method across arid zones, reframing atmospheric moisture as a viable irrigation source. Reuters
The BBC has an excellent story this week about how China made electric vehicles mainstream.
"I drive an electric vehicle because I am poor," says Lu Yunfeng, a private hire driver, who is at a charging station on the outskirts of Guangzhou in the south of China. Standing nearby, Sun Jingguo agrees. "The cost of driving a petrol car is too expensive. I save money driving an electric vehicle," he says. "Also, it protects the environment," he adds, leaning against his white Beijing U7 model. It's the kind of conversation climate campaigners dream of hearing. In many countries, electric vehicles are considered luxury purchases. But here in China - where almost half of all cars sold last year were electric - it's a banal reality. BBC
Bacteria turn plastic bottles into paracetamol in 24 hours. Scientists in Edinburgh hacked E. coli by slipping in two extra genes to make missing enzymes, which then use a little phosphate 'kick-starter' to pull off a chemical flip (called a Lossen rearrangement) that converts plastic leftovers into paracetamol. The biochemistry mashup flips the painkiller’s supply chain from oil to waste plastic, creating the potential for “trash-to-tablet” factories that both slash emissions and hoover up litter. Guardian
And finally, an ambitious re-wilding plan is aiming to turn Europe’s peatlands into conflict buffers and climate shields. Inspired by Ukraine’s flooding of the Irpin Valley, which stalled Russia’s 2022 assault on Kyiv, scientists and strategists are proposing a massive network of restored wetlands along eastern European borders. The plan would create peatland-based 'area-denial zones' from Finland to Romania, combining military deterrence with re-wilding goals. Yale360
For paid subscribers this week:
Vladimir Putin, Climate Hero.
Drug deaths plummet for young Americans (plus some shocking statistics on crime).
A flurry of good news about the HPV vaccine.
Millions of people gain access to clean water, electricity and sanitation in low and middle income countries.
A raft of new restoration projects across Asia and Africa.
New dating puts humans in North America 6,000 years before they were supposed to be there.
And why magic mushrooms are a good bet when you're diagnosed with cancer.