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This Pacific Coral Can Withstand Heat and Climate Change Thanks to Algae
Despite the challenges faced by coral reefs due to rising global temperatures, there's a glimmer of hope in the discovery of a heat-tolerant coral. Scientists found that Durusdinium glynnii algae in antler coral provide protection against intense heat with no harm to the coral's health. With ongoing research and efforts to find and engineer "super corals," there's optimism that we can help coral reefs survive and thrive even in the face of climate change, offering a ray of hope for these vital ecosystems.
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How This Young Artisan is Reviving the Blacksmithing Craft With Pride
At a time when most 21-year-olds are still figuring out what they want to do, Jay Cardall already knows. He wants to be a blacksmith. For life. “It’s an amazing job,” he said. “There’s never two days the same—never.” Jay joined Mather of Tibshelf, a traditional blacksmithing business in Derbyshire, in April 2024. The company operates out of a smithy that’s been in use since the 1600s. A year and a half in, he’s already forging his own path in one of the UK’s rarest and oldest trades. Before taking up the hammer and anvil, Jay was working through an apprenticeship in joinery. But as the end of his course neared, he realised the work felt too repetitive. “I became bored of the trade,” he said. That’s when he messaged Stephen Beckett, director of Mather of Tibshelf, asking if there might be a place for him at the forge. Beckett said yes—and Jay hasn’t looked back since. Blacksmithing might seem like an unusual career choice for someone so young, but that’s exactly what appealed to him. “A young person in blacksmithing is very rarely heard,” he said. “So it's weird calling myself a blacksmith, but it's also a very proud thing because it is a unique job.” And it is rare. According to national charity Heritage Craft, fewer than 500 people are currently training to become blacksmiths in the UK. At Mather of Tibshelf, the work is as varied as it is hands-on. The team takes on jobs ranging from repairs on mobility scooters to restoration work at stately homes like Kedleston Hall. For Jay, the variety is a big part of the draw. Some days he’s making bottle openers. Other days, he’s working on large-scale gates. His favourite project so far? A job at Repton Prep School. “Everything just seemed to work out perfectly,” he said. “The scale of the job and the detail that went into the design—that’s what made it impressive.” Jay lives in Morton, Derbyshire, and says most of his peers work in factories, pubs, or fast-food restaurants—jobs that never really appealed to him. “I need to get my hands dirty,” he said. “I’ve always been that type of person where if I’m not working and I’m not going home with my hands dirty and putting marks up my mum’s walls, then I think it wouldn’t be for me.” The job is physically demanding, but that’s part of what makes it satisfying. At the end of the day, there’s something to show for it: a piece of metal, reshaped by fire and force, turned into something useful or beautiful—or both. He may have stumbled into blacksmithing by chance, but he’s already thinking long term. “I’d be happy if I retired as a blacksmith,” he said. And if the past year and a half is any indication, he’s just getting warmed up.
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New Study Suggests Traditional Chinese Medicine May Improve Personalized Depression Treatment
Treating major depressive disorder (MDD) remains one of the biggest challenges in mental health care. It’s a condition that already ranks among the leading causes of disability globally, and by 2030, researchers expect it to become the most common—and costly—illness in the world. Despite the wide range of available antidepressants, nearly one in three patients don’t improve after their first medication. What follows is often a frustrating, months-long process of trial and error. Part of the problem is that most treatment decisions still rely on symptoms and clinical experience—not on biological tools that can predict what will actually work for each individual. But a new study published in General Psychiatry suggests that combining traditional Chinese medicine with brain imaging may point the way to more personalized care. A Head-to-Head Trial: Herbal Remedy vs. Antidepressant In a carefully designed clinical trial, researchers in China tested the effectiveness of a traditional Chinese herbal remedy called Yueju Pill against escitalopram, a widely prescribed antidepressant. The study included 28 adults diagnosed with MDD. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: one received Yueju Pill along with a placebo for escitalopram, while the other received escitalopram plus a placebo for Yueju Pill. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was receiving which treatment—a standard double-blind method that helps ensure unbiased results. Both groups showed improvement after treatment, based on scores from the Hamilton Depression Scale, a widely used measure of depression severity. In other words, both medications helped relieve symptoms. But when researchers looked beyond symptoms—at the biological changes occurring in patients’ brains and blood—a clearer picture began to emerge. Yueju Pill Boosted a Key Brain Protein Only patients treated with Yueju Pill showed a significant increase in a brain protein called BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF supports the growth and connectivity of brain cells and has been closely linked to mood regulation. Previous studies have shown that people with depression often have lower BDNF levels. That jump in BDNF could be meaningful. While escitalopram helped reduce symptoms, it didn’t produce the same increase in this important brain chemical. The finding hints that Yueju Pill may influence brain biology in a distinct and potentially beneficial way. Brain Scans Offer a Glimpse Into Treatment Response Researchers also conducted MRI brain scans before and after treatment to look at structural changes and patterns of brain connectivity. What they found could pave the way for a new kind of antidepressant matchmaking. In both groups, brain imaging revealed certain networks of brain structures that were linked to changes in depression severity. But in the Yueju Pill group, the scans revealed something more specific. Only among Yueju Pill users did researchers find predictive brain patterns based on two features: sulcus depth (how deeply the brain folds) and cortical thickness (how thick the outer brain layer is). Both are thought to reflect developmental and functional properties of the brain. The visual network—the part of the brain involved in processing visual information—also stood out. In the Yueju group, changes in this network predicted both symptom improvement and BDNF increases. This was not seen in the escitalopram group. A Step Toward Personalized Treatment This kind of research is still in its early stages, and the trial was small. But the implications are big. If future studies confirm these findings, brain scans could one day help doctors predict who will respond best to treatments like Yueju Pill. “The brain networks can then be fed to the predictive models constructed in this study to predict patients' responses to Yueju Pill treatment,” said Dr. Zhang, the study’s lead author. “Based on the predicted responses, we can then determine whether the patient is suitable for Yueju Pill treatment.” That kind of precision could shorten the frustrating trial-and-error period for patients with depression and offer new hope for those who don’t respond to standard antidepressants. By blending traditional remedies with advanced imaging, the study also highlights a broader shift in medicine—one that values both ancient knowledge and cutting-edge science. For depression, a disorder that defies one-size-fits-all solutions, that approach could make all the difference.
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Could This Simple Change to a Standing Desk Make Workdays Healthier?
Working from home has become the norm for many, but it may be quietly reshaping our health. A Recent Australian survey estimates that more than 6.7 million people, nearly half the country's workforce, now work remotely at least some of the time. The shift has brought flexibility, but it’s also made it easier to fall into an all-too-familiar trap: sitting all day. Without the built-in movement of a commute or walking between meetings, many remote workers go from desk to couch with barely a step in between. And that’s a problem. Long periods of sitting have been linked to a range of poor health outcomes, including cardiovascular issues, reduced metabolism, and higher blood sugar levels. So could a treadmill desk—one of those under-desk walking pads that let you move while you work—actually make a difference? Researchers think so. “There’s now strong evidence that short, frequent walking breaks throughout the day can improve your health more than one longer exercise session,” said Christian Brakenridge, a research fellow at the Iverson Health Innovation Research Institute at Swinburne University of Technology. The World Health Organization has updated its guidance to reflect this shift, scrapping its old rule that physical activity should be done in 10-minute blocks. Now, it says “every move counts.” Studies suggest that walking around 7,000 steps a day is a good target to help prevent chronic diseases. And while that might sound like a lot, researchers say it doesn’t have to be done all at once. Regular, small walking breaks can add up—and a treadmill desk might make it easier to sneak those steps in while staying productive. There aren’t many studies specifically focused on treadmill desks, but the ones that do exist are promising. Some show benefits for blood pressure, cholesterol, metabolism, and even body fat—particularly for people with obesity. One study found office workers using treadmill desks increased their daily steps by 1,600 to 4,500 compared to those who stayed sedentary. Another showed a modest but measurable 1.9 percent reduction in body fat among overweight and obese physicians who used treadmill desks over time. Still, it's not a silver bullet. One trial found that people struggled to juggle a busy work schedule with the treadmill, even though they were able to walk for an average of 43 extra minutes each day. And while walking doesn’t seem to affect overall cognitive performance, it can make tasks like mouse control or typing less precise. In other words, if your job involves a lot of fine motor work—design, spreadsheets, or editing—it might be worth using a walking pad for calls or reading tasks, and switching back to a regular chair for more detailed work. Voice-to-text tools may offer a helpful workaround. Most computers, including Macs and Chromebooks, now come with built-in dictation features. As for cost, basic walking pads start around A$180–200, but more robust models suitable for running or extended use can cost $1,000 or more. And you’ll likely need a height-adjustable desk too. If that sounds like a steep investment, it might be worth testing the concept first. Take regular breaks from your desk and walk around during phone calls or while reading. Even brief walks have been shown to improve glucose control and blood flow, especially when they break up long bouts of sitting. For those who struggle to fit exercise into their day, a treadmill desk can act as a visual cue and a gentle nudge to keep moving. But for everyone else, the most important takeaway might be simpler: don’t underestimate the power of small steps. “You don’t have to completely restructure your day,” said Brakenridge. “Even small changes in physical activity can make a real difference—especially for people who are very sedentary.” So whether it’s a treadmill under your desk or a short stroll around the block, every step counts.
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Utah Just Restored Over 140,000 Acres in a Major Wildlife and Watershed Recovery Push
Utah has hit a major milestone in its fight to reverse habitat loss and restore damaged ecosystems. Between July 2024 and June 2025, the state restored or improved more than 144,000 acres of land, according to a new report from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The work was part of Utah’s long-running Watershed Restoration Initiative, a collaborative effort to improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and landscape health across the state. The past year’s restoration total included 13,960 acres that had been scorched by wildfires. In total, the initiative completed 120 habitat restoration projects, improved 142 miles of streams, and scattered nearly 744,000 pounds of seed across damaged or degraded areas. Officials say the projects not only helped wildlife but also supported roughly 539 jobs statewide. “It takes a great deal of coordination and funding to make these projects possible, and we are very grateful to our many partners and their continued support,” said Tyler Thompson, the program’s director, in a statement. “These efforts are vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems.” Much of the work focused on repairing damage caused by recent wildfires. According to St. George News, this included aerial seeding, removing tree species that threaten native sagebrush habitats, planting new shrubs and grasses, and using controlled burns to reduce the risk of future fires. In addition to land-based projects, the initiative used artificial beaver dam structures to slow stream erosion and boost water quality — a nature-inspired solution that’s becoming more popular in dry western landscapes. Partners like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation say this kind of large-scale habitat work is crucial for supporting species like elk, mule deer, and other native wildlife. It also helps stabilize soil, reduce erosion, and protect critical water sources that nearby communities rely on. The scale of Utah’s effort stands out at a time when climate change and biodiversity loss are accelerating around the globe. Since the initiative began in 2006, nearly 3 million acres of land in Utah have been restored or improved. As pressure mounts on ecosystems worldwide, experts say these kinds of proactive restoration projects — from dam removals to nature reserve creation — are becoming more urgent and more valuable. And for everyday Utahns, the state says it’s still possible to make a difference: by getting involved in local restoration efforts, sharing environmental knowledge with others, and advocating for the natural systems that support clean water, food security, and biodiversity.
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Scientists Discover 'Junk' DNA May Contain Alzheimer's Triggers
Australian scientists have uncovered more than 150 gene control signals in brain cells that could help explain how Alzheimer’s disease takes hold—and how we might one day fight it. The research, led by a team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), zeroes in on specialized brain cells called astrocytes. These star-shaped cells don’t carry signals the way neurons do, but they play a key support role—and in Alzheimer’s, that role often collapses. In healthy brains, astrocytes help keep neurons functioning smoothly. But in Alzheimer’s, they can stop being helpful and even start causing harm. “We often end up with changes not within genes so much, but in-between,” said Irina Voineagu, a molecular biologist at UNSW. “That’s where enhancers live.” Enhancers are parts of our DNA that don’t code for proteins but play a powerful role in switching genes on or off. Think of them as the dials and levers in our biological control panel—signals that tweak how genes behave. The problem is, they often sit far away from the genes they control, making them tricky to track down. To do that, the researchers used a tool called CRISPRi, which can silence pieces of DNA without actually cutting them. They applied it to astrocytes grown in the lab, testing nearly 1,000 DNA regions suspected of acting as enhancers. “We used CRISPRi to turn off potential enhancers in the astrocytes to see whether it changed gene expression,” said Nicole Green, a molecular geneticist at UNSW. “And if it did, then we knew we’d found a functional enhancer and could then figure out which gene—or genes—it controls.” They found 150 regions that fit the bill. What stood out was how many of these control signals were connected to genes already known to be involved in Alzheimer’s. This is where things get interesting. These enhancers live in what’s sometimes called “junk DNA”—the parts of the genome that don’t make proteins. But it turns out, there’s nothing junky about them. They’re crucial to regulating how and when genes are used, especially in highly specialized cells like astrocytes. “We’re not talking about therapies yet,” Voineagu said, “but you can’t develop them unless you first understand the wiring diagram. That’s what this gives us—a deeper view into the circuitry of gene control in astrocytes.” In other words, scientists now have a clearer picture of how the machinery inside astrocytes is wired—and how that wiring can go wrong in Alzheimer’s. There’s still a lot to untangle. For one, it’s not yet clear how these enhancers behave when astrocytes become overactive, which is what happens in Alzheimer’s. That’s a key next step. Researchers also want to know if the same enhancers are active in different types of brain cells or only in astrocytes. What this study does offer is a new blueprint. It shows how scientists can use tools like CRISPRi to pinpoint gene regulators in living brain cells. That opens the door to developing better AI systems to spot these enhancer regions across the genome and potentially uncover new targets for drugs. Alzheimer’s is a complex disease with many moving parts—genetic, environmental, and biological. But figuring out how astrocytes are regulated is a big piece of the puzzle. As scientists learn more about the genetic “switches” that control these cells, they get one step closer to understanding how to stop them from flipping the wrong way. The findings were published in Nature Neuroscience.
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A Walk in the Woods Led a Chemist to a Breakthrough in Biodegradable Plastics
Yuwei Gu wasn’t looking for a scientific breakthrough when he went hiking through Bear Mountain State Park in New York. But when he spotted plastic bottles scattered across the trail and drifting in a nearby lake, the sight of human waste intruding on nature sparked an idea that could change the future of plastics. Gu, a chemist at Rutgers University, started thinking about polymers — the long molecular chains that make up everything from plastic packaging to DNA. What struck him was this: natural polymers like proteins and cellulose eventually break down. Synthetic plastics don’t. “Biology uses polymers everywhere, yet nature never faces the kind of long-term accumulation problems we see with synthetic plastics,” said Gu. “The difference has to lie in chemistry.” That moment led to a major discovery. In a study published in Nature Chemistry, Gu and his team revealed a new way to design plastics that can degrade under everyday conditions — no high heat, no harsh chemicals, no industrial composting needed. The secret, it turns out, is hidden in how nature builds its molecules. Natural polymers, like those in cells, have built-in structural features that make them fall apart when their job is done. Gu wondered: what if we added that same “exit strategy” to synthetic plastics? His team did exactly that. By mimicking the weak spots in biological molecules, they designed plastics that stay strong in use but fall apart — on cue — when degradation is needed. The plastics look and function like conventional materials, but their chemistry is wired for decay. “We can make them break down over days, months, or even years, just by controlling the molecular layout,” Gu said. “It’s like folding paper along a crease so it tears easily later.” The implications are wide-ranging. Imagine a sandwich wrapper that vanishes after a day. Or a medical coating that degrades inside the body exactly when needed. The research doesn’t just make plastic breakdown possible — it makes it programmable. That’s a huge leap in sustainability and design. The team showed that breakdown could be triggered in several ways, including exposure to UV light or metal ions, offering control over both when and how fast it happens. “This research not only opens the door to more environmentally responsible plastics,” said Gu, “but also broadens the toolbox for designing smart, responsive materials across many fields.” Early lab tests suggest that the liquid byproducts from breakdown are non-toxic, but Gu emphasizes that more safety testing is needed before widespread use. His team is also working to make the technology compatible with existing plastics and manufacturing systems — something they hope will attract interest from industry partners. They’re even exploring whether this chemistry can be used for time-release drug capsules or self-erasing coatings, extending the idea well beyond packaging and single-use products. “It was a simple thought,” Gu said. “To copy nature’s structure to accomplish the same goal. But seeing it actually work was incredible.” That “simple thought” has already led to a major scientific paper and a potentially transformative way to tackle plastic pollution — one that doesn’t rely on banning plastics or overhauling the supply chain, but rethinking the chemistry at its core. And all of it started with a walk through the woods.
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She Quit Skating at 16 — Now She's Back and a Gold Medal Favorite
At 13, Alysa Liu was the youngest U.S. women’s figure skating champion in history. At 16, she quit the sport entirely. Now, at 20, she’s back—and heading into next month’s Winter Olympics in Italy as the top contender for gold. Her comeback has stunned nearly everyone in figure skating, including her own coaches. “A year after she stepped back on the ice, she was at the top,” said coach Massimo Scali. “It’s unheard of.” Liu’s return to the top was sealed last March in Boston. With one performance left at the World Championships, she took the ice last as Donna Summer’s disco beat echoed through the arena. She flew through intricate jumps and spun to a dramatic ending pose, the crowd already on its feet. “That was the most hype I’ve ever felt in my entire life,” Liu said. “It’s a crazy sensation.” That night, she became world champion. It’s a long way from where she was just a few years ago. After dominating U.S. skating at 13 and 14, Liu had become the face of American figure skating—young, explosive, and endlessly marketable. But behind the medals was a strict routine and a level of pressure that wore her down. “I skated every day when I was like 13, 14,” she said. “It was a very abnormal childhood.” Coaches dictated her daily schedule, what she wore, what music she used, and even what she ate. “Especially as a kid, you don’t really know what you want,” Liu said. “Skating feels more like a responsibility, or a burden even.” The driving force behind her early rise was her father, Arthur Liu, a Chinese immigrant and former political dissident who raised five children on his own in California. “I took her to Japan to learn from the top coaches there. I took her to Canada,” he said. The cost, he estimated, was somewhere between half a million and a million dollars. Arthur cycled through coaches constantly. “I think three times,” coach Phillip DiGuglielmo recalled. “Once in person, two via text.” On one occasion, Arthur disguised himself in a big coat, sunglasses, and a hood to sneak into a rink and observe practice. When he didn’t like what he saw, the coach was gone. “I spared no money, no time,” Arthur said. “I just saw the talent.” Then the pandemic hit, and everything stopped. Liu’s rink closed. She got a taste of normal teenage life—and liked it. “Honestly, I was hoping the rinks wouldn’t open,” she said. When they did, she reluctantly trained, competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and finished sixth. Then, just 16 years old, she announced her retirement on Instagram. “I wanted to do so much,” Liu said. “I went to Nepal and I trekked to Everest Base Camp. Me and my friends would do tons of road trips. I mean, I was really just livin’ it up.” She deleted Instagram to avoid skating content. “No one ever brought it up, so I never even had the chance to think about it.” But nearly two years later, she quietly laced up her skates again. At first, it was just for fun. Then it turned into something more. She called DiGuglielmo. “I thought, like, ‘Oh, you wanna do collegiate competitions,’” he said. “And she goes, ‘No, I wanna compete again.’ And I said, ‘Let me call you back.’ I go and I grab a bottle of red wine, and I open that bottle, and I pour myself a really big glass.” He tried to talk her out of it—for two and a half hours. She wasn’t having it. “I get to pick my own program music,” she told him. “I get to help with the creative process. No one’s gonna starve me or tell me what I can and can’t eat.” She brought back DiGuglielmo and Scali, her longtime choreographer, and started training full time at the Oakland Ice Center in June 2024. At first, she was rusty. “I never even considered” becoming world champion again, she said. But her coaches noticed the old spark—plus something new. “The jumps came back like that,” said DiGuglielmo. “There was something different about the way she moved her body. It was no longer a child.” Now seven inches taller, with bleached hair and piercings, Liu had returned on her own terms. “With her in charge, is she a better skater?” reporter Sharyn Alfonsi asked. “Oh, yeah,” DiGuglielmo said. “100%.” She’s also fully committed. “I love struggling,” Liu said. “It makes me feel alive.” That mindset has transformed her skating into something more expressive, more mature, more artist than athlete. “I view competitions more as a stage for performing,” she said. Still, she knows how big the moment is. The last American woman to win Olympic gold in singles skating was Sarah Hughes, 24 years ago. Does Liu feel pressure? “No,” she said. “My goal honestly is just to hype people up, give them an experience. As long as people are feelin’ some strong emotions and anticipation, I’m fine with that.” From prodigy to runaway, then world champion again, Alysa Liu’s second act is already a triumph. But next month in Italy, she’ll have a shot to make history—her way.
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Eat the Ice Cream, Skip the Stress: Doctor’s Unorthodox Advice for a Long, Healthy Life
Forget kale smoothies and counting steps. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel wants you to start 2026 with something a little sweeter: ice cream. “Ice cream will make you happy, and that’s very important,” Emanuel said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning. It’s not just about dessert, though. The prominent oncologist and health policy expert has a bigger message behind the treat: stop obsessing, enjoy your life, and build meaningful relationships. His new book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life, drops this week and encourages a more human approach to wellness. “You’ve got to make life enjoyable. You’ve got to make it fulfilling,” he said. Emanuel argues that health advice often gets too rigid to be realistic. His rules are practical and, above all, sustainable. Yes, they include eating well, exercising, and sleeping properly—but they also include more unexpected guidance, like “Don’t be a schmuck.” That line came from his father, a reminder not to make dumb decisions. In the book, that means don’t vape, don’t skip vaccines, and avoid binge drinking. “There are lots of things we do as human beings that can be schmucky,” he said. On alcohol, his take is clear: the safest amount is probably zero. But he knows that’s not how most people live. So his advice is balanced: don’t drink alone, don’t binge, and if you’re using alcohol as a way to connect socially, that’s where the benefit likely lies. “Being happy is a very important part of living a long time,” Emanuel said. Much of his message comes back to social connection. Growing up in a tight-knit (and famously accomplished) family—his brothers are Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel and former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel—he learned early how much relationships matter. “They taught us how to be social and interact with people,” he said of his parents. “We were also each other’s best friends.” In the book, he points to lifestyle habits that damage health, including chronic stress, fast food, social media, and dining alone. The last one, he admits, surprises people—but it’s about patterns, not perfection. “Don’t make it every day,” he said. “Strike up a conversation. We underplay how important those casual conversations are.” He’s just as blunt about retirement. “Don’t retire,” he said. Or if you do, do it with intention. “You have to stay mentally engaged… You can’t let nature take its course.” So what’s his biggest advice for a better, longer life? “Build your social relationships,” Emanuel said. “It’s definitely the most important thing for long-lasting health and happiness.” And maybe, have that scoop of ice cream while you’re at it.
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Here's Some Good News to Kick Off Your Week
Let’s kick off the week with a roundup of progress, breakthroughs, and reasons to feel hopeful. The EU is putting climate education on the school curriculum, a move praised by campaigners as a “watershed moment” for global climate literacy. As part of its national commitment under the Paris Agreement, the bloc said climate education is “essential for fostering an informed understanding of the climate crisis, building resilience to disinformation, and creating a sustainability-skilled workforce.” The shift means 152 countries now include climate education in their national climate pledges. Earthday.org, one of the groups that’s long pushed for such reforms, called it a “critical foundation” for the next generation. “Climate education is not just about combating the climate crisis,” said its president Kathleen Rogers. “It’s a critical foundation for training the global workforce… and empowering businesses to grow sustainably in a rapidly changing world.” Another campaigner, Max Falcone, compared the move to a historical turning point. “Just as literacy paved the way for the first Industrial Revolution, climate education will ignite the next revolution,” he said. In Egypt, another victory—this time against a disease that’s plagued the country for 3,000 years. The World Health Organization confirmed that Egypt has eliminated trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. The disease, spread by contaminated hands or flies, had long been endemic in Egypt. The breakthrough was made possible by a combination of improved water sanitation, stronger monitoring, and community health education. “This achievement is a collective triumph for Egypt’s health workers, communities, and partners,” said Health Minister Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar. Meanwhile in the US, California has taken aim at one of the digital age’s biggest pain points: privacy. A new law, the California Opt Me Out Act, will force web browsers to include a prominent opt-out setting that tells websites not to share or sell users’ personal data. It’s designed to replace the current, burdensome system, where consumers must opt out site by site. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse called it a “groundbreaking” law that marks a “significant step forward” for digital privacy. “Instead of visiting individual websites to opt out of data sales and sharing, consumers will be able to set their preference once in their browser settings,” the group said. The law takes effect in 2027 and could become a model for other states. On the climate front, scientists issued a mixed bag of warnings and progress reports. While emissions are still climbing, renewable energy capacity is growing faster than expected. According to a report from energy think tank Ember, global renewables are expanding at an average annual pace of 29 percent, ahead of the 21 percent needed to meet the Cop28 target of tripling capacity by 2030. Still, Ember warned that increased electricity demand could blunt those gains. Separately, the Global Carbon Project projected that emissions will hit historic highs by 2025, and Climate Action Tracker said current policy paths still put the world on track for 2.6C of warming—well beyond the 1.5C limit set by the Paris Agreement. One of the more ambitious ideas to curb climate change came out of Brazil. A new fund called the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, unveiled ahead of the Cop30 summit, will reward countries for preserving rainforests. Brazil, Indonesia, and Norway have already committed a combined $5 billion, and the fund hopes to raise much more by courting both governments and private investors. The model, however, isn’t without critics. Some worry it prioritizes profits for investors over impact. But others say it’s a promising financial tool. “The design of the programme has real promise,” wrote environmental law scholar Jason Gray. “But to truly succeed, it will need to be coordinated with state and provincial governments, communities and others doing the work on the ground.” The UK also announced plans to phase out certain forms of animal testing, with a goal to end some safety testing by 2025 and reduce the use of dogs and primates in medicine testing by 35 percent by 2030. The approach hinges on next-gen tools like organ-on-a-chip technology, which replicates human biology without harming animals. “Huge momentum has been building in recent years,” said Barney Reed of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “These [technologies] can enable better science to be done, without using and harming animals.” In dental science, UK researchers have developed a protein-based gel that may be able to regrow enamel—the first innovation of its kind. “We tested the mechanical properties of these regenerated tissues under conditions simulating real-life situations,” said Dr Abshar Hasan from the University of Nottingham. “The regenerated enamel behaves just like healthy enamel.” His team hopes to release a commercial product as soon as next year. And finally, a week-long retreat showed just how powerful the human brain can be. Scientists at the University of California San Diego observed that intensive meditation retreats produced sweeping biological changes, including boosts to immunity, metabolism, and even pain relief. “This is about fundamentally changing how the brain engages with reality,” said study author Hemal Patel. While the findings still need more research, they point to meditation’s potential as a transformative health tool—comparable, the researchers said, to psychedelics in how deeply it impacts the brain. In a world full of challenges, these big and small wins show that progress is still possible.
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How This Musician is Championing Small Music Venues Amid Rising Challenges
On a warm summer night in north London, Frank Turner is doing what he does best — pouring his heart out on stage. But this time, instead of a sold-out arena, he’s playing the upstairs room of a pub. There are maybe 30 people in the crowd, but the intensity is the same. It’s not a warm-up. It’s a reminder. Turner has played more than 3,000 shows in his career, from pubs to palaces. But the small ones still matter to him — because that’s where everything started. “I didn’t like Brit pop and I didn’t like football,” he says. “I liked bands like Black Flag and Sonic Youth, and didn’t really know anybody else who did.” As a teenager in Hampshire, Turner didn’t feel like he fit in — until he discovered grassroots venues like The Joiners Arms in Southampton and The Railway Inn in Winchester. “You could see bands, but more than that, you could meet other people who shared your outlook. I made friends and I felt less alienated. I found my people.” That sense of belonging stuck with him. In his early days in London, Turner sought out the tiny rooms where bands played shoulder-to-shoulder with their fans. “It was a forum to connect with others,” he says. “I watched a lot of bands there and learned how to put on a show — not just the practicalities of sound checking, but how to talk to a crowd, how to figure out what I wanted to say.” Now one of Britain’s most prolific touring artists, Turner is using his platform to speak up for the venues that shaped him — many of which are in crisis. In 2023 alone, 125 grassroots music venues across the UK closed their doors. Rising rents, soaring business rates, noise complaints from new residential developments, and the general cost of staying afloat have all taken their toll. “From my conversations with people who run venues, business rates are crushingly expensive,” Turner says. “Just existing as a small business in a city location is insanely costly before you’ve even sold a ticket.” He’s not just venting. He’s doing something about it. On his last tour, Turner donated £1 from every ticket sold to struggling venues. “It was more of a symbol than a solution,” he admits. “But it’s something.” He’s also backing a proposal from the Music Venue Trust — a nonprofit advocating for small venues — that would introduce a levy on arena and stadium tickets. A small slice of each big-ticket show would funnel back into the grassroots. “It’s like how Premier League football supports lower-league clubs,” Turner says. For now, the idea is voluntary. Turner worries about what’s lost when these venues disappear. “In a world with no independent venues, it’s not that no one will play the O2,” he says. “It’s just that who plays the O2 will be entirely dictated by Simon Cowell and the like. There’s a place for that, sure, but if that was the entirety of the menu, it would be boring.” He’s just as concerned about what it means for audiences — especially young ones raised on TikTok and £400 arena shows. “People should know there’s a venue five minutes away where you can pay a tenner, see a band who’ll sweat on you, and then talk to them afterwards. That’s how you make friends. That’s how you find community.” That community ethic runs through his work. His song Be More Kind has become a sort of mission statement, and his gigs often feel less like concerts and more like communal gatherings. During lockdown, when venues had no revenue and artists had no stage, Turner raised more than £200,000 by livestreaming shows from his living room. The money helped keep 26 venues alive, each receiving around £15,000. “Some of those venues later told me: ‘It kept the wolf from the door, it covered us for a couple of months,’” he says. “That mattered.” He credits the Music Venue Trust, led by Mark Davyd, with shining a light on the crisis. And while he welcomes signs that the new Labour government is paying attention, he’s skeptical of government funding in general — especially when it comes to how it’s currently distributed. “It’s a national scandal, the millions that gets given to opera,” he says. “If they spent 10% of that on grassroots music, all our problems would be solved.” Turner’s ambivalence stems from his punk roots. “The independent live music sector was proudly non-subsidised, which I thought was cool,” he says. “If you’re making anti-establishment art, it doesn’t make much sense to do that with a government grant.” But something has to give. Without these spaces, he says, the entire pipeline breaks — not just for musicians, but for the culture that forms around them. “I’ll keep fighting for them,” Turner says. “Because they’re not just where music lives. They’re where community lives. And without them, we all lose.”