A groundbreaking NASA-ISRO satellite is about to reveal Earth’s hidden shifts—from forests and farms to quakes and glaciers—with unmatched radar precision.
Category: sustainability
X-ray and Radio go ‘Hand in Hand’ in New Image
In 2009, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory released a captivating image: a pulsar and its surrounding nebula that is shaped like a hand. Since then, astronomers have used Chandra and other telescopes to continue to observe this object. Now, new radio data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) has been combined with Chandra’s X-ray data to provide a fresh view of this exploded star and its environment, to help understand its peculiar properties and shape.
At the center of this new image lies the pulsar B1509-58, a rapidly spinning neutron star that is only about 12 miles in diameter. This tiny object is responsible for producing an intricate nebula (called MSH 15–52) that spans over 150 light-years, or about 900 trillion miles. The nebula, which is produced by energetic particles, resembles a human hand with a palm and extended fingers pointing to the upper right in X-rays.
The collapse of a massive star created the pulsar when much of the star crashed inward once it burned through its sustainable nuclear fuel. An ensuing explosion sent the star’s outer layers outward into space as a supernova.
Growth strategy enhances efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells
Photovoltaics (PVs), technological systems that can convert sunlight into electricity are among the most promising and widely adopted clean energy solutions worldwide. While existing silicon-based solar cells have already achieved remarkable performances, energy engineers have been working to develop other photovoltaic technologies that could be even more durable, efficient and affordable.
An emerging type of solar cells that could be manufactured at a lower cost, while still retaining good efficiencies, are those based on a class of materials with a characteristic arrangement of atoms, known as perovskites. These cells, known as perovskite solar cells (PSCs), have been found to attain high power conversion efficiencies and are based on materials that could be easier to synthesize when compared to silicon wafers.
Despite their potential, PSCs still face considerable limitations that have so far prevented their widespread deployment and commercialization. Most notably, improving the efficiency of these cells has been found to adversely impact their stability over time, and vice versa.
Fatal attraction: Reflective light from wind turbine blades may be luring bats to their deaths
Every year, hundreds of thousands of bats are killed by flying into the giant blades of wind turbines. It is one of the leading causes of bat mortality in North America and Europe, according to Bat Conservation International. However, the reasons for these fatal collisions are largely unknown. One possibility examined by a new study published in Biology Letters is that they may be attracted by light reflected off the blades, much like when moths make a beeline for a flame.
This idea is based on how bats navigate. The flying mammals use the open sky to help them find their way while flying. Kristin Jonasson, an independent physiological ecologist, believes that at dawn and dusk, the giant turbines may reflect just enough light to appear as a clear opening in the sky. This could trick the bats into flying directly toward the spinning blades.
To test this hypothesis, Jonasson and colleagues at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the U.S. Forestry Service flew 242 hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) and 154 silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) through a dark Y-shaped maze with two different exit options.
Maternal exposure to crude oil and flame retardants can affect later generations
A tiny fish with transparent embryos is helping University of California, Davis, researchers shed light on how exposure to crude oil and flame retardants can affect behavior, skeletal growth, cardiac health and other internal functions in offspring and subsequent generations.
The research on multiple generations of Atlantic killifish (mummichogs) was published across three papers in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
The work, some dating back to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the Gulf coast, offers insight into how toxic exposures—even short ones—can unfold over time in many species.
The world’s volcanoes are waking up — And they’re erupting pure technology
One of Earth’s most unique geological formations is volcanoes, as they can be located either on land or underwater. They are even found on other planets. These formations come in all shapes and sizes, varying from shields to composites and cinder cones. When they erupt, they spew lava. As more and more of the world’s volcanoes are waking, they are also erupting pure technology. That’s right, within these unique geological formations, there are valuable elements that could revolutionize the renewable industry.
The world is gradually transitioning to renewable energy sources as alternatives to burning fossil fuels. This transition forms part of a greater goal to reduce the total greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Unfortunately, the renewable technologies that we rely on to harness energy from renewable sources are not as environmentally friendly as we want to believe.
According to the SPIE Digital Library, renewable energy technology needs particular elements for production, and obtaining these elements has proven to be challenging. Without these elements, we cannot address other challenges that these technologies face, which are intermittency and storage. For example, solar panels and wind turbines are both dependent on specific weather conditions, which result in intermittency in power supply.
The Imbalance in Automobility Transformation
Legacy Auto’s Desperation vs. Tesla’s Dominance.
## Abstract.
In the accelerating automobility transformation, legacy automakers like Ford—grappling with $12 billion in EV losses since 2023, including $2.2 billion in H1 2025 and projections up to $5.5 billion for the year—desperately seek Tesla’s technological lifelines, yet Tesla has scant incentive to license its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.
This report unveils the Darwinian imbalance: Tesla’s unassailable edge in 4.5 billion FSD miles (adding millions daily), propelling intelligent vehicles (IVs) to 10x safer than humans; poised to eliminate over 1 million annual global road deaths, 50 million injuries, and $4 trillion in economic damage annually.
Bolstered by vertical integration, unboxed manufacturing for sub-$30,000 Cybercabs at unprecedented rates, a 70,000+ connector Supercharger network, and robotaxi economics unlocking a $10 trillion market by 2029, Tesla dominates—hastening an 80% decline in private ownership by 2030 per Tony Seba, fostering shared fleets, urban digital twins, and integrated energy systems for sustainable communities worldwide.
Discover why legacy desperation fuels Tesla’s triumph in reshaping transportation.
[Get The Imbalance in Automobility Transformation White Paper](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1295/2229/files/The_Imbala…756222023)
Why Meta Just Froze AI Hiring & What It Really Means
Questions to inspire discussion.
📊 Q: How often do these extreme job offers occur in the tech industry? A: These hundred-million-dollar job offers are rare occurrences and not representative of typical hiring practices in the tech industry, even during boom cycles.
🔄 Q: What does Meta’s hiring freeze suggest about the AI industry? A: Meta’s sudden shift from aggressive hiring to a freeze may indicate a potential cooling in the AI sector or a strategic reassessment of their AI investments and talent needs.
Strategic Considerations for Companies.
🏢 Q: Why are big tech companies making such large offers for AI talent? A: Large tech companies are making enormous offers to secure top AI talent due to perceived strategic vulnerability and the fear of falling behind in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
🔍 Q: What should companies consider when competing for AI talent? A: Companies should evaluate the long-term sustainability of offering extreme compensation packages and consider the potential market shifts that could affect the value of AI talent investments.