A team of researchers working in China have announced that they have successfully created human-monkey chimeras, in the form of monkey embryos that grow human cells as part of their biological structure. This experiment aims to develop a new method of growing tailor-made organs that could be transplanted into waitingread more
A new report from the United nations is warning that the world’s biodiversity is in serious jeopardy, with roughly 1 million animal and plant species at risk of extinction, a die-off rate never before seen in human history. Although the report says that it is not too late to addressread more
The growing international ban on the trade of ivory from elephant tusks has been increasing the focus on harvesting the illicit material from an unusual source: the tusks of long-extinct mammoths, preserved in the frozen Siberian tundra. Out of the 72 tons of mammoth ivory exported by Russia in 2017, 80 percent was to China–the world’s largest market for the substance–and now that China has instituted a ban on their ivory trade, the market for frozen mammoth tusks may be heating up.
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Efforts to supply arid regions with water have been undertaken ever since humanity began spreading into the world’s deserts, with ingenious methods being invented throughout history to hydrate populations and their agriculture in deserts and mountains. This problem is becoming more acute as the Earth’s climate shifts: while there are regions that are experiencing increased flooding, there are corresponding locations that suffer more frequent droughts, meaning we need to find new ways of providing the people there with a ready source of water. One engineering team with Ohio State University are now studying new water collection methods, inspired by desert plants and animals, to develop a new generation of simple devices that can literally pull water out of thin air.
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