This tech startup’s Flex modular moon rover for astronauts could lead to Mars cars

Modular moon rovers could reduce the costs of surface exploration of the moon and, potentially, human Mars excursions, a California-based space-tech startup envisions. The start-up, called Venturi Astrolab, announced the development  of its Flexible Logistics and Exploration (Flex) rover on March 10. The rover, the company said in a statement will “enhance lunar and planetary … Read more

Diabetes and obesity: Pedestrian-friendly cities have lower rates

A review of 170 studies finds consistent evidence that people are less likely to be obese or have diabetes if they live in cities where walking and cycling is safe and convenient Health 24 February 2022 By Matthew Sparkes Pedestrians in Montpellier, France Manfred Gottschalk/Getty Images Diabetes and obesity rates can be reduced by transforming … Read more

The Pandemic Showed the Promise of Cities with Fewer Cars

Residents learned what was possible. Some politicians fought to keep it that way Credit: James Olstein Advertisement During COVID’s first wave, the streets of New York and other major cities became eerily empty. Mournful sirens replaced the usual bustle and din. But urban dwellers also heard something new: an abundance of birdsong. During walks outside—the … Read more

Google and Waymo used driverless cars to make a virtual San Francisco

Software can analyse millions of static photographs taken in city streets and create a realistic 3D model that users can smoothly navigate Technology 16 February 2022 By Matthew Sparkes Software can analyse millions of static photos of city streets taken atop cars and construct a realistic 3D model that could be used to create immersive … Read more

Tesla recalls 50,000 cars that disobey stop signs in self-driving mode

The “rolling stop” feature introduced by Tesla in October meant that cars rolled past stop signs instead of stopping, as many states require by law Technology 3 February 2022 By Matthew Sparkes A Tesla Model S in autopilot mode Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images Tesla is recalling more than 50,000 cars in the US because … Read more

Air pollution: Roadside emissions sensors help Hong Kong clean its air in world first

Carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide pollution have fallen sharply in Hong Kong since it introduced a world-first scheme to detect and repair vehicles with the highest emissions Technology 2 February 2022 By Alice Klein A busy road in Hong Kong picturelibrary / Alamy Stock Photo Hong Kong has improved its air quality by using roadside … Read more

Chlamydia: Infectious disease found in 1 in 3 birds tested at Australian animal hospital

A survey of birds entering an Australian animal hospital shows a huge number of them carry chlamydia, including strains never seen before in Australia Life 31 January 2022 By Alice Klein The laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), native to Australia electra kay-smith / Alamy Nearly one-third of hospitalised Australian birds are carrying chlamydia, including some novel … Read more

Ozone pollution: Gas causes $63 billion damage per year to East Asian crops

Rising levels of ground-level ozone in China and nearby countries are having a big effect on the yields of staple crops such as wheat, rice and maize Environment 17 January 2022 By Michael Le Page Emissions from vehicles in places like Beijing, China, are contributing to a rise in ozone pollution in East Asia AerialPerspective … Read more

Air pollution: Almost 8000 lives being saved as US moves to vehicles that emit fewer tiny particles known as PM2.5

Almost 8000 fewer lives are being lost to air pollution from vehicle emissions in the US per year, thanks to cleaner engines that produce fewer tiny particles   Health 13 December 2021 By Clare Wilson Cars in a traffic jam Shutterstock/LanaElcova Nearly 8000 lives are being saved in the US every year thanks to … Read more