CBD is currently only prescribed for a small number of conditions such as rare, severe epilepsyOxford scientists are to launch a major global trial to investigate whether cannabis-based medicine can treat people with psychosis or psychotic symptoms.Currently, cannabidiol (CBD) is only prescribed for a small number of conditions. In the UK, for example, these include rare, severe epilepsy, and vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy. Continue reading...
Midlife used to mean settling down, going grey and buying a lawnmower. But with relaxation no longer an option, has the concept lost all meaning?Amid all the recent commentary about John Cleese resurrecting Fawlty Towers, one fact struck me as even more preposterous than the setting’s proposed relocation to a Caribbean boutique hotel: when the original series aired, Cleese was only 35 years old.When it comes to screen culture, middle age isn’t what it used to be. People magazine gleefully reported last year that the characters in And Just Like That, the rebooted series of Sex and the City, were the same age (average 55) as the Golden Girls when they made their first outing in the mid-80s. How can that be possible? My recollection of the besequined Florida housemates was that they were teetering off this mortal coil, but then everyone seems old when you are young. Continue reading...
by Presented by Madeleine Finlay with Sally Weale and on (#68XQ9)
According to new research by the children’s commissioner for England, one in 10 children have watched pornography by the time they are nine years old. And teachers say the effects are being felt in schools. So what makes young people vulnerable to this kind of content, and what impact might it have on their brains and behaviour? Madeleine Finlay speaks to Guardian education correspondent Sally Weale, and to consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Dickon Bevington Continue reading...
The explosion, called a kilonova, created a rapidly expanding fireball of luminous matter before collapsing to form a black holeAstronomers have observed what might be the “perfect explosion”, a colossal and utterly spherical blast triggered by the merger of two very dense stellar remnants called neutron stars shortly before the combined entity collapsed to form a black hole.Researchers on Wednesday described for the first time the contours of the type of explosion, called a kilonova, that occurs when neutron stars merge. The rapidly expanding fireball of luminous matter they detailed defied their expectations. Continue reading...
BMJ report found nutritional benefits cited by multibillion-pound industry lacked scientific referencesMost health claims on formula milk products have little or no supporting evidence, researchers have said, prompting calls for stricter marketing rules to be introduced worldwide.Millions of parents use formula milk in what has become a multibillion-dollar global industry. But a study published in the BMJ has found most health and nutritional claims about the products appear to be backed by little or no high-quality scientific evidence. Continue reading...
Film-makers should retire the cliche of the lone male scientific genius, says Rachel Youngman of the Institute of PhysicsIt is hardly surprising to hear that there is a lack of diversity in the portrayal of artificial intelligence researchers in movies (Just nine out of 116 AI professionals in key films are women, study finds, 13 February). There is too often an assumption in popular culture that a scientist, inventor or programmer is male, nearly always white and, of course, a driven, eccentric genius. It is a deeply damaging and lazy stereotype, and needs to be dispatched to the dustbin of social and creative history.At the Institute of Physics, we see the real-life consequences of this in the worryingly low numbers of girls – and all young people from underrepresented backgrounds – studying physics. This is despite the fact that girls got more top grades than boys in A-level maths in 2021 and 2022. Continue reading...
International scientists propose black holes as source for dark energy, created when stars collapseNothing sucks more than a supermassive black hole, but according to a group of researchers, the enormous objects found at the heart of many galaxies may be driving the expansion of the cosmos.The radical claim comes from an international team who compared growth rates of black holes in different galaxies. They conclude that the spread of masses observed could be explained by black holes bearing cores of “dark energy”, the mysterious force behind the accelerating expansion of the universe. Continue reading...
Every day, around the world, 2bn cups are consumed. But what actually happens after you swallow that first mouthful? Here is everything you need to knowCoffee. Go juice. Liquid gold. The one with all the psychoactive properties. Once used by Sufi mystics as an aid to concentration during religious rituals, it’s now one of the most ubiquitous drinks on the planet: we get through about 2bn cups a day.It’s also one of the most valued and pored-over drinks. One particularly sought-after blend, Black Ivory, which is produced by encouraging elephants to digest arabica berries, retails at more than £2,000 a kilogram, while coffee-making championships attract thousands of spectators. Continue reading...
Oyster mushroom feeds on roundworms using a deadly nerve agent that causes paralysisA mushroom that eats animals sounds like a horror story. But the oyster mushroom is a full-bloodied carnivore that feeds on roundworms, killing its prey using a nerve gas.Even though oyster mushrooms are a prized food delicacy, don’t be fooled; they kill nematodes, tiny roundworms. The oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus usually grows on dead or dying trees, but the wood has so little protein that the fungus turns to consuming nematodes for nourishment. It uses a lethal array of tiny balls attached to the hypae, the long hair-like filaments of the fungus. When a nematode brushes past a ball it instantly bursts, paralysing and killing the tiny worm in minutes. The fungal filament then penetrates the carcass, dissolving its tissues and sucking out the nutrients. Continue reading...
Teddi Shaw, from Northumberland, first recipient on health service of Libmeldy, world’s most expensive drugA girl born with a rare and deadly genetic condition is expected to live a long and normal life after becoming the first person to be cured on the NHS with the help of a revolutionary gene therapy.Teddi Shaw was diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), an inherited condition that causes catastrophic damage to the nervous system and organs. Those affected usually die young. Continue reading...
‘Emotional’ posthumous discovery of 16-year-old hedgehog gives conservationists hope for the mammals’ future preservationA 16-year-old European hedgehog called Thorvald has been crowned the oldest in the world, smashing the previous record by seven years.The male hedgehog lived near the town of Silkeborg in the centre of Denmark. Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen, from the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) at Oxford University, who led the Danish Hedgehog Project that discovered Thorvald, said she was overwhelmed when she discovered how old he was. Continue reading...
Years as a therapist have taught me that silence ruins relationships. So forget the cards and the roses and celebrate each otherI popped into my local newsagent last week to pick up a copy of the Guardian newspaper and, as I stood in the queue, I realised I was standing next to a rack of Valentine’s Day cards.I began to browse and was struck by how many of the cards were humorous. Some were just silly – “dim sum-body say it’s Valentine’s Day?”, or there was one with a couple in the bathroom – “Roses are red, violets are blue, you shave your legs while I do a poo!” But to my surprise, there were also a lot of cards that were very explicit – “Roses are red, I’m shit at poems. Fancy a shag?” These cards had a laddish, rather adolescent quality.Susanna Abse is a couple psychotherapist and author of Tell Me the Truth About Love Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample with Hannah Devlin, sound on (#68V6C)
Climate change and pollution are the latest factors contributing to a global rise in antibiotic-resistant superbugs, according to a report from the UN environment agency. Given that no new class of antibiotics has been discovered since the 1980s, what are our best hopes for tackling these bugs in the future? Ian Sample speaks to the Guardian’s science correspondent Hannah Devlin about genetically modified bacteria, the potential of plant toxins, and why scientists are hunting for viruses known as ‘bacteriophages’ in birdbaths and sewersClips: CNBC Continue reading...
Appetite suppressant Wegovy, popular with celebrities, seen as breakthrough treatment but not permanent remedyWeekly weight-loss jabs that are popular with celebrities will soon be made available through high street chemists in England, despite controversy over their use.Many people struggle to tackle obesity through diet and exercise alone as they often find they regain the weight that they lose. Continue reading...
On Valentine’s Day, psychologist Chris Cheers proposes we redefine love – not as something we find, but something we doOver the last few years, as a psychologist and as a friend, I have sat with many people struggling with isolation and loneliness. Some government-enforced, some just the way things have turned out. But although the causes may be different, one thing is clear: nobody wants to be lonely.Our bodies need social connection. It’s in our biology. This is one reason, as often reported, that married people are shown to have lower rates of mortality compared to single people of the same age. But it’s important not to end the story there. In his book The Myth of Normal, Gabor Mate points to other important findings that get mentioned less: that those who are unhappily married show poorer wellbeing and health than the unmarried and that improving the quality of all your relationships reduces your risk of death by the same amount as quitting smoking or drinking. Continue reading...
Animals possibly being knocked off course by storm events on the east coast of the US and in the CaribbeanSmall, wrinkled and stranded in chilly waters, young hard-shelled turtles have been turning up on the beaches of the UK and Ireland in higher numbers than usual this winter.According to reports made to the Marine Conservation Society and Marine Environmental Monitoring, 13 juvenile turtles have been stranded since November – 12 loggerheads and one Kemp’s ridley turtle. Continue reading...
Think you’re stuck being scatty, or an introvert? The latest research suggests otherwiseHave you ever wished you could be better organised or more sociable? Or more inventive and original? Perhaps you’re a constant worrier, and you’d prefer to be a little more carefree?If any of these thoughts ring true, you are far from alone. A number of surveys show that at least two-thirds of people would like to change some element of their personality. In the past, such desires appeared to be futile. Our personalities were thought to be formed in childhood and to remain fixed throughout lives. Like the proverbial leopard that could never change its spots, our virtues and flaws were believed to be woven into the fabric of our psyche. Continue reading...
Scientists predict asteroid strike for only seventh time as 1-metre object enters Earth’s atmosphereAn asteroid has lit up the sky over the Channel in the early morning after scientists accurately predicted its strike – only the seventh time that has happened.The European Space Agency said on Sunday night that the 1-metre-sized object would enter Earth’s atmosphere and strike the surface around the French city of Rouen. The BBC then reported that it was seen over the Channel, creating a stunning shooting star effect. Continue reading...
An asteroid exploded in the night sky after entering Earth's atmosphere over the Channel. The small asteroid, called Sar2667 by scientists, was predicted to make impact at about 3am by the European Space Agency in just the seventh correct prediction of this kind of phenomena
Extreme weather and a prolific citrus disease have plagued Florida’s orange crop, sending prices through the roofHas breakfast in the US ever been this expensive? The recent eggflation seen across the country has caused an uproar, and now orange juice is adding to the financial pain.Orange juice futures – contracts to buy and sell OJ – have almost doubled to $2.60 per pound over the last year, up from $1.40 a year ago, leading to price surges in stores. In January, orange juice not from concentrate hit $10 a gallon, while juice from concentrate hit $6.27 per gallon. Continue reading...
Water snake constellation slithers across southern meridian until dawnOn northern winter nights, it is so easy to be beguiled by the gloriously bright constellations of Orion, the hunter, and Taurus, the bull, that one can overlook the fainter constellations.So this week, find the three stars of Orion’s belt, follow them down to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, and then look eastward until you find the faint ring of stars that makes up the head of Hydra, the water snake. The chart shows the view looking south-east from London at 8pm GMT on Monday, but the view will be similar every night this week. Continue reading...
by Presented by Hannah Moore; produced by Ruth Abraha on (#68SX6)
The development of an ‘artificial pancreas’ could revolutionise the daily lives of people living with type 1 diabetes. Now the technology could be made available to more than 100,000 people in the UK on the NHSMore than 100,000 people with type 1 diabetes in England will be offered an “artificial pancreas”, in a revolutionary new treatment for managing the condition.The so-called closed-loop system uses an algorithm to determine the amount of insulin that should be administered to the user and reads blood sugar levels to keep them steady. For thousands of people in the UK, living with diabetes means regular finger-pricking, insulin injections and blood monitoring. But those time-consuming and sometimes stressful processes would become automated by the new treatment, which is being called a “holy grail” for those with diabetes. Continue reading...
Amid stalemate over UK joining Horizon Europe due to Northern Ireland protocol, Michelle Donelan looks to allies outside blocThe government’s new science minister has said the UK is “more than ready to go it alone” if there is no resolution to the stalemate over taking part in the EU’s flagship research programme.Brussels has so far blocked Britain’s requests to join the €100bn (£88.6bn) Horizon Europe programme because of a dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol, leading UK ministers to draw up contingency plans for collaborations outside the bloc. Continue reading...
We’re all looking for that elusive ‘spark’ – but what really ignites a long-lasting relationship? Science is closing in on the answersFor centuries, our romantic fates were thought to be written in the stars. Wealthy families would even pay fortunes to have a matchmaker foretell the success or failure of a potential marriage.Despite the lack of any good evidence for its accuracy, astrology still thrives in many lifestyle magazines, while the more sceptical among us might hope to be guided by the algorithms of websites and dating apps. Continue reading...
Researchers for a pharmaceutical company stumbled upon a nightmarish realisation, proving there’s nothing intrinsically good about machine learningHere’s a story that evangelists for so-called AI (artificial intelligence) – or machine-learning (ML) – might prefer you didn’t dwell upon. It comes from the pages of Nature Machine Intelligence, as sober a journal as you could wish to find in a scholarly library. It stars four research scientists – Fabio Urbina, Filippa Lentzos, Cédric Invernizzi and Sean Ekins – who work for a pharmaceutical company building machine-learning systems for finding “new therapeutic inhibitors” – substances that interfere with a chemical reaction, growth or other biological activity involved in human diseases.The essence of pharmaceutical research is drug discovery. It boils down to a search for molecules that may have therapeutic uses and, because there are billions of potential possibilities, it makes searching for needles in haystacks look like child’s play. Given that, the arrival of ML technology, enabling machines to search through billions of possibilities, was a dream come true and it is now embedded everywhere in the industry. Continue reading...
Used by water companies but debunked by science, crossing rods in Wiltshire has this writer intriguedNestling in the shadow of a white horse and a Neolithic long barrow, in a renowned crop circle hotspot, Alton Priors, in Wiltshire, feels like the perfect venue for a spot of water witchery. Prompted by the news that Thames Water and Severn Trent Water use dowsing rods to detect water leaks, I’ve arranged to meet my mum – a geologist and amateur dowser – to investigate the phenomenon for myself.There are other reasons for picking this particular location. Geologically speaking, Alton Priors lies on the boundary between a chalk escarpment and sandstone, the latter underlain by clay, which means there are numerous springs gushing out of the ground. The local churchyard is also where an acquaintance of my mum once suggested she try dowsing, because “he just had a sense it would work there”. Sure enough, her rods crossed. Continue reading...
Parrot can figure out how to use a tool, pick the most suitable one and even transport a set togetherThey might not have a toolbox or even a fancy belt, but it appears Goffin’s cockatoos are the Handy Andy of the bird world. Researchers have revealed the parrots are able to figure out how to use sets of tools, select the best instrument for a job and even transport tools together before attempting to use them.While New Caledonian crows have long been hailed as expert tool users, recent research shows that Goffin’s cockatoos are also proficient at creating instruments and using them, with one study describing how wild birds manufactured and used three types of tools as “cutlery” to extract seeds from tropical fruit. Continue reading...
About 2 million people die a year as a result of a core group of fungi, and the WHO is concerned we are unprepared for the futureThe year is 2003, and a species of Cordyceps fungus has made the leap from ants to humans, transforming its hosts into frenzied, bloodthirsty zombies that spread the infection to everyone they bite. The solution proposed by a leading mycologist in Jakarta, Indonesia, where the first cases were detected, is radical, but in her view, essential: bomb the entire city and everyone in it to stop the infection in its tracks.Last month, HBO’s long-awaited post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us hit our screens, to huge acclaim from both critics and fans. It posits that it isn’t viruses or bacteria that pose the greatest threat to society, but fungi – those same organisms beloved by brewers, bakers and wild-food enthusiasts. More specifically, climate change has prompted Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as “zombie-ant fungus”, to adapt to surviving at higher temperatures, rendering humans an alternative host. Continue reading...
Federal scientists would largely be barred from publicly discussing research, which could have a ‘chilling effect’, experts sayThe Biden administration has proposed what some critics label a “gag order” on federal scientists in the US that would largely bar them from publicly discussing their research, and could effectively prohibit them from taking part in controversial studies on issues like the climate crisis, chemical pollution and biosafety.The rule would have a “chilling effect” on the nation’s scientific discourse, and a similar policy has already been used to censor scientists, said Jeff Ruch, Pacific director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer), a non-profit that protects federal researchers. Continue reading...
Warning comes as Alphabet’s shares continue to plummet after error made by Bard AI system during demoThe type of factual error that blighted the launch of Google’s artificial intelligence-powered chatbot will carry on troubling companies using the technology, experts say, as the market value of its parent company continues to plunge.Investors in Alphabet marked down its shares by a further 4.4% to $95 on Thursday, representing a loss of market value of about $163bn (£140bn) since Wednesday when shareholders wiped around $106bn off the stock. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#68PWA)
Presence of teeth from extinct hominin challenges view that only members of Homo genus used complex toolsThe discovery of stone tools dating back nearly 3m years has raised questions about which hominin species was behind the ancient technology.The artefacts, found at a site in Kenya, are thought to be the oldest known example of a specific set of stone tools used for butchery and pounding plant material. The emergence of the so-called Oldowan toolkit is viewed as a milestone in human evolution and was assumed to be an innovation of our ancestors. Continue reading...
Doctor Kelly Fearnley and an immunocompromised patient respond to Dr Jack Pickard’s letter calling for an end to the requirement for mask-wearing in all clinical areasAs a fellow doctor, I’d like to remind Jack Pickard (Letters, 2 February) of his duty of care to patients and of their right to be cared for in safe environments. His opinion that the ongoing requirement for mask-wearing in all clinical areas should be abolished is irresponsible.I am sure many builders would prefer not to wear a hard hat on site, just as some doctors would prefer not to wear a mask. However, as per the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the wearing of correct personal protective equipment at work is a legal requirement. Continue reading...
Big pharma has choices about where to make new investments and, increasingly it seems, it is not choosing BritainAnother day, another warning from the pharmaceutical sector that ministers’ ambitions to make the UK “a life sciences superpower” are in danger of falling flat. The comments from Sir Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, were different in one important respect, however. He offered a concrete example of how the UK is already losing out as an investment venue.AstraZeneca had wanted to build a new $360m “state-of-the-art” manufacturing plant in the north-west of England near its existing facilities in Warrington and Speke. Instead, said Soriot, Ireland got the nod on account of the “discouraging” tax rate in the UK. Continue reading...
Science now has a cabinet seat, but Britain’s world-leading reputation is fading fastAnother day brings yet another cabinet reshuffle to a weary Britain, but to the university community, it was welcome news to see “science” getting a dedicated department and a seat at the cabinet table. It fits with Rishi Sunak’s pledge to make the UK a “science and technology superpower” and was partially in response to a cross-party House of Lords science and technology committee report on the UK’s “somewhat incoherent” international science policy.Across the world, Britain is renowned for its universities and world-leading research. A scholarship to study at Oxford, the world’s oldest English-speaking university, is what brought me from tropical Miami to England, and then Scotland. Sadly, the past decade has seen the UK university sector losing its lustre for students and faculty. While it’s easy to talk about making science a priority, supporting world-leading research requires action and concrete steps that go beyond rhetoric. To make the UK a “science superpower” means addressing at least three crucial components.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Continue reading...
A judge ruled last week that using the F-word in work meetings was now ‘commonplace’. So is it acceptable to say whatever we like, wherever we are?If it were the 14th century, your name was Robert Clevecunt and you lived on Pissing Alley, you wouldn’t have hesitated to tell anyone your name or address. Such words were common enough to be unremarkable. It is easily offended 21st-century humans who would change our name by deed poll and lobby the council to change its road signs.However, we may be becoming more relaxed about swearwords. It was reported last week that an employment judge, presiding over a case of unfair dismissal and discrimination, had decided that using the phrase “I don’t give a fuck” in a “tense” meeting was not necessarily significant. “The words allegedly used in our view are fairly commonplace and do not carry the shock value they might have done in another time,” said the judge. Continue reading...
by Presented by Madeleine Finlay, produced by Madelei on (#68P2A)
Companies selling private blood tests offer customers a way to check their health – from measuring cholesterol levels to thyroid hormones – from the comfort of their home. But what happens if there’s an abnormal result? Madeleine Finlay speaks to health journalist Emma Wilkinson and consultant chemical pathologist Dr Bernie Croal about how these tests work, how to interpret your results and whether an already overstretched NHS is being left to deal with the worried well Continue reading...
Examination of trees alive at the time shows three years of severe drought that may have caused crop failures and famineResearchers have offered new insight into the abrupt collapse of the ancient Hittite civilization, with an examination of trees alive at the time showing three consecutive years of severe drought that may have caused crop failures, famine and political-societal disintegration.Around 1200 BC, human civilization experienced a harrowing setback with the near-simultaneous demise or diminishment of several important empires in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region, an event called the Bronze Age collapse. Continue reading...
Astrophysicists propose geoengineering solution to climate warming, although skeptics still urge ‘massive’ fossil fuel cutbacksProponents of a “moonshot” idea to deal with global heating have been handed a new, very literal, interpretation by researchers who have proposed firing plumes of moon dust from a gun into space in order to deflect the sun’s rays away from Earth.The seemingly outlandish concept, outlined in a new research paper, would involve creating a “solar shield” in space by mining the moon of millions of tons of its dust and then “ballistically eject[ing]” it to a point in space about 1m miles from Earth, where the floating grains would partially block incoming sunlight. Continue reading...
England’s chief medical officer and colleagues call for push to understand health impacts of indoor pollutantsOffices, schools, supermarkets and hospitals should be monitored for indoor air pollutants, according to England’s chief medical officer, amid concerns that dirty air in buildings may contribute to nearly as many deaths as outdoor air pollution.Prof Chris Whitty said monitoring indoor air quality should become standard practice in public spaces and called for urgent investment to help establish records of pollutants that accumulate in homes, offices and public buildings. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#68NDE)
Astronomers find ring much further away from planet than is normal, leaving them wondering how it remains stableAstronomers have spotted a ring around a dwarf planet called Quaoar in the outer reaches of the solar system.The observations, by a powerful telescope on La Palma, reveal the ring to be much further away from the planet than is typical, calling into question how such systems form. Continue reading...
Health minister hails ‘important step towards normality’ as country eases anti-Covid measureThe use of face masks has ceased to be compulsory on public transport in Spain, bringing an end to almost three years of the government’s most visible anti-Covid measure.Masks became obligatory on public transport on 4 May 2020 after the socialist-led coalition government introduced legislation decreeing they had to be worn by those using buses, taxis, trains, metro systems, aeroplanes or boats. Continue reading...
Research teases hopes that ‘rejuvenation of the body may become commonplace within our lifetimes’Scientists working on an experimental anti-ageing therapy claim to have broken a record by extending the lifespan of a lab rat called Sima.Named after the Hindi word for “limit” or “boundary”, Sima is the last remaining survivor from a group of rodents that received infusions of blood plasma taken from young animals to see if the treatment prolonged their lives. Continue reading...
The pharma giant’s UK chief is adding the company’s voice to scientists’ warnings of the dangers of antibacterial resistanceIt’s just over two years since the first Pfizer Covid jabs reached Britons’ arms, with the goal of quickly preventing deaths and halting further strain on the NHS. Now, the US pharmaceutical giant hopes once again to play a part in protecting the health service, at a time when staff are striking, waiting lists in England stand at more than 7 million, and the organisation is at breaking point.Pfizer’s president in the UK, Susan Rienow, is lobbying to switch the focus towards early-stage illness to prevent people being hospitalised. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity coming out of the pandemic to try to break the cycle of ill health that holds back the economy, the NHS and the health of the population. The key to that is prevention,” she says. “We don’t have enough hospital beds for all the patients who need them.” Continue reading...
Wind, water and solar energy is cheap, effective and green. We don’t need experimental or risky energy sources to save our planetNearly 7 million people die each year from air pollution. Moreover, global warming is already causing catastrophic damage. We have only seven years to eliminate 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions – and 12 to 27 years to eliminate the rest – to avoid 1.5C global warming since the 1850 to 1900 period. We are already 1.1C above average.The world also faces serious energy-security risks related to climate change: the economic, social, and political instability that will result when fossil fuels and uranium run out; blackmail by countries that control the supply of fuel to other countries; the high costs of shipping energy long distances; blackouts when a centralized fossil-fuel or nuclear power plant unexpectedly goes down; and health and environmental problems associated with continuous fuel mining, waste storage, nuclear reactor meltdown, and nuclear energy-related weapons proliferation.Mark Z Jacobson is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. His work informs the scientific bases for the Green New Deal. He is also the author of six books, including No Miracles Needed: How Today’s Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air Continue reading...