science

A major shift may be underway in global climate politics: nearly 60 countries representing more than half of the world’s GDP have gathered for the first-ever international conference dedicated specifically to phasing out fossil fuels. The summit, held in Santa Marta, Colombia and co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, marks a significant change in tone. For decades, climate talks focused mainly on reducing emissions without directly confronting the root cause: the extraction and burning of coal, oil, and gas. This conference explicitly puts fossil fuels themselves at the center of the discussion. Participants include countries from Europe, Latin America, Africa,

Solar energy has reached a major milestone: it is now the fastest-growing source of electricity in the world, outpacing every other energy technology. According to recent global energy data, solar power capacity is expanding at record speed. In many countries, new solar installations now account for the majority of newly added electricity generation, surpassing coal, gas, and even other renewables. What makes this shift so remarkable is how quickly it has happened. Just a decade ago, solar power was still considered expensive and niche. Today, falling technology costs and improved efficiency have made solar the cheapest source of new electricity

Researchers have uncovered a critical mechanism behind Alzheimer’s disease — and, crucially, found a way to switch it off. The study reveals that brain cell death in Alzheimer’s may be driven by a toxic interaction between two proteins: the NMDA receptor and the TRPM4 ion channel. When these two bind together outside normal brain connections, they form what scientists call a “death complex” that damages and kills neurons. This is important because it shifts the focus away from traditional explanations like amyloid plaques alone. Instead, it highlights a downstream process that directly causes neurons to die and memory to decline.

In a powerful sign of ecological recovery, savanna elephants are returning to Virunga National Park after years of conflict, poaching, and habitat loss. Once home to thousands of elephants, Virunga saw its population collapse over recent decades due to armed conflict and illegal hunting. At one point, fewer than 350 elephants remained in the park. Now, thanks to sustained conservation efforts, elephants are beginning to reclaim their natural habitat. Park rangers and conservation groups have worked tirelessly to improve security, reduce poaching, and restore ecosystems — creating conditions where wildlife can return. These elephants aren’t just symbolic — they play

Scientists have achieved a breakthrough that sounds almost futuristic: they’ve successfully grown fully functional hair follicles in the lab — and they behave like real ones. Hair loss affects millions of people worldwide, but recreating a working hair follicle — a tiny, complex “mini-organ” — has been a huge scientific challenge. Now, researchers have finally figured out a key missing piece. The breakthrough came when scientists added a third type of supporting cell (mesenchymal cells) to the usual mix of epithelial stem cells and dermal papilla cells. This combination allowed the lab-grown follicles to properly form and grow hair shafts.

The European Union has taken a major step toward ending animal suffering in everyday products by banning animal testing for detergents and cleaning products. Under a newly updated regulation, companies will no longer be allowed to rely on animal experiments to prove the safety of cleaning products. Instead, they must use modern, non-animal scientific methods, such as cell-based testing or computer modelling. This is significant because, until now, cleaning products were not covered by the same strict animal-testing bans as cosmetics, meaning animals were still being used in safety testing for everyday household items. The new rules go further than