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February 4^th 2025

💻 Technology

🇺🇸 US FDA approves first smart glasses with built-in hearing aid for mild to moderate loss

EssilorLuxottica’s Nuance Audio Glasses have received FDA clearance as the first over-the-counter smart glasses integrating hearing aid technology. Designed for mild to moderate hearing loss, these open-ear audio glasses offer a discreet alternative to traditional hearing aids, reducing stigma and improving accessibility. With a U.S. and European rollout scheduled for the first half of 2025, this innovation could reshape assistive technology.

⚡️ Energy

🇬🇧 UK firm develops ‘electric gun’ nuclear fusion for simpler, cheaper reactors

Oxford-based First Light Fusion is advancing its novel "projectile fusion" technology, using high-speed projectiles instead of costly lasers or magnets to trigger nuclear fusion. Achieving a record 1.85 terapascals of pressure, this approach could make fusion power more affordable and scalable. As global competition intensifies, with China making major strides, the UK government has pledged £410 million to support fusion development.

🚀 Space

🇺🇸 NASA unveils moon mining robot capable of digging 10,000 kg of lunar soil daily

NASA’s In-Situ Resource Utilization Pilot Excavator (IPEx) is designed to mine and transport lunar regolith, extracting vital resources like oxygen and water for long-term lunar missions. Using counter-rotating bucket drums, the lightweight system efficiently operates in low gravity, significantly increasing excavation capacity. With autonomous navigation and modular design, IPEx could play a key role in sustaining human presence on the Moon and future Mars missions.

🦾 Robotics

🇺🇸 US company deploys AI-powered warehouse drone with 99.9% inventory accuracy

Corvus Robotics has launched the Corvus One, an autonomous drone system that performs 24/7 inventory checks with near-perfect accuracy. Using AI and computer vision, the drone operates without human assistance or added infrastructure, reducing stock discrepancies and labor costs. Deployed by Staci Americas in Georgia and New Jersey warehouses, this innovation streamlines logistics and boosts warehouse efficiency.

🌎 Environment

🇸🇪 🇨🇳 Swedish and Chinese researchers develop high-yield rice that cuts methane emissions by 70%

Scientists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Chinese institutions have bred a new rice strain that reduces methane emissions by up to 70% while maintaining high yields. By identifying key root exudates that influence methane-producing microbes, they developed a variety with low fumarate and high ethanol output. Published in Molecular Plant, this breakthrough could help curb rice farming’s significant contribution to global methane emissions.

💊 Healthcare

🇪🇸 Spanish researchers develop light-activated drug to treat psoriasis with fewer side effects

Scientists at the University of Barcelona have developed MRS7787, a light-activated molecule that selectively reduces inflammation by targeting the A3 adenosine receptor. The drug remains inactive until exposed to blue light, allowing precise control over treatment and minimizing side effects. Published in Journal of the American Chemical Society, this innovation could enhance psoriasis therapies and be adapted for other inflammatory diseases like arthritis.

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