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July 29^th 2025

💻 Technology

🇺🇸 US scientists enable paralyzed woman to write using thought via brain-computer implant

A paralyzed woman has written her name for the first time in 20 years using only her mind, thanks to a brain-computer interface developed by US-based Neuralink. Audrey Crews, the first female recipient of the Neuralink implant, is part of the company’s ongoing PRIME Study to evaluate direct brain-to-device communication. The chip, implanted in her motor cortex, allows her to control a computer using brain signals, marking a significant milestone in BCI technology for restoring digital autonomy to people with severe motor impairments.

🇺🇸 US engineers create world’s most advanced VR haptic gloves that simulate real touch across virtual spaces

Researchers at the University of Southern California have developed the world’s most advanced haptic gloves and armbands that recreate real-time touch, like handshakes and hugs, inside virtual environments. The system uses vibration motors to simulate physical sensations and was found to boost emotional connection and engagement in user studies presented at the IEEE World Haptics Conference. Designed for up to 16 users in shared digital spaces, this innovation could enhance social interaction, remote care, and virtual education by restoring the emotional depth of human touch.

⚡️ Energy

🇸🇦 🇩🇪 Saudi and German engineers plan world-leading green hydrogen hub to boost global ammonia exports

Saudi Arabia and Germany are partnering on a 4 GW green hydrogen project in Yanbu, nearly twice the size of Neom’s plant, aimed at producing 400,000 tons of hydrogen annually for conversion into green ammonia. Led by ACWA Power and Germany’s EnBW, with Spain’s Técnicas Reunidas and China’s Sinopec handling engineering, the project will include desalination and export infrastructure but will rely on external renewables to power electrolysis. This megaproject signals Saudi Arabia’s ambition to dominate global hydrogen exports as part of its $270 billion energy transition plan.

💊 Healthcare

🇬🇧 UK scientists link gut hormone to chronic diarrhea, paving way for diagnostic test and treatment

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified that the gut hormone INSL5 surges when bile acids reach the colon, likely triggering diarrhea in up to 40% of IBS-D cases. Published in Gut, the study suggests INSL5 could be used to develop a diagnostic blood test and offers a new treatment target, including the potential repurposing of ondansetron, a drug that blocks the hormone’s effects. This breakthrough may help distinguish bile acid diarrhea from IBS and improve care for millions with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms.

🇺🇸 US researchers use personalized brain stimulation to restore smoother walking in Parkinson’s patients

Scientists at UCSF have developed a custom deep brain stimulation (DBS) system that significantly improves walking in people with Parkinson’s disease by analyzing individual brain signals and motion patterns. Published in npj Parkinson’s Disease, the study used machine learning and real-time brain recordings to fine-tune stimulation settings, leading to longer, more stable steps without worsening other symptoms. This personalized, data-driven approach could transform mobility treatment by enabling smarter DBS therapy both in clinics and through future wearable monitoring.

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Max

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