Important Innovations Collection

The Earth Bio Genome Project                                                  Source:  Stock Images More Than 5,000 Scientists and 1.8 Million Species Scientists from around the world are rushing to protect nearly 2 million species on the planet Earth. They are documenting the genetic makeup of 1.8 million animals, plants, fungi and more, as the United Nations warns that 1 million plants and animals are at risk of extinction within upcoming decades.  The global scientific collaboration is called the Earth Bio Genome Project.  More than 5,000 global scientists are involved.  By the end of this decade, they hope to have digitized the DNA footprints of 1.88 million living species.  It is an incredibly arduous task.  By the end of 2022, they hope to have sequenced just 3,000 species' genomes.   Why ...

Trump Administration Writing the Rules Source:  NASA Artemis Accords The Trump Administration is drafting a legal blueprint for mining of valuable minerals on the Moon and safety  zones to protect lunar bases. This is part of a new US sponsored international agreement called the Artemis Accords.  The Accords would bypass the United Nations.  It's an attempt to rally allies behind NASA's plan to put humans and space  stations on the Moon in 2024 in the Artemis Mission. "Planet Snatching" The Russians for one are not pleased with the Trump Administration's initiative.  The Artemis Accords have  been called "planet snatching" by the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos.  Yesterday, the Kremlin toned down the rhetoric but said the proposed legal blueprint would need to be thoroughly analyzed to see if it complies with international law. Moon's Strategic Value The Moon has tremendous strategic value.  Not just for the...

New China Regulations: Facial Recognition Reaches Mobile Phones Source:  Facial ID Scanning Stock Image May Prevent Fraud in Cyberspace But Does it Increase Citizen Surveillance? This is a new use of facial recognition technology that the world is watching.  China put new regulations into effect on Sunday that require Chinese telecom operators to scan the faces of people registering for new mobile phone services in China.  The consumer or business could be buying a new SIM card or any new mobile phone services.  The purchaser has no choice but to have their face scanned.  The Chinese government says it's combating cyber-fraud and protecting its citizens from being hacked.  This is facial recognition at the cutting edge of use, controversy and possibly usefulness. Once your face is scanned on your mobile phone, anyplace you use it, such as in your home and stores, could be tracked. Controversial This could be viewed as a legitimate and...

Europe's Record Smashing Heat Threatens Greenland Ice Sheet Source:  NASA - Greenland Ice Sheet World's Second Largest Ice Sheet Melting Europe has been sweltering under a heat wave that has smashed temperature records.  The heat wave is now travelling toward Greenland.  The United Nations is warning that the world's second largest ice sheet is in the cross-hairs of extremely hot air and threatened. Smashing Ice The UN is warning that the hot air headed to Greenland is "absolutely incredible".  It's been moving up from North Africa this summer to Europe.  Temperatures in parts of Europe have hit record highs and surpassed them by 2, 3, 4 degrees Celsius, which is incredible.  That mass of hot air is now travelling northward to Greenland. Global Climate System The US is warning of high temperatures in Greenland and increased melting of the ice sheet.  They think it could result in record low ice levels, at or below levels se...

Israeli Innovation - New Plastic with Zero Toxic Waste Source:  Tel Aviv University's Non-toxic Plastic Plastic that's Good for the Environment According to the United Nations, 90% of pollutants in the ocean are plastic.  Until now, no comparable, environmentally friendly substitute has come into widespread use.  But, in Israel, scientists have just come up with an innovation breakthrough. Marine, Green Plastic Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed biodegradable plastic derived from microorganisms that feed on seaweed.  There is no toxic waste from the new bioplastic and it can be recycled into organic waste. Unique Bioplastic Unlike other bioplastics derived from plants, this new innovation does not require arable land or fresh water.  That's important in nations like Israel, India and China where there are fresh water shortages. Plastics Legacy Traditional plastic takes a heavy toll on the global environment.  It takes hundreds...