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Air pollution study shows almost no safe place on Earth
Air pollution study shows almost no safe place on Earth
Plus: Breakthrough 'temperature-stable' tuberculosis vaccine in early trials.
Mar 07, 2023
Air pollution is evident. It’s everywhere, and a first-of-its-kind study is solid proof of this.
The new research on daily ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across the globe reveals that only 0.001 percent of the world's population is exposed to safe levels advised by the World Health Organization (WHO). Terrible news, isn’t it?
But before getting into the details of this groundbreaking study, let’s take a look at our video of the day and see how a YouTuber has managed to make his own invisibility shield from scratch.
Good morning. I’m Mert, an Editor at IE.
This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started.
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VIDEO OF THE DAY
Legend has it that no one has seen him ever since.
MUST READ
According to a groundbreaking study, only 0.001 percent of the world's population is exposed to safe levels advised by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is the first analysis worldwide to demonstrate how the global distribution of particulate matter (PM2.5) has changed over the past few decades.
Significantly, the study offers a thorough grasp of the situation of outdoor air pollution today and how it affects people's health. Its data could help inform policymakers, public health sector representatives, and researchers to more accurately determine the short- and long-term health effects of air pollution and to create mitigation plans.
"In this study, we used an innovative machine learning approach to integrate multiple meteorological and geological information to estimate the global surface-level daily PM2.5 concentrations at a high spatial resolution of approximately ten km (kilometers) × ten km," explained Professor Yuming Guo, the lead author of the study.
READ MORE
HEALTH
Researchers from the Access to Advanced Health Institute (AAHI) announced positive results from the phase 1 clinical trial of a single-vial tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that can be freeze-dried and stored at higher temperatures for several months without any harm.
The vaccine is a freeze-dried formulation that combines various proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) into a fusion protein known as "ID93." Containing a unique immune-stimulating adjuvant called "GLA-SE," the vaccine can be safely stored at elevated temperatures, approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 °C), for several months.
The development is significant for fighting the world’s second deadliest infectious disease and overcoming a significant obstacle to vaccine distribution in less wealthy areas of the world.
READ MORE
INNOVATION
Life on Mars is closer than you think. Researchers at the University of Arizona, College of Engineering, are already scouting real estate and house hunting. Their helpers? A flock of robots that can explore the subsurface environments on other worlds.
"Lava tubes and caves would make perfect habitats for astronauts because you don't have to build a structure; you are shielded from harmful cosmic radiation, so all you need to do is make it pretty and cozy," said Wolfgang Fink, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Arizona.
READ MORE
TRANSPORTATION
An agreement has been reached to commence works on the United States' first high-speed rail network, Brightline West, connecting two busiest U.S. cities - Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The total length of the project is estimated to cross 218 miles (350 kilometers), and the system will be run on electric energy.
Brightline, the rail company responsible for this project, announced that it had reached a consensus with a collective of various rail worker unions to go ahead with the $10 billion project. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was inked between Brighline and the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition. The 13 unions in the collective represent "more than 160,000 freight, regional, commuter, and passenger railroad workers in the United States," said a press release by the company.
READ MORE
MAIL & MUSINGS
A new air pollution study reveals that there’s almost no safe place on Earth.
Do you think we will tackle the air pollution problem soon?
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Yesterday we asked if you think we’ll be able to time travel in our lifetimes. 53 percent said no, while 32 percent said “maybe, but it seems unlikely.”
53%
No, or ever for that matter
32%
Maybe, but it seems unlikely
13%
Yes, I’d like to think it’s possible
2%
I am unsure either way
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.”
Albert von Szent-Györgyi, Hungarian-born biochemist.
THINGS WE LOVE
AND ANOTHER THING
Gladiators fought on British soil? Rare artifact suggests yes.
Gold hydrogen: Is there a huge reserve of clean fuel in Earth's crust? (New Scientist)
Compact nuclear fusion is 1 million times more effective than other types, claims an Israeli startup.
Neuroscientist explores how ChatGPT mirrors its users to appear intelligent. (TechXplore)
Engineers solve a short-circuit puzzle, paving the way for fast-charging EVs.
Amazon closing some of its cashier-free stores. (CNN)
A ‘quantum time flip’? Scientist explains how light can travel back and forth in time.
Prepared by Mert Erdemir
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