Lead Story
Psilocybin found to prevent nerve damage from chemotherapy in landmark preclinical study
Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center, co-led by Moran Amit and Patrick Dougherty, reported in a study published in Science this month that giving psilocybin before chemotherapy prevented the onset of peripheral neuropathy in preclinical models, even after repeated treatment cycles, by preserving mitochondrial trafficking through a previously unrecognized neuroprotective role of serotonin receptors. Peripheral neuropathy — pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet — affects roughly two-thirds of chemotherapy patients and has long lacked an effective preventive treatment. Scientific American called the findings 'unparalleled,' and a first human trial, NeuroGuard, is set to begin testing whether psilocybin can prevent or lessen the condition in cancer patients starting in November 2026.
Read more →Lead Story
Psilocybin found to prevent nerve damage from chemotherapy in landmark preclinical study
Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center, co-led by Moran Amit and Patrick Dougherty, reported in a study published in Science this month that giving psilocybin before chemotherapy prevented the onset of peripheral neuropathy in preclinical models, even after repeated treatment cycles, by preserving mitochondrial trafficking through a previously unrecognized neuroprotective role of serotonin receptors. Peripheral neuropathy — pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet — affects roughly two-thirds of chemotherapy patients and has long lacked an effective preventive treatment. Scientific American called the findings 'unparalleled,' and a first human trial, NeuroGuard, is set to begin testing whether psilocybin can prevent or lessen the condition in cancer patients starting in November 2026.
London's Petra Heights nears completion as first 10-storey load-bearing stone high-rise in centuries
Architecture studio Groupwork and engineer Webb Yates announced this month that construction of Petra Heights, a housing development at 317 Finchley Road in London, is nearing completion with the last of more than 400 load-bearing volcanic-rock columns and beams eased into place. The three-building complex, reaching ten storeys at its tallest, uses roughly 1,000 tonnes of stone sourced from Sicily and Norway instead of a conventional steel or concrete frame, cutting embodied carbon by around 80% compared with a steel structure and 55% compared with concrete. Backers say it is the first building of its height to be held up by a true load-bearing stone skeleton since the era of the great cathedrals, and a model for decarbonizing construction using materials available today.
Read more →London's Petra Heights nears completion as first 10-storey load-bearing stone high-rise in centuries
Architecture studio Groupwork and engineer Webb Yates announced this month that construction of Petra Heights, a housing development at 317 Finchley Road in London, is nearing completion with the last of more than 400 load-bearing volcanic-rock columns and beams eased into place. The three-building complex, reaching ten storeys at its tallest, uses roughly 1,000 tonnes of stone sourced from Sicily and Norway instead of a conventional steel or concrete frame, cutting embodied carbon by around 80% compared with a steel structure and 55% compared with concrete. Backers say it is the first building of its height to be held up by a true load-bearing stone skeleton since the era of the great cathedrals, and a model for decarbonizing construction using materials available today.
Africa on track for record 17 gigawatts of solar installations in 2026, up 45% year on year
A report from energy think tank Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab, published in late August 2026, found the continent is on pace to install a record 17 gigawatts of solar capacity this year, a 45% jump from 2025 and the third consecutive record year, with 36 of Africa's 54 countries expected to add their highest-ever amount of solar. About 100,000 solar panels are going up across the continent every day, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe and Egypt posting the fastest growth, and roughly three-quarters of recent capacity coming from distributed, often unofficially tracked, generation. The new capacity is expected to generate about 23 terawatt-hours of electricity a year — enough to match Africa's average annual growth in electricity demand over the past decade — while local solar-panel manufacturing is forecast to roughly quadruple in 2026.
Read more →Africa on track for record 17 gigawatts of solar installations in 2026, up 45% year on year
A report from energy think tank Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab, published in late August 2026, found the continent is on pace to install a record 17 gigawatts of solar capacity this year, a 45% jump from 2025 and the third consecutive record year, with 36 of Africa's 54 countries expected to add their highest-ever amount of solar. About 100,000 solar panels are going up across the continent every day, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe and Egypt posting the fastest growth, and roughly three-quarters of recent capacity coming from distributed, often unofficially tracked, generation. The new capacity is expected to generate about 23 terawatt-hours of electricity a year — enough to match Africa's average annual growth in electricity demand over the past decade — while local solar-panel manufacturing is forecast to roughly quadruple in 2026.
New electrochemical process slashes cement's carbon emissions by 98%
Researchers announced in August 2026 an electrochemical cement production process that cuts input energy demand by 70% and carbon dioxide emissions by 98% compared with conventional manufacturing, by adding an electrochemical conversion step before the limestone is heated, easing the need for the extreme heat that drives most of the industry's emissions, and by incorporating recycled cement and concrete into the mix. Cement production accounts for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions, and the process is one of several approaches — alongside Stanford's volcanic-rock-based Phlego formula, which separately cuts emissions by two-thirds — that researchers say are bringing affordable, large-scale decarbonization of the world's most-used building material within reach.
Read more →New electrochemical process slashes cement's carbon emissions by 98%
Researchers announced in August 2026 an electrochemical cement production process that cuts input energy demand by 70% and carbon dioxide emissions by 98% compared with conventional manufacturing, by adding an electrochemical conversion step before the limestone is heated, easing the need for the extreme heat that drives most of the industry's emissions, and by incorporating recycled cement and concrete into the mix. Cement production accounts for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions, and the process is one of several approaches — alongside Stanford's volcanic-rock-based Phlego formula, which separately cuts emissions by two-thirds — that researchers say are bringing affordable, large-scale decarbonization of the world's most-used building material within reach.
Mexican nonprofit releases thousands of sea turtle hatchlings after protecting nests from tourists
A Mexican conservation nonprofit released between 3,200 and 3,500 sea turtle hatchlings into the Gulf of Mexico on August 30, 2026, the culmination of a nesting season in which volunteers patrolled beaches to shield nesting turtles and their eggs from disturbance by tourists. The effort adds to a string of recent wins for sea turtle protection, after a US federal court separately upheld a rule requiring shrimp trawlers to use turtle-safe nets that let the animals escape drowning. Conservationists say consistent nest protection during the vulnerable incubation period is one of the most effective ways to rebuild depleted sea turtle populations across the region.
Read more →Mexican nonprofit releases thousands of sea turtle hatchlings after protecting nests from tourists
A Mexican conservation nonprofit released between 3,200 and 3,500 sea turtle hatchlings into the Gulf of Mexico on August 30, 2026, the culmination of a nesting season in which volunteers patrolled beaches to shield nesting turtles and their eggs from disturbance by tourists. The effort adds to a string of recent wins for sea turtle protection, after a US federal court separately upheld a rule requiring shrimp trawlers to use turtle-safe nets that let the animals escape drowning. Conservationists say consistent nest protection during the vulnerable incubation period is one of the most effective ways to rebuild depleted sea turtle populations across the region.