Science and technology | Drums of warIt is pioneering acoustic detection, with surprising success Photograph: Magnum Jul 24th 2024ONCE RUSSIA’S full invasion got rolling on February 24th 2022, Ukraine’s prospects for defending its airspace looked poor. The country’s radar coverage was patchy even before its radar stations came under attack, and many...
Science and technology | Deep breathsNodules on the sea bed, rather than photosynthesis, are the source of the gas As I live and breathe!Photograph: NOAA Ocean Exploration Jul 24th 2024THE VAST majority of Earth’s oxygen is made as a by-product of photosynthesis, the use of light to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars. Any oxygen found in...
Science and technology | Road safetyComplete with holograms on the windscreenPhotograph: Envisics Jul 24th 2024|Milton KeynesWhile waiting for the traffic lights to change, your correspondent notices a pair of red warning squares appear on the windscreen. They follow a couple of pedestrians as they cross the road directly ahead. Another warning, this...
Science and technology | The war on AIDSDoctors, scientists and activists meet to discuss how to pummel HIVPhotograph: dpa Jul 22nd 2024Decades into the epidemic, the numbers for AIDS are still awful. In a report published on July 22nd, UNAIDS, the United Nations agency tasked with dealing with the disease, says that 40m people around the world are...
Science and technology | Critical momentPotential applications span from economics to epidemiologyPhotograph: Ben Hickey Jul 17th 2024ANYONE CAN spot a tipping point after it’s been crossed. Also known as critical transitions, such mathematical cliff-edges influence everything from the behaviour of financial markets and the spread of disease to the...
Science and technology | Pieds-à-luneSuch structures could serve as habitats for future astronautsHome sweet holePhotograph: Alamy Jul 17th 2024FROM AN ESTATE agent’s perspective, the lunar surface has little to recommend it. Its none-too-metaphorical lack of atmosphere means it is bombarded by meteorites, cosmic radiation is unrelentingly harsh and...