Science & Academia

This category focuses on discoveries and explorations. It is dedicated to uncovering and discussing the latest discoveries and explorations in fields that promote sustainability and health for both the planet and its inhabitants.

Personalised melanoma vaccine reduces recurrence risk in phase 3 trial

Intismeran plus pembrolizumab improved recurrence outcomes after surgery, while an overall survival benefit remains unproven

Editorial Team SDG3

1 day ago4 min read

Adaptive radiation

One stray finch, a lake in East Africa, the first cells and a question asked over lunch: how life grows rich through difference and cooperation – and what that asks of us

Editorial Team Global Society & AI

5 days ago8 min read

Young adult loneliness extends beyond the screen

Evidence on digital habits, work and housing broadens understanding of loneliness among young adults

Editorial Team SDG3

6 days ago4 min read

Hamburg begins inclusive environmental education project

SDW Hamburg plans adapted nature activities and a mobile learning programme for people with and without disabilities

Editorial Team SDG4

Oct 234 min read

Obesity and hunger within the same communities

Food insecurity can mean unreliable access to nutritious food, even where calories are plentiful and obesity is rising

Editorial Team SDG2

Oct 214 min read

Antibiotic resistance exposes gaps across healthcare, farming and drug production

Diagnostics, sanitation and new payment models reveal why developing antibiotics is only one part of the response

Editorial Team SDG3

Oct 204 min read

The CERN decision that set the Web free

In 1993, CERN made its Web software freely reusable; Berners-Lee later warned about the power held by dominant platforms

Editorial Team SDG9

Oct 174 min read

When rain falls on concrete: Naples and Italy’s vanishing urban soil

Italy’s latest land take figures and Naples’ climate plan show why the city needs more room for rainwater and greenery

Valeria Russo

Oct 165 min read

Copper and the physical limits of the electrification boom

Copper demand links the energy transition to mines, water, communities and the infrastructure behind everyday electricity

Editorial Team SDG9

Oct 135 min read

Global Integrity’s governance research continues after its closure

The organisation closed in 2023, while its Africa Integrity Indicators project continued under African leadership

Editorial Team SDG16

Oct 64 min read

The global sand crisis hidden inside modern construction

Demand for concrete, roads, glass and reclaimed land is putting rivers, coastlines and communities under pressure

Editorial Team SDG12

Oct 45 min read

Methane from rubbish: why landfills have become a climate target

Reducing landfill methane involves gas capture, food-waste prevention and reliable collection and treatment services

Editorial Team SDG13

Oct 25 min read

Enhanced rock weathering: can crushed stone become a climate solution?

Field trials show crop benefits, but mining demands and uncertain carbon accounting complicate climate assessments

Editorial Team SDG13

Sep 294 min read

Hamburg pupils discover urban forests through outdoor learning and TREEPOLY

SDW Hamburg combines a nature day with a board game to explore city trees, climate adaptation and everyday environmental decisions

Editorial Team SDG11

Sep 234 min read

The global race to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Carbon removal is attracting investment, but costs, storage risks and limited capacity complicate its role alongside emissions cuts

Editorial Team SDG13

Sep 175 min read

Groundwater depletion drains the hidden reserve beneath cities and farms

Falling water tables threaten supplies and infrastructure, while local projects show how pumping and recharge can change

Editorial Team SDG6

Sep 164 min read

Who owns the scientific data needed to protect the planet?

Satellite records, climate observations and genetic databases expose tensions over access, profit and public funding

Editorial Team SDG13

Sep 155 min read

Hamburg forest education project connects young people across continents

Wälder ohne Grenzen links outdoor learning and youth filmmaking with international exchange as its next phase develops

Editorial Team SDG4

Sep 144 min read

The opportunities and ecological risks of floating solar power

Solar arrays on artificial water bodies can spare land and limit evaporation, but ecological effects remain site-specific

Editorial Team SDG7

Sep 115 min read

Peatland restoration protects ancient carbon stores and threatened habitats

Rewetting degraded peat can curb emissions and fire, but durable recovery depends on land use and local livelihoods

Editorial Team SDG15

Sep 94 min read

Wildlife corridors and species survival in fragmented landscapes

Connected habitats allow wildlife to move, breed and respond as roads, farms and warming climates reshape ecosystems

Editorial Team SDG15

Sep 65 min read

Regenerative agriculture can deliver results, but not every claim survives scrutiny

Soil-focused farming can improve measurable outcomes, although costs, yields and benefits vary sharply by place and practice

Editorial Team SDG2

Sep 55 min read

Splash International tests a citywide model for school water and hygiene

Independent evidence from Addis Ababa shows both measurable gains and the limits of a school WASH intervention

Editorial Team SDG6

Aug 305 min read

Long-duration energy storage gains importance in renewable-rich grids

Wind- and solar-rich grids are testing storage that can shift electricity across hours, nights and calm weather.

Editorial Team SDG7

Aug 295 min read

TRAFFIC tracks the systems behind illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade

The monitoring network turns trade data into policy and enforcement support, while confronting gaps in evidence and capacity

Editorial Team SDG15

Aug 284 min read

Rewilding benefits and conflicts in shared landscapes

Restoring ecological processes can revive habitats, but land, livelihoods and consent shape whether projects endure

Editorial Team SDG15

Aug 275 min read

Invasive species and the environmental and economic costs of global spread

Trade and travel move organisms into new ecosystems, while a warming climate can help them establish and spread

Editorial Team SDG15

Aug 235 min read

Pratham’s learning model tests what children can actually do

Simple assessments and level-based teaching have reshaped the debate over foundational learning and how programmes scale

Editorial Team SDG4

Aug 204 min read

MareCet maps marine mammal habitats

Long-term field research in Malaysia is turning sightings of dolphins, dugongs and whales into evidence for marine planning

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 184 min read

Reef Check turns volunteer dives into evidence on reef health

Standardised surveys widen reef monitoring, while research shows where volunteer data are strongest and where limits remain

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 164 min read

How APOPO’s detection rats connect mine clearance and tuberculosis screening

Trained African giant pouched rats support demining and TB case-finding, but work within tightly controlled human systems

Editorial Team SDG3

Aug 155 min read

Blue Ventures links community-led marine conservation to coastal livelihoods

The organisation combines local fisheries management, finance, data and health services across tropical coasts

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 134 min read

The impact of underwater noise pollution on marine life

Shipping, construction, sonar and seismic surveys are crowding the ocean soundscape, but quieter methods are available

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 125 min read

Environmental information turns pollution data into democratic accountability

Public records allow communities to test official promises against permits, emissions and environmental conditions

Editorial Team SDG16

Aug 115 min read

Shark Trust links citizen science with pressure for stronger fisheries controls

The UK charity combines public data collection, education and policy work as shark and ray populations face sustained fishing pressure

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 95 min read

Environmental cooperation turns shared resources into channels for dialogue

Shared ecosystems can open contact across conflict lines, but cooperation depends on rights, power and durable local institutions

Editorial Team SDG6

Aug 85 min read

World Bicycle Relief turns rural mobility into essential infrastructure

Purpose-built bicycles help communities reach schools, clinics and markets where transport remains scarce

Editorial Team SDG9

Aug 55 min read

Advanced geothermal could take continuous clean power beyond volcanic regions

New drilling techniques may unlock deep heat almost anywhere, but costs, seismic risk and water use remain decisive

Editorial Team SDG7

Aug 26 min read

The world's largest forest restoration experiment

China's Three-North Shelter Forest Program shows both the promise and the limits of restoring degraded landscapes

Editorial Team SDG15

Jul 248 min read

What the evidence says about global warming — part three

What remains uncertain, what science says with confidence, and why evidence should guide the conversation more than ideology

Editorial Team SDG13

Jul 226 min read

What the evidence says about global warming — part two

How glaciers, polar ice and atmospheric chemistry reveal a coherent picture of climate change and help distinguish human influence from natural variability

Editorial Team SDG13

Jul 216 min read

What the evidence says about global warming — part one

How measurements from land, oceans and space transformed global warming from a scientific hypothesis into one of the best-documented changes in the modern Earth system

Editorial Team SDG13

Jul 207 min read

From landfill to the power grid: the new generation of plants aiming to turn waste into energy without releasing its carbon

Europe is supporting pioneering projects that combine waste-to-energy with carbon capture to reduce the climate impact of residual waste

Editorial Team SDG9

Jul 194 min read

The politics of clean air: health, power and environmental justice

Air pollution exposes how transport, energy and urban policy determine who breathes safely and who carries the greatest health burden

Editorial Team SDG3

Jul 186 min read

The science and politics of vaccine hesitancy

Declining vaccination rates in some countries are creating new public health risks, driven by distrust, misinformation and political polarisation

Editorial Team SDG3

Jul 176 min read

Microbiome, the invisible world inside us shapes health, disease and medicine

Science is redefining the human body as a complex ecosystem in which trillions of microorganisms influence immunity, metabolism and brain function

Editorial Team SDG3

Jul 156 min read

Manta rays expose the weak links in ocean protection

The Manta Trust shows how research, tourism and policy can help protect threatened rays and marine ecosystems

Editorial Team SDG14

Jul 54 min read

Fauna & Flora shows why conservation now depends on local power

Protecting threatened species increasingly means supporting the communities living closest to biodiversity loss

Editorial Team SDG15

Jun 306 min read

When sustainability begins in the classroom

GSI workshops in Tarifa helped primary school pupils turn the Sustainable Development Goals into practical school action

Editorial Team SDG4

Jun 283 min read

Soil as a public good is becoming a food security test

Soil degradation is no longer only a farming concern. It is a climate, hunger and civic resilience issue

Editorial Team SDG2

Jun 176 min read

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Science & Academia

This section serves as a vibrant hub for academic scholars, researchers, and science enthusiasts who are committed to understanding and solving the complex challenges facing our environment and societies today.

Our coverage delves into the groundbreaking research and innovative projects from universities, research institutes, and think tanks that are pioneering new knowledge and technologies. These initiatives are crucial in developing sustainable solutions that ensure the well-being of Earth and its diverse populations. Topics explored include advancements in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, conservation efforts, and breakthroughs in medical research that promise better health outcomes while minimizing environmental impact.

It not only highlights the successes but also examines the ongoing challenges and debates within the scientific community. It offers a foundation for discourse on how academic pursuits and scientific inquiry can drive systemic changes and influence policy decisions for a sustainable future. Through feature articles, expert interviews, and in-depth analysis, this category aims to educate, inspire, and ignite a passion for continued exploration and innovation in the service of humanity and the planet.