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Five crucial Earth systems near a tipping point: Report

Five of Earth’s vital systems are close to a point of irreversible change, warns a new report released by a global network of scientists ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate change conference in Brazil.

The 2025 Global Tipping Points report updates a 2023 report to assess 25 Earth systems that human societies and economies depend on, including the stability of coral reefs, forests and ice sheets. It found at least one system has likely passed a tipping point, while four others are perilously close.

The Paris Agreement set a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5° Celsius (2.7° Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels by 2100. The report notes that Earth has already reached an average increase of 1.4°C (2.5°F) over the past couple decades.

A new private moon lander rises: Impulse Space throws its hat into the lunar ring

Impulse Space has already started working on the moon lander’s engine, which will “use a nitrous and ethane bipropellant — the same combination used successfully in space on Mira,” Mueller wrote.

And he reminded readers that Impulse took Mira from a mere design on paper to a functioning spacecraft in Earth orbit in less than 15 months.

“We’re confident in our ability to deliver this solution because of our strong track record of rapid success,” Mueller wrote of his company’s moon plans.

First bedrest samples arrive at exploration biobank in Portugal

ESA’s new Exploration Biobank received its first biological samples linked to European space research in Portugal this week.

The shipment contained over 1,400 human samples from the Vivaldi III bedrest and dry-immersion campaign that took place earlier this year at Medes space clinic in Toulouse, France. Vivaldi III had a group of volunteers lying down on a waterbed and another group in bedrest for 10 days to recreate some of the effects of spaceflight on the body.

Samples of blood, saliva, urine, stool and hair from the participants arrived at the Biobank of the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM) in Lisbon on 14 October following strict safety, traceability and conservation protocols.

Breakthrough: Scientists Create ‘Universal’ Kidney To Match Any Blood Type

After a decade of work, researchers are closer than ever to a key breakthrough in kidney organ transplants: being able to transfer kidneys from donors with different blood types than the recipients, which could significantly speed up waiting times and save lives.

A team from institutions across Canada and China has managed to create a ‘universal’ kidney, which can, in theory, be accepted by any patient.

Their test organ survived and functioned for several days in the body of a brain-dead recipient, whose family consented to the research.

NASA lays off 550 employees at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Approximately 550 employees of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will be laid off, according to an announcement made on the agency’s website on Monday (Oct. 13).

The news comes in the midst of an ongoing U.S. government shutdown and the looming threat of the single largest funding reduction in NASA’s 66-year history. Due to those potential cuts, NASA has been forced to reshape many of its science and space exploration efforts. However, NASA has stated this latest wave of layoffs are unrelated to the government shutdown that has seen over 15,000 federal employees furloughed and is, rather, part of an agency-wide “reorganization” that began in June.

New Alzheimer’s Treatment Clears Plaques From Brains of Mice Within Hours

Scientists have repaired a natural gateway into the brains of mice, allowing the clumps and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease to be swept away.

After just three drug injections, mice with certain genes that mimic Alzheimer’s showed a reversal of several key pathological features.

Within hours of the first injection, the animal brains showed a nearly 45 percent reduction in clumps of amyloid-beta plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

TSMC Announces the Intent to Rapidly Expand U.S. Operations, Introducing Cutting-Edge 2nm Chips With New Facilities in Arizona

TSMC plans to scale up its operations in America at a rapid pace, as announced during the recent earnings call, including the acquisition of a second piece of land to expand the Arizona fabs.

The Taiwan giant is currently witnessing extraordinary demand for its chip production in the US, mainly driven by AI and how clients like NVIDIA, AMD, and Apple are pursuing manufacturing in America. TSMC is the primary supplier of cutting-edge semiconductors in the US, with the Arizona facilities mass-producing the 4nm process at the time of reporting. However, at the Q3 earnings call, TSMC’s CEO expressed the intention to bring N2 and beyond technologies to the US, and also announced plans to secure a second piece of land to expand the Arizona facilities.

We are making tangible progress and executing well to our plan. In addition, we are preparing to upgrade our technologies faster to N2 and more advanced process technologies in Arizona, given the strong AI related demand from our customers.

Longevity gene from supercentenarians offers hope for disease that causes rapid aging in children

A new breakthrough in a rare genetic disease which causes children to age rapidly has been discovered using ‘longevity genes’ found in people who live exceptionally long lives—over 100 years old. The research, by the University of Bristol and IRCCS MultiMedica, found these genes which help keep the heart and blood vessels healthy during aging could reverse the damage caused by this life-limiting disease.

This is the first study, published in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, to show that a gene from long-lived people can slow down heart aging in a model. Also known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), progeria is a rare, fatal genetic condition of “rapid-aging” in children.

HGPS is caused by a mutation in the LMNA gene, which leads to the production of a toxic protein called progerin. Most affected individuals die in their teens due to heart problems, although a few, like Sammy Basso, the oldest known person with progeria, have lived longer. Sadly, late last year at the age of 28, Sammy passed away.

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