GoKawiilA new report shows that Earth’s climate is more out of balance than at any other time in recorded history. Plus, a lab-grown oesophagus and evidence that sperm whales headbutt.
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Annual global mean temperature anomalies relative to a pre-industrial (1850–1900) baseline. (World Meteorological Organization)
The years from 2015 to 2025 have been the hottest stretch on record, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organization. For the first time, the report includes a measure called Earth’s energy imbalance — the difference between incoming energy from the Sun and the amount radiated back into space — which is at its highest level since observations started in 1960. And in 2024, the latest year that global figures are available, atmospheric CO 2 reached its highest concentration in two million years.
"In this age of war, climate stress is also exposing another truth: our addiction to fossil fuels is destabilizing both the climate and global security,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: State of the Global Climate 2025 report
Researchers have used stem cells to make bioengineered oesophagi. Segments of these lab-grown organs were successfully transplanted into pigs to restore the animals’ ability to swallow and eat. The team say that similar structures might be used to treat children born with a large hole in their oesophagus, or adults whose throat muscles have been damaged by cancer. Compared to existing treatments, “it would be a much less invasive procedure if we could make it work”, says surgeon Andrew Barbour.
Nature | 4 min read
Reference: Nature Biotechnology paper
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