MIT Technology Review has released its annual list of 35 young innovators, chosen from 550 nominations with help from 44 expert judges. Honorees span biotechnology, AI, computing and robotics, and climate and energy, each showing measurable progress toward their goals. A separate feature in the same issue explores how spiderwebs, rich in trapped environmental DNA, are becoming a valuable tool for tracking biodiversity.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-08
Scientists including Curtin University's Joshua Newton found that spiderwebs collect exceptionally rich environmental DNA from surrounding wildlife, outperforming other passive sampling methods like vegetation swabs, water, and soil in identifying vertebrate species. Because collecting real webs means destroying spider homes, University of Waikato genomicist Angela McGaughran tested synthetic Halloween webs instead, finding they captured DNA from livestock, birds, and even fungal spores just as effectively.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-08-25
GoKawiil