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Scientists are using bacteria to remove harmful contaminants from our water. Here's how.

Hannah Thomasy

January 08, 2019 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rialto, California

It turns out that bacteria can do a lot more than contaminate water--some species break down toxic chemicals and remove heavy metals. Active sites already clean water in states like Kansas, Utah, Texas, and California; for example, one Californian groundwater treatment plant can clean 2,000 gallons of perchlorate-contaminated water per minute. Though some logistical and technical hurdles remain, these bacterial allies in the fight against water pollution are very promising.

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New Tracking Technology Reveals Hidden Animal Migration Routes

Kristen A. Schmitt

January 08, 2019 |

Smithsonian |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pinedale, Wyoming

Aided by advanced GPS collar technology, scientists in Wyoming are mapping herd animal movement as they migrate across the state. Such efforts have helped planners and conservationists remove barriers and weigh development projects in accordance with the data, and such efforts are spreading to other areas in the Western United States.

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Three promising new technologies could help send stormwater to taps in thirsty cities

Lindsey Konkel

January 04, 2019 |

Ensia |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Cape Town

With water scarcity becoming a reality for many cities, people are looking towards the premise of recycling stormwater into drinkable water collected from urban runoff. One major limitation of this is that the water often is too polluted for consumption, however researchers have piloted several new technologies that may hold the key to being able to scale the stormwater recycling solution.

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Eavesdrop on forest sounds to effectively monitor biodiversity, researchers say

Shreya Dasgupta

January 03, 2019 |

Mongabay |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Bontang, East Kalimantan

Bioacoustics, a method for studying sound in forests, has some powerful implications for conservation. For example, the U.S.-based non-profit Rainforest Connection used a remote smartphone network to discover logging and poaching in rainforests. The science is ongoing, but some promising applications are clear.

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Finland's grand AI experiment

Janosch Delcker

January 02, 2019 |

Politico |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Finland, Helinski

The government of Finland is positioning its country as the leader in practical applications of Artificial Intelligence technology by providing its citizens with a free course. Recognizing the potential in AI technology, and the coming shifts in the global economy that will favor countries well versed in these technologies, the government has partnered with the University of Helsinki and a consulting agency named Reaktor to develop the free course. “We’ll never have so much money that we will be the leader of artificial intelligence. But how we use it — that’s something different," says one minister.

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How a Louisville company aims to make electric cars cost less and drive farther using technology from CU

Mark Jaffe

January 02, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Louisville, Colorado

Solid state battery technology is gaining momentum towards positively impacting electric cars in both cost and distance efficiency. In Louisville, Colorado, one company is looking at expanding this momentum by raising funds to build the largest solid state battery factory that is focusing on making "light, fast-charging and, hopefully, cheaper batteries for electric transportation, from next-generation electric vehicles to drones or even electric airplanes."

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Singapore made innovation go viral in its public service

Jennifer Guay

January 02, 2019 |

Apolitical |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Singapore, Singapore

Through its Transformation Office and Innovation Lab, Singapore encourages a culture of innovation and smart design when it comes to making policy among its 145,000 strong civil service. Borrowing aspects of its framework from diverse fields like design thinking and psychology, as well as the tech industry, Singapore's government holds training sessions and policy-focused hackathons. The result is innovative pilot programs like facial recognition ID and free skills training for public servants.

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Chicago murder rate drops for second year in a row

Bill Kirkos

January 01, 2019 |

CNN |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Data-driven policing, higher rates of gun seizures, increased hiring and a focus on improving community trust have positively impacted Chicago police. For second year in a row, the city saw a drop in murder rates, shootings, robberies, burglaries and carjackings.

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Newcastle's 'digital twin' to help city plan for disasters

Tom White

December 30, 2018 |

The Guardian |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: England, Newcastle

Thanks to technology used in "Formula One teams and engine manufacturers like Rolls Royce," Newcastle is digitally replicating the entire city in order to project potential natural disaster occurrence and population increases. In doing so, the city is able to prepare for ways to act should a disaster occur.

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How a Tech Geek Is Using Machine Learning to Hold Human Rights Abusers Accountable

Katia Savchuk

December 28, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Patrick Ball, cofounder of the nonprofit Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG), has helped use quantitative data to put numbers behind things that were before unprovable — i.e. the difference between genocide and random violence. Ball and HRDAG have analyzed existing data to come up with the "invisible" data, overlaying several sets of statistics with machine learning to come up with stats like the fact that you were eight times more likely to be killed by the army in the Ixil region in the early 1980s if you were indigenous. Ball also advises nine truth commissions, four UN commissions, and more.

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