Doomslayer: Progress Roundup

Oct 20, 2025

The green sea turtle is no longer considered endangered by the IUCN following a 28 percent increase in its population since the 1970s.
The latest snow leopard count in India’s Himachal Pradesh found 83 cats, up from 51 in 2021.
After nearly a century of absence, bay scallops are back in Virginia waters and multiplying fast. Conservationists began restoring their seagrass habitats back in 1997, and in 2009 began breeding and releasing scallops back into the ecosystem. Now, the species is booming, with its Virginia population doubling roughly every 18 months.
China reduced particulate air pollution by 41 percent between 2013 and 2022, adding an estimated two years to national life expectancy.

Health & Demographics

Ethiopia has become the 23rd African country to introduce the R21 malaria vaccine following a recent surge in cases.
The Maldives has eliminated mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis.
The recent Ebola outbreak in the DRC may have ended just six weeks after it began.
The Galleri blood test, which can detect more than 50 types of cancer, has shown promising results in a major trial. The test correctly identified cancer in 62 percent of people who tested positive and ruled it out in over 99 percent of negatives. Notably, three-quarters of the cancers it identified have no existing screening program.

SpaceX’s Starship had a very successful test flight last Monday, passing every major flight milestone with only minor hiccups. Its reworked heat shield also performed well, leaving the vehicle in much better condition after reentry than in previous flights.
Researchers in Boston have set a new world record for the fastest human genome sequencing, processing some samples in under four hours. This is a medical achievement as well as a technical one, paving the way for genetic diagnoses for critically ill newborns within hours instead of days.
Waymo says it will bring robotaxi service to London next year.