Weekly Progress Roundup

More efficient beef, mass genome sequencing, the next Starship test, and more.

Cattle raising is becoming environmentally friendlier

Livestock production uses a lot of land, but the intensification of animal agriculture is reducing that requirement. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the amount of land used for pasture has fallen to levels not seen since the 1970s. There is also some evidence that cattle populations are shrinking, at least in developed countries. David Fickling, a Bloomberg columnist, credits techniques like intensive feedlots, which can get cattle to slaughter weight far more rapidly than grazing.

Advances in genome sequencing raise scientific ambition

It took the Human Genome Project 13 years to sequence the first human genome. Now, the Earth BioGenome Project is attempting to sequence all 1.67 million known eukaryotic species in a similar amount of time. The project, which started six years ago, has only sequenced 3,000 genomes so far but plans on rapidly scaling up, targeting 10,000 species by 2026 and all 1.67 million by 2032. Part of their strategy involves a shipping container-sized lab that can bring sequencing capabilities anywhere in the world.

SpaceX announces next Starship test

SpaceX is planning the next Starship test for November 18th. The flight will repeat the jaw-dropping “chopsticks” catch alongside a new goal: relighting one of Starship’s engines mid-flight. This capability will allow Starship to return to Earth after orbital missions, which could begin early next year.

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Energy & Environment:

• New Method Can Help Grow Coral Larvae

• Oil Was Written Off. Now It’s the Most Productive US Industry

• Delhi Wants Artificial Rain to Tackle Worsening Air Pollution

• Indian Experts Hail Breakthrough in Bid to Save Huge Native Bird

Food & Hunger:

• Gene-Editing Will Help Us Cope with Climate Change

Health & Demographics:

• An “Unprecedented” Good News Story About a Marburg Outbreak

• In Warsaw, Falling Road Deaths Signal a Traffic Safety Turnaround

• Novel Way to Beat Dengue: Deaf Mosquitoes Stop Having Sex

• WHO Recognizes India’s “Remarkable” Progress Against TB

• Treating Aggressive Cancers by Zapping Rogue DNA

Science & Technology:

• AI Tutors Are Already Changing Higher Ed

• LIDAR Uncovers A New Mayan Lost City

• Up Close with the 300 Tonne Driverless Trucks

• The Best Inventions of 2024