Weekly Progress Roundup

May 04, 2025

Economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is accelerating, according to the World Bank. The organization projects GDP growth in the region will rise to 3.5 percent in 2025 and 4.3 percent by 2027, up from 3.3 percent in 2024 and 2.1 percent in 2023. If these predictions prove accurate, sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP per capita will surpass its 2015 peak by 2027.

Energy & Environment

Biologists have sequenced the genome of the southern corroboree frog, one of many amphibian species severely threatened by chytrid fungus. The effort, which took a decade to complete, may help researchers create disease-resistant frogs through selective breeding or genetic modification.
Capybaras are thriving in the Buenos Aires suburbs—one of many examples of urban human-wildlife coexistence.

Chinese researchers are currently testing a prototype molten salt reactor, an innovative type of nuclear reactor that significantly reduces the risk of meltdown and allows for continuous refueling without shutdown. Even better, the reactor is fueled by thorium, which is both more abundant and less easily-weaponized than uranium.

The FDA has approved a genetic modification that makes pigs resistant—and possibly almost entirely immune—to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRS), a disease that costs US swineherds hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Ugandan public health authorities have swiftly ended a recent Ebola outbreak, limiting the virus’s impact to just 14 cases and four deaths.
Mali has become the latest African country to adopt the R21 malaria vaccine, a potent and cost-effective weapon against the ancient scourge.
Neuralink has installed its brain implant in a third patient, enabling a paralyzed man with ALS to operate a computer with his thoughts and speak with an AI-generated version of his original voice. The implant has also received a “breakthrough device” designation from the FDA, granting an expedited review and development process from the agency for uses related to speech restoration.

New research has found GLP-1 agonists (diabetes and obesity drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro) may be effective at treating fatty liver disease and lowering the risk of atrial fibrillation, the most common type of heart arrhythmia.

Waymo now supplies over 250,000 robotaxi rides per week across its service areas in Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley.
Amazon’s first commercial internet satellites are now in orbit, kicking off Project Kuiper, an internet service intended to compete with Starlink.
Fully driverless trucks are now on the road in Texas, thanks to efforts by Aurora Innovation, a self-driving startup. Companies have been testing self-driving trucks in Texas for years, but Aurora’s are the first to make long-distance commercial trips on a public highway without a human in the cab.

Preliminary measurements suggest that, so far in 2025, crime rates have fallen substantially across the United States. Data analyst Jeff Asher explains and caveats the emerging trend in a recent blog post.