Global demand for copper could increase by up to 341% by 2050, and energy use is likely to increase with it — rising to a possible 2.4% of global energy demand in 2050, according to new research. Policy actions to avoid such drastic changes could include improving copper recycling and using renewable technologies.

Inhaling smoke from forest, grass and peat fires causes about 340,000 premature deaths worldwide every year, according to new research. Reducing the number and extent of human-induced landscape fires could significantly improve air quality, mitigate climate change and reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, say scientists.

Unusually warm or cool Pacific sea surface temperatures, known as El Niño and La Niña, can be used to reliably predict anomalies in flood risk for river basins that cover 44% of the Earth’s land surface, a new study has shown. The researchers also quantified overall flood damage by combining information on flood risk with estimates of damage to economies and numbers of people at risk. This could help improve flood disaster planning, they say.

Scientists have published findings from the largest and broadest survey on sewage resource recovery conducted in Europe to date. Researchers surveyed more than 600 waste-water treatment plants (WWTPs) in Italy, which represent approximately 25% of the country’s total load of treated sewage. The findings provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of sewage resource recovery in WWTPs, revealing that just 40% of plants perform some form of material or energy recovery, and identifying several of the important driving forces behind implementation. This research provides valuable information and insights for policymakers and WWTP managers aiming to improve WWTP sustainability and close the sewage resource-recovery loop.

“Gaming traffic has increased by 50% in the last few weeks, with doubling of traffic in video streaming and collaborative work apps like Skype, Teams and Zoom,” said Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX International, which runs an internet exchange in Mumbai.

​​ According to IAMAI's 'Digital in India' report, India had 504 million active Internet users, who logged onto the web at least once in the last one month, at the end of November 2019. In rural India, the number of accessing Internet daily had grown by 30 million from March 2019, it added.

There was significant spike in downloads and uploads per user, owing to the high volume of work and streaming content across India.

The Internet consumers are becoming more aware of their personal data and 82 per cent users have tried to remove private information from websites or social media channels, according to a report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.

The advent of new rules for social media applications - like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp - could spell the end for privacy in the Indian internet space. Despite push back from major internet companies, the Indian government is all set to go ahead with the new regulations. The rules are a bid to quell the spread of fake news and trace anti-social elements in the Indian internet ecosystem faster.

Facebook said that when people saw those warning labels, 95% of the time they did not go on to view the original content. To date, the social media giant also removed hundreds of thousands of pieces of misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm.

With the microblogging site emerging as a key platform for information dissemination, many central banks are active on Twitter, especially in these times of economic uncertainties amid the coronavirus pandemic.

With the expiry of additional ad-hoc incentive for January-March, the benefit for mobile phone makers under the Merchandise Export Incentives Scheme (MEIS) has fallen back to 2% from 4% even though the scheme has been extended to December 31.

India also saw the biggest jump in video consumption of 40% to over 2.9 billion hours during the week starting March 22 as compared to the last week of December 2019

The decline in growth rate is likely because enterprises relook at their buying decisions owing to increased focus on profitability, said IDC's report.

NPCI consecutively reported dismal figures for April 2020 for its UPI, IMPS, NETC and Bharat BillPay platforms – as AePS emerges as an outlier.

There was significant spike in downloads and uploads per user, owing to the high volume of work and streaming content across India.

A new study has raised safety concerns over PFO4DA, a substance increasingly used as a substitute for PFOA, a harmful persistent organic pollutant (POP), in plastic production. PFO4DA was found to cause liver damage to mice in lab tests, and is also an environmental pollutant. The researchers caution that it may not be a suitable alternative to PFOA.

Companies with environmental standard ISO 14001 certification may emit just as much air pollution as non-certified companies, according to a recent study. The results suggest companies see ISO 14001 as a way to appear environmentally responsible rather than to actively improve their environmental credentials.

Real time monitoring of public health during two periods of high air pollution in the UK showed that there were an estimated 3 500 extra healthcare visits for acute respiratory symptoms and approximately 500 for severe asthma during these spells in 2014. The results of this research are presented in a new study which demonstrates the value of such ‘syndromic surveillance’ systems for exploring air quality’s effects on human health.

The chemical 1,4-dioxane, a solvent suspected of causing cancer, is very difficult to clean up once it enters the environment. However, hope is offered by recent scientific developments that use plants, bacteria and fungi to decontaminate water resources. Scientists provided a round-up of these 1,4-dioxane bioremediation techniques in a recent analysis.

Myke makes judgments about Grey's musical choices, Grey explains how he is working with his personal assistant to manage email, and they both lament the current state of email apps.

Myke stayed up too late, Grey shares his calendaring philosophy, and they are both relieved about a change of course.

Grey got help with animation, Myke imagines trucking in VR, and they both get distracted by keyboards with rainbow LEDs.

Grey finally finished a big project, Myke bought a ticket to Vidcon, and they are both very excited about a piece of paper.

Myke is dealing with house renovations, Grey is making lots of videos, and they both answer some questions about how this show is made.

Grey heard a pop, Myke went to Ikea, and they both are frustrated with notifications.

Myke discovered his ranking, Grey will not switch, and they both answer #askcortex questions before the Cortexmas season begins.

Myke has started tracking his work time, Grey has started tracking all time, and they both talk about their themes for 2017.

Grey talks about the past few months, Myke is thinking about graphs, and they both provide more thoughts on time tracking.

Grey turns to pen and paper, Myke switches to Todoist, and they both share what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Grey is a leaf on the wind, Myke shares his thoughts on Todoist, and they both share their experiences on hiring and applying.

Grey took a secret photo, Myke took a chance, and they both cannot agree on how long you should stick it out.

Grey published a YouTube video, Myke is losing control, and they talk about Apple’s silence a few days before they make an announcement.

Grey thinks the end is nigh, Myke is making preperations, and they both review Homescreens from the past.

Myke wants to make some changes, Grey is taking a break, and they are both excited about some big announcements.

Grey is stuck in a time paradox, Myke shares how many journals he ordered, and they both watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

A Taiwanese national has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars, for his role in the importation of more than 40 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in packaging equipment into NSW in 2015.