As the world warms, migratory birds are facing significant threats to their survival. To understand the timing and routes of their migrations, scientists use various tracking methods, each with its own limitations. A major challenge is that most birds migrate at night, making it hard to identify them visually and posing difficulties for bird enthusiasts who are usually asleep during these hours.
For more than a hundred years, the potential of acoustic monitoring has been just out of reach for ornithologists. Now, thanks to machine-learning tools, ecologists can finally access and utilize vast amounts of acoustic data. Read the full story for more insights.
—Christian Elliot
This article is part of the upcoming issue of MIT Technology Review, which will be available on January 6. The edition focuses on the exciting breakthroughs happening across the globe. If you’re not already subscribed, consider getting a copy to stay informed.
A Woman in the US Receives a Gene-Edited Pig Kidney
Towana Looney, a 53-year-old woman from Alabama, has become the third person to receive a kidney transplant from a gene-edited pig.
After donating a kidney to her mother in 1999, Looney experienced kidney failure due to a pregnancy-related complication that led to high blood pressure. She began dialysis treatment in December 2016 and was added to the kidney transplant waiting list shortly after.
Finding a suitable match proved challenging. As a result, Looney’s doctors suggested trying an experimental pig kidney as an alternative. After eight years on the waiting list, Looney was approved to receive the transplant. Read the full story for more details.
