- Are you ready for a massive list of fun technological advancements?! Even if not, here we go 😊
Four-dimensional crystals could improve imaging systems.
Electronic memory speed could get a big boost soon.
Making a key fertilizer from thin air.
Improved material for carbon dioxide capture.
From electronic waste to a catalyst to capture carbon dioxide.
New, non-metallic conducting material for nano-electronics.
This is a biodegradable, fungi-based battery!
Buildings could help us store carbon in the future.
Filter that captures 99% of aluminum in industrial waste water.
Graphene altered so it can be used in filtration and sensing.
A reusable and biodegradable alternative to superglue.
This sustainable wall coating holds moisture in too.
Using microwaves to make hydrogen fuel.

North America had its warmest year on record. Hurricane Helene was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since 2017 and the deadliest hurricane to hit the continental U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hurricane Beryl became the first Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean in June. Severe drought conditions affected large parts of South America. Australia had its second warmest year since national records began in 1910. An extreme rain storm in the Persian Gulf region in April brought a two-year rain deficit up to normal in 24 hours. Typhoon Yagi struck as a Category 4 storm and was one of the strongest typhoons to hit northern Vietnam and southern China in record history. (Image Credit: NOAA Global Climate Report)
- The annual Global Climate Change Report for 2024 has been released by the National Centers for Environmental Information and it reveals further proof that global climate change remains a very serious concern. The year 2024 was the warmest year since global records began in 1850 at 1.29°C (2.32°F) above the 20th Century average of 13.9°C (57.0°F). In total there were 14 straight months of record-breaking global temperatures from June 2023 through July 2024. Global ocean temperatures in 2024 were also noteworthy, reaching 15-straight months of record-breaking temperatures, from April 2023 through June 2024. The 2024 Northern Hemisphere surface temperature also was warmest on record, 1.67°C (3.01°F) above average. The Northern Hemisphere winter, spring and summer seasons were each warmest on record. Below-average annual precipitation occurred in areas that included much of Canada extending into parts of the western U.S. and Mexico. The most expansive and severely drier-than-average conditions occurred across much of South America. In contrast, anomalously high precipitation fell in areas that included a large part of the African Sahel, where record and near-record conditions were widespread.
- February is a month for love, relationships, chocolates, dinner and wine. Geographic information systems, or GIS, are often used by viticulturists to guide them as they raise grapes in the vineyard that are used to make wine. GIS can incorporate a wide array of information about vineyard blocks (cultivars, rootstocks, irrigation, fertilization, crop production, soils, slope, history, etc.) that when combined with high-resolution aerial or satellite imagery can provide clues to understanding differences in vine performance that might not be obvious in the field. Symington Family Estates produces some of the top port wines of the world. Located in the Douro River Valley in Portugal, it uses GIS technology for viticulture management, which has led to significant improvements in wine quality. The use of GIS helps with the tight sequencing of the harvest and allows winemakers to conduct detailed analysis of productivity levels and see where improvements can be made. Symington’s winemakers record the changing conditions and the corresponding health of the grapes and soil by using an enterprise GIS. It allows them to track the variables for each of the family’s 27 estates. Their R&D team assess the health and ripeness of every bunch of the 53 grape varieties grown in the vineyard, and tracks this information in a GIS (along with the maturation date); they call it the Grape Library project. The Grape Library is used to create maps that guide field crews across each winery. Through GIS, viticulturists manage the health of the soil, ensuring its fertility for future crops. GIS also helps them implement strategies aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on their vineyards. Using GIS to analyze the different parameters affecting soils allows the vintners to make informed decisions on how to improve and maintain the quality of the soil at their 27 estates, too.
Brock Adam McCarty
Map Wizard
(720) 470-7988
brock@apollomapping.com
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