Over the past few weeks in Belém, Brazil, participants in this year's UN climate talks have faced unbearable heat and flooding, and at one point a literal fire broke out, delaying negotiations. The symbolism was almost unbearable.
Although many, including Brazil's president, viewed this year's conference as a meeting for action, the negotiations ended with a watered-down agreement. The final draft doesn't even include the phrase “fossil fuels.”
As emissions and global temperatures reach record levels again this year, I'm left wondering: Why is it so difficult to officially recognize the cause of the problem??
—Casey Crownhart
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review's weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, register here.
New non-invasive tests for endometriosis are growing
Endometriosis causes debilitating pain and heavy bleeding in more than 11% of women of reproductive age in the United States. Diagnosis takes on average about 10 years, partly because half of cases are missed by scans and surgery is required to obtain tissue samples.
But a new generation of noninvasive tests is emerging that could help speed diagnosis and improve treatment for this poorly understood condition. Read the whole story.
