Migrants in Portugal granted rights, Scottish islands pioneering hydrogen power, and AI that can read minds

Photo: Ricardo Resende / Unsplash

Today’s edition of Squirrel News covers stories on the Portuguese government granting temporary citizenship rights to migrants because of Coronavirus, the small Scottish island chain leading on hydrogen power and how AI can now turn brain activity into text.

Portuguese government grants temporary citizenship rights to migrants

Due to coronavirus, all migrants and asylum seekers with residency applications underway have been granted citizenship rights by the Portuguese government.

Source: Euronews

Small Scottish islands pioneer hydrogen power

Although more popularly known for its coastal scenery and heritage sites, Orkney has been pioneering hydrogen technology.

Source: CNN

Scientists have developed artificial intelligence capable of turning brain activity into text

The technology, that detects neural patterns, could be used in the future to aid patients who cannot speak or type to communicate.

Source: The Guardian

Builder aims to help UK construction industry cut down 50,000 tonnes of plastic

The construction sector is the second largest producer of plastic waste in the UK, so with University of Liverpool researchers, Maxwell has drawn up a programme to go plastic-free by 2040.

Source: The Guardian

How one of Brazil’s poorest cities became the best place in the country to get a state education

Since 2015, literacy rates in Sobral have risen from 52% to 92%, and school children have topped 5000 districts, with success replicated across the country.

Source: The Guardian

Mexican duo use cacti to create faux leather

Animal skins have been used for a long time to make leather, but now two Mexican entrepeneurs have created an alternative using the cactus.

Source: Deutsche Welle

Smart and sustainable: the diverse ways fungi could aid the eco-crisis

Fungi can break down waste and recycle the usable nutrients back into the soil, could replace petrochemicals and also utilised as pigment for next-generation solar cells.

Source: Clean Technica

Data caps lifted to help people in isolation

The UK government announced on Sunday that Britain’s telecom providers will lift data caps as services have become a lifeline for people isolating.

Source: Reuters

Ozone hole at its smallest in decades thanks to historic ban on hairsprays

A study by the University of Colorado Boulder shows that the reduced usage of CFCs has helped a large hole in the ozone layer to heal.

Source: Euronews

Sweden and the UK are using AI to help combat loneliness

Some scientists have suggested loneliness is as bad for health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, so voice technologies are being used to try tackle the problem.

Source: BBC

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