Hi, I'm Scientific American podcast editor Steve Mirsky. And here's a short piece from the July 2018 issue of the magazine, in the section called Advances: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Science, Technology and Medicine.
The article is called Quick Hits, and it's a rundown of some science and technology stories from around the globe, compiled by assistant news editor Tanya Lewis.
From the U.S.
Hawaii's state legislature announced it wants to get 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2045. The state already gets more than a quarter of its electricity from such sources.
From the PACIFIC OCEAN
A whale shark set a new distance record for its species by swimming more than 20,000 kilometers across the Pacific Ocean in 841 days. The creature, named Anne, traveled from off the western coast of Panama to near the Mariana Trench.
From the U.K.
Caterpillars of the oak processionary moth invaded London's parks this spring. The creatures' long white hairs can irritate eyes and skin and cause sometimes deadly allergic reactions.
From JAPAN
A Japanese engineer built a giant robot inspired by the animated TV show Mobile Suit Gundam, fulfilling a childhood dream. The machine, made by farming machinery company Sakakibara Kikai, stands 8.5 meters tall and weighs more than seven metric tons.
From SWEDEN
Archaeologists discovered the remains of a bloody slaughter in a Swedish fort from the fifth century A.D. The 26 skeletons they excavated (including those of an old man and a teenager) show wounds from behind, suggesting a surprise attack.
And from SUDAN
New high-resolution images of a meteorite found in the Nubian Desert in 2008 revealed it contains diamonds—possibly from a "lost" planet that orbited the sun during the solar system's formation.
That was Quick Hits by Tanya Lewis.