Urine has been jokingly referred to as “liquid gold”, and it turns out that there is a glimmer of truth in this statement. The Stanford Doerr School has taken urine and extracted elements from it ranging from phosphorous to lithium to even gold. Now, whilst this may not be a replacement for mining, the university is interested in its possible applications. A similar pattern happened when water and carbon dioxide were first used to create fertilisers and fuels. Could pee be the next method to help us achieve global net-zero emissions? Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here