Two research teams have claimed that rare earths can be phytomined without damaging the plants.Here’s more about the work in the order in which I stumbled across the research. Later, I have a couple of articles with one critiquing the research and praising it. Finally, I have some news about rare earths conference taking place in Vancouver, Canada and winding up today, April 17, 2026.
Blechnum orientale fern can form nanoscale crystals of monazite
A November 24, 2026 article (Humanity Is Desperate for Rare Earth Elements. This Plant Is Growing Them Right Under Our Feet.) by Darren Orf for Popular Mechanics provides context for why the need is urgent and the problems standard extraction techniques cause, Note: Links have been removed,
The green energy revolution holds the promise of clean air, drinkable water, and a world not beholden to an unsustainable addiction to fossil fuels, but there’s one big barrier (among many) between now and this idyllic energy future—rare earth elements (REEs).
While green technologies like solar panels don’t use many REEs directly, they’re essential for batteries, inverters, wind turbines, and many other technologies that undergird the electric grid.
In other words, they’re essential; and unfortunately, the mad dash to find them, dig them up, and refine them is one of the greatest ecological and human rights questions facing the world today.
REEs refer to the 15 lanthanides on the periodic table, along with Scandium (Sc) and Yttrium (Y), and are abundant in the Earth’s crust (albeit in low concentrations) in ores such as bastnäsite or monazite, that then need further refining to be usable. This is an immensely energy-intensive process that creates tons of toxic waste, which can seep into groundwater and cause untold amounts of environmental damage.
However, mining for these ores isn’t the only way to extract REEs out of the ground. A new study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology drills into the biological details of a process known as phytomining, which uses specialized plants known as “hyperaccumulators” to pull REEs out of the ground or form valuable rare earth crystals within its leaves. In fact, these plants can pull so much metal out of the ground that some of them are about five percent metal by weight.
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According to the scientists, this is the first time they’ve seen a plant create an REE crystal, but B. orientale is only one plant in an entire family of hyperaccumulators that are similarly capable of extracting REEs from the soil—and the U.S. has already taken notice.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program doled out nearly $10 million for developing phytomining technologies that can specifically produce nickel. …
Aman Tripathi’s November 12, 2025 article about the research for Interesting Engineering focuses on other aspects of the research, Note: A link has been removed,
A Chinese-led team of scientists has made a world-first discovery, identifying a naturally formed mineral containing rare earth elements (REEs) inside a living plant.
The researchers found nanoscale monazite, a valuable mineral, crystallised within the tissues of an evergreen fern named Blechnum orientale.
According to a statement from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, an institution involved in the study, this “opens new possibilities for the direct recovery of functional rare earth element materials.”
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Monazite is a phosphate mineral rich in REEs [rare earth elements] such as cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium. These elements are critical for modern technology. The mineral itself is highly valued for its mechanical, physical, and thermal properties.
It has a high melting point and offers resistance to corrosion and radiation damage, making it suitable for applications in coatings, lasers, light emitters, ionic conductors, and radioactive waste management.
What makes the discovery significant is the manner in which the mineral was formed. Typically, monazite forms geologically under high pressure and at temperatures of hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit. The scientists noted that this study demonstrates plants can facilitate its mineralisation under ambient, Earth-surface conditions.
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Phytomining is a green strategy that uses “hyperaccumulator” plants to extract metals from the ground. These plants are capable of concentrating heavy metals in their tissues at levels hundreds to thousands of times higher than the surrounding soil.
The strategy involves cultivating these plants on metal-rich soils and later recovering the target metals from the harvested biomass. The researchers explained this approach “reduces reliance on conventional mining while mitigating associated environmental and geopolitical risks.”
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Tripathi’s November 12, 2025 article reveals a bit more including the fact that the Chinese researchers were collaborating with a team at Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, US).
This photo shows Phytolacca americana plants growing in different concentrations of acid mine drainage sludge to evaluate the amount of rare-earth elements that can be recovered from the sludge. Photo credit: External Affairs.
Researchers have developed a technique for detecting and measuring the concentration of many rare-earth elements in plants, without destroying the plant. The technique can be used to optimize “plant mining” efforts, in which plants take up and concentrate these critical materials so that they can be harvested for practical use.
“Rare-earth metals are essential for many technologies,” says Colleen Doherty, co-corresponding author of a paper on the work. “These are not actually rare, it’s just that they are rarely found in high concentrations in the environment in their pure form. Right now, the U.S. obtains most of the rare-earth materials it needs from international sources, so there is a great deal of interest in identifying domestic sources of these critical materials.”
One option is to harvest the rare-earth elements found in mine waste and other polluted soils. However, while these toxic soils have relatively high concentrations of rare-earth elements compared to other soils, those concentrations are still too low to make this an economically feasible strategy.
But there is a potential solution: plants.
“Some plant species are capable of taking rare-earth elements out of polluted soil and concentrating it in their tissue,” says Doherty, who is an associate professor of molecular and structural biochemistry at North Carolina State University. “In order to maximize this ‘plant mining’ technique, we wanted to find a way to detect and measure the concentration of rare-earth materials in these plants. This can inform not only which plants we want to use for these mining projects, but when the optimal time would be for harvesting those plants to maximize yield of rare-earth elements.”
To solve this challenge, the researchers used fluorescence spectroscopy. The technique makes use of the fact that some chemical compounds absorb light and then re-emit that absorbed energy as light at different wavelengths. By cataloging which chemical compounds absorb and emit specific wavelengths, and how long those emissions last, you can determine which chemical compounds are present. Generally, the more intense the light emitted, the higher the concentration of the chemical compound.
“Plant matter itself fluoresces across a broad range of wavelengths,” Doherty says. “So one challenge has been distinguishing the autofluorescence of the plant itself from the fluorescence of rare-earth elements the plant has taken up.”
For this project, the researchers focused on dysprosium, a rare-earth element that is critical for manufacturing everything from cell phones to wind turbines to electric vehicle motors.
“We focused on dysprosium, in part, because it fluoresces for a relatively long time,” says Michael Kudenov, co-corresponding author of the paper and the John and Catherine Amein Family Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State. “This means dysprosium will still be emitting light after the plant’s autofluorescence has died down. That allows us to detect it, measure its intensity, and then calculate the concentration of dysprosium in the plant tissue.”
The researchers demonstrated the technique using two species of pokeweed. The plants took up dysprosium from a substrate. The plant tissue was then treated externally with sodium tungstate, which interacts with the dysprosium to intensify the light being emitted by the dysprosium during fluorescence. The researchers then triggered fluorescence using a deep ultraviolet laser and measured the wavelengths and intensity of light emitted by the plant samples.
“The sodium tungstate makes it easier to detect the dysprosium,” Doherty says. “But because it intensifies the light in a predictable way, we can still account for its presence and get an accurate reading on the concentration of dysprosium in the plant.”
The researchers found their technique was accurate at both detecting the presence of dysprosium and measuring the concentration of dysprosium in the plant tissue.
“This technique can be done very quickly and we’re excited that we can conduct the testing without destroying the plant, which allows us to test the same plant repeatedly,” Doherty says. “This is critical for helping us determine the best time to harvest these plants in order to get the optimal concentration of rare-earth elements in the plants’ tissue.”
“We’ve also done enough preliminary work to be confident that this technique will work for the rare-earth elements terbium and europium,” Kudenov says. “And we’re fairly confident the technique will work for erbium and neodymium, with minor changes to the experimental setup. It’s much too early to speak to other rare-earth elements, but we’re interested in exploring those as well.”
This new technique was developed as part of a larger project being led by Doherty and Kudenov that focuses on supplementing the U.S.’s domestic rare-earth metal needs while offsetting the cost of environmental remediation at fly ash ponds, areas contaminated by acid mine drainage, and other toxic sites.
“We’re optimistic that this can make a real difference for both our manufacturing sector and the environment,” Doherty says. “It could be an important part of our rare-earth supply chain moving forward.”
The paper, “Detection and Quantification of Dysprosium in Plant Tissues,” is published open access in the journal Plant Direct. First author of the paper is Edmaritz Hernández-Pagán, a Ph.D. student at NC State. The paper was co-authored by Kanjana Laosuntisuk and Cyprian Rajabu, former postdoctoral researchers at NC State; Anisa Guidira, a Ph.D. student at NC State; Allison Haynes, an undergraduate at NC State; Alex Harris, a former undergraduate at NC State; and David Buitrago, a former master’s student at NC State.
This work was done with support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under DARPA Young Investigator Award D19AP00026.
Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,
Detection and Quantification of Dysprosium in Plant Tissues by Edmaritz Hernández-Pagán, Kanjana Laosuntisuk, Alex T. Harris, Allison N. Haynes, David Buitrago, Anisa Guedira, Cyprian Rajabu, Michael W. Kudenov, Colleen J. Doherty. Plant Direct Volume 10, Issue 4 April 2026 e70164 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.70164 First published: 12 April 2026
This paper is open access.
Some criticism and some enthusiasm
First, a more critical look at phytomining for rare earth elements (RREs), from a November 13, 2025 posting by Daniel on Rare Earth Exchanges, Note: Links have been removed,
Highlights
Chinese researchers discovered the first naturally crystallized rare earth minerals (monazite) inside a living fern, suggesting potential for plant-based extraction and soil remediation.
Despite the scientific breakthrough, major limitations exist: no evidence of commercial scalability, tiny production quantities, and unresolved challenges in extraction and processing steps where China dominates.
The discovery serves as strategic signaling from China, positioning itself as a leader in ‘green rare earths’ and environmentally friendly extraction amid global criticism of its mining practices.
A Chinese-led research team from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry(Chinese Academy of Sciences), working with an earth scientist atVirginia Tech, reports the first-ever recovery of naturally crystallized rare earth minerals inside a living plant. According to their paper in Environmental Science & Technology, the tropical fern Blechnum orientale formed nanoscale monazite crystals—a rare earth phosphate mineral typically found in igneous and sedimentary deposits—inside its tissues.
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This April 16, 2026 posting by Daniel on Rare Earth Exchanges strikes a more celebratory tone, Note: A link has been removed,
Highlights
Researchers at NC State developed a non-destructive fluorescence method to detect and quantify dysprosium in living plants, enabling real-time monitoring of rare earth concentrations for optimized phytomining strategies.
The breakthrough technique could enable plants to extract valuable rare earths like dysprosium from contaminated sites and mine waste, offering a decentralized, low-impact supplement to traditional mining.
While promising for heavy rare earth recovery, phytomining remains early-stage research requiring field trials and economic viability studies before becoming a strategic supply chain component.
A new peer-reviewed study led by Edmaritz Hernández-Pagán at North Carolina State University, working with senior authors Colleen Doherty and Michael Kudenov, introduces a novel way to measure rare earth elements inside living plants—without destroying them. Published in Plant Direct, the research demonstrates a fluorescence-based technique to detect and quantify dysprosium (a critical rare earth used in EV motors and wind turbines) in plant tissue, potentially advancing “phytomining”—a process where plants absorb and concentrate valuable metals from contaminated soils.
The work, supported in part by DARPA, could open a new frontier in domestic rare earth sourcing while simultaneously addressing environmental cleanup challenges.
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Vancouver hosts first North American rare earths conference?
Metal Events hosts the 1st North American Rare Earths Conference in Vancouver, April 15–17, 2026, bringing together miners, processors, magnet manufacturers, and investors to rebuild strategic rare-earth supply chains across North America and allied markets.
The conference addresses critical industry challenges including reducing reliance on Chinese supply chains, navigating price volatility driven by EV and renewable energy demand, and establishing integrated mine-to-magnet production capabilities in Western economies.
Despite diversification efforts, the continued participation of Chinese-linked firms alongside Western companies signals that complete decoupling remains unlikely, with the industry moving toward a more geographically diversified yet still globally interconnected rare-earth ecosystem.
Metal Events will convene the 1st North American Rare Earths Conference in Vancouver, April 15–17, 2026, assembling miners, processors, magnet manufacturers, market analysts, traders, and institutional investors to examine how North America can rebuild strategic rare-earth supply chains. While framed as a regional meeting, the attendee roster reveals a globally integrated industry network, with participants from Canada, the United States, Europe, Japan, and China-linked firms. The agenda underscores a central question shaping the sector: how Western economies can diversify supply chains for magnet metals while still operating within a globally interconnected rare-earth market.
Metal Events is delighted to announce the 1st North American Rare Earths Conference will take place in Vancouver during 15-17 April 2026.
In conjunction with this event, on Thursday 16 in the afternoon, we will have an update on the scandium market and we will also be holding the inaugural AGM for the International Scandium Association.
Metal Events reserves the right to change any of its rates due to currency fluctuations. Our base rate is always in Sterling and rates in other currencies will be calculated on the day.
I really wasn’t expecting to see the fee listed in pounds sterling. Intriguing, non?
Finally, it seems the hunt for rare earth elements continues.
As governments accelerate strategies on artificial intelligence, sovereign AI and AI diffusion across economies and societies, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will host the seventh AI for Good Global Summit from 7 to 10 July 2026 at Geneva’s Palexpo convention centre.
Over four days, leaders from government, industry, academia, civil society and the technical community will work together at AI for Good to guide the future of AI.
Live demos of tech innovations in agentic AI, edge AI, brain-computer interfaces, space computing and robotics will share the stage with discussions on national AI strategies to address the global challenge of unlocking AI’s potential to serve humanity.
AI for Good will be held back-to-back with the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, convened by the United Nations General Assembly and facilitated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Taking place at Palexpo from 6 to 7 July [2026], the Global Dialogue is supported by a joint secretariat that includes the Executive Office of the Secretary General, ITU, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), with ITU and UNESCO leading the coordination.
“As artificial intelligence moves from strategy to real-world deployment, countries need the skills, solutions, and international standards for AI to work for everyone,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “Through AI for Good, ITU helps turn AI breakthroughs into practical ways to improve lives. We are also pleased to work with our partners on the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance where Member States and stakeholders will exchange perspectives on the policies shaping AI’s future.”
The Summit is the flagship platform for showcasing and helping scale up AI applications in areas from healthcare and education to food security, disaster risk reduction and misinformation, particularly in developing countries.
World-class keynotes, global technology premieres and an expo floor filled with innovators, UN partners and national pavilions will present local AI solutions and strategies from around the world, including special exhibits featuring home-grown innovations from Switzerland.
“We are delighted to once again co-convene with ITU the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, a central location for discussing and showcasing advances in artificial intelligence,” said Albert Rösti, Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication.
Uniting leaders to scale AI impact
Over 11,000 participants from 169 countries attended last year’s AI for Good Global Summit and World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) events. Participation included ministers from 100 countries, more than half representing developing countries.
The 2026 edition aims to further strengthen AI for Good as a globally representative platform for dialogue, collaboration, and action on AI and how to best harness the innovative power of technology.
Early speakers and programme details are now available, offering a first look at the global leaders shaping this year’s Summit, with further announcements to follow.
Solutions, skills, standards, and policy
“Day Zero” of the AI for Good Global Summit on 7 July [2026] will feature live demos, interactive exhibits, startup competitions and hands-on workshops. The summit’s Centre Stage officially opens on 8 July. Programme highlights include:
Multistakeholder dialogue on AI standards and policy – exploring frontier challenges including agentic AI security, AI testing and benchmarking, misinformation and deepfakes, quantum technology applications and use cases, and AI infrastructure and energy demands.
Global innovation competitions and awards – including the AI for Good Innovation Factory Grand Finale and machine-learning challenges on edge AI, TinyML, and space AI computing as well as the AI for Good Impact Awards and Robotics Youth Challenge Grand Finale.
Technology demos and interactive expo – featuring cutting-edge systems in AI, robotics, embodied AI, brain-computer interfaces, autonomous vehicles and quantum technologies.
AI skills and capacity-building programmes – with training sessions delivered by AI Skills Coalition partners, hands-on workshops and a dynamic Youth Zone supporting the next generation of innovators.
Creative and cultural programmes – highlighting the intersection of AI and creativity with the AI for Good Film Festival, the Canvas of the Future AI Art Competition, and AI-enabled artistic performances. The summit will feature the premiere of RAISE, a documentary series executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio exploring how AI is already being used to address humanity’s most urgent challenges.
The Quantum for Good track – offering a look at quantum information technologies and their potential to transform industries and societies.
The AI for Good Global Summit 2026 is supported by its partners and sponsors:
Co-Convener: Swiss Confederation
Diamond Sponsors: Microsoft Corporation, Technology Innovation Institute
Gold Sponsors: Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of the Republic of Korea, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan
Silver Sponsors: EY, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Networking Partners: d-teach, Giga, HP Inc. UK Limited, Google, Lenovo, TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited
Innovation Factory Local Chapters: Akbank, Government of Catalonia – Spain
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About ITU:
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations agency for digital technologies, driving innovation for people and the planet with 194 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, civil society, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, ITU coordinates the global use of the radio spectrum and satellite orbits, establishes international technology standards, drives universal connectivity and digital services, and is helping to make sure everyone benefits from sustainable digital transformation, including the most remote communities. From artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum, from satellites and submarine cables to advanced mobile and wireless broadband networks, ITU is committed to connecting the world and beyond. Learn more: www.itu.int
UN and Dialogue
The UN’s homepage for Dialogue on Global AI Governance provides some information about the 2026 meeting in Switzerland, Note 1: In the following I have rearranged the order in which the information is offered; Note 2: From the way the request for submissions is worded, I’m guessing that you will not be presenting your submission at the dialogue sessions,
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What the Dialogue will address
The themes and structure of the Dialogue are being shaped through an ongoing global consultation process. Member States, academia, the private sector, the technical community and civil society are invited to submit inputs:
Proposed thematic clusters:
AI opportunities and implications: societal, cultural and economic dimensions – 4(c) the social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic and technical implications of AI.
Bridging AI divides: capacity-building, access and digital foundations – 4(b) capacity gaps, with a view to leveraging existing United Nations and multi-stakeholder mechanisms to support AI capacity-building to bridge AI divides, facilitate access to AI applications and build capacity in high-performance computing and related skills in developing countries; 4(g) the development of open-source software, open data and open artificial intelligence models.
Safe, secure and trustworthy AI: responsible and interoperable approaches – 4(a) the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems; 4(d) the interoperability and compatibility of artificial intelligence governance approaches.
Respecting, protecting and promoting human rights: transparency, accountability and human oversight – 4(e) respect for and protection and promotion of human rights in the field of AI; 4(f) the transparency, accountability and robust human oversight of artificial intelligence systems in a manner that complies with international law.
2026 and beyond
The President of the General Assembly has appointed H.E. Ms. Egriselda López (Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations) and H.E. Mr. Rein Tammsaar (Permanent Representative of Estonia to the United Nations) as Co-Chairs to the 2026 AI Dialogue.
The first session of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance will be held on 6 and 7 July 2026 in Geneva. A second session will follow in New York in May 2027.
Written Submissions
The submission portal for the Global Dialogue on AI Governance is now open. Contribute your perspective and help shape the future of AI governance by April 30 at 11:59 PM EDT.
Joëlle Barral Senior Director of Research & Engineering Google DeepMind Appointed to the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI
Albert Rösti Head [Swiss] Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy, and Communications DETEC
Lan Xue Director of Institute for AI International Governance, Director of China Institute for Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Director of Global Institute for SDGs Tsinghua University
Michael Nash Chief Digital Officer Universal Music Group
Participation remains free for ITU Member State delegations (and Resolution 99), UN agencies, civil society delegations, and those under 18, with discounts for ITU Sector Members, Associates, and Academia members. Please select your category below.
General Attendees
ITU Member States
ITU Sector Members, Associates, and Academia
UN Staff
Under 18
Students
NGOs
Media Accreditation
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There are three options for passes: Discovery Pass (50.00 CHF), Gold Pass (890.00 CHF) and Leader’s Pass (4410.00 CHF). I expect that depending on your category you may find that the price changes as you register. For anyone unfamiliar with it, the currency listed is the Swiss franc.
Join the experts from UBC’s Department of Physics and Astronomy to find out fun facts about everything from the Milky Way to radio waves in this new, accessible science series. All are…
The VPL and the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Department of Physics & Astronomy (PHAS) Outreach are partnering in what they call the VPL Science Discovery Series, Note: Presumably ‘How the Universe Works’ is a subseries.
[$40 CAD early tickets available until 11:59 pm PST April 15, 2026 $60 CAD standard tickets available until 9:69 pm PST April 30, 2926]
Vancouver AI is a neural network of curious humans bridging creative and technical spaces. We cultivate a commons where community values shape governance and prototypes become shared tools.
This month, we bring the AI Ethical Futures Lab to the main stage with two talks that ask hard questions about how we measure what matters in the AI age.
In a world of black-box algorithms and corporate capture, we are cultivating a commons. A space where prototypes become shared tools and community values become governance. We move from ephemeral noise to perpetual knowledge.
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The Lineup
Chiyakselut aka Venessa Gonzales and Makaidea Gonzales: Squamish Nation
chiyakselut (Venessa Gonzales) and her daughter Makaidea Gonzales open with a Squamish West Coast traditional welcome song and blessing rooted in multi-generational knowledge.
Venessa’s lineage bridges three nations: Squamish, Musqueam, and Cree from Saskatchewan. She harvests traditional medicines and teas, creates salves for healing ailments, and practices traditional arts… glass etching, wool weaving, cedar weaving. She teaches traditional games, ensuring cultural knowledge flows to the next generation.
Makaidea’s presence embodies that flow: daughter learning alongside mother, carrying forward what ceremony means.
Martin Lopatka: Valtech “Rawlsian Agents: An Application of LLMs to Forge Fairer Bilateral Agreements”
Operationalizing John Rawls’ theory of justice through modern agentic workflows. Examining how AI systems can simulate contract negotiation while exploring both the promise and pitfalls of AI-mediated fairness.
Technology leader and applied researcher at Valtech working at the intersection of machine learning, AI ethics, and technology policy moving responsible AI from principle to practice in complex organizations. Ph.D. in forensic statistics from the University of Amsterdam.
Contributes to policy efforts including the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and OWASP Top 10 for LLMs. Active in the privacy-enhancing technologies community.
Ethics for the AI Age: Current ethical frameworks struggle to evaluate AI systems that absorb massive resources while their impact on human flourishing remains unmeasured.
Sev introduces a quantifiable approach to moral accounting… frameworks for economic systems that measure care and relational contribution rather than productivity alone.
Co-Founder and VP of Engineering at PolarGrid, building North America’s first real-time AI inference compute network. Co-founded the Economy of Wisdom Foundation to develop alternative economic frameworks that measure care and fulfillment rather than traditional productivity metrics.
His work bridges 20+ years of scaling mission-critical systems with new economic paradigms for the AI transformation ahead.
Sev asks: what if we measured care instead of productivity? Martin asks: can AI help us be fairer? Same underlying question… different frameworks. Stay for the closing dialogue where they go head-to-head.
Two Vancouver students who turned a cookie side hustle into a legit operation. Aliza founded iBlush LipGloss; Noa has 200K+ TikTok followers. Together they run Slapd Treats and they’ve been feeding Vancouver AI since last year. Expect cookies.
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THE SPONSORS
Big thanks to the folks helping keep the lights on, the doors open, and the community infrastructure real:
Intellomx: Simon Haworth’s crew Intellomx is an AI-powered drug discovery platform that analyzes transcriptomic, genomic, and proteomic data to save up to 90% of pre-clinical development costs (recently joined J&J Innovation JLABS). Huge thanks for backing the ecosystem from the deep science end.
TheUpgrade.ai: AI training company walking the walk on democratizing AI skills: Fortune 500 workshops, creative pro certifications, and corporate training that doesn’t treat people like idiots. They help organizations and individuals harness AI to amplify creativity and accelerate learning through practical, hands-on training
Creative Mornings Vancouver: 14 years building Vancouver’s creative community since before “community building” was a LinkedIn buzzword, and they let us cross-pollinate networks because they get that rising tides lift all boats.
HR MacMillan Space Centre: Our venue partner who hosts us every month and doesn’t kick us out when conversations run past 10 PM. They’re Vancouver’s gateway to innovation and space education, making science accessible to everyone from kids to cosmos-obsessed adults.
Ethos Lab: Vancouver’s Black + Indigenous youth-led studio on Main St where teens ship real products. Running AI Studios + Friday Night AI Experimentation Labs (Jan–Jun 2026) for BIPOC youth (14–24), plus the Blackathon in February honouring Hogan’s Alley.
You can purchase your tickets from the April 29, 2026 event page. Enjoy!
I have a number of sciencish doings and a musical event that takes place at the Perimeter Institute.
YouTube science channel job
Thanks to the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC) and its April 14, 2026 notice for this news,
Job opening: Showrunner for YouTube science channel, What If [for] Underknown [creator business]
The role requires a deep understanding of YouTube as a medium. This is a hybrid role, with 2–3 days a week in our Toronto studio and head office. It is only for permanent residents in Ontario. …
Before launching off into the job description, here’s a bit more about Underknown from its Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed,
Underknown Inc. is a Canadian digital-first media production company based in Toronto that specializes in short-form educational science and factual programming.
History
Underknown was founded in 2016 by Steve Hulford, Raphael Faeh, and Peter Schmiedchen.[1][2] It began when Hulford and Faeh produced the science-explainer series What If in Hulford’s living room.[3] In 2019, Underknown received C$2.5 million in equity and debt financing, including support from Ontario Creates.[3]
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Productions
Underknown’s programming uses hypothetical questions, survival scenarios and natural history storytelling to explain scientific concepts.[10] Core franchises include the science series What If, the how-to strand How to Survive, the nature show Animalogic and the video essay channel Aperture.[1][8]
This is a strategic and creative leadership role where you will own the entire editorial direction and run the What If show team. You are responsible for deciding what content is produced, how it is packaged, and continuously monitoring channel and content performance.
The role requires a deep understanding of YouTube as a medium, including its unique language, audience psychology, and mechanics of attention. You must balance the art and science of production, running the channel like a financially sustainable business without sacrificing creative quality.
Day-to-day, you will act as the creative engine and keeper of the channel’s voice, primarily managing the full production lifecycle: pre-production, ideation, packaging, production, and post-production workflows. This includes finding irresistible stories, framing them effectively, and ensuring your team executes quickly at the highest quality.
NOTE: This is a hybrid role, with 2-3 days a week in our Toronto studio and head office. It is only for permanent residents in Ontario, Canada. Applicants that don’t reside in Ontario won’t be considered.
Responsibilities
Content Strategy & Channel Vision
Define and maintain the curious, cinematic, and scientifically grounded editorial direction of What If while identifying new growth opportunities.
Continuously experiment using audience data to increase watch time and reach.
Manage the channel’s P&L and resourcing, balancing creative ambition with financial sustainability and budget targets.
Ideation & Packaging
Lead the end-to-end ideation and packaging process, generating and ruthlessly filtering a high volume of concepts into irresistible titles, thumbnails, and hooks.
Develop comprehensive episode briefs that provide the production team with a clear creative north star and narrative direction.
Editorial Oversight & Production Management
Oversee all editorial and production execution by defining clear creative direction (visual style, tone), managing project timelines, resourcing, and scheduling, and ensuring narrative intent is maintained through clear briefs.
Drive continuous improvement and profitability by running data-driven performance experiments, monitoring pacing and profitability, and overseeing branded content executions with external partners.
Team Leadership
Lead and mentor a team of producers, writers, editors and our VFX team. Set clear expectations, give actionable feedback, and create the conditions for your team to do their best work.
Support team learning and career growth.
Qualifications you bring
Five or more years of experience in YouTube content creation, video production, digital media production, or content strategy.
A demonstrated track record of contributing to high-performing YouTube content (share examples).
Deep familiarity with YouTube’s mechanics: retention, CTR, packaging, algorithm dynamics.
Strong writing and editorial instincts.
Experience working across the full production pipeline from ideation to publication.
Located in Ontario, Canada (required).
Passion for science, technology, and speculative storytelling (bonus, but strongly preferred).
Experience working with VFX teams is preferred.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume, cover letter, and a portfolio of your previous work, specifically highlighting your video creation work.
Another thanks to the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC) and its April 14, 2026 notice for this news about a writer’s workshop (wish I’d gotten this a bit sooner),
Banff Mountain Writers Intensive Workshop 2026
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Program dates: October 28 to November 17, 2026 Application deadline: April 15, 2026
This three-week residency for writers in fiction, nonfiction, journalism, or poetry who are working on mountain narratives, environmental journalism, stories of adventure, or projects with an environmental theme provides dedicated time to create, connect with peers, and receive mentorship.
The Mountain Writers Intensive is a three-week residency for twelve writers in fiction, nonfiction, journalism, or poetry. Ideal for projects on mountain narratives, adventure, environmental journalism, and the human connection to landscape, the program emphasizes literary excellence and narrative development. Writers enjoy dedicated time to create, connect with peers, and receive mentorship in Banff’s inspiring mountain setting. The residency overlaps with the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, offering opportunities to engage with visiting authors, editors, and publishers. Lodging and meals are included, allowing participants to fully focus on their craft and creative growth.
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Good luck!
Modem Futura podcasts (a reminder)
I just got a friendly note (via email) from Andrew Maynard, “scientist, author, and professor of advanced technology transitions at Arizona State University,” which reminded me of one of his science communication ventures, the Modem Futura podcast. Before getting to Andrew’s note, here’s more about Modem Futura, Note: I have made some formatting changes so the following is not identical to what you will find on the page,
The Podcast that explores the possible, probable, and preferred futures
Modem Futura is your weekly guide to the future of science, technology, and society—where futures and foresight meets real-world impact. Hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard—educators, futurists, and public scholars—dive into the breakthroughs and big questions shaping tomorrow: AI ethics, space exploration, climate tech, bio-engineering, digital media, STEM education, and the shifting future of work. In candid, banter-filled conversations with innovators, scholars, and storytellers, they unpack how emerging technologies influence human values, creativity, and culture—and what these trends mean for you today.
Whether you’re curious about quantum computing, electric air taxis, or the sociology of robots, Modem Futura connects cutting-edge research with the narratives that drive innovation. Join us each week to explore possible, probable, and preferred futures, and discover practical insights for navigating an increasingly tech-driven world. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be part of the conversation exploring what it will mean to be human in the future!
Artemis II: The Science, the Wonder, and the Future of Being Human
For the first time since 1972, human beings have traveled to the vicinity of the moon — and on this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew sit with what that actually means. Recorded while the Artemis II crew was still in transit, this conversation is less a mission briefing and more a meditation on wonder: what it feels like to watch a tiny spacecraft carry four people a thousand times …
Here’s the message from Andrew’s friendly email April 13, 2026 note,
Just a quick FYI that, if you occasionally listen to the Modem Futura podcast hosted by myself and Sean Leahy, you can now sign up for regular email updates:
Notifications just include info on new episodes – nothing else (and you can obviously unsubscribe at any time once signed up)
And if you’re not a podcast person, apologies for the email intrusion but hope you’re keeping well anyway.
Cheers
Andrew
Human and artificial creativity
Kate Pullinger, Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media, Director of the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Bath Spa University (UK), had some thoughts about the recent Aarhus University’s (Denmark) TEXT – Center for Contemporary Cultures of Text conference “AI and the Creative Condition,” which I’ll get to after this from the About the Center webpage,
TEXT: Center for Contemporary Cultures of Text is organized to understand the impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) on writing cultures at this pivotal moment in history, in which — after more than 6,000 years of handcrafted text production — we see all aspects of text creation and use are being altered. We are convinced that a research-based understanding of the role of text in a new technological environment is a condition for a prevailing human-centered control of the production and usage of text.
The center works on the evaluation and development of language technology based on linguistic research, as well as on investigating when the introduction of new practices and technologies contributes to a better text culture—and when something valuable is lost. Learn more out the researchers involved and the organization of our work packages.
TEXT is based at Aarhus University and funded by the Danish National Research Foundation. The center’s partners include It-vest, Danish Foundation Models, and Rhetor, with external participants from Cornell University, UC Berkeley [University of California Berkeley], UC Davis [University of California Davis], and the University of Oslo.
The AI and the Creative Condition Conference, held at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies in Aarhus, Denmark, aims to explore the transformative impacts of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) on writing cultures. As we transition from over 6,000 years of handcrafted text production to a [sic]
Highlights
Keynote by Karin Kukkonen: ‘Contingency and the Proxies of Literary Writing’.
Panel discussion on ‘Creativity in the AI Era: Perspectives from the 7Cs’ by Florent Vinchon and Todd Lubart.
Keynote by Roger Beaty: ‘Measuring and enhancing human creativity with AI’.
Panel on ‘Uncovering the Patterns of Our Collective Unconscious’ by Ulf Dalvad Berthelsen.
Keynote by Kyle Booten: ‘Designing Negative Spaces for Human Minds’.
Conference dinner at Det Glade Vanvid on March 23, 2026.
Registration deadline: March 8, 2026.
Call for papers deadline: December 15, 2025.
Hosted by Center for Contemporary Cultures of TEXT and Human-AI Collaboration (HAIC-III).
Focus on the impact of Generative AI and Large Language Models on writing cultures.
Anna Katrine Mathiassen wrote a March 25, 2026 conference summary for TEXT, which provides a little more context for Kate Pullinger’s April 8, 2026 posting on Kate’s Newsletter provocatively titled “I Would Prefer Not to Be Publicly Shamed”, Note 1: She leads with a three item introduction, Note 2: Links have been removed, Note 3: Kate Pullinger co-led a writing and digital media masters programme with Sue Thomas at de Montfort University (UK) and I studied with them,
AI and the Creative Condition
Item One: Poetic forms are technologies: a sonnet is an algorithm, which is another word for a set of instructions. If you don’t follow the rules, your poem will not be a sonnet1.
Item Two: The relationships people form with AI chatbots follow recognisable masterplots as the chatbot works to both affirm and entertain the user to keep them coming back for more. This infinite chat spiral can lead in many directions, including human-AI romantic entanglements and, in the worst cases, suicide2.
Item Three: Alan Turing might have formulated the Turing Test (can a computer programme convince you that it is human?) after watching ‘Pygmalion’ by his favourite playwright, George Bernard Shaw. In this play Dr Higgins dialogue-coaches the flower-seller Eliza Doolittle until London’s upper classes are convinced she is one of them3.
In March [2026] I attended AI and the Creative Condition, a two-day conference at Aarhus University in Denmark, and the ideas above came from some of the papers and keynote presentations. Hosted by TEXT: Centre for Contemporary Cultures of Text, the conference brought together a vibrant mix of computer scientists, neuroscientists, psychologists, critical theorists from the humanities, literary studies people, educationalists, writers, artists, and poets. I attended because I’ve followed the work of TEXT for a decade or so now, and because I thought I could do with a dose of well-informed, critical, and engaged thinking on the potential for a world where we ‘write with’ AI, where we figure out how to use language models to enhance and support our writing and researching processes.
Anything positive about the current discussion of AI needs to come with many caveats, the biggest of which is the environmental and energy costs of the data centres and computational power required by these systems. The acronym ‘AI’ has become synonymous with the billionaire tech bros of OpenAI, Meta, X, Google, Anthropic4, etc as they fight it out for market dominance4. The term ‘artificial intelligence’ is so broad no one really seems to know what it actually means. It is present in our lives in multiple ways, deeply embedded within the apps we use on our smartphones, responsible for remarkable advances in medicine as well as, for example, the way the traffic lights on the high street work better than they used to do.
But these days a lot of the media buzz around AI is focussed on LLMs (large language models), the vast datasets composed of human-created language and images that both threaten livelihoods throughout the creative industries while promising huge benefits in increased productivity and, as was the focus of the conference, enhanced creativity. LLMs support ‘generative AI’ which is often referred to as ‘genAI’ – AI models that will generate text, images, and video when prompted.
One of the most interesting presentations at the conference was called ‘Yes! Yes! I Absolutely Love This Insight!’ Affirmative Narrative as Interactional Strategy in Dialogues with LLM Chatbots. The three scholars, Refsum, Walker-Rettberg, and Roin, who co-wrote this paper are part of AI Stories, a research project based in the Centre for Digital Narratives at the University of Bergen, Norway. Their study looked at a court case in the USA where the families of chatbot users who have committed suicide are suing the AI company they see as responsible for these deaths. The scholars analysed the chatbot transcripts from these users, made publicly available due to the litigation. Drawing on their knowledge of literary forms, linguistics and, in particular, narratology, these scholars have shown that the transcripts contain deeply embedded ‘masterplots’ – the myths and stories that are foundational in western culture like, for example, the brave warrior quest plot and the Cinderella love story. It is the combination of these powerful plots, the constant affirmation chatbots offer to the user, and the way chatbots refer to themselves in the first person as ‘I’, that in many cases leads to anthropomorphism and the assumption that the chatbot is in some way sentient. Other studies have shown the dramatic increase in user engagement with chatbot-as-therapist as well as chatbot-as-best-friend and chatbot-as-romantic-partner. The paper theorises that these men killed themselves after having spent months being led by their chatbots through the brave warrior masterplot, a foundational story that often ends in a noble death.
At the same time as the conference was taking place, a debut author, Mia Ballard, was being thrown under the bus by her publishers in the UK and the US for the alleged use of AI in the writing of her novel, Shy Girl. For a balanced look at what took place, read Thad McIllroy’s excellent report on it on The Future of Publishing’s website. The NYTimes reported that Mia Ballard has denied using AI in the writing of the novel and has been so battered by this hugely public and damaging shaming that she feels her reputation as a writer is ruined. At the conference Izabella Adamczewska-Baranowska presented a paper, Talking to the Muse, on the well-respected Polish poet, Justyna Bargielska, who faced a similar scouring in the press for daring to use an AI chatbot to help her think through how best to write about grief for a new collection of poems.
In the UK the Society of Authors has come up with a badge, ‘Human Authored’, that authors can add to their books to make it clear that they have not used generative AI during the writing process. The email announcing this scheme also contained the last call for authors to register their books in the $1.5billion class action against Anthropic’s copyright-defying landgrab of hundreds of thousands of books when they created their LLM, Claude. While I’m a staunch supporter and member of the Society of Authors and am participating in the class action (fifteen of my own titles were used without my permission, six of which are included in this action), I can’t help but think that ‘Human Authored’ is a decent but flawed initiative. …
…
What the AI and the Creative Condition conference helped me think about is that it is possible to harness the power of LLMs to create a kind of playground for writing, a place where you can tap into the research capacities of the models, using them to help you think your way through problems you encounter as you write. In this more positive light generative AI is a technology to think with, a way to boost human creativity. Community-led language models were discussed by Katy Gero, one of keynote speakers; green energy data centres are already a reality in China and other parts of the world.
I’ve come away from Aarhus having eaten too many cardamon buns while undergoing a rethink on whether to engage with these technologies for my own writing practice. …
The April 13, 2026 notice (received via email) about a musical performance at Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) in Waterloo, Ontario came as a bit of a surprise since there’s no mention of physics as there would be if it were one of their art/science events,
QUATUOR MAGENTA
String quartet on tour from Paris, France
Wednesday, April 22, [2026] at 7:00 pm ET
Perimeter Institute will host the string quartet Quatuor Magenta on April 22 at 7:00 PM. The concert is presented by the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society (KWCMS).
“A model of technical discipline, elegance and musical excellence” (La Croix, transl.), the QUATUOR MAGENTA was founded in 2021 and is already performing on France’s most prestigious stages, from the Philharmonie de Paris to the Festival de RadioFrance Montpellier. Their “remarkable balance, flexibility and spontaneity” (Diapason, transl.) not only thrills their audiences, but led them to the finals of the 8th Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna and earned them prizes at the 2023 FNAPEC competition (Académie des Beaux-Arts scholarship) and the 2022 Zukunftsklang Competition Stuttgart (3rd prize). November 2024 marked the quartet’s first international tour to Canada with six concerts in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, generously supported by the Centre National de la Musique and SPEDIDAM.
You can go to the KWCMS concerts page to buy tickets (scroll down as there are other concerts also listed),
Dinuk Wijeratne (b. 1978): Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems
Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E-flat major
ARTISTS
Ida Derbesse, 1st violin Elena Watson-Perry, 2nd violin Claire Pass-Lanneau, viola Fiona Robson, cello
“A model of technical discipline, elegance and musical excellence” (La Croix, transl.), the QUATUOR MAGENTA was founded in 2021 and is already performing on France’s most prestigious stages, from the Philharmonie de Paris to the Festival de RadioFrance Montpellier. Their “remarkable balance, flexibility and spontaneity” (Diapason, transl.) not only thrills their audiences, but led them to the finals of the 8th Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna and earned them prizes at the 2023 FNAPEC competition (Académie des Beaux-Arts scholarship) and the 2022 Zukunftsklang Competition Stuttgart (3rd prize). November 2024 marked the quartet’s first international tour to Canada with six concerts in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, generously supported by the Centre National de la Musique and SPEDIDAM.
The Quatuor Magenta is based in Paris, France, where they are junior artist-in-residence at the Singer-Polignac Foundation and ensemble-in-residence at Proquartet – Centre Européen de Musique de Chambre. They have been invited to perform at numerous festivals in France, including the Musikfest Parisienne, the Festival de la Chaise-Dieu, Un Temps pour Elles, Un Été en France with Gautier Capuçon and the Modigliani Quartet’s Festival Vibre!, as well as in Switzerland (Festival de la Collégiale in Neuchâtel) and in Germany (Klangraum Konzerte in Cologne).
Last season, contemporary music had pride of place with Quatuor Magenta’s participation in the Kronos Quartet’s « 50 for the Future » Marathon at the Philharmonie de Paris’s String Quartet Biennale. This season includes six octet performances alongside the renowned Quatuor Van Kuijk, in partnership with La Belle Saison.
The Quatuor Magenta was honoured to participate in the inaugural year of the Élite program at the École Normale de Paris, under the mentorship of the Quatuor Modigliani. They currently study with the Quatuor Ébène at their quartet academy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, as well as with Rainer Schmidt of the Hagen Quartet at the Basel University of Music. They are grateful for the support of the Safran Foundation and ADAMI. They work with Chapeau l’Artiste Production.
This April 9, 2026 notice of events from SCWIST (Society for Canadian Woman in Science and Technology) popped up in my email (it can be seen here for a limited time),
…
ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING
Feature Author Series
Join us from across Canada on Earth Day for a special Feature Author event with Naomi Fliss and Emanuelle Gelber, authors of I Am River!
This thoughtful and beautifully illustrated story about the Saint Lawrence River encourages readers to think about their connection to water, the environment, and the natural world.
During the event, Naomi and Ema will share the inspiration behind the book, their creative process, and the environmental themes woven throughout the story.
Hosted in partnership with the Canadian Science Policy Centre, this virtual panel brings together youth and early-career voices to explore how Canada’s science, technology, and innovation ecosystem can better reflect the realities and aspirations of the next generation.
Grounded in insights from the STEM Youth Summit & Expo 2026, it highlights gaps between training and opportunity, barriers to participation, and overlooked perspectives.
By centring youth voices, the discussion aims to reimagine a more inclusive policy landscape where young people help shape Canada’s innovation future.
Join us for an inspiring event at the forefront of systems change in STEM!
In partnership with Anodyne Chemistries, SCWIST brings together organizations leading the way, showcasing how inclusive STEM workplaces are transforming industries, accelerating high-growth sectors, and shaping Canada’s future economy in the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions.
Attendees will explore how interdisciplinary teams turn ideas into real-world solutions, gain insights on building high-performing teams, and connect with leaders, investors, and emerging talent to strengthen Canada’s innovation ecosystem.
Given the recent launch of Artemis II on April 1, 2026 on the first crewed US mission to the moon in decades (more about the mission here) and its return to earth today, April 10, 2026, this posting about space junk seems à propos.
December 3 and 4, 2025 were banner days for space debris (or space junk) stories. I have three.
What is the space debris problem and just how bad is it?
Ian Whittaker (Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University) and Lesley Masters (Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Nottingham Trent University) wrote a December 4, 2025 essay for The Conversation that introduces the problem and provides updates on what is happening internationally, Note: Links have been removed,
China routinely sends astronauts to and from its space station Tiangong. A crew capsule is about to undock from the station and return to Earth, but there’s nothing routine about its journey home.
The Shenzhou-20 capsule will carry no crew, because one of its windows has been struck by space debris. Astronauts noticed an apparent crack on November 5 [2025], during pre-return checks.
Space journalist Andrew Jones explained how experts on the ground had studied images of the damage and concluded that a piece of debris smaller than 1mm (roughly 1/25th of an inch) had penetrated from the outer to inner layers of the glass.
Simulations and tests confirmed a low probability that the window could fail during the high-temperature re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere. Although a worst-case scenario, it was one that officials deemed unacceptable. A rescue mission – Shenzhou-22 – was launched to bring the astronauts back from the station.
Experts have been warning about the threat posed by space debris for years. The ever-growing number of space programmes by states and private entities is now contributing to an increasingly congested environment in orbit.
The European Space Agency estimates that there are more than 15,100 tonnes of material in space that has been launched from Earth. There are 1.2 million debris objects between 1cm and 10cm, and 140 million debris objects between 1mm and 1cm.
In low orbit they will be travelling around 7.6 km/s (roughly 17,000 miles per hour), damaging anything they hit. This is how a piece less than 1mm in size was able to penetrate the thick glass of Shenzhou-20’s capsule.
…
A number of countries are able to track what’s in space, but given that these may include classified satellites, there is a reluctance by states to share details. China’s space programme is overseen by its military, in line with a view that space is inherently linked to national security. This only adds to the geopolitical tensions between states around the use of space.
Treaties and responsibilities
The outer space treaty from 1967 sought to outline how space should be governed. But it is outdated and does not account for the increased presence of debris or the proliferation of private space launches. Nor does it address responsibilities when it comes to the sustainable use of space.
A total of 117 states are parties to the treaty, yet while efforts are ongoing to develop new norms around space governance, including the creation of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee, the organisation may offer a platform for cooperation and research but does not result in binding decisions for state action. The lack of any global agreement on space debris, and more importantly repercussions, makes tackling the problem of space debris even harder.
Technology is being developed to address space debris – but this generally appears as concept mission plans with only a few trial tests being launched anywhere globally. Examples include the idea of a harpoon to collect large pieces – although the recoil of such an instrument means the spacecraft that deploys it could become a new piece of debris.
Earth’s orbit is getting crowded with broken satellites and leftover rocket parts. Researchers say the solution is to build spacecraft that can be repaired, reused, or recycled instead of abandoned. They also want new tools to collect old debris and new data systems that help prevent collisions. The goal is to make space exploration cleaner and more sustainable.
Each rocket launch sends valuable materials into the sky that cannot be recovered, while also releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases and chemicals that damage the ozone layer. A new paper published December 1 [2025] in the Cell Press journal Chem Circularity examines how familiar ideas like reducing, reusing, and recycling could be built into the way satellites and spacecraft are designed, repaired in orbit, and handled at the end of their service lives.
“As space activity accelerates, from mega-constellations of satellites to future lunar and Mars missions, we must make sure exploration doesn’t repeat the mistakes made on Earth,” says senior author and chemical engineer Jin Xuan of the University of Surrey. “A truly sustainable space future starts with technologies, materials and systems working together.”
…
Applying the 3 Rs to spacecraft, satellites, and space stations
According to the team, the foundation of a circular space economy lies in the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reducing waste would begin with building satellites and spacecraft that last longer and can be fixed more easily in space. They also suggest turning space stations into multifunctional centers where spacecraft can refuel, undergo repairs, or even have new components manufactured, which could cut down on the number of launches required.
The authors add that bringing spacecraft and space stations safely back to Earth for reuse would require better recovery systems, including technologies such as parachutes and airbags. They point out that equipment in space experiences significant wear because of extreme temperatures and radiation, so any part intended for reuse would need to pass strict safety checks.
Recovering orbital debris and using advanced technology for safer space operations
The researchers also recommend new efforts to gather orbital debris, such as using robotic arms or nets to collect fragments so the materials can be recycled. This would also help prevent collisions that create even more debris.
Data-driven tools will play an important role in this transition, the authors say. Information gathered from spacecraft could guide improvements in design and help limit waste, while simulation tools may reduce the need for expensive physical testing. They add that AI systems could help spacecraft and satellites avoid dangerous debris in real time.
Transforming the entire space system through innovation and global cooperation
The authors emphasize that a circular space economy represents a major shift in how the space sector works. Instead of focusing on single pieces of hardware, the entire system needs to be considered at once, from the materials used to how spacecraft are operated and retired.
“We need innovation at every level, from materials that can be reused or recycled in orbit and modular spacecraft that can be upgraded instead of discarded, to data systems that track how hardware ages in space,” says Xuan.
“But just as importantly, we need international collaboration and policy frameworks to encourage reuse and recovery beyond Earth. The next phase is about connecting chemistry, design, and governance to turn sustainability into the default model for space.”
This research received support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, and the Surrey-Adelaide Partnership Fund.
High up in the earth’s orbit, millions of human-made objects large and small are flying at speeds of over 15,000 miles per hour. The objects, which range from inactive satellites to fragments of equipment resulting from explosions or collisions of previously launched rockets, are space debris, colloquially referred to as space junk. Sometimes the objects collide with each other, breaking into even smaller pieces.
No matter the size, all of this debris poses a problem. Flying at high speeds caused by prior launches or explosions, they create danger for operational satellites and spacecraft, which are vital for the efficacy of modern technologies like GPS, digital communication and weather forecasting. At orbital speeds, even tiny fragments can cause significant damage to operational equipment, endangering future space missions and the people who would participate in them.
“Even if a tiny, five-millimeter object hits a solar panel or a solar array of a satellite, it could break it,” says Assistant Professor Hao Chen, whose research involves space systems design. “And we have over 100 million objects smaller than one centimeter in orbit. So if you want to avoid a collision, you have to maneuver your spacecraft, which takes up fuel and is costly. Additionally, we have humans on the International Space Station who sometimes must go outside the spacecraft where the space debris can hit them too. It’s really dangerous.”
Cleaning up space junk is technologically challenging and expensive. Furthermore, there are currently no incentives for countries or private companies to do so. Without binding international regulations or an enforceable “polluter pays” principle with consequences for non-compliance, the circumstances have led to a “cosmic free-for-all.” So in his latest study, Space Logistics Analysis and Incentive Design for Commercialization of Orbital Debris Remediation published in Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets on October 5, 2025, Chen and his collaborators investigated ways to create commercial opportunities for space operators and debris remediators to clean up the dangerous junk. “We wanted to see whether there’s any potential to have commercial players interested in removing the debris,” Chen says.
The study analyzed three possible scenarios of debris cleanup — controlled reentry back to earth, uncontrolled reentry back to earth, and recycling in space. All three methods would require a space debris remediation satellite — a vehicle designed to capture and remove space junk from orbit.
In the uncontrolled reentry scenario, the remediation service vehicle would grab the debris from the orbit path it flies in and bring it down to about 350 kilometers away from earth. The piece of debris would continue orbiting around our planet until it enters the atmosphere and either burns or lands someplace. “It will either burn or drop somewhere on earth, but we don’t know where because it depends on the atmospheric drag it receives,” Chen explains. This uncontrolled reentry method is the cheapest as the remediation vehicle doesn’t have to fly long distances.
In the controlled reentry scenario, the remediation service vehicle would bring the debris much closer to earth, down to about 50 kilometers. “Controlled reentry is more expensive because the servicer needs to bring the debris down closer to earth and then fly up again to get the next piece of debris,” Chen says. “That consumes more energy and more fuel than an uncontrolled reentry.”
In the recycling scenario, the debris would be transported from its original orbit to a recycling center up in space. The transportation would require fuel adding to the cost, but a lot of energy will also be saved by reusing aluminum, the metal commonly used in spacecraft, up in orbit rather than having to bring it up from earth. “It takes about $1500 per kilogram to launch anything from earth to space,” explains Chen. “So if you don’t have to launch from earth, it’s a benefit.”
Next Chen and collaborators analyzed ways to incentivize companies into space debris removal. They used Game Theory and Nash Bargaining Theory, developed by mathematician John Nash, to figure out the fairest deal for the two entities involved — in this case space operators, companies that own and run satellites, and debris remediators, entities that remove the space junk.
“The debris remediators pay for the missions, the technology, and the actual work. Without some kind of financial incentive, they don’t really gain anything from it — they bear all the costs while others reap the benefits,” says Chen. Meanwhile space operators stand a lot to gain from debris removal. Their satellites can operate more safely and efficiently, so they save money on fuel and operations, since they don’t have to make extra maneuvers to avoid collisions. “However, they don’t actually do anything to remove the debris themselves — they just enjoy the cleaner, safer environment,” Chen points out.
To solve this problem, Chen’s team proposes creating fees that space operators would have to pay. “We will need some agency to create an incentive for the debris remediators,” says Chen. “The money should come from the people who enjoy all those benefits. Our analysis shows that there is a surplus to be generated from the remediation of orbital debris, and that surplus can be optimally shared by space operators and debris remediators.”
Without such a solution, the space debris dangers will only continue growing, generated by the current and future objects left in orbit, Chen notes. “That is what’s needed to move us closer to a space industry that is safer, more sustainable, and still profitable.”
Chen’s research was funded by the NASA Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy. The team will present their research at NASA headquarters on December 10, 2025.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, New Jersey. Since our founding in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark of Stevens’ education and research. Within the university’s three schools and one college, more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate closely with faculty in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment. Academic and research programs spanning business, computing, engineering, the arts and other disciplines actively advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront our most pressing global challenges. The university continues to be consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in career services, post-graduation salaries of alumni and return on tuition investment.
I imagine the students are pretty excited about the 43rd Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair running from April 9 – 12, 2026. The public doesn’t appear to be invited but some of the students from this fair will be invited to present at the 2026Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton where the public will have some access.
First, here’s more about the Vancouver event from an April 8, 2026 media advisory (received via email),
More than 250 projects will be on display at the Greater Vancouver Science Fair on Friday [April 10, 2026 for media only], the most submitted in the competition’s 43-year history.
Media are invited to attend the event and discover projects involving artificial intelligence, robotics, human physiology, pollution solutions and more. Media are also welcome to join a tour of the marine ecology lab.
The fair runs from April 9-11, and more than 200 volunteer judges will award gold, silver and bronze medals to the best projects in the junior, intermediate and senior categories.
Senior prize winners set to enter the UBC [University of British Columbia] faculty of science in their first year will also have the chance to win UBC entrance awards of up to $2,000 towards admission. Seventeen students will be chosen to represent the greater Vancouver region at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton in May [2026].
As for why the public isn’t invited, I expect that there are money and safety issues at play. Let’s hope there’s some media coverage of the event so we can celebrate the students who worked so hare to get there.
In about six weeks the 2026 Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF)/Expo-sciences pancanadienne (ESPC) will take place in Edmonton, from the CWSPC/ESPC website,
May 23 – May 30, 2026 Edmonton Expo Centre Edmonton, AB
Canada-Wide Science Fair
May 23 – May 30, 2026 Edmonton Expo Centre Edmonton, AB
Witness the future of STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] through the eyes of our youth. From groundbreaking research to inventive solutions, each project at the CWSF is a window into the incredible potential of our nation’s young scientists.
Public viewing: 3 PM – 5 PM, May 24 and 9 AM – 2:30 PM, May 28 – 29
One way or the other, there’s an opportunity to see some work from student scientists, whether from BC or elsewhere in the country, at the 2026 CWSF/ESPC.
Before getting to the award information, here are a few pieces of background information for those who may not be familiar with the AAAS and/or EurekAlert. The travel awards are for travel to the 2027 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The 2027 meeting is being held from February 18 -20, 2027 and the theme is: Science Forward: Policy and Engagement for a Changing World, from the About the Meeting page,
In an era of rapid and often unpredictable change, science must not only advance knowledge but also navigate the pathways that connect discovery to decision-making, communication, and public trust. Science Forward: Policy and Engagement for a Changing World explores how ideas move through — and are shaped by — the intersections of research, policy, media, and society. The meeting invites scientists, engineers, policymakers, communicators, and leaders across sectors to examine how evidence informs action, and how collaboration built on relationships of mutual trust ensures that science continues to serve society in necessary and transformative ways.
In an evolution from past AAAS Annual Meetings, Science Forward emphasizes that the impact of science depends not only on what we discover, but on how effectively those discoveries are translated into policy, practice, and public understanding. As scientific insights increasingly inform decisions on health, energy, technology, and security, this Annual Meeting will explore the structures, incentives, and skills needed to ensure evidence is used responsibly and equitably. Sessions will highlight models for integrating scientific expertise into policymaking, strengthening science advice at all levels, and fostering engagement that respects diverse perspectives while upholding scientific integrity.
Science Forward also looks ahead to the evolving relationship between science and society in a changing world. Participants will examine how scientists and institutions can build and sustain public trust amid polarization, misinformation, and rapid technological change. By focusing on inclusive engagement, ethical leadership, and cross-sector collaboration, Science Forward aims to equip the scientific community to lead with clarity and purpose — ensuring that science not only responds to change, but helps shape a more informed, resilient, and prosperous future.
Yes, looking at how science discoveries and research are translated into policy, practice, and public understanding as part of the conference theme marks a change. If memory serves, there is usually a policy track and a nod or two at science communication (public understanding) but integrating these aspects into the theme suggests significant changes in the practice of science in the US may be ahead.
Should you wish to participate in the 2027 meeting,
Established in 1996, EurekAlert! is a nonprofit news-release distribution platform operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as a resource for journalists and the public. EurekAlert! hosts news releases produced by universities, journal publishers, medical centers, government agencies, corporations, and other organizations engaged in all disciplines of scientific research. News releases must meet EurekAlert!’s longstanding eligibility guidelines in order to be accepted and hosted on the website. Institutions must pay a fee to submit news releases to EurekAlert!. Payment of submission fees does not guarantee acceptance of news releases.
Two winners will be selected to receive travel funding from EurekAlert! to attend the 2027 AAAS Annual Meeting, taking place February 18-20, 2027 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The application deadline is May 8 [2026] at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society, and the AAAS Annual Meeting brings together the international community of scientists, policymakers, educators, journalists, and science communicators to discuss cutting-edge research at the intersection of science, technology, policy, and society.
In addition to travel funding and complimentary deluxe registration to the Meeting, winners also receive newsroom credentials to the AAAS Annual Meeting with access to news briefings, media availabilities, press receptions, and other exclusive events, offering early-career journalists and journalism students the opportunities to meet and network with meeting attendees.
Applicants must meet these requirements to be eligible for the award:
No more than five (5) years of experience as a professional science reporter or freelancer – or – current enrollment in a journalism program at an accredited university
Be able to obtain a visa and travel to one of the next two AAAS Annual Meetings:
2027 AAAS Annual Meeting: February 18-20, 2027, in Chicago, Illinois, USA
2028 AAAS Annual Meeting: TBA
Applications must include all of the following:
Proof of staff employment or freelance status and length of service (five years or fewer) with an accredited news media outlet – or – Proof of current active enrollment in a journalism or related program of study at an accredited educational institution
Biographical statement including a headshot/portrait photo (in preferred language or English)
Three (3) original, bylined science reporting work samples published between January 1, 2025, to present (no translations required)
Optional: Letter of recommendation from an editor, senior reporter, professor, instructor, or other journalism mentor
Applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements listed above and incomplete applications will not be considered for the award.
I received (via email) an April 3, 2026 notice from Toronto’s ArtSci Salon featuring two April 2026 art/science events (available online here) being held in Toronto, Note: Some links have been removed,
Beneath the Skin: Biophysical Signals as a Creative Medium
Featuring Mark-david Hosale & Ilze Briede [Kavi]
Friday, April 10 [2026] 3:00-4:30 pm Jackman Humanities Building – JHB 100 (first floor) 170 St. George Street [Toronto, Ontario]
This presentation explores an art–science research-creation practice that uses biophysical sensing as a medium for interactive and computational art. Central to this work is The Source (www.biomeci.com), a biosensing platform developed to enable artists and researchers to incorporate physiological signals directly into responsive media systems. The Source supports real-time capture of multiple biophysical signals, including electrocardiography (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), electrooculography (EOG), and respiratory effort (RSP).
Mark-David Hosale will introduce The Source and demonstrate how physiological signals provide insight into affective and physiological states and how these states can be used to shape audiovisual, haptic, and multisensory outputs in interactive artworks and performances.
Ilze Briede [Kavi] will present her academic research and artworks that use The Source, including the collaborative works, Somatic Interventions (2022)and Reimagining Living Ontologies (2024), both of which have resulted in scholarly publications. She will also discuss her current PhD research exploring brain data (EEG) and cybernetic feedback systems in artistic practice.
The presentation examines how biophysical signals can function not only as measurements of the body but as expressive materials within embodied and cybernetic media systems that expand the sensorium of computational arts.
This is a free public event. Please register via the Eventbrite link here.
This event is organized by the Jackman Humanities Institute Working Group Performing Gestures, Producing Cultures: Towards an Interdisciplinary Understanding of Human Movement.
Sponsored and hosted by Jackman Humanities Institute.
Ilze Briede (artist alias Kavi) is a Latvian–Canadian artist and researcher working across visual art, digital design, interactive installation, and live audiovisual performance. Her creative and pedagogical practice engages with biophysical sensing, creative coding, and projection-based media to explore the aesthetic and epistemological potential of physiological data. Kavi is currently a PhD candidate in Digital Media at York University, Toronto, where her research investigates the design of cybernetic systems for performance and immersive narrative environments driven by real-time biophysical signals.
Mark-David Hosale is a computational artist and composer and an Associate Professor in Computational Arts in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance, and Design at York University. His work explores the boundaries between the virtual and the physical world, spanning performance, public art, and gallery installations. Mark-David is the founder of nD::StudioLab (www.ndstudiolab.com), a research-creation space dedicated to art-science exploration, computational art, and interactive architecture. His research integrates hardware, software, and digital fabrication to create immersive experiences that blur the line between the virtual and the real.
BOOK LAUNCH Technocreep and the Politics of Things Not Seen with editors: Neda Atanasoski & Nassim Parvin Tuesday, April 21, [2026] 5:00-7:00 pm William Doo Auditorium 45 Willcocks Street University of Toronto
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New and emerging technologies, especially ones that infiltrate intimate spaces, relations, homes, and bodies, are often referred to as creepy in media and political discourses. In Technocreep and the Politics of Things Not Seen, Neda Atanasoski and Nassim Parvin introduce a feminist theory of creep that they substantiate through critical engagement with smart homes, smart dust, smart desires, and smart forests toward dreams of feminist futures. Contributing authors further illuminate what is otherwise obscured, assumed, or dismissed in characterizations of technology as creepy or creeping. Considering diverse technologies such as border surveillance and China’s credit system to sexcams and home assistants, the volume’s essays and artworks demonstrate that the potentials and pitfalls of artificial intelligence and digital and robotic technologies cannot be assessed through binaries of seeing/being seen, privacy/surveillance, or harmful/useful. Together, their multifaceted and multimodal approach transcends such binaries, accounting for technological relations that exceed sight to include touch, presence, trust, and diverse modes of collectivity. As such, this volume develops creep as a feminist analytic and creative mode on par with technology’s complex entanglement with intimate, local, and global politics.
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Neda Atanasoski is Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland.
Nassim Parvin is an Associate Professor in the Information School at the University of Washington.
Please, let us know if you can attend here This event is supported in part by SSHRC the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and hosted by New College at the University of Toronto
