Smog

A false-color James Webb image in which astronomers detected the most distant complex organic molecules. The blue circle in the center is a foreground galaxy which has distorted a background galaxy into the orange ring around it, magnifying the "smoke signals"

Space

Webb spots galactic smoke signals from across the universe

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted complex organic molecules, which usually form in smoke, in the very distant universe. With help from a galactic gravitational anomaly, the telescope could see the molecules from 12 billion light-years away.

An MIT team has quantified an increase in output from solar panels in Delhi, India, as a result of lower air pollution after lockdown

Infectious Diseases

Pandemic pollution drop found to boost solar panel output

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many ways. Now, scientists have quantified an effect that lies a few links down the chain, finding that solar panels in certain cities have seen a boost in output, due to reduced air pollution.

A catalyst of graphene and titanium dioxide could be the secret ingredient for new smog-eating surfaces

Materials

Graphene-titanium catalyst lays foundation for smog-eating concrete

A new solar-powered catalyst made of graphene and titanium dioxide nanoparticles can pluck pollutants out of the air, much more efficiently than others. The catalyst could be coated onto building or street surfaces to improve air quality in cities.

Environment

Interview: Designer Daan Roosegaarde on smog, space and the power of clean air bubbles

Through his pollution-fighting projects, Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde is bringing to light the importance of clean air, most notably through his Smog Free Towers. And as we learned in our interview with the inventor and artist, his penchant for cleaning up isn't limited to our home planet.