A new analysis reveals complex linkages among the United Nations’ (UN’s) 17 Sustainable Development Goals—which include such objectives as gender equality and quality education—and finds that no country is on track to meet all 17 goals by the target year of 2030. Alberto García-Rodríguez of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on March 12, 2025.

Experimentalist governance, which learns from practice itself, and valuing local communities and traditional knowledge are the strengths of the project, which reconciles environmental conservation with job creation and income generation.

Miniaturized pumps and valves that rely on the motion of dielectric elastomeric silicone films are being created in Saarland, Germany. Not only are these devices lightweight, compact and energy-efficient, but they also work without the need for compressed air, motors or lubricants. They are cleanroom-compatible and can be continuously controlled while operating. The research team led by Professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki from Saarland University will be exhibiting a prototype film-based vacuum pump at this year’s Hannover Messe from 31 March to 4 April. Their lightweight, low-energy technology is able to pull a vacuum down to 300 millibars of pressure (30% of standard atmospheric pressure). Saarland Innovation Stand, Hall 2, Stand B10

A research team led by Professor Qiang Zhang from Tsinghua University has published a comprehensive analysis of energy storage technologies critical to China’s power system decarbonization. The study, featured in Technology Review for Carbon Neutrality, examines the multifunctional roles of storage systems across grid segments, evaluates core technologies from ultrashort-duration flywheels to seasonal hydrogen storage, and projects their deployment under cost and regional constraints. The work highlights policy mechanisms to support China’s transition to a carbon-neutral energy economy by 2060.

Researchers have conducted the first national survey on public awareness and perceptions of food, health, and Food is Medicine programs. A team at the Food is Medicine Institute at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University found that nearly 90 percent of Americans surveyed agreed that eating healthy foods is important for preventing conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, and type-2 diabetes.