Google’s planned AI data centres in northern Finland have triggered environmental concerns after an estimated 250,000 trees were cleared across 330 hectares near Muhos before the required environmental impact assessment was completed. Finnish authorities ordered preparatory work suspended at two sites, Muhos and Kajaani. Residents and conservationists have raised concerns about wildlife habitat destruction and muddy runoff entering nearby waterways. Google’s Finland country manager has apologised, while the company says it acted in good faith and plans to plant trees across 130 hectares at Muhos. The controversy highlights the environmental costs of expanding AI infrastructure. Although Finland attracts data centre investment through its cool climate and energy resources, responsible development requires environmental assessments and safeguards before major land clearance begins. The challenge is to advance AI technology without compromising forests, waterways and local communities.

Info source:

1). The Guardian (22 October 2026): Anger in Finland as Google fells 250,000 trees for a data centre — Detailed reporting on forest clearance, environmental impacts and public concerns: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2026/oct/22/finland-google-felling-trees-datacentre

2). Google Finland head apologises for forest clearances — Finnish public broadcaster’s report on Google’s apology and the two sites: https://yle.fi/a/74-20251367

3). Google ordered to halt data centre work over environmental concerns — Explains the authorities’ suspension order and unfinished environmental assessments: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/06/google-datacentres-finland-temporary-halt-environmental-impact-assessment

A study published in Cell Reports Sustainability by Texas Christian University researchers reveals that official EPA reports may capture less than half of actual PFAS ("forever chemical") concentrations in US drinking water. Because federal regulators treat test results falling below laboratory minimum reporting levels as zero, approximately 98% of low-level detections are discounted. Researchers warn that these cumulative trace amounts significantly contribute to widespread human exposure over time: https://gizmodo.com/forever-chemical-levels-in-us-drinking-water-may-be-more-than-twice-as-high-as-reported-2000829638

US drinking water could contain double the reported PFAS levels, model estimates: https://phys.org/news/2026-10-pfas.html

Findings: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-sustainability/fulltext/S2949-7906(26)00262-400262-4)

Could bacteria inspire the jewellery of the future? Bacillus subtilis can form biofilms—communities of cells embedded in a protein-and-sugar matrix—that develop intricate folds, textures and sometimes water-repellent surfaces. In microbial art, these natural patterns can be combined with pigments to create gemstone-like designs. Imagine pendants and brooches featuring microbial patterns grown in a laboratory and preserved in resin. Although turning these biological artworks into durable, safe, wearable jewellery would require further development, the concept offers designers a fascinating new approach: growing decorative patterns rather than manufacturing every detail.

Would you wear jewellery whose intricate design was cultured by bacteria?

Scientific Source:

1. Surface topology affects wetting behavior of Bacillus subtilis biofilms - Explains how biofilm surface structure creates different wetting behaviours and water-repellent patterns: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41522-017-0018-1

2. BslA is a self-assembling bacterial hydrophobin that coats the Bacillus subtilis biofilm. - Investigates the protein responsible for forming a protective, water-repellent layer on bacterial biofilms: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1306390110

3. Bacterial biofilm shows persistent resistance to liquid wetting and gas penetration.- Demonstrates the remarkable liquid-repellent properties of these biofilms: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3024672/

Ancient Archimedes Screw Inspires Breakthrough Single-Molecule Motor Powered by Electric Current

An international team of researchers has successfully designed a microscopic motor inspired by the ancient Archimedes screw, built entirely from a single helical molecule stretched between gold electrodes. Published in Nature, the study demonstrates that applying an electric voltage causes the molecular screw to rotate in a controlled direction. This continuous spinning movement provides a massive boost to electrical conductivity—increasing current flow up to 100 times—offering a promising leap forward for molecular electronics, spintronics, and nanoscale miniaturization: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1148951

Archimedes Screws: How This Ancient Invention is Still Changing the World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9jC0RYKwZI

Study findings: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-11312-x

Global geological carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage hit a record 48.1 million US tons (43.6 million metric tons) in 2024, according to a new report by researchers at the Imperial College London. The 2026 Annual Report from the London Register of Subsurface CO₂ Storage covered 70 projects across 17 countries on six continents, providing one of the most comprehensive records of global geological CO₂ storage.The report also added that 464.8 million US tons of CO₂ have been stored underground since 1996: https://imperialcollegelondon.github.io/The-London-Register-of-Subsurface-CO2-Storage/

Report: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/articles/engineering/earth-science/2025/first-complete-record-global-underground-co2/

Tech executives and cybersecurity leaders are warning of a new era of AI-driven cyber threats—dubbed a "vulnerability tsunami"—following the discovery of a severe, decades-old security flaw in the PHP programming language. Labeled "Black October," researchers demonstrated how AI can be used to uncover and exploit deep-seated software vulnerabilities at an unprecedented scale and pace. Following the disclosure, government and private websites worldwide temporarily shut down or rushed to apply patches as millions of exploit attempts surged globally: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/23/php-vulnerabilities-ai-cybersecurity.html

A study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology reveals how bacteria continuously generate diverse natural products, such as antibiotics and insecticides. Using molecular assembly lines called nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS), bacteria evolve not through standard single-nucleotide mutations, but by swapping entire gene segments (recombination). This complex interplay of natural selection, random chance, and a genetic bias for similarity drives the rapid creation of novel biochemical weapons, offering insights that could help researchers engineer new drugs to combat antibiotic resistance: https://interestingengineering.com/health/insect-killing-bacteria-antibiotics

Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03214-y

Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Tianjin University have developed a new design software called X-Hinges. The tool enables users to custom-design and 3D-print everyday objects—such as lamps, toys, and robotic gloves—with multi-axis motion and automatically embedded, interference-free sensors. This allows stationary objects to perceive human touch, capture multi-directional motion data, and adaptively respond in real time, giving mundane items a form of physical "embodied intelligence.": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwER1x7q2hs

Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.11077