Hanneke Weitering, staff writer at Space.com, discusses Vodafone Germany teaming up with Nokia to bring a 4G network to the moon. The network will allow astronauts to stream HD video back to Earth on an upcoming mission.
Weitering explains there won't be any cellphone towers built on the moon, but the entire network will be in a super portable device no larger than a bag of sugar.
Weitering also discusses the University of Central Florida's decision to take over control of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Many people worried the world's second largest radio telescope would shut down after Hurricane Maria. Weitering says the telescope is an essential piece of tech in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Weitering also tells us that March will be the second month in 2018 to have two full moons in one month. The last time this happened was in 1999 and the next time will be in 2037.
Hank the Tank strikes again. The 500-pound black bear that has damaged more than 30 properties around Lake Tahoe last week broke into yet another home in its endless quest for a quick meal.
Researchers report harmful levels of toxic lead were found in the bones of 46% of bald eagles sampled in 38 states. Similar rates of lead exposure were found in golden eagles, according to their study Thursday in the journal Science.
As more and more states end mask mandates and ease other COVID restrictions, discussions about the endemic phase of the pandemic have been growing. For weeks, scientists have warned about how contagious the omicron variant is, but now it seems the tone has shifted and governors are rolling back policies they've had in place for months. Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, epidemiologist and senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what the next phase of the pandemic might look like, how to act now that mask mandates are ending, and if we should be worried about another variant emerging.
Swedish electric motorcycle maker Cake says its mission is to inspire society to adopt a zero-emission lifestyle. The company admits this is a lofty goal that covers a lot of ground - so it's starting with the world of urban mobility and last-mile deliveries. The company also has an agreement in place with NorthVolt to continually improve the environmental impact of batteries for electric vehicles. Stefan Ytterborn, Founder & CEO of Cake, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
One retailer and publicly-traded company says it is on a mission to inspire a new generation of consumers to think secondhand - first. thredUP is one of the world's largest resale platforms for women's and kids' apparel, shoes, and accessories. The company says it is changing the way consumers shop and ushering in a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Anthony Marino, President of thredUP, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
German vaccine maker BioNTech unveiled plans Wednesday to establish manufacturing facilities in Africa that would boost the availability of much-needed medicines on the continent.
