Biodiversity

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How AI is mapping the tree of life | Microsoft Azure and NVIDIA
Microsoft· 2025-07-17 18:59
Core Business & Strategy - Basecamp Research aims to digitize nature and unlock solutions evolved in biodiversity for humanity's benefit [5] - The company is building a bridge between biotechnology and biodiversity, addressing the data wall in biology [6][7] - Basecamp Research positions itself as a data company, utilizing AI models to interrogate and represent biological data [9] - The company's mission is to map global biodiversity, rivaling the Human Genome Project in scientific advancement [32][33] - Basecamp Research is scaling its database by 10x annually, presenting a significant engineering challenge [21] Data & Technology - The company converts biological material into data, processing hundreds of millions of CPU hours with billions of annotations [4][2] - Basecamp Research's data asset aims to represent the diversity in nature, enabling scaling laws in biology and transforming biotechnology [9] - The company collaborates with Microsoft and NVIDIA to scale models on large compute systems, combining data and model scaling expertise [14][26][28] - Basecamp Research leverages Azure and NVIDIA BioNeMo to optimize architectures for its unique data, training foundation models [25][26][27] Biodiversity & Impact - Costa Rica, covering 0.03% of Earth's surface, holds approximately 6% of the world's biodiversity, making it a key location for data collection [3] - Basecamp Research enhances capacity in bioeconomy locations by building labs, sharing data, and training scientists [37] - The company aims to pass revenue back to partner countries, demonstrating the value of biodiversity data [38]
Jeff Bezos taps former Amazon Alexa head to lead $10 billion Earth fund
CNBC· 2025-07-15 16:27
Core Insights - Jeff Bezos is appointing Tom Taylor, a veteran Amazon executive, as the new president and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, which has a capital of $10 billion dedicated to climate and biodiversity initiatives [1][2] - The Bezos Earth Fund was launched in 2020 with the goal of combating climate change by providing grants to various organizations and aims to distribute all its capital by 2030 [3][4] Leadership Transition - Tom Taylor, who previously led Amazon's Alexa division and has over 23 years of experience at Amazon, will replace Andrew Steer, who stepped down in February [2][4] - Taylor expressed enthusiasm for leading the fund, emphasizing a commitment to innovative solutions for environmental challenges [3] Fund Activities - The Bezos Earth Fund has already distributed $2.3 billion in grants to support environmental efforts [4] - Since stepping down as CEO of Amazon in 2021, Bezos has increased his involvement with the fund and has donated Amazon shares to it [4]
花旗:数字货币-极具吸引力且表现强劲的主题
花旗· 2025-07-11 01:05
Investment Rating - The report highlights the Digital Currency theme as an attractive investment opportunity, ranking it among the top themes for performance and attractiveness [4][10][24]. Core Insights - The Digital Currency theme has shown strong performance, returning 15.1% in June, which is a significant +2 standard deviation compared to the past 12 months [4][24]. - The report indicates a shift in theme rankings, with Cloud Computing replacing Hydro Energy in the top 10 most attractive themes due to improved Estimates Momentum [3][10]. - The overall performance of the themes has been positive, with a return spread of 1.09% between the most and least attractive themes in June [2][15]. Summary by Sections Theme Performance - Digital Currency has been the best-performing theme over various periods, including the last month, year-to-date, and the last three years [4][24]. - The Biodiversity theme is noted as the worst performer [4]. Notable Theme Changes - The only change in the top 10 themes is the introduction of Digital Currency and Cloud Computing, reflecting a positive shift in market sentiment towards these sectors [3][10]. - The report also notes that the Education Tech theme has seen a significant improvement in ranking, moving from 67th to 35th [36]. Investment Style Insights - For value-focused investors, Biofuels and Belt & Road are highlighted as attractive themes [5][40]. - Defensive investors may consider themes like Risky Business and Generics & Biosimilars, which rank highly on Low Risk metrics [5][39].
The Amazon Rainforest doesn’t need saving, it needs justice | Antonella Di Ciano | TEDxDuke
TEDx Talks· 2025-07-09 16:44
Environmental Concerns & Amazon's Significance - The Amazon basin, shared by eight countries, spans over 7 million square kilometers, almost the size of Europe, holding rich biodiversity [3][4] - The Amazon produces 20% of the world's oxygen, holds 20% of the world's fresh waters, 60% of tropical forests, and 10% of all animal and plant species [5][6] - The Amazon can absorb over 2 billion tons of CO2 annually, about 5% of global emissions, but deforestation is approaching a tipping point [6][7] - Deforestation has reached 17-20%, with the tipping point at 25%, potentially causing the rainforest to become a savannah-like ecosystem that releases CO2 [7][8] Threats & Environmental Crime - Illegal mining in areas like the Orinino mining arc in Venezuela, covering approximately 112,000 square kilometers (the size of Portugal), leads to environmental and humanitarian crises [13][14] - Environmental crime, including illegal mining, logging, land grabbing, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, is a vast network spanning the Amazon rainforest [17] Solutions & Call to Action - The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, comprising eight Amazonian nations, signed the Bellon declaration prioritizing security in the Amazon [21][22] - COP 30, the UN's climate change conference, will take place in the Amazon in Belém, Brazil, providing a platform for global leaders to address the issue [22] - Consumers can support environmentally friendly products with certifications like the Rainforest Alliance [24] - A call to action urges young people to push policymakers to cooperate and address the complex network of environmental crime [25][26]
Restoring coral reefs to save the ocean | Christina Egger | TEDxPraça Gil Eanes
TEDx Talks· 2025-06-23 16:47
Environmental Concerns & Importance of Coral Reefs - Oceans provide all life on Earth, nourish with food, produce oxygen, and offer leisure activities [1] - Coral reefs and coral gardens are vital ecosystems, serving as oases in the ocean [2] - Two-thirds of coral reside in deeper, colder waters, including along the European coast [3] - Coral gardens are as crucial as tropical reefs, providing shelter and nurseries for fish [4][5] Threats to Coral Gardens - Coral gardens face threats, including climate change, coral bleaching, and warming waters [6] - Unregulated or illegal fishing poses a significant threat due to the rich biodiversity attracting fishing vessels [6] - Fishing nets entangle and destroy corals, with bycatch often exceeding target fish [7][8] Conservation and Restoration Strategies - Awareness of coral garden existence is crucial for protection [9] - Protecting coral gardens allows for recovery and serves as nurseries for other corals [10] - Coral restoration is necessary when coral gardens are devastated [11] - Fragmenting healthy corals and transplanting them onto degraded reefs is one restoration method [14] - Coral seeding, involving lab-based fertilization and transplantation of baby corals, enhances diversity [19][20] - Combining fragmentation and coral seeding yields the best restoration results [20] Research and Development - Research is being conducted to apply coral seeding techniques to European coral species [21] - Studies focus on coral biology, spawning mechanisms, and optimal conditions for coral larvae [22][23][24] - Transplanting baby corals into nurseries allows for observation and comparison of growth rates [25] Call to Action - The ocean's condition can be overwhelming, but action is possible [26][27] - Collaboration between scientists and individuals with diverse abilities is essential to save coral gardens [27]
Fuori dall’habitat urbano: vivere la natura con consapevolezza | Francesca Roseo | TEDxPutignano
TEDx Talks· 2025-06-16 15:39
[Musica] [Musica] [Applauso] [Musica] [Applauso] Quando incontriamo una persona che non conosciamo. Una delle prime domande che facciamo o che ci viene riposta è di dove sei. Dove abiti.Io, per esempio, sono nata a Trento e questo mi rende tecnicamente trentina. Ma che cosa racconta questo di me. Fin da piccola il luogo che ho abitato di più è stato la montagna.Ricordo come se fosse ieri le giornate trascorse nei boschi assieme a nonno poi nonna Amelia, le cugine e mia sorella in cerca di funghi. Ed è stato ...