Frozen Pig Kidneys Revived as Nuclear Operators Seek More Power
Scientists have rewarmed pig kidneys stored for months and restored function after transplanting them into pigs, while nuclear operators and U.S. regulators push for more power from existing reactors and BasiGo expands electric buses in Africa.
The kidneys, similar in size to human ones, were left in a glass-like state. Once they had been rewarmed, tested in machines and transplanted into pigs, they regained their color and made urine, key signs they were working. The results are a milestone, but the team still needs to establish whether the approach could work for humans.
In energy, nuclear operators are trying to extract more power from existing plants as electricity demand rises. Constellation, the largest nuclear operator in the United States, announced plans to add nearly a gigawatt of new capacity across 11 existing reactors at six plants. On October 5, the Department of Energy awarded Vistra a $4.2 billion loan to upgrade three plants. Pushing existing reactors to produce more could quickly provide more clean power for data centers, but it remains unclear how much additional power can be counted on.
BasiGo, one of MIT Technology Review’s 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch 2026, aims to replace tens of thousands of diesel-powered buses on sub-Saharan African roads with electric buses that generate far fewer emissions. Its pay-as-you-drive business model is intended to make EVs more attainable for private bus operators, while the company provides leasing, maintenance, insurance and charging infrastructure. BasiGo has more than 150 electric buses on the road in Kenya and Rwanda, with a reservation list of 1,200 customers, and is now targeting trucks.
The same briefing reported that Ukraine said sudden Starlink speed limits disrupted key drone missions; Starshield, the military version of Starlink, capped speeds at 100 mph. Elon Musk said the U.S. government determines any of its speed limits, while Ukraine suspects the restrictions are political retaliation. NATO may move anti-drone defenses to the Black Sea. The suspect in an OpenAI bugging case had advised Saudi agencies and was listed as a venture partner of a Saudi prince, as Silicon Valley remains on AI espionage alert.
Tesla’s new Roadster has arrived in a different EV market, with Tesla betting wealthy drivers will embrace high-priced EVs even as the market has grown skeptical of electric hypercars; Musk has called the Roadster Tesla’s last human-driven car. A German teen allegedly used a $5,000 Unitree R1 robot to harass women in livestreams, and German police are investigating the alleged assault. Smartphone shipments plunged 22% in their worst quarter ever, which analysts blamed on rising memory costs. Apple joined Nvidia in the $5 trillion club, a valuation milestone that caps Tim Cook’s 15-year run as CEO. Microsoft dismantled a network behind a billion scam messages, with Japan’s National Police Agency helping investigate. NASA set new launch targets for its Venus missions: DAVINCI is set to take off in 2030 and probe Venus in 2032. The briefing also said America is not ready for space war, and that mini organs are heading to the ISS for an aging study that could also aid treatments for brain diseases.