Eight-year-old trials prosthetic arm designed for surfing

Joanie Melady surfing at The Wave in Bristol

(Image credit: The Wave/SWNS)

published 26 August 2022

An eight-year-old has become one of the first people in the world to trial a prosthetic arm designed specifically for surfing. Joanie Melady, from South Oxfordshire, was born with a congenital condition that means her left arm never fully developed. She tried out the prosthetic arm, which was made by the company Koalaa, at a wave pool in Bristol. “The prosthetic gave her the confidence and support she needed to push up from the board to standing,” said Joanie’s father, Alan. “She smiled the whole time and as soon as she had ridden one wave in, she was straight back out there to catch the next one.”

Peregrine falcons return to Battersea Power Station

Peregrine falcons have lived for years at London’s Battersea Power Station, but had to be coaxed into a temporary home during the building’s extensive redevelopment. Now the falcons are back, and they are said to be thriving in their new home: a bird “penthouse” built by the developers in the northeast tower, with river views and a floor of pea shingle, which falcons use to build their nests. “We can see them in flight warding off the pigeons,” one resident told The Times.

Scientists have developed genetically modified soya beans whose yields are 25% larger than those of unmodified crops. The hope is that the crops could increase farmers’ incomes in poorer countries, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The team delivered the boost to the plants’ yields by modifying three genes to make their leaves more responsive to lower light conditions. “We think it will work in most crops,” said Stephen Long, who co-authored a study in Science on the crops. The team is now working on rice and cowpea plants.