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A hospital in Boise, Idaho, paid $300,000 to move the state's largest sequoia tree two blocks down the street. Grown from a seedling sent by famed naturalist John Muir more than a century ago, the 10-story behemoth had to be moved with its surrounding soil.

SWEDEN


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Starting in 2019, automaker Volvo announced plans to build only electric and hybrid vehicles, with a goal of selling one million such cars by 2025.

MOZAMBIQUE

Years of civil war have taken a toll on wildlife populations. Zinave National Park has now begun the lengthy process of restocking its habitats with more than 7,500 animals from other parks and neighboring countries.

NETHERLANDS

In an effort to crack down on texting while biking, the Dutch Traffic Safety Association and a national telecom company created a bike lock and mobile phone app that blocks cellular service while the lock is open.

CHINA

The nation has launched its first x-ray telescope in space, which in November will begin regularly scanning the Milky Way for sources of the powerful rays.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Earlier this summer Dubai debuted its first robot cop, a device with a touch screen on its chest for reporting crimes. Law-enforcement officials hope to have robots make up a quarter of the force by 2030.

Leslie Nemo is a freelance science journalist living in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can find more of her work at www.leslienemo.com

More by Leslie Nemo
Scientific American Magazine Vol 317 Issue 3This article was published with the title “Quick Hits” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 317 No. 3 (), p. 20
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0917-20

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