Uber’s latest crash reminds us how badly we need self-driving cars
A self-driving Uber car was involved in a high-speed crash in Tempe, Arizona yesterday. No one was seriously injured, and the Volvo XC90 SUV, which was driving itself at the time, had the right of way and bears no blame, according to police. “We are continuing to look into this incident Read More...
Cell phones in Amazon trees alert rangers to illegal logging and record wildlife
A newly funded application which makes use of solar-powered cell phones placed high in jungle canopies now helps park rangers — and regular citizens — join the fight in saving Amazonian rainforests. Dubbed the Rainforest Connection, the app uses phones hidden in trees throughout the Read More...
The health benefits of knitting
About 15 years ago, I was invited to join a knitting group. My reluctant response — “When would I do that?” — was rejoined with “Monday afternoons at 4,” at a friend’s home not three minutes’ walk from my own. I agreed to give it a try. My mother had Read More...
New Toyota Mirai billboards in California help clear the air
Toyota took zero-emission motoring to the next level with its Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle, which is currently available only in California. The Mirai, which needs hydrogen fuel to power its electric motor, emits nothing but water vapor. The FCV will be featured on a new billboard (nothing new Read More...
New cleanup technology burns oil spills while minimizing water and air pollution
Science News from research organizations Source: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Summary: Tests of a novel technology that can accelerate the combustion of crude oil floating on water demonstrated its potential to become an effective tool for minimizing the environmental impact of oil spills. The Read More...
Ancient Egyptian irrigation technique protects plants against drought
In ancient times North-Africans buried clay pots to water the roots of their plants. An Egyptian company has modernized this ancestral technique to create a cheap and effective larger irrigation Read More...
Inspired by India’s poor: Making roads from plastic waste
This Scottish entrepreneur traveled in India and saw how people melted down plastic from landfill sites to repair potholes. It made him think that plastic waste can be used to reinforce and repair roads in the western world as well. Now his company is exactly doing that. By adding plastic to the Read More...
Doctor has success with vitamin cocktail to treat deadly sepsis
Sepsis is a big problem. It kills more people in hospitals than any other disease. There’s no good treatment. But that may change. One doctor has been very successful treating sepsis with a cocktail of vitamins added to regular Read More...
Oil companies see clean opportunity using rigs for wind turbines
Oil companies have been exploiting oil platforms in seas and oceans for decades. Now, with the clean and renewable energy revolution gathering steam, they have an unique opportunity to use these rigs to install windmills. It may be a move that won’t exactly support their main business—selling Read More...
Forget your blanket: Why you should sleep in a cool bedroom
For seven million years we have fought against hunger and cold. That’s in our genes. Now most of us have these problems under control but that may be too much of a good thing. Research shows that a little bit of starvation—fasting—is actually healthy for us. And it is also better for us to Read More...