The man who planted a tree and grew a whole family of forests
When Antonio Vicente bought a patch of land in São Paulo state and said he wanted to use it to plant a forest, people called him crazy. It was 1973 and forests were seen by many as an obstacle to progress and profit. Brazil’s then military government encouraged wealthy landowners to Read More...
Germany converts coal mine into giant battery storage for surplus solar power
Germany is embarking on an innovative project to turn a hard coal mine into a giant battery that can store surplus solar and wind energy and release it when supplies are lean. The Prosper-Haniel coal mine in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia will be converted into a 200 megawatt Read More...
Global ranking of happiness has happy news for Norway and Nicaragua
Norway can be frigid. And the winters bring lots of darkness. But it's the happiest nation in the world, according to the 2017 World Happiness Report. Denmark comes in at #2, followed by Iceland and Switzerland. Finland takes 5th place. And, it turns out, these countries have more in common than a Read More...
Tomorrow’s self-driving car market has started to look like PCs in the ’90s
Welcome to Last Week Was a Beta, our Monday look back on the big stories in tech last week. We were at SXSW in Austin, Texas, last week and thinking about the big trends in tech as soon as we reached baggage claim, because there was a guy there at a folding table promoting Ride Austin, a non-profit Read More...
How renewable energy batteries can change lives in Third World countries
Many companies like Alcen Renewables, Inc. are firm believers that, when energy is accessible to everyone, it will solve many of the world’s problems, including daily issues that people in third world countries confront. As a result, energy storage through renewable energy batteries has the Read More...
Happiness: Redefining the formula for genuine prosperity
The success of a government must be defined by ‘its ability to facilitate the happiness and wellbeing of its citizens, and this should replace old paradigms that focus overwhelmingly on economic performance.’ This was the consensus that emerged amongst leaders, from both the public and Read More...
Wood fibers make for cheap, portable water filtration
Researchers in Sweden have discovered a new way to filter water off-grid using wood fibers. The team from KTH Royal Institute of Technology hope that it can provide clean water to people in refugee camps and in remote areas. The researchers developed a new material using wood fibers and a Read More...
The surprising ways neuroscience can help design smarter, more intuitive cities
We have used economics, creativity, and technology to shape the built environment—and now it’s time for science to become the final piece in this puzzle. By integrating aspects of cognitive neuroscience into the design process, we can build cities that are primed for their Read More...
Renewable energy will boost the world economy with $19 trillion, says report
The best news is the fight against global warming increasingly will be a business opportunity rather than a political responsibility. When companies see the opportunity, it doesn’t matter so much anymore what politicians do or think. We are getting at that point with renewable energy prices Read More...
In Japan the healthy school lunch is part of the curriculum
The Trump administration considers cutting federal funds to programs that provide food to poor students. The argument: There’s “no demonstrable evidence” that the programs help them do better in school. Children may or may not score better on tests, eating well is likely to make them better Read More...