These artificial ice glaciers are solving the water crisis in the Himalayas
High temperatures and minimal rainfall have left the Himalayas bone-dry. To solve the water shortage, an engineer has come up with an ingenious solution called the “ice stupa”, an artificial glacier. Melted water from existing glaciers is diverted underground through pipes that lead to the Read More...
Purify the air in your home or office with this wall of plants
A company based in Finland has developed a remotely-monitored smart wall of plants that constantly purifies indoor air. The wall requires little to no management from the owner, and provides a steady supply of clean air. With an online design guide, the plant walls are easily customized to the Read More...
For the first time since the 1880’s the UK just goes one day without coal power
Coal was the driving force behind the industrial revolution that would change Great Britain forever. More than a century later, the country has gone an entire day without using coal-produced power for the first time since it was introduced. An entire day without coal marks the great progress that Read More...
How seeing things differently makes your life better
For thousands of years, humans have been asking themselves whether or not the things we see each day represent the reality of the world. Neuroscience tells us we don’t. With this being the case, how can we have full trust in our perception of the world? The truth is we cannot until we question Read More...
IKEA aims to take 200,000 people out of poverty in social sustainability drive
IKEA is to employ refugees at production centres in Jordan this summer as part of a long-term plan to create employment for 200,000 disadvantaged people around the world through social entrepreneurship programmes. The centres in Jordan, which should be operational by August, will employ a mixture Read More...
Buckminster Fuller’s ideas are more important now than ever
Think of Buckminster Fuller, the 20th-century innovator, and you might picture a geodesic dome or his flying car designs from the 1930s. Maybe you picture a crackpot inventor, churning out ideas that seem, at first glance, like quaintly futuristic visions. But that’s missing the point, argues a Read More...
China may lead the electric car revolution
The car industry is in a delirious moment of change. Industry experts say more changes will happen in the next five years than have happened in the last fifty. As self-driving technology and ride-hailing companies circle, change is not only part of the pursuit of profit, but a matter of survival. Read More...
You can eat this algae-based water bottle when you’re done with your drink
A plastic water bottle may take hundreds–or even thousands–of years to degrade in a landfill. A new conceptual design for a water bottle is at the opposite extreme: Immediately after you drink it, it starts to fall apart. And if you don’t want to throw the bottle away, you can eat it. The Read More...
Philosophers and scientists agree: this one thing is the key to happiness
Gretchen Rubin, author of "Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives," says strong relationships are the key to happiness. Following is a transcript of the video. I was surprised by how much evidence there is that to be happy and even to be healthy we really need to have Read More...
Could wireless orbital solar panels power future generations?
The only issue with solar power is that it's not available all day long. So what if we sent orbital solar panels up to space to collect the limitless sunlight? The idea sounds wildly futuristic but space agencies around the world are searching for ways to do it. See here how scientists are trying Read More...