Ayahuasca: Psychedelic drug or mental health treatment?
Every year, thousands of people travel to the Amazon to drink the ayahuasca brew that puts them in a state of deep introspection for about four hours. When they emerge, they often report newfound insights into their unhealthy behaviors. While these stories sound amazing, is it really possible to Read More...
Apple makes promise to stop mining rare-earth materials
Apple has one of the most aggressive sustainability and recycling programs in the technology industry, but it still pulls plenty of metals and toxic rare-earth materials out of the ground for its products. The iPhone giant has also faced criticism in the past for using resources that are often Read More...
Study: Biking to work cuts risk of cancer and heart disease in half
The commute to work doesn’t have to be an annoying part of the day. Rather, the commute can be something that is beneficial, that is, if you use a bicycle as your vehicle. In a five-year study of 250,000 commuters in the UK, researchers found that riding a bike to work was linked with a halving Read More...
Googling gives us answers—but deprives us of intelligence
Larry Page, Google’s co-founder, once described the perfect search engine as a machine that “Understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want.” The critical issue with this notion is that it engineers all of the information and knowledge we didn’t mean to view but Read More...
This company will take your sheets back when you are ready to buy new ones
An organic bed linen subscription and recycling service sounds like the ultimate hipster indulgence, but considering the massive amount of textiles that end up in landfills every year, it might actually have an impact. Coyuchi, which was one of the first companies to offer organic sheets when it Read More...
Carbon tax proposal gains steam in Vermont
Could Vermont spark a carbon tax trend? State legislators say a recent flurry of carbon tax proposals are more “conversation starters” than a drive to change policy, but policy shifts have to start somewhere. This year’s legislative session included a motion to launch a study to assess the Read More...
German media company Axel Springer buys a stake in Uber
German media company Axel Springer is taking a financial stake in Uber. It’s an eyebrow-raising move by the media company, which in addition to owning German-publications like Die Welt and Bild, also owns Business Insider. “Uber is committed to providing reliable and accessible transportation Read More...
2 big lessons from the biggest happiness study ever conducted
If you want to study happiness, you first have to define what you mean by the word. There are the momentary pleasures of a great glass of wine, a smile on a child's face, or a soft couch after a long day. But there are also deeper meanings of the word. The ancient Greek word for Read More...
Umbilical cord blood could slow brain's ageing, study suggests
Scientists have reversed memory and learning problems in aged mice with infusions of a protein found in human umbilical cord blood. The striking results have raised hopes for a treatment that staves off mental decline in old age, but researchers stressed that more studies, including human trials, Read More...
Energy companies across Europe are waving goodbye to coal
Good news: The future of coal looks grim. From Austria to the UK, huge companies like Drax Group Plc and Uniper SE are closing or converting coal-burning generators at a record pace. Even the biggest coal-fired plant in Europe was switched off within the last few weeks after belching steam and Read More...