‘Optimism is the engine that moves society forward’
The media create too much pessimism in society, says Kevin Kelly, a long-time technology watcher and author of the new book The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future. In this video, Kelly reminds us that society is constantly making progress and that Read More...
Big business pushes for renewable energy in the most unlikely places
Here’s a big reason why renewable energy moves forward so quickly even in unlikely places like Kentucky where more than 90 percent of energy still comes from coal. Many corporations have set big goals to reduce emissions. In many cases, these are commitments they need to fulfill to satisfy their Read More...
Will blockchain technology be the ultimate disruptor? Harvard says yes!
"Imagine a technology that could preserve our freedom to choose for ourselves and our families, to express these choices in the world, and to control our own destiny, no matter where we lived or were born. What tools and jobs could we create with those capabilities? What new business and services? Read More...
Will Tesla do to cars what Apple did to smartphones?
As Tesla surged past Ford and General Motors last week to become the most valuable car company in the United States, here was the brusque assessment of Bruce Greenwald, a professor at Columbia Business School: “It’s nuts.” And, in a way, it is nuts. Particularly, if you ignore the Elon Musk Read More...
Solar bid prices in India have fallen 73 percent since 2010
Bids in India’s solar power market have crashed sharply ever since the government launched the National Solar Mission, data released by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy shows. According to the Ministry, average solar power tariffs in India have fallen by 73% since 2010. This has been the Read More...
Creative people physically see and process the world differently
If you’re the kind of person who relishes adventure, you may literally see the world differently. People who are open to new experiences can take in more visual information than other people and combine it in unique ways. This may explain why they tend to be particularly creative. Openness to Read More...
One key way soggy California could save water for the next rainless days
The water spread into every corner of the fields, beckoning wading ibises and egrets as it bathed long rows of sprouting grapevines. Several inches had covered the vineyard ground for a couple of months. But rather than draining it, Don Cameron was pouring more on. “This is not about Read More...
Coffee chains trial fully compostable cup
The company behind the cup, which uses a revolutionary type of 'bioplastic', describes it as a "world first". It says the plastic, which uses eucalyptus, means the cup can withstand heat better than other types of bioplastic. Yet within three months on a compost heap, both the cup and the lid break Read More...
MIT creates tool that may end thirst, even in the desert
As summer begins to heat up across most of the United States, one issue that doesn't seem to go away is drought--especially in dry or desert climates. Deserts make up a third of earth's surface (and oceans are 71%). Neither of these environments has traditionally been easy to live in, in large part Read More...
Blockchain technology could bring fair-trade to the coffee industry
A startup called Bext360 wants to bring blockchain technology, which serves as the basis for Bitcoin trading, into the coffee industry of developing countries in order to create more transparency between farmers and buyers. The startup’s first “product” will be a kiosk, similar to a Coinstar Read More...