The surprising (or not so surprising) connection between diet and depression
The western world suffers from a depression epidemic. An estimated 300 million people are struggling with their mental health. It turns out that a healthy diet can substantially improve symptoms of Read More...
Why Google, Nike, and Apple love mindfulness, and how you can love it too
Meditation is now mainstream. From Just Meditate in Bethesda, MD to Unplug Meditation in Los Angeles, drop-in studios are popping up everywhere to give people the time and space to drop everything and breathe. The most popular Meditation app, Insight Timer, is home to more than 2 million meditators Read More...
These solar panels generate drinking water from the air
I've drank a lot of water from bottles, but it was never created like this. I'm on the rooftop of a building in Santa Monica on an overcast day, checking out solar panels from a company called Zero Mass Water. These are not just your typical energy creating panels - they are busy pulling Read More...
A comeback for the electricity technology once championed by Thomas Edison
More than 100 years ago scientists and business leaders feuded over the incipient U.S. electrical grid: Should it rely on alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC)? Both are used to transmit electricity—DC flows steadily in one direction, whereas AC varies direction periodically. Thomas Read More...
Solar farms are helping rural Chinese farmers get out of poverty
The harsh climate of the grasslands in China have long made it difficult for villagers to plant or herd anything. Now, thanks to new solar farms and greenhouses, residents are able to harvest light and grow crops. The abundance of sunlight produces an abundance of energy, allowing the residents to Read More...
Do friends make you happier than family?
Who makes you happier, your family or your friends? If you answered friends, you’re absolutely correct, according to two surveys featuring more than 300,000 people between the age of 15 and 99, from more than 90 countries. The surveys found that those who valued friendships highly were healthier Read More...
Snake venom could lead to a safer medicine for blood clot prevention
A protein found in snake venom could soon lead to a safer medication for the prevention of blood clots. Using the protein as the main ingredient, the researchers were able to reduce the formation of blood clots in mice, without the side effect of excessive bleeding. The researchers believe the Read More...
The largest fishing companies of the world are teaming up to stop overfishing
Overexploitation of the planet’s fish has more than tripled since the 1970s, with 40 percent of popular species like tuna now being caught unsustainably. That’s why the United Nations is hosting its first ever Ocean Conference this week in New York, which will feature member states discussing Read More...
How Googler’s avoid burnout (and secretly boost creativity)
Google is built upon projects like the self-driving car: endeavors that push at the point of resistance for growth, where struggle and productive failure aren’t consequences of the work, but rather the driving forces behind it. In short, Google has nailed the recipe for stress for its employees. Read More...
How schools use brain science to help traumatized kids heal and learn
Neuroscience isn’t on many elementary school lesson plans. But this spring, a second grade class at Fairmont Neighborhood School in the South Bronx is plunging in. Sarah Wechsler, an instructional coach with wide eyes and a marathoner’s energy, asks the students to think about the development Read More...