How investing in agriculture can help sow the seeds of peace
Last week I shook hands with a small boy with a big smile who lives in a pocket of South Sudan that is gripped by famine. I heard stories of families struggling to cope, and witnessed the incredible work humanitarian teams are carrying out, with the support of the European Union and other partners, Read More...
MindCotine uses VR to help you kick the smoking habit
MindCotine wants you to kick the smoking habit, and it is enlisting virtual reality to help. The Redwood City, CA. based company has created a VR app that combines mindfulness practices, psychological therapies, and community engagement to fight nicotine addiction. The company has launched its Read More...
For a more creative brain, take breaks
A growing body of evidence shows that taking regular breaks from mental tasks improves creativity and that skipping breaks can lead to stress, exhaustion, and creative block. The ideas you have while commuting, or in the shower are not coincidental. They're a result of you taking a step back, Read More...
Amazon rainforest may be more resilient to deforestation than previously thought
The Amazon forest stores about half of the global tropical forest carbon and accounts for about a quarter of carbon absorption from the atmosphere by global forests each year. As a result, large losses of Amazonian forest cover could make global climate change worse. In the past, researchers have Read More...
A Himalayan answer to climate change, water shortage and glacial flooding
The impact of climate change on glaciers has been well documented. From Alaska to Europe, Antarctica to Siberia, glaciers are in recession the world over. Forty-six gigatons of ice from Alaskan glaciers was lost on average for each year from 2003 to 2010, according to Nasa, while those in Asia are Read More...
US military veterans are finding peace protecting rhinos in South Africa
In northern South Africa, US military veterans are fighting a new battle: The battle against illegal wildlife trade. The men have been deployed by a US-based nonprofit organization to keep rhinos and the rest of the wild game within a remote private reserve alive. Highly skilled and highly trained, Read More...
Self-driving taxis could be 10 times cheaper than owning a car by 2030
A new report predicts that self-driving cars will make ride-hailing so cheap that it will transform the automobile market. By 2030, the report predicts, 95 percent of passenger miles traveled in the U.S. could be happening in on-demand, autonomous electric cars owned by fleets rather than Read More...
Africa’s early mobile money success is finally set to go global
Since launching in 2007, Kenya’s homegrown mobile money system M-Pesa has enabled millions of people to pay for everyday goods and services, access loans, and send money all over the world. In fact, over $28 billion flowed through it in 2015, equivalent to around 44 percent of Kenya’s GDP that Read More...
Silk implant can patch up damaged eardrums naturally
Currently, the standard procedure for repairing eardrums is a delicate affair that often requires additional procedures. Thanks to a new silk implant developed by a team of Australian researchers, it takes just one simple surgery to do the trick. The silk implant, called the ClearDrum, is strong Read More...
Why teaching forgiveness is so good for kids
When kids are wronged and don’t forgive, they remain “stuck” in the traumatic situation when they felt victimized. Every time they recall the hurtful event, they re-experience their stress response. The result can be an inhibition of the brain’s problem-solving ability, creativity, Read More...