Turning coffee grounds into biofuel is economically viable with this new process
If turning used coffee grounds into biofuel sounds like a complex process, that’s because it is. The process is energy-intensive and time-consuming, which is why its widespread use is unlikely. That could soon change, however, as scientists from Britain’s Lancaster University have simplified Read More...
Giant wind farm delivers clean energy to 1.5 million people in the Netherlands
The second-largest offshore wind farm in the world has officially opened off the coast of the Netherlands. The 600-megawatt wind farm, known as Gemini, will provide a major boost to the Dutch grid as it will eventually generate enough power to meet the electricity needs of around 1.5 million Read More...
You really don't need to drink 8 glasses of water a day
The idea that you’re supposed to drink eight glasses of water every day to stay hydrated is a myth. First of all, there isn’t a set amount of water all humans need to drink. Each person’s water needs differ, depending on their health, their size, and many other factors. As we’ve written Read More...
Finland's basic income experiment is already lowering stress levels
Four months after Finland's social-security institution Kela launched a two-year experiment in basic income, a system of wealth distribution in which people receive a salary just for being alive, some of the 2,000 recipients are already reporting lower levels of stress. The $600 they receive each Read More...
Experiments show that a few self-driving cars can dramatically improve traffic flow
The presence of just a few autonomous vehicles can eliminate the stop-and-go driving of the human drivers in traffic, along with the accident risk and fuel inefficiency it causes, according to new research. The finding indicates that self-driving cars and related technology may be even closer to Read More...
Renewables offer cheaper, more reliable power for Philippines' small islands
The Philippines can save $200 million a year and build a more reliable energy supply for millions of residents on its small islands by replacing diesel generators with renewable sources such as wind and solar, said a report released on Monday. The switch would require at least $1 billion in private Read More...
Scientists want you to give them money to study psychedelics
No three strung-together letters in the English language are more loaded than L-S-D. Say them out loud to elicit images of strung out hippies waving their hands around and making things out of flowers, or of an innocent youth’s mind snapping under the weight of acid. Or just really bad art. Read More...
Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation reduces stress and changes your brain
Meditation, in its most basic sense, is clearing your mind of all thought—or at least, trying to. The practice is used in cultures around the globe for both religious and secular purposes. While it may be best known for its spiritual uses, it is this latter purpose that has recently ignited a Read More...
Fed's Kashkari: blockchain has more potential than bitcoin itself
Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari said on Tuesday that blockchain technology has more potential for being adopted in the future than bitcoin itself. "I think sentiment has shifted in the markets, in the Fed," Kashkari said in a speech at a technology conference in Read More...
South Korea says it’s building the world’s largest test site for self-driving cars
Now that we have self-driving cars, the next big challenge is figuring out where to test them. Most experts agree that the best places to do that are giant, government-run, fenced-off fake cities that mimic all the real conditions of the road. To that end, South Korea’s government is building Read More...