Impact investing gets big boost as millennials take control of family fortunes
A new trend shows that the tendencies of ultra-wealthy families with ‘old money’ are changing. According to a new report, more than a quarter of the world’s richest families are now putting money into social and environmental areas. Considering that Millenials are twice as likely as other Read More...
This project converts wind into funds for climate change research
Here’s a project that just years ago would have sounded absurd and unheard of. In a field in Sweden, a climate activist deployed a wind turbine to power a weather-proof PC that mines the cryptocurrency Zcash. All the digital dollars that it generates go directly to climate change research. The Read More...
Self-critical? Time to lighten up on yourself
Too much self-criticism can erode your self-esteem, causing you to become your worst enemy rather than your own best friend. Instead of trying to correct your behavior, you need to work on the way in which you critique yourself. Here’s how to calm those scolding voices in your Read More...
Satellites help predict malaria outbreaks months in advance
Malaria is one of the greatest health threats in tropical regions like the Amazon, but predicting its spread is difficult. While it's no secret that mosquitoes prefer warm air and standing pools of water, how do you translate that awareness to a large Read More...
China's 'sponge cities' aim to re-use 70 percent of rainwater
Asian cities are struggling to accommodate rapid urban migration, and development is encroaching on flood-prone areas. Recent flooding in Mumbai was blamed in part on unregulated development of wetlands, while hastily built urban areas are being affected by flooding across India, Nepal, and Read More...
Does music make men more attractive?
In the 1871 book The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin tried to get to the bottom of the question, "Why is music so important in our human society?" He suggested that humans may have invented music to serve a reproductive aim. Darwin implied that the fact that a person engages with music - be it to Read More...
Entrepreneurs are turning poop into energy and profit in developing countries
According to a recently published report, 38 percent of the world’s population has no access to sewers and deposit their waste in tanks and pit latrines. High-profile initiatives have been pretty good at building facilities in developing areas and getting bums on toilets, but these toilets often Read More...
Geothermal energy could get major boost after conference in Florence
Geothermal energy is one of the lowest-cost energy sources available. It has huge potential for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and saving money. Despite this, harnessing heat from the Earth almost doesn’t happen outside Iceland. That isn’t very resourceful considering that 90 countries Read More...
Could art observation classes make doctors better at their jobs?
A new study suggests that taking art observation classes could sharpen medical students’ visual analysis skills. This is important because the ability to correctly read and interpret images like X-rays and other kinds of scans is vital in the process of diagnosis–one that beginner medical Read More...
Chasing Germany: Here’s how your country ranks in terms of quality of life
For the sixth year in a row, Germany gained the top spot in the Quality of Nationality Index (QNI), a ranking of nationalities on the levels of freedom and quality of life citizens enjoy. More than a simple nation brand perception index, the QNI claims to be the world’s only objective measure of Read More...