6 strange things acupuncture can treat
The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture has gained a lot of popularity in the Western world in recent years. There are good reasons for this, as acupuncture has been linked to many diverse health benefits. Still, a lot of people may shudder or cringe when they think about acupuncture Read More...
Insuring nature, ensuring resilience
Today, I want to talk about two topics. First, and this is likely what you’d expect to hear from me, I want to discuss nature-based solutions: How can we invest in nature, our best and biggest asset, to boost resilience to severe weather and other climate impacts — and protect nature at Read More...
California regulators approve $200m Volkswagen zero-emission cars investment
Late last week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced that it had approved the first of four plans for Volkswagen to invest $800 million in zero-emission infrastructure, outreach and electric vehicle access for citizens who live in disadvantaged communities. The first phase, which Read More...
BP in talks with electric carmakers about adding chargers to gas stations
Oil companies have networks of gas stations around the world. Car owners are use to going to these places for obvious reasons. So, wouldn’t it make sense to offer battery re-charging docks at fuel service stations? It could be a win-win as the oil companies need to find new revenue streams as the Read More...
The best folding bike now has e-version with a portable battery
The British company Brompton produces arguably the best folding bikes in the world. Your editor tested the bike, ideal for city commuting, years ago and found that it provides a normal biking experience despite the much smaller wheels. Now Brompton is launching an e-bike with a portable battery Read More...
Finnish scientists use only electricity to make protein from CO2
Researchers in Finland have developed a process to turn CO2 into food using electricity. The process can run on renewable energy, and requires only a small amount of water and nutrients. It could eventually be used in a home appliance to make protein at home, or a production facility in a desert Read More...
Jordanian parliament removes law that allows rapists to marry their victims
Following in the footsteps of Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, Jordan's parliament has voted to remove the provision that allows rapists to escape punishment by marrying their victims. The vote was hailed as a major step forward for women in the conservative Read More...
The “happiest man in the world” explains how you can be happier too
Matthieu Ricard is a French monk who participated in a 12-year brain study on meditation and compassion. The study showed, among other things, that when Ricard was meditating on compassion, his mind was unusually light. That’s why the researchers called him “the happiest man in the world”. In Read More...
Women are the big boss of crowdfunding, says study of 450,000 campaigns
So you want to raise money for your company. What's the next step? It might depend on your gender, if you can believe the latest crowdfunding report from Price Waterhouse Coopers. Their finance team analyzed 450,000 seed crowdfunding across several platforms over two years. While men get most of Read More...
To design the perfect drone, follow nature's lead
Nature has found some elegant solutions to complicated problems and engineers have long been inspired by its designs. But Adrian Thomas thinks translating the best of nature’s discoveries into man-made devices requires the ability to step back and see the context. Thomas is a Professor of Read More...