Why California is a taking a break from generating new solar energy
California is well ahead of state targets for sourcing 25 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2020. In fact, the Golden State is producing so much renewable energy, particularly from solar, that it's taking a break from new renewable projects. California is regularly shunting electricity Read More...
Canadian currency will soon feature its first Canadian woman
Seventy-two years after Viola Desmond went to jail for refusing to leave the whites-only section of a movie theater, her efforts fighting for civil rights are being recognized. Last week, Canada unveiled its new $10 Canadian dollar bill featuring a portrait of Desmond. The Civil rights pioneer was Read More...
This is the best way to handle difficult people
Recent research from a team of German scientists found that exposure to stimuli that cause negative emotions—the same kind of exposure you get when dealing with difficult people—causes massive stress responses. Whether it’s negativity, cruelty, the victim syndrome, or just plain craziness, Read More...
How vitamin D protects against heart failure
Vitamin D, which is often called the "sunshine vitamin," boasts a range of physiological roles. A new study reveals that, following a heart attack, it might protect against consequent heart Read More...
Sleep: the antidote for fear
It’s no secret that a good night’s rest has many benefits. Now, a team of researchers at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University–Newark has discovered that REM sleep—when the body is most relaxed and most dreams occur—promotes the emotional Read More...
A 1980s study on juvenile crime in Japan sheds light on American gun culture
In 1982, John Beck—a strategy advisor and former business professor at Harvard and UCLA—was a 22-year-old Harvard student working on his thesis on juvenile crime in Japan. In the 1980s, Japan had seen an uncharacteristic increase in juvenile crime, which was associated Read More...
EvoWheel converts almost any bicycle into an electric bike in just 30 seconds
Ready to give your old cruiser a swanky electric makeover? The innovative EvoWheel turns almost any old regular bike into a speedy e-bike in under 30 seconds. The brilliant design, which just launched a fund-raising campaign on Indiegogo, is an app-controlled wheel that gives regular bikes a Read More...
Researchers have created a solar cell that harvests energy from sunshine and rain
A team of Chinese engineers has turned solar energy’s worst enemy into a friend by developing a hybrid solar cell that can produce electricity from sunshine and rain. To do this, the researchers tapped into the motion of raindrops rolling off the surface of a solar cell using textured layers Read More...
Let's stop pretending the American breakfast isn't just dessert in the morning
Let’s be honest: breakfast in the US is nothing more than dessert in disguise. A muffin is essentially a cupcake, a waffle is just another word for cookie, and cereal is simply crushed up cookies in a bowl. Yes, they may look a bit different, but if you look at the nutritional facts of breakfast Read More...
Exxon is working on making algae the fuel of the future
Oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil says that in seven years time, they will be able to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel a day. That may be a small drop in the amount of oil it produces, but it’s a huge boost in the amount of algae-based biofuel. Exxon sees major potential in algae-based fuel as Read More...