Cafe in Tokyo lets people with paralysis control robot waiters
A cafe in Tokyo offers people with disabilities the opportunity to become more independent by employing them as remote controllers of robot waiters. The robots can be told to move, observe, talk to customers and carry objects, even if their operator can only move their eyes. The project aims to Read More...
These employees are enjoying three-day weekends with same productivity output
Wanting to improve its employees’ productivity and work-life balance, this software company has introduced a four-day workweek for its members of staff. The initiative follows other cases where firms have adopted the system and noticed that it reduced stress and improved job satisfaction without Read More...
World’s first honey bee vaccine to save the pollinators from dying
Scientists developed world’s first insect vaccine to help honey bees fight bacterial disease, one of the major threats that the pollinators face. The vaccine is administered through an edible sugar patty that’s suspended in the hive for the queen to consume over seven to 10 Read More...
How a former refugee became mayor of an American city
27 years later after managing to flee his country devastated by civil war, Liberian refugee Wilmot Collins was elected as mayor of Montana’s state capital. His inspirational story speaks to the potential for newcomers to give back to their new country, tapping into the fortitude forged in Read More...
7 houseplants to keep you good company during winter
If you’re looking for ways to fight seasonal depression, getting more houseplants may do the trick. From filtering the air and increasing oxygen levels to boosting healing and increasing focus, these green companions can also increase general happiness and well-being. Here are seven plants to Read More...
Permeable architecture can open up our sealed lives
Traditional buildings are designed to provide protection against a savage world, with us safe on one side and our waste on the other. Architects have long relied on “hard” materials such as masonry, aluminum, and glass, specifically chosen to prevent the outside environment from getting Read More...
Why aren't school buses electric? These Coloradans are sick of diesel
Before her two kids returned to school at the end of last summer, Lorena Osorio stood before the Westminster, Colorado, school board and gave heartfelt testimony about raising her asthmatic son, now a student at the local high school. "My son was only three years old when he first suffered from Read More...
US utility pledges to provide 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050
One of the biggest energy providers in the US has pledged to go entirely carbon-neutral by 2050. Serving electricity to 3.6 million customers across eight states, Xcel Energy is following up on the growing trend of renewables among politicians, cities, corporations, and ordinary Read More...
Luxembourg wants to become the first country to offer free public transport
Luxembourg wants to abolish all fares on public transport by 2020. The initiative aligns perfectly with the country’s progressive attitude towards transport. At the moment, those younger than 20 years old travel for free and college students can use free shuttles between their institution and Read More...
Norway to become first country to ban palm oil in the fight to save rainforests
Norway is set to become the first country to put an end to its palm oil consumption as soon as 2020. The parliamentary decision has been welcomed as a victory in the fight against the palm oil industry which is one of the major contributors to catastrophic deforestation and wipe-out of natural Read More...