Almost everyone is creative around the same time every day
There’s some basic information about ourselves that we rarely if ever, act on: When are we sharpest or dimmest—or happiest, or flattest—throughout the day? Or, for nocturnal types, the night? Although we may know our patterns well enough to answer that question, most of us schedule Read More...
These cheap paper water filters remove lead, arsenic, and bacteria
On a visit to Bangladesh in 2011–where an estimated 20 million people are exposed to arsenic in local drinking water–scientist Liangjie Dong worked with a team to teach residents how to use a filtration system he designed that could make the water safe. The technology worked, but it wasn’t Read More...
The U.S. just hit a major milestone for energy storage—great news for solar
The United States has now added the capacity to store a billion watts of power for one hour and may double that total in 2018 alone, says a heady new forecast that highlights the rapid growth of the battery Read More...
The Real Organic Project: farmers make their own organic label
Worth billions of dollars, the organic label is the only federally regulated food label that conveys any information about how that food was produced. Certified organic is the fastest-growing food segment—and the distinction can be profitable for farmers (and also costly and difficult to Read More...
Localizing the system of clothing production can make fashion more sustainable
Today’s fashion isn’t sustainable. That is why a movement wants to create a circular system of clothing—from agriculture to product and back again—within 250 miles of where you live. This means localizing clothing production and using natural fibers to make clothes instead of oils. From Read More...
What you eat and how it’s grown is crucial to combatting climate change
Few people consider the impacts of the food they eat, despite the fact that globally, food systems account for roughly one quarter of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than the entire transportation sector, more than all industrial practices, and roughly the same as the production Read More...
This is the most powerful wind turbine in the world
Wind energy is on the up and up, and by that, we mean the size of turbines are getting bigger and bigger. Larger wind turbines reach higher in the air where the wind is stronger and produces more energy. This week, GE Renewable Energy announced what it calls the world’s most powerful wind Read More...
The EU may install “Intelligent Speed Assistance” in all new cars
Each week, 500 deaths occur on EU roads. That’s why Europe is considering to make what they call Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) mandatory on all new cars. ISA works by linking speed limit recognition cameras and GPS data to let the driver know the speed limit. If the driver tries to go Read More...
Cognitive bias: The 18 mental mistakes people make when doing business
The human brain is capable of incredible things, but it’s also extremely flawed at times. Science has shown that we tend to make all sorts of mental mistakes, called “cognitive biases”, that can affect both our thinking and actions. These biases can lead us to extrapolating information from Read More...
West Virginia’s striking teachers are the key to building a post-coal economy
For decades, West Virginia’s coal-dominated economy kept the state afloat. Now that it’s failing, it’s time for the state to re-focus its energy on creating a strong educational system, and good livelihoods for the teachers who support Read More...