This nonprofit is tackling homelessness by turning school busses into homes
Oregon has one of the highest rates of homelessness amongst children, with more than 22,000 students lacking a proper home. That shocking statistic inspired a nonprofit to start converting retired school busses into fully functioning, attractive tiny houses on wheels for homeless children and their Read More...
Science tells us the best bosses encourage people to speak up
If you’re a leader within an organization, how do you take on the role? Are you commanding, or do you welcome participation from those working for you? The latest research tells us that high-status people largely lose their ability to take others’ perspectives into account because they start Read More...
Life is flourishing on the substructures of offshore oil rigs
A growing number of retired oil rigs have found a new purpose as human-made reefs. These hulking structures, which rise hundreds of feet from the ocean floor, provide a unique habitat for subaquatic life. The complex shape of the rig's support creates a three-dimensional reef for sea creatures to Read More...
Chemistry is helping raise the standard of recycling
Recycling is mistakenly thought of as a solution for plastic waste, but the truth is there are many types of plastics that cannot properly be recycled. That goes for many other materials such as textiles. Fortunately, chemistry is pointing the way towards cleaner, better means of recycling waste. Read More...
New credit card allows immigrants without a credit score to easily build one
For immigrants who lack a credit history in the US, it can be difficult to do things such as buy a home or get a credit card. Petal, a new online company, solves this issue by connecting people with little to no credit history with a line of credit of up to $10,000. Instead of relying on the narrow Read More...
This sociable robot helps nurses offer better care to patients
A startup has developed an endearing robot to help patients suffering from chronic diseases get better care. The robot, roughly the size of a kitchen appliance, checks up on patients and makes conversation with them about their family and the weather while gathering daily details about their Read More...
Eight ways to make your outlook on life a bit more optimistic
Even though people tend to have genetic dispositions towards optimism or pessimism, it is absolutely possible to change your outlook and shift toward a more positive way of seeing the world. Here are eight ways you can shift from seeing the glass as half empty to seeing the glass half full of water Read More...
Peace—not war—will motivate the next wave of technological innovations
Although war is responsible for causing a number of horrible things, over the years it’s also led to many transformative inventions, such as the aircraft, duck tape, and the Internet. Now, according to the president emerita at MIT, the world is on the cusp of a new innovation boom, one that Read More...
Give your bike some extra speed with this retractable sail
There’s nothing like catching a good tailwind when you’re riding your bike. That’s why an engineer has developed a retractable sail you can mount on your bike to maximize the speed you gain from tailwinds. Of course, the sail isn’t intended for use on crowded city streets. That would just Read More...
Pakistan to exempt renewables manufacturers from taxes
Considering that renewables account for only 5 to 6 percent of Pakistan’s electricity generation, the country’s government has proposed to exempt solar and wind manufacturers from taxes. The initiative is expected to boost production by encouraging greater local manufacturing of equipment Read More...