Want to prevent dementia? Get outside and move your body
We all know that moving our bodies is critical for physical health, but it may also be critical for cognitive health, or more specifically, for preventing dementia. A systematic review of 36 studies found that regular exercise, including bicycling, jogging, walking, and swimming, is beneficial for Read More...
Here are 3 carbon capture programs you can support
Transforming the entire economy to get to net-zero emissions, something that scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, will require massive and complicated transformations of nearly every aspect of society. But if you want to act on climate change now as an Read More...
California wildfires prove there’s never been a better time for microgrids
Motivating people to switch to new technologies can be nearly impossible if old technologies work just fine. It’s much easier if people can see for themselves that those new technologies are a far better solution. This is certainly the case in California right now. For years the Optimist has Read More...
Why it’s never too early to think about heart health
Most of us don’t start to worry about heart health until we reach middle age. However, eating for a healthy heart is important at all stages of life, and focusing on it early can help prevent cardiovascular disease later in life. Here’s why its never too early to think about heart Read More...
10 US cities will transform streets into vibrant murals under new initiative
You can reclaim the streets from cars and give them back to the people, but if those streets still look like plain-old asphalt roads, then people won’t feel as inclined to spend time there. In a bid to make cities more vibrant and pedestrian-friendly, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced this week Read More...
NASA to send a rover to the moon in 2022 to search for water
This year, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing. Now, NASA is planning to head back to the moon, this time to look for water. The journey, planned for 2022, will land a golf cart sized Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) on the southern end of the Read More...
This puppy is boosting attendance at this Australian primary school
Ask yourself this: if there had been a fluffy, playful dog in your classroom when you were a kid, would you have been more motivated to go? Our guess is yes. At an elementary school in Victoria, Australia, a six-month-old Golden Doodle named Daisy has become the latest staff member of the school. Read More...
Salvaging wood from Baltimore’s abandoned homes creates jobs and cuts waste
Baltimore, like many post-industrial cities, confronts novel challenges. Once the sixth-largest city in the United States, Baltimore’s population has contracted by more than a third, resulting from a complex suite of factors, including job loss, economic decline, and discriminatory policies or Read More...
Offshore wind power could singlehandedly meet world’s energy needs
Currently, offshore wind provides only 0.3% of global power generation. But a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) claims that setting up wind turbines on the world’s best offshore sites could provide more than enough clean energy to outstrip global energy demand. In the Read More...
This hotel in London is made out of 25 recycled shipping containers
Shipping containers have been used for a wide range of projects, from tiny houses to apartment buildings, and, despite their limitations, continue to spark the imaginations of architects. The latest example of this comes from UK design studio, Doone Silver Kerr, which used the metal boxes to create Read More...