Scientists are designing self-charging wearables that heal themselves
What if your wearable gadgets could harvest body heat to power themselves so that they never ran out of battery? Soon, damaged chargers and lack of power outlets may be problems of the past as scientists come closer to creating wearable thermoelectric generators that are flexible, durable, Read More...
This vegan ice cream gets its creaminess from lab-grown milk proteins
The dairy industry is a major culprit when it comes to global carbon emissions, emitting nearly as much as the shipping and aviation industries combined. Cutting down or eliminating dairy consumption is one way we can personally spur reductions in dairy emissions, but when things such as ice cream Read More...
A strong coffee 30 minutes before exercise can boost the burning of fat
Enjoying a cup of coffee while reading this? If so, you might want to consider exercising 30 minutes from now. In a small study in Spain, researchers found that drinking a strong cup of coffee half an hour before aerobic exercise can significantly boost the body’s rate of burning fat, something Read More...
Workshop aims to help disabled Costa Rican women overcome social barriers
35 disabled women and caregivers in the Nicoya region of Costa Rica are working towards massively improving their quality of life through a workshop hosted by the National Women’s Institute (INAMU). The workshop aims specifically to help impoverished and disabled women (and/or their Read More...
Experiment: Blue-green algae could help make life sustainable on Mars
As astronauts are preparing for the upcoming space missions to Mars, scientists are now hard at work to find ways to make the red planet as hospitable as possible for human settlement. A recent experiment has found that the good old blue-green algae may play a key role in achieving that Read More...
Tree equity program aims to bring greenery to low-income neighborhoods
Following decades of discriminatory housing and planning policies, many American neighborhoods today still remain segregated on socioeconomic lines. But in addition to differences in income levels, there’s also something else that differentiates these neighborhoods from richer ones — they have Read More...
These colorful windows capture energy from indoor and outdoor light
What if we could build solar panels that aren’t an addition on top of buildings, but an actual part of the structural construction of homes and offices? This is the idea behind luminescent solar concentrators developed by researchers from Rice University. The technology transforms Read More...
New York State mandates fertility treatment coverage for same-sex couples
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2021 Women’s Agenda has already introduced a host of protections for women and LGBTQ+ New Yorkers such as mandating insurance coverage of in-vitro fertilization services, banning conversion therapy, and stronger protections for marriage quality. Most recently, Cuomo Read More...
February 17, 2021
Happy Random Act of Kindness Day! Did you know a recent study showed the pandemic has made people kinder? This and a surge in community forest projects today on the Update. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
February 17, 2021
Happy Random Act of Kindness Day! Did you know a recent study showed the pandemic has made people kinder? This and a surge in community forest projects today on the Update. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...