Rare Amazon cactus blooms for the first time at botanic garden in the UK
A rare cactus from the Amazon rainforest that has attracted interest from around the world has flowered for the first time in a British garden. After keeping a night watch for several days, botanists at Cambridge University’s Botanic Garden finally got to witness the moonflower cactus, also Read More...
Optimist View: Taking Ownership & Choosing A Better Future
“All that you touch you Change. All that you Change, Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change.” - Octavia E. Butler BY KRISTY JANSEN We humans have had and will continue to have a profound effect on this planet and the biosphere. It's no longer debatable and that’s Read More...
MIT researchers are designing a machine to replicate a dog’s sense of smell
We recently shared a story about how robots can alleviate loneliness much like a pet. It turns out that robotics can replicate other great things canines do. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing a machine that can emulate a dog’s acute sense of Read More...
This shrub is a roadside pollution-absorbing ‘super plant’
In order to ease environmental problems such as air pollution, British scientists at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) have been researching and comparing the effectiveness of different types of shrubs when it comes to soaking up pollution. What they have discovered is that bushy, Read More...
Three strategies to work from home without burning out
This year, for obvious reasons, we have seen a significant shift from working in the office to working from home. For many of us fortunate enough to have maintained employment throughout the pandemic, this means that the lines that separate work from leisure time have become increasingly Read More...
NASA’s Perseverance rover lands on Mars to search for extraterrestrial life
In an incredible interplanetary feat, NASA’s Perseverance rover has successfully landed on Mars on Thursday. The touchdown, which took place on the red planet’s Jezero crater, marks the beginning of the agency’s most ambitious effort to directly investigate whether there was once life on our Read More...
Scientists use AI and smartphones to detect skin cancer highly accurately
The idea of using smartphones to detect potential skin cancers has been around for more than a decade, but until now, the technology hasn’t been advanced enough to challenge the accuracy of a trained dermatologist. Recently, however, researchers at MIT and Harvard developed deep learning Read More...
Photo gallery: Europe’s most active volcano is in spectacular form
While fireworks may look nice, they don’t even compare to the natural extravagance of a volcanic eruption. Recently, the people of Sicily have been treated to an incredible show from Europe’s most active volcano: Mount Etna. The volcano has been spewing massive lava fountains and oozing Read More...
5 ways to build rapport with students in online classes
With vaccinations underway, many school districts are optimistically looking towards a return to in-person classes, but until then, it’s important for schools and teachers to continue to work to improve the quality and level of engagement of online courses. One key way to do this is to build a Read More...
Failed your New Year’s resolution? Here’s how to bounce back
Setting a New Year’s resolution is easy, but the hard part is maintaining the motivation to actually achieve that resolution. If you found yourself falling short of your New Year’s goals, no worries. We have 6 tips to help you get up and bounce back from this so-called “failure.” Reframe Read More...