This refillable deodorant from Dove avoids single-use plastic packaging
As the plastic crisis becomes harder to avoid, big brands are under increasing pressure to shift their practices towards sustainability. One of the latest brands to do so is Dove. Looking to provide a better alternative to the single-use plastic deodorant stick, which ends up in a bin within Read More...
Huge US rail trail project will allow cyclists to bike coast to coast
Bike trails have proved invaluable for recreation and transport during the lockdown, displaying how important it is for cities to integrate safe cycling and walking routes within their post-pandemic recovery. However, it's not just cities that are making an effort to create more bike lanes. Dubbed Read More...
Portable cleaner makes menstrual cups convenient and even more sustainable
Menstrual cups are a convenient and eco-friendly alternative to pads and tampons, but using them out and about often requires washing them in a public sink. To make their use easier for women everywhere, Emanui has designed a portable menstrual cup cleaner that makes the cleaning process more Read More...
Turn your regular bike into an e-bike with this clever attachment
Unless you live in a flat country like the Netherlands, chances are you have to navigate up a few hills during your daily commute. That idea alone might be enough to deter many folks from opting to ride a bike on their way to work. For that reason, product designer Somnath Ray decided to create a Read More...
Boston Red Sox hire first Black woman to coach in MLB history
Back in November, we shared news of a gender breakthrough in Major League Baseball (MLB) as the male-dominated sport welcomed its first female general manager—Kim Ng of the Miami Marlins. Today, we’re excited to share that the Boston Red Sox just made history by hiring Bianca Smith, the first Read More...
These lightweight drones are made from old pineapple leaves
Farmers in Malaysia often burn or throw away pineapple leaves after the fruit has been harvested for the season. Researchers from Putra University have found an ingenious new use for these leaves by repurposing them into a lightweight, sustainable drone. Led by Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Read More...
EVs greatly outsold gas-powered cars in Norway last year
Only when people start purchasing more electric vehicles than gas-powered ones can we truly say that the EV revolution is underway. Although the US still has a long way to go until that point is reached, there is one country where more than half of all cars sold are electric: Norway. According to Read More...
5 Evidence-backed ways to feel happier in hard times
As coronavirus pandemic trudges onward to a backdrop of political antics, you may be finding yourself looking at the post-pandemic future as a time where happiness can be experienced again. But there’s a problem with deferring happiness to the future—after all, all we got is the present. Read More...
Researchers solve key desalination efficiency mystery
Desalination is the process of removing salt and other chemicals from water to make it potable. It holds immense promise for providing clean water in the future as we face dwindling fresh water supplies for a growing population. For years, inconsistent efficiency in desalination baffled Read More...
January 7, 2021
Today Kristy and Amelia bring you a company putting old chopsticks to good use and how researchers may have isolated the beneficial component of the psychedelic drug ibogaine. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...