6 feng shui tips to help you rediscover your creativity
Not all of us have jobs or passions that fall into a classically "creative" category, but you don't need to be a writer, singer, or painter to know when your creativity is humming and when it feels blocked. If you feel sapped of creative energy, here are some quick strategies for dialing up Read More...
New prosthetic gives amputees real-time mind control of robotic hand
Machine learning algorithms and new techniques in biomedical engineering are leading to the creation of robotic hands that amputees can use to regain the functions of a real hand. Recently, researchers at the University of Michigan tapped faint, latent signals from arm nerves and amplified them Read More...
Scientists make earthquake-proof concrete without energy-intensive cement
Concrete is the world’s most widely-used building material thanks to its incredible strength – but it doesn’t stand up well against bending. Now, researchers at Swinburne University have developed a new type of concrete that can not only bend better, but doesn’t require cement to make, Read More...
A rare video of a sloth giving birth has scientists thrilled. Here’s why
When Steven Vela, a tour guide in Costa Rica, spotted a brown-throated sloth up in a tree near La Fortuna, he had no idea the animal was in the late stages of labor—or of the drama that would unfold next. With the camera rolling, the sloth gives birth to its baby, but seconds later the baby Read More...
Researchers in Michigan are using lasers to better detect concussions
The process of detecting a concussion feels more like a field sobriety check rather than a proper medical exam. What day is it? Where are you? Who is the president? Can you count backward from 100 by sevens? These are the type of questions that are supposed to determine whether you have a Read More...
World’s largest banker of fossil fuels to no longer fund arctic drilling
If we are to truly put an end to oil and gas drilling in the Arctic, then the world’s financial institutions must stop providing the funds that support drilling operations. The good news is that America’s biggest bank is walking away from funding Arctic drilling, along with the world’s Read More...
This Bill Gates-backed startup is growing palm oil in a lab
On a typical trip to the grocery store, you probably buy at least one product made with palm oil, which is found in everything from shampoo and detergent to pizza dough, ice cream, and instant ramen. It’s the most widely used vegetable oil in the world, with 75.7 million metric tons of production Read More...
50 ways to be kinder to the planet
At the Optimist Daily, we’re always looking for ways to be kinder to the planet—whether it’s through the food we buy or the clothes we wear. Recently, The Guardian published a list of 50 simple ways to make your life a bit greener. We’re not going to post all 50 right here, but we’ve Read More...
Judge tosses oil and gas leases on almost 1 million acres of public land
For everyone who cares about our public lands, we have good news: A federal judge banned oil and gas leases on nearly one million acres of public lands that are important habitat for the greater sage grouse, the largest type of grouse (type of bird) in the US. The ruling goes against a White Read More...
Goodyear unveils smart tire concept that never goes flat
The thunk-whumma-whumpa-whuppa sound of a tire puncturing and losing pressure at freeway speeds is unmistakable. However, if Goodyear has its way humanity might not have to endure the filthy, sweaty, swear-inducing process of swapping rubber on the shoulder of American roads ever again. This Read More...