New study finds raising minimum wage just $1 would cause suicide rates to drop
Though the federal minimum wage has stayed stagnant for a decade, there has been a push to increase the minimum wage in certain cities and states, and the benefits of doing so go beyond merely enabling people to afford their rent. A higher minimum wage could keep people out of prison and has Read More...
IBM has developed a sustainable successor to the dirty lithium-ion battery
Yesterday we published a story (emissary section) about a new lithium-sulfur battery that has a capacity five times higher than that of lithium-ion batteries, which means it can keep a phone charged for five days. Today, we bring you another major advancement in batteries: a battery-free of cobalt, Read More...
Pilot study finds people heal faster at home than in hospitals
People check into the hospital expecting to get better, but there are risks — and some even wind up getting sicker. You can face the danger of complications, like bleeding or infection. There are also the constant check-ins from nurses or physicians that can disrupt sleep. And none of that Read More...
This winery used rusty oil drilling pipes to create a solar-powered barn
Winemakers in California have given unexpected new life to old oil field drill stem pipes, using them to create an equipment barn covered in solar panels. The use of the rusty oil pipes gives the barn a bit of steampunk vibe, fitting in nicely amongst the rolling vineyard-lined hills. But beyond Read More...
5 clever ways to sharpen your intuition
Imagine if you had a secret superpower that let you always make the best decisions for yourself. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Well, it turns out you do have such a superpower. It’s called your intuition, that little inner ‘hunch’ within you that gives you a feeling about what decisions to Read More...
Want to make a new habit stick? Research tells us this is the best technique
According to one study, only eight percent of people maintain their New Year’s resolutions for the whole year. That’s a rather unimpressive success rate, which is why during the past few years, researchers have been studying the best techniques for forming daily habits. Out of the 23 Read More...
Here are 3 ways to unclog your kitchen sink without any chemicals
You don’t need to reach for the bottle of Drano the next time your kitchen sink clogs up. In fact, there are many ways to unclog your sink without chemicals using things you already have in your house. Below you’ll find three of them. Use a plunger: If you've got standing water in your sink, Read More...
This clever box brings clean energy and water to Earth’s most rural places
After 15 years of experience in the renewables industry, Emiliano Cecchini set out on his biggest mission yet: help people in the most rural places meet their basic needs of power and water. Cecchini’s mission began in 2014 when he and his collaborator Davide Bonsignore discovered just how long Read More...
Footage of chimpanzees dancing suggests the urge to dance might be prehuman
If there is one thing that unites humans around the world, it’s that dance is a part of every human culture ever encountered. But while dance has a rich and ancient history in humans, it is considered all but absent in non-human primates. New footage from researchers in Kyoto, however, is telling Read More...
This lamp is designed to help people with dyslexia read better
The precise causes of dyslexia remain a mystery, though research out of France two years ago suggests the condition occurs when someone has two dominant eyes, rather than the usual one. This means letters appear mirrored or blurred, making it difficult to read. Based upon this research, a Read More...