Reversed roles: This major charity is now letting poor kids choose their donors
World Vision, a Christian charity based in Seattle, is one of the largest nonprofits working in global health and development, with more than $1 billion in annual revenues. The group raises money for children with a sponsorship model: Americans browse through folders filled with images of Read More...
Telling people what product their trash will turn into can boost recycling rates
We don’t mean to bring on the negativity, but US recycling rates are abysmal. About 75% of American waste is recyclable, yet just 30% of it is actually recycled. The figures are even worse with materials like plastic. Less than 10% of plastics disposed of in the U.S. in 2015 were recycled. Read More...
4 things you can do to improve your gut health and lower your stress levels
More and more research is finding that the brain and the gut communicate directly. That means emotions and cognitive function affect the intestine and vice versa. Thus, stress can wreak havoc on your gut, and your gut health can affect stress levels, which brings up the question: how can you keep Read More...
Motorboats are a disaster for subaquatic eco-systems. This electric boat isn’t.
While motorboats and jet skis look like harmless fun above the waves, under the waves they’re a nightmare for the aquatic beings that live below. And although the pollutants that motors spew into the water are one part of the problem, it’s the loud noise these sea-faring vehicles create that is Read More...
Scientists just discovered the world’s most powerful electric eel in the Amazon
As a testament to the incredible biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest, scientists have discovered two entirely new species of electric eel in the Amazon basin—with one of them capable of delivering a record-breaking electrical jolt. For centuries, it was believed that a single species existed Read More...
Why it’s never to late to starting working out
At the ripe age of 70, Jim Owen finally came to realize that his successful career on Wall Street was a burden on his health. Not necessarily because of the stress that came with the job, but because he had been sedentary most of the time. Owen finally began exercising after this realization and Read More...
The headliner at this giant stadium is a forest of 300 trees
In the 1970s, artist Max Peitner created a striking pencil drawing in which a forest sat in the middle of a coliseum packed with spectators. The idea behind the drawing was to imagine a time when forests will exist only as exhibition objects. In other words, it's a thought experiment created to Read More...
Want an excuse to nap more? A new study finds naps are good for heart health
There’s nothing wrong with taking a nap. In fact, a recent study found that—in moderation—naps may actually be good for your heart. In a new paper published in the journal Heart, researchers found that Swiss adults who took one or two daytime naps per week had a lower risk of heart Read More...
Bosnia just held its first Gay Pride Parade ever—and it was a success!
While most of us here in the US would not raise an eyebrow when a gay pride parade to takes place in the streets, in many parts of the world, such a thing would be unthinkable. This has long been the case in Bosnia, the last Balkan country to hold a pride parade. Homophobia is, unfortunately, Read More...
Science tells us laughter can help us lead a healthier life
In 1976, Norman Cousins, the revered editor of the Saturday Review, wrote a piece that signaled the arrival of laughter in the precincts of science. The piece, which was called “Anatomy of an Illness (as Perceived by the Patient)”, follows Cousins as he checks himself out of a hospital and Read More...