Quality sleep helps ward off Alzheimer’s disease, new research shows
We’re all familiar with the restorative role of sleep for the brain: Pulling an all-nighter or staying awake during a red-eye flight can not only change our mood but also affect our ability to think clearly until, at some point, it practically shuts down on its own. When we don’t get enough Read More...
Graduate students design little robot that cleans up oil spills
A decade after a BP drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, sending an estimated 168 million gallons of oil gushing into the water over the course of months, local wildlife is still struggling to recover. Many of the people who worked to clean up the spill are still experiencing health Read More...
New laws will see Germany dim lights at night to save insects
For years, the population of insects in Germany and their diversity has declined greatly. Recognizing the vital importance of insects to the country’s ecosystem, Germany’s environment ministry has drawn up a number of new measures to protect insects, ranging from partially outlawing spotlights Read More...
It’s official: New Guinea has the highest plant diversity of any island
Scientists have explored and studied much of our terrestrial world, but there is one place that remains quite the hidden gem: New Guinea. The “paradise island” has some of the best-preserved ecosystems on the planet, including coastal mangroves, huge expanses of untouched tropical rainforest Read More...
England's first wild beavers for 400 years to keep living on River Otter
Back in February, we wrote about a group of beavers that escaped captivity back in 2013 and were found years later living along a river in Devon, England. Those beavers were originally set to be exterminated, but thanks to the popular outcry, the government agreed to a scientific trial to measure Read More...
Vertical farms can grow fresh veggies using 90% less water
Out of the fraction of habitable land that exists in our world about 50 percent of it is used for farming. Not only is this stretch of land massive, but agriculture also uses 70 percent of our freshwater supply. Considering how resource intensive classic agriculture is to our society, one might ask Read More...
Oakland-based startup is 3D-printing homes in 24 hours
We have previously written about a nonprofit called New Story that was building the world’s first 3D-printed neighborhood for impoverished people in Mexico. Now, we present to you a startup that is taking 3D-printing to another level when it comes to homebuilding. The startup, Mighty Buildings, Read More...
Recycled cotton-based clothing is very tricky, but that’s about to change
The waste generated by the fashion and clothing industry is massive, and not just because of the items that are worn a few times before being discarded in favor of the latest trends. Recycling clothing made from cotton is tricky business, meaning pieces like jeans and shirts often become rags Read More...
How to make your own DIY Lysol spray
Hygiene is a top priority for any household these days, which is why products like hand sanitizer and Lysol disinfectant spray are flying off the shelves. But you don’t need to keep buying Lysol spray every time you run out. The fact of the matter is the ingredients in Lysol are no secret, so you Read More...
Meet Caesar, the therapy llama calming tensions at protests
Portland has been in the headlines a lot lately after waves of protests led to clashes between police and activists. But even amongst the intensity of the unrest, there were pockets of calm around “Caesar the No Drama Llama." Caesar is a retired 6-year-old Argentine grand champion show llama Read More...