This company is using solar panels to harvest water directly from the air
A company has figured out how to harvest drinking water out of thin air, using a combination of materials science, solar power, and predictive data. If you’re not following how that it’s possible, don’t worry; you’d likely have to be an expert in materials science and fluid dynamics to Read More...
How some Tesla owners are mining bitcoins with free power from charging stations
For all the pros that Bitcoins have, there’s one con that’s particular bad: The fact that Bitcoin mining uses more electricity than all of Ireland. That’s because bitcoin mining utilizes specialized computers to churn through extremely power-intensive computing processes. In order to find Read More...
Dropping the price of these seven foods will prevent thousands of deaths
A new study has found that the impact of price subsidies on healthy foods and increased taxes on unhealthy foods would result in 63,000 fewer deaths per year in the United States. In particular, the researchers found that a 10 percent price decrease to seven particular foods alone could prevent Read More...
Can you turn a conservative into a liberal?
In the past, laboratory studies have found that the political and social attitudes of liberal adults became more conservative when they experienced physical threat. Now the first experiment has been conducted to try and find what can make a conservative become a liberal. The results say a lot about Read More...
This device will detect the dangerous chemicals in your tap water
Do you know what’s in your tap water? Hopefully, just some fluoride, but there’s a chance for much worse: lead, arsenic, or mercury. But soon, thanks to the Toronto-based startup Serene Sensors, you’ll be able to see exactly what’s in your next Read More...
A banker-turned-Buddhist nun reveals her key to happiness
Emma Slade was once a high-rolling, high-stakes banker. The Cambridge graduate managed accounts worth upwards of $1 billion, and liked her Armani suits and Read More...
These origami-inspired robotic muscles can lift 1,000 times their weight
Using simple materials, scientists have built robot “muscles” that can lift 1,000 times their own weight. These muscles are made out of metal or plastic “skeletons” that are covered in either a liquid or air, and then sealed in plastic or fabric “skins,” which are then folded in Read More...
'One garbage truck of textiles is thrown away every second'
In a new report, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation exposed the scale of waste within the fashion industry, which creates 1.2bn tons of greenhouse gas emission each year—larger than that of international flights and shipping combined. The fashion industry is incredibly wasteful, but thanks to the Read More...
Study: Cinnamon boosts metabolism in human fat cells
In a new study, researchers found that exposure to cinnamon oil triggers human cells to start burning calories through a process known as thermogenesis. A closer look showed that the oil increased the activity of several genes, enzymes and proteins that are known to enhance fat metabolism. Read More...
Food banks are moving beyond canned foods to feed the hungry with fresh produce
While canned foods are usually what comes to mind when you think of food banks, hunger-relief organizations in the US are working quickly to get nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables to those who need it most. To do this, a new strategy has been rolled out that urges farmers to bring their Read More...