Wind energy saves up to 12,000 lives, $108 billion in health costs
Wind energy saves up to 12,000 lives, $108 billion in health costs. We often write about the economic benefits of wind power. But a new report released this week reveals that wind is not just a low-cost energy source that’s supporting over 100,000 Read More...
New refrigerator camera takes aim at food waste
We know food waste is an issue, but often it’s all too easy to forget about that bag of lettuce in the back of your refrigerator until it rots. It turns out 40 percent of the salad British families buy each year ends up in the trash – but a new Read More...
Here are some of the technologies that are making cities smarter
As the world’s biggest cities continue to sprawl with many millions of new people, they’ll look to many of the technologies and tactics covered in today’s infographic from Raconteur to work smarter – and not harder – for their inhabitants. Read More...
Some Democrats see tax overhaul as a path to taxing carbon
With a sweeping overhaul of the tax code on the horizon, two Senate Democrats believe this is the moment to broach the third rail of climate change policy: a carbon tax. The plan by the senators, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Brian Schatz of Hawaii, to level a $49 per metric ton fee on Read More...
Norway is slashing food waste through selling out-of-date produce
It is well-known that “best by dates” on produce and food packages are mere guidelines. The dates don’t mean that the food will be bad for consumption by the given date. Nonetheless, supermarkets and consumers throw away a lot of food based on these dates. Norway is now aggressively fighting Read More...
Research shows that memories of fear can be permanently erased
Scientists have succeeded in erasing memories of fear in mice bringing closer the eternal sunshine of a spotless mind. They were also able to selectively manipulate memories, weakening or strengthening particular memories while leaving others unchanged. The approach could potentially be used to Read More...
U.S. utilities use solar eclipse to test impact renewables on power networks
Power grid operators in the U.S. are looking forward to Monday’s solar eclipse as an opportunity to test the impact of renewables on the power networks. The eclipse offers a completely predictable stage for experiments. It’s not often that utilities get such precise and advance notice about Read More...
Why full schedules and lots of meetings don’t lead to success
Many people go through their days following overloaded schedules. If you want to meet them, you can do so in two weeks… Some people even take pride in these heavy schedules of meetings as a reflection of their productivity. Alas, it doesn’t work. There’s one thing that the truly successful Read More...
Could a universal basic income become the next American Dream?
Nothing may be a greater contradiction to America’s cherished free market economy than the idea of cash handouts for everyone. But the idea is gaining ground left, right, and center as a breakthrough solution for unemployment and social inequality. A Universal Basic Income may play a role in a Read More...
Healing human tissue with “cotton candy”
It looks like it but, no, this is not cotton candy. Instead of sugar, researchers pour polymers into a cotton candy machine to make a heap of wispy strands. The polymer fibers are combined with hydrogel into a substance placed on wounds to keep them moist and help them heal. When the fibers Read More...