Can empathy bridge political divides?
The unprecedented level of political division in the United States has been worrisome to many Americans, but bridging that gap is not an impossible task, according to a Stanford sociologist. Robb Willer, a professor of sociology, has studied the rising polarization in the United States for several Read More...
Chemical that gives pine trees their smell could be used to make renewable plastic
Plastic is an incredibly useful and versatile material, but it's also become a plague to the earth because of the large amount of disposable plastics thrown away every day that wind up in landfills and our oceans. On top of that, it's made from petroleum, a fossil fuel, which adds to its Read More...
There are big opportunities in the world's big challenges
In every threat to the planet, there's a potential opportunity either to avert that threat or mitigate its impact. Take climate change. Rising seas and deeper droughts are enormous long-term risks, but there's also opportunities for new infrastructure and different types of agriculture, innovations Read More...
6-hour workdays lead to happier workers in Sweden, and no loss in production
Working fewer hours does not lead to a loss in productivity and does increase happiness and health of workers. That’s the outcome of a 2-year experiment in Sweden with companies that switched to a 6-hour workday. In an earlier government experiment, the Swedes concluded that the extra costs were Read More...
Recycling 2.0: Scientists discover a plastic-eating bacteria
Plastic pollution is a big problem. The good news is that a research team has finally found a microbe that eats plastic. Unlike natural polymers (such as cellulose in plants) plastics aren’t biodegradable. Bacteria and fungi co-evolved with natural materials, coming up with new biochemical Read More...
Study: Autism symptoms diminish after gut improves with fecal transplant
Rebalancing the bacteria in the gut with a fecal transplant leads to positive behavioral changes in children with autism. That’s the outcome of a new study. A fecal transplant is a method of introducing donated healthy microbes into people with gastrointestinal disease to rebalance the gut. The Read More...
California sets the most ambitious climate goal in the U.S.
California doesn’t care what the new federal global warming policies in Washington D.C. may be and has set the most ambitious goal to cut carbon emissions in the U.S. According to the newly released plan emissions will be cut 40 percent over 1990 levels by 2030. “We’ve got the scientists, Read More...
5 ways to say “no”: Staying productive is all about deciding what not to do
What you don’t do on a daily basis is at least—if not more—important than what you actually do take action on. Of course, saying "no" is easier said than done. Many of us have an intuitive desire to please others, to explore every opportunity, to take on more than we can handle, and worry Read More...
How sun exposure improves our immune function
Mounting research confirms that sun avoidance may be at the heart of a large number of health problems. Not only does your body produce vitamin D in response to sun exposure on bare skin, but sunlight also produces a number of other health benefits that are unrelated to vitamin D production. In Read More...
Renewables now cheapest, but how to enable faster renewable energy growth
Renewable energy is now the cheapest option, on average, for new electricity capacity around the world — in developed countries like the U.S. as well as developing countries like India, China, Nigeria, and Mexico. As I noted the other day, we need to keep channeling this message to the broader Read More...