As nuclear plants shut down, renewable energy could boom
While the safety, cost, and long-term environmental impacts of nuclear energy have been contested for the past half century, there is no debate that nuclear power plants are a significant source of carbon-free electricity. So is this the best time to be shutting them down? It is in California. One Read More...
Man hand-builds awesome amusement park that's inspired by nature
Kids are spending less time outdoors than prison inmates, and it's leading to a whole host of problems like obesity, nature deficit disorder and lower levels of what could be called "ecological literacy". But how do you get screen-addled kids excited to go outdoors? Perhaps we could learn from Read More...
We get more violent when it gets hotter, we need to figure out why
Police departments across the world know that violence spikes in hotter months and is higher in hotter climates. There are several explanations that include the suggestion that people who live in warmer places spend more time outside, and therefore are offered more opportunity for other people to Read More...
Virgin Atlantic finds cheapest way to save fuel is to tell pilots to do so
In an innovative experiment, Virgin Atlantic has used behavioral science to ‘nudge’ its pilots into using less fuel. The experiment shows that significant fuel savings can be achieved with very little investment. The pilots were split into four groups: One which was simply told that fuel use Read More...
More and more businesses branch out and are making money from solar
Companies typically put solar panels on their roofs to support clean energy and cut emissions, but a growing group of them are branching out to earn profits from selling solar energy. Apple and clothing company Patagonia are leading this trend that was initiated by Google which received a license Read More...
New program shows success in halting and reversing early-stage Alzheimer’s
There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s and more and more people are suffering from it. A new study shows some cause for optimism. Neuroscientists have been able to halt, and in some cases reverse, the disease in ten early-stage patients. A combination therapy, called the MEND program, shows remarkable Read More...
Climate change: UK to set bold emissions target
A world-leading climate change target up to the early 2030s is set to be confirmed by the British government. Ministers are expected to announce that the UK will cut carbon emissions by 57% by 2032, from 1990 levels. The announcement will help reassure the investors needed to overhaul the UK's Read More...
Intel, Mobileye, BMW to develop driverless cars: Report
German carmaker BMW AG is the latest automobile company to hop onto the driverless bandwagon, Bloomberg reported. Chipmaker Intel Corp. is working with Jerusalem-basedMobileye NV to develop self-driving car technology for BMW AG, reported Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter. Mobileye Read More...
Aloe vera should be investigated as diabetes treatment, study says
Aloe vera should be further investigated as a potential antidiabetic compound, say researchers after analyzing evidence that it lowered blood glucose in patients with diabetes and pre-diabetes. The analysis is the work of researchers at the David Grant USAF Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base Read More...
Here comes the sun: US solar power market hits all-time high
Solar energy in the US has had a rocky existence. Ever since Ronald Reagan symbolically removed Jimmy Carter’s solar panels from the White House roof in 1986, federal policy has been unpredictable, such that manufacturers and consumers could never depend on reliable incentives to produce and Read More...