6 futuristic cars powered entirely by the sun
Innovators around the world are obsessed with harnessing the power of the sun. Solar energy has been used to power lamps that light up the night, to run desalinators that create clean drinking water, and to offset fossil fuels on utility grids. But what about solar cars? The world hasn't seen many Read More...
New apps help Palestinians navigate Israeli checkpoints
A pair of new mobile apps hope to help Palestinians navigate snarled traffic at Israeli checkpoints in the occupied West Bank, offering a high-tech response to constant and burdensome restrictions on movement. "Azmeh", which means traffic jam in Arabic, and "Qalandiya", the name of a major Israeli Read More...
This house runs on poop and food waste
An abandoned farm in rural Spain, a mile from the nearest tiny village, is the unlikely site of cutting-edge energy technology. The new farmhouse under construction on the property will eventually be powered partly by the owners' poop. The mini waste-to-energy system takes organic Read More...
How to get better at expressing your feelings
The term “emotional intelligence” has now reigned for 20 years. Daniel Goleman’s 1995 book of the same name popularized the idea that the capacity to understand and wield emotional information is a crucial skill. Part of that is expressing emotions, be it through writing, body Read More...
Why a climate deal is the best hope for peace
Soon after the horrific terror attacks in Paris, last Friday, our phones filled with messages from friends and colleagues: “So are they going to cancel the Paris climate summit?” “The drums of war are beating. Count on climate change being drowned out.” The assumption is reasonable enough. Read More...
US Christian groups plead for compassion for Muslim refugees
Since the Paris attacks this past Friday, governors of more than half of the U.S. states have said they will not welcome Syrian refugees. Some politicians have even said they would be fine with refugees, as long as they are Christian. But just as it is false to say that the terrorists represent Read More...
New gadget lets deaf people and hearing people talk to each other
For deaf people, communication with the outside world is difficult; not many people know sign language. Designed to function as an automatic, instant translator, a new gadget called Uni may change this. Uni has a tablet and two cameras. If someone signs, the software translates the gestures into Read More...
Researchers create cheaper, high performance LED
LED lighting has become an essential part of reducing energy usage around the world but its adoption hasn’t been all too fast considering the costs associated with the material and the quality. That’s all set to change however as researchers from Florida State University have created new LED Read More...
Battery-swapping scooters coming to Amsterdam
Gogoro electric scooters are brilliant. Unlike other electric scooters that charge via a wall outlet, Gogoro has a series of battery swapping stations where riders can pull in and swap their nearly dead battery for a fresh one and carry on riding. The scooter company has been a hit in Taipei since Read More...
How period-tracking apps can empower women by fighting the menstruation taboo
Let's admit it: menstruation is still a taboo in our society. Women still hide their tampons and don't feel comfortable to talk about their period in public. But things are slowly changing. It was liberating when women's tennis world number two, Petra Kvitova, spoke frankly this summer about how Read More...