Design
Using waste: Researchers harness human urine to make products in space
Space travel has inspired a lot of innovation. In the field of solar energy, for instance. But there’s an obvious domain that is still to be conquered: human waste. Human beings are the only animals in the ecosystem of the planet whose waste is not feeding for further evolution. But scientists Read More...
Look at this map: The world is different than you think
The traditional map distorts our perception of the world. Europe seems still the center of the world it once was. Countries appear bigger than they really are. Here’s an attempt to bring us back to reality with a map that accurately depicts the size of continents in comparison to each Read More...
The industrious bee: Replacing plastic products with beeswax
The greatest challenge to “going green” these days is finding suitable replacements for our carbon-based conveniences. Things like plastic wrap and zip-lock bags have become household 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...
Building with bamboo: beautiful and sustainable
Bamboo is a great construction material. It is tougher to pull apart than steel, resistant to earthquakes, has great flexibility and grows incredibly quickly. It can also be harvested without killing the plant, which means that it regenerates a lot faster than wood. And it allows for beautiful Read More...
Solving the waste problem: Materials that self-destruct if they're not "fed"
Wouldn’t it be great if things you don’t longer use, would disappear and decompose automatically? Nature does not produce garbage dumps. Instead, biological cells are constantly synthesizing new molecules from recycled ones. Now researchers are mimicking this natural process and developing Read More...
School covered in 12,000 solar panels generates half of its electricity
Most solar panels are “hidden” on roofs and many people argue they don’t like the blue reflection of the panels. This Danish school presents custom-built solar panels as a featured architectural element. Almost the entire facade of the Copenhagen International School, Nordhavn is made of Read More...
What would the perfect cycling city look like?
Velotopia is as circular as the topography has allowed, for the usual reason that citizens are always clamouring to live near the civic centre. Development has been restricted to level ground and city limits have been restricted to a diameter of 15km. That ensures average commuting distances of Read More...
How two New York City parks helped change America
After exploring ten of the most important homes in American history, PBS's ongoing series 10 That Changed America continues with a survey of the ten parks that proved hugely influential on urban planning in the United States. And, unsurprisingly, two New York City parks have ended up on the list: Read More...
To design the perfect drone, follow nature's lead
Nature has found some elegant solutions to complicated problems and engineers have long been inspired by its designs. But Adrian Thomas thinks translating the best of nature’s discoveries into man-made devices requires the ability to step back and see the context. Thomas is a Professor of Read More...