Design
Building materials that tap into nature's elegant, and harmless, designs
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 - 12:59amThis article orignially appeared in the Verdical Group blog. Every year, about 15 billion tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere from concrete production alone. As cities continue to grow (according to the U.N., world urban populations Read More...
Could the building block of the future be compressed recycled plastic?
A new startup by the name of ByFusion has a novel solution for tackling the growing problem of ocean plastic: turn it into construction material. The U.S-based startup has a patented process where they collect plastic trash from the ocean and compress it into sturdy, construction-quality bricks. 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...
Solar cell efficiency smackdown: Eye of moth vs. petal of rose
Moth eyes were last year’s big thing in solar cell biomimicry, and now it looks like a new challenger has stepped into the ring. A research team from Germany’s Karlsruher Institut für Technologie has zeroed in on the nanoscale structure of rose petals — specifically, the El Read More...
How an artificial leaf could one day power your car
Harvard University researchers say they've created a half-chemical, half-biological system to generate liquid fuel, using air, water, and sunlight. As if that weren't enough, it takes climate-changing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere in the process.A study published on Thursday in the journal Read More...
Mobile saunas made from old ski gondolas
A sauna in the snow is about as good as it gets. The saunagondel is a creative innovation that enables a mobile electric sauna in below-zero landscapes. The saunagondel is housed inside an old Swiss ski gondola and can accommodate up to four adults. The saunas is fitted with silver fir wood Read More...
Designers use discarded life jackets to make mattresses for refugees arriving in Greece
All refugees traveling from Syria, via Turkey to Greece by boat wear life jackets that they discard once on shore. So the Greek islands that they arrive at have become huge cemeteries of life jackets. At the same time there’s a shortage of places to sleep on the islands and most refuges are Read More...
Why groundbreaking thinkers aren't afraid to try new things
Filmmaker Wim Wenders, 70, is an industry legend for films like "Wings of Desire" and "Buena Vista Social Club." But he recently made news for a late-life career switch: Next June, at the Berlin State Opera, he'll direct "The Pearl Fishers," an opera by the French composer Bizet, who is famous for Read More...
Florida man manufactures cannabis cars, and you can own one
While the concept of building an automobile made entirely of fibers derived from the cannabis plant has been a part of the American underground since the days of Henry Ford, the production of a more environmentally sound means of transportation has yet to gain enough traction to be sold to Read More...
This eco-friendly printer turns ordinary paper into 3D masterpieces
April was Earth Month -- and the Internet was abuzz with green business success stories. In general, companies across all industries are making changes to be greener -- from Ikea designers making products from recycled furniture to new paperless note taking options. 3D printing is one industry that Read More...