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Solar-powered desalination technology to provide drinking water in India
In India, more than half of groundwater is not ideal for drinking. It would be if it weren’t so salty. However, desalination is expensive, especially in villages on a small scale, and requires electricity, of which there isn’t enough. At MIT, researchers have worked on a Read More...
Generating renewable energy from evaporation
Scientists are working on a clever way to utilize the evaporation powers in nature for energy generation. Have you ever seen the mysteriously pretty sight of a lake in winter covered by a layer of thick fog? When the cold winter air lies over a warm body of water like a lake, the water Read More...
What do you gain from meditation?
We are trained to do things to gain results. Earn more money. Lose weight. Buy a new gadget. So we meditate to get… well, what? Buddha was asked, “What have you gained from meditation?” He replied, “Nothing! However,” Buddha said, “let me tell you what I lost: Anger, Anxiety, Read More...
Charging electric cars with street lights
The lack of a reliable charging infrastructure for electric cars is one of the biggest obstacles to their acceptance. Nobody likes the idea of getting stuck with an empty battery somewhere nowhere late at night. But what if existing infrastructure can be used? Mini is demonstrating a new technology Read More...
New approach to surgery will reduce death toll from heart failure
As we’re getting older in better health than ever before, more and more of us are becoming too old and vulnerable for surgery. And so when our hearts fail us when valves get narrower, doctors are giving up on us. Not anymore. A new approach to replace narrowed heart valves has been successfully Read More...
Hawaii raises smoking age to 21
In the battle to reduce tobacco use, Hawaii’s governor has taken a bold step by raising the legal smoking age to 21. As of next year, those under the age of 21 are prohibited to buy or smoke cigarettes. This includes the use of electronic cigarettes. The bill also bans smoking at state parks and Read More...
Scientists find way to get synthetic hormones out of wastewater
Lakes and rivers around the world are polluted with synthetic hormones that have negative effects on wildlife, causing male fish, for instance, to become feminized and produce eggs. The synthetic hormones get into municipal wastewater because millions of women around the world take synthetic Read More...
Manipulating the brain can drive depression away
Happiness on a prescription? Neuroscientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have succeeded in manipulating the memory of mice. They were able to reverse depression-like behavior in the mice by artificially reactivating happy memories. The research confirms other attempts—like Read More...
From oil to microalgae: the race to sustainable bioasphalt is on
Standard asphalt is composed mostly of bitumen, a byproduct of crude oil distillation. Like concrete, its production is resource-, carbon- and energy-intensive. It is also a poor choice to pave roads, since it easily cracks and degrades into potholes, requiring frequent and expensive maintenance. Read More...
Could seaplanes be the future of transatlantic flight?
Modern aviation is plagued by two burdens: airport congestion and noise pollution. Moving noise away from population areas and reducing the need for extensive infrastructure may be possible thanks to a radical innovation born out of an old idea: seaplanes. Two researchers in the Department of Read More...