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Total number of posts: 24026
Scientists take a significant step towards treating some forms of deafness
We all have tiny hairs inside of our ears, and these hairs are doing important work: they convert sounds into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. If these hairs are not doing what they need to do, deafness is the result, and this problem is behind roughly half of cases of Read More...
Plants need probiotics too—and the world becomes a better place
We should know it by now—bacteria are good for us. In fact, research increasingly shows that we need them to improve digestion and prevent degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But just as humans can benefit from the good bacteria of probiotics, plants can benefit from Read More...
Berlin has found a way to avoid the big, expensive sewer system
We recycle newspaper, bottles and cans. So why aren't we recycling our own water? Instead, the water we use goes down the drain. But sewer systems are big, centralized systems that are expensive to maintain. So German wastewater engineer Erwin Nolde has come up with an alternative, which he's now Read More...
If you sit at a desk too much, here are 6 easy yoga poses
Sitting comes with health hazards. It's been associated with higher risks for heart attack, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. So if you're sitting at a desk all day, make sure to get out. A stroll would be nice, of course, but yoga offers all kinds of exercises that are a welcome way to also give your Read More...
Escaping poverty: Making it easier for slum-dwellers to own their land or home
Many millions of people are kept in poverty as their homes aren't registered. As they lack "property rights," they may be evicted any time. That's why banks won't serve them, and why they may be expelled from governmental social services. As Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto has shown, it takes Read More...
Solar power is mostly for the rich. Here’s how Obama wants to change that.
So far, solar energy is a toy for the affluent. The George Washington University Solar Institute reported earlier this year that of the some 645,000 U.S. homes and businesses with rooftop solar panels, no more than 5 percent were households earning less than $40,000 a year. On Tuesday, the Obama Read More...
Emotional awareness training for teens in prison helps reduce future crimes
A group of researchers at Cardiff University's School of Psychology wondered if they could help teenagers in prison—who committed offenses multiple times—by setting them out on a more positive path in life. They believed that some of these youth may have difficulties perceiving emotions as a Read More...
Hawaii first U.S. state to ban the plastic bag
The plastic bag is a major cause of the plastic soup that is polluting the oceans. According to the Earthy Policy Institute 1 trillion plastic bags are handed out in the world each year. Less than one percent are recycled. Cities and towns across the U.S have started to ban the bags. However, Read More...
Being at peace with others' pain will help us be supportive of their pain
It can feel so utterly helpless to see a friend or family member in pain. You'd like to do something to help them out, take action, but sometimes, there's simply nothing better you can do than just to be at peace with the pain of others. This will actually help us to be supportive of their Read More...
Millennium development goals helped to lift more than one billion people out of extreme poverty
According to the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals have driven “the most successful anti-poverty movement in history.” In the final assessment report of the goals, it became clear that the world has reduced the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day from 1.9 billion Read More...