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Growing agricultural investment
Photo: Africa Renewal Since little commercial lending goes to agriculture, the African continent is unable to feed its malnourished population of 200 million. Agricultural investment is seen as a risk, mostly due to the lack of data lenders have to work with when weighing the risks and benefits. Read More...
Pollyanna was not an optimist and why optimism is the best strategy
All that most people know about Pollyanna is that calling someone that name is not a good thing. It is an effective way to discourage someone from undertaking something overly optimistic. The reference dismisses optimism as a way to support health and happiness and build success. But few people Read More...
How should we measure the happiness of a country?
It’s tough enough to assess how happy one person is, let alone a whole country. There are some things we know aren’t correlated — money, objects — and others that show just part of the picture. Typically, researchers resort to questionnaires: how do you rate yourself on a scale from one to Read More...
Holocaust survivor shares story of hope through music in new movie
At 109 years old, Alice Herz Sommer is not only the oldest Holocaust survivor, but also the oldest pianist in the world. Alice Herz Sommer has been playing piano for over a century. Even today, outside her home in North London, people congregate on the street to listen to hear play piano. A new Read More...
Knock on wood, study corroborates superstitious
Athletes are known for employing superstitious rituals to help them maintain productivity, or get out of a spell of poor performance. Michael Jordan wore the same University of North Carolina shorts under his uniform at every game, NBA player Jason Terry wears the shorts of the next team he is Read More...
“I feel good here”
Marlies de Jong lived with her husband and two children in a spacious home with a beautiful yard overlooking the river in the Netherlands. It sounds idyllic, but she wasn’t happy there. The house smelled musty. It was dank and gloomy. The acoustics were terrible. The house sucked all her energy Read More...
Fecal transplant could come in a pill
Earlier this year, when the news hit that fecal transplants could effectively treat gut diseases, millions of people couldn’t help but click on the headlines, despite the gross-out factor. Persistent bacterial infections in the intestine could be treated via an enema using healthy gut bacteria. Read More...
Awful to awe inspiring- decommissioned guns get second life as art
The city of Culiacán, Mexico has been described as a mausoleum mixed with an amusement park. Death in the city is seen everywhere, from the giant marble crosses towering over cemetery walls to the roadside shrines paying homage to the recently departed. Culiacán is home to one of the most Read More...
Robotic recycling machines make reusing fun and philanthropic
Rules and regulations regarding air travel are becoming so stringent and dynamic it is hard to keep track of them. The by-product of constantly changing policies in airports is waste—people are often required to dispose of liquids then throw the container in the garbage, sending recyclable Read More...
Brushing up on silvopastoral farming
No longer are consumers content with just having meat available in the market. Customers want sustainable meat that is raised consciously with minimal impact to the environment, and in safe conditions for both the animals and the farm workers. The demand for commercial meats combined the overall Read More...