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Landscaped landfill
Hiriya Mountain operated as a colossal waste facility for half the 20th century. Now called Ariel Sharon Park, it’s one of Israel’s prized possessions. Comprised of 565 million cubic feet of garbage and climbing more than 275 feet into the air, what was known as the Hiriya Waste Management Read More...
Legume seeds lower cholesterol
Pulses might be the most important food you’ve never heard of—the dried seeds of plants in the legume family, which includes beans, lentils and chickpeas. They have long been considered an important part of any healthy diet—in fact they are a staple food for many indigenous diets Read More...
“Talking is very primitive”
Earlier this year, at the annual meeting of the World Future Society, futurist Jose Cordeiro sparked controversy with his claim that speech will soon be outdated. Cordeiro, founder of the organization’s Venezuela chapter, foresees spoken word being replaced by brain-to-brain Read More...
Watermelon extract lowers blood pressure
Beloved as a refreshing summer treat, watermelon may also have major benefits for heart health, new research has shown. Thirteen obese adults with high blood pressure were randomized to receive watermelon extracts of l-citrulline and l-arginine or a placebo for 6 weeks. Each day during the 6-week Read More...
Is nothing something?
Why does the world exist? What should you do when you feel sad? These questions are basic but the answers are elusive. Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist Zen Master and best–selling author, answers these questions and others posed by children in his new book Is Nothing Something? published by Parallax Read More...
Energy hackers
After Chris Dalby found instructions online for track-ing home energy use, he installed a monitor in his house, so he could see how much energy he was consuming at any time. Then he experimented, flipping stuff on and off, to see what used how much energy and how he could save. “There is a Read More...
Traveling perspective
Does traveling make one optimistic? I pondered this question during the 20-hour flight from Nairobi, Kenya to San Francisco, California. I was returning from a week in Mombasa, Kenya attending meetings and giving a keynote speech about my International Bill of Rights work. My answer: yes. Even when Read More...
Mind over molecules for arthritis pain management
If you expect something to hurt, it probably will. This simple premise has now shed new light on how we adapt to chronic pain and suggests that so-called “talking therapies” like psychotherapy and meditation could offer relief to millions of people suffering from arthritis and other Read More...
Banking on plastic
You’ve heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—that blob of plastic bits floating in the ocean current—but you probably didn’t think of it as a valuable asset, one that could be mined just like any natural resource. A lot of that plastic washes up on beaches around the world, and a new Read More...
Mushrooms grown on green waste
Coffee is grown under stringent conditions. From growing beans, to roasting and brewing, almost every step in the processes of taking a bean from the farm to getting it into your mug is monitored closely to maximize flavor and uniformity of taste. Coffee is also one of the most wasteful crops, only Read More...