This biodegradable alternative to Styrofoam is made from discarded paper
As it’s non-biodegradable and a pain to recycle, Styrofoam packaging is one of the most pernicious types of plastic pollution. But thanks to an eco-friendly alternative developed by a group of scientists from Germany, it may not be long until the outdated plastic material becomes a thing of the Read More...
Lab-grown seafood is getting ready to hit the market. Could it save our oceans?
High-tech meat alternatives are grabbing a lot of headlines these days. Last month, the Impossible Burger marked a meatless milestone with its debut as a Burger King Whopper, while plant-based innovator Beyond Meat became a game-changer by taking its company shares public. Meanwhile, Lou Read More...
Train your eyes to see clearly without your glasses or contacts
Is it possible to train your eyes to see clearly without your glasses or contacts? By Elleke Bal From The Optimist Magazine Fall 2015 I almost put rice in my coffee maker. It feels very odd, going through my morning routine without my contact lenses. With a prescription of –3.0 in both Read More...
Inspiration: Finding truth is not the same as finding happiness
From The Intelligent Optimist Magazine Fall/Winter 2016 In this age of wild politicians and violent, disrespectful debates, it’s a sign of hope that someone like the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh—also known as “The other Dalai Lama”—is so popular with so many people. Thich Nhat Read More...
Real-world vacations
Lending a hand on organic farms in exchange for room and board is a great way to meet real people around the world. English writer Kathryn Good discovered this in Australia as she weeded vegetable patches and bottle-fed baby goats in order to forget about a boy back home. Kathryn Good | May 2006 Read More...
Editor's letter
There are no limits to ownershipJurriaan Kamp | March 2006 issueIn working on this issue’s cover story on ownership, we looked into the topic of “open source.” The term refers to an approach used in the software industry to make source codes for computer programmes accessible to everyone. Read More...
The beauty of diversity
A cultural mix spawns creativity and abundance. Marco Visscher | June 2003 issue The public debate over immigration is dominated by fear. Fear of the loss of one’s own culture, rigid beliefs and anxiety over economic decline. But why, asks journalist Pascal Zachary, did Germany and Japan lose the Read More...
How to create a real ownership society
As George W. Bush promotes his corporate-controlled vision of an "ownership society," other observers explore what a true ownership society would look like.Jonathan Rowe | March 2006 issue Last year, when U.S. President George W. Bush declared the “ownership society” the theme for his second Read More...
How Africa developed the West
Without Africa's wealth and resources, the West would not have prospered. A conversation on the Western debt to Africa.Marco Visscher | March 2006 issue In the late 17th century when Dutch traders returned home from Africa and described their impressions of a region of Africa in what is now Read More...
When bad art is good art
Now that we can make a 'perfect' design with a few mouse clicks the industrialised world is hankering for 'imperfect' designs. Artist and composer David Byrne on the importance of bad art. David Byrne | June 2003 issue Bad design is good design. And tasteful good design, likewise, is bad. Not Read More...