Today’s Solutions: April 11, 2025

Design

New biomaterial has plastic-li

New biomaterial has plastic-like properties but is eco-friendly

Due to its amazing material properties such as flexibility, durability, and ease of manufacturing, plastic has made its way in virtually all aspects of society, becoming an indispensable material in nearly all industries. But, of course, this wondrous material has also brought our planet on the Read More...

Growing colorful cotton may be

Growing colorful cotton may be a game-changer for the textile industry

Throughout the years, growing concerns over environmental and water resources have pushed textile manufacturers to seek out alternative and sustainable dyeing practices. Now, scientists in Canberra may have come up with the ultimate solution by developing a new kind of colored cotton that Read More...

You can disinfect your N95 mas

You can disinfect your N95 mask with tools you have at home

Months after mask manufacturers ramped up production of N95 masks in response to the coronavirus crisis, hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes taking care of COVID-19 patients are still facing shortages of the respirators. And while some hospitals have been provided with fairly expensive Read More...

How a small furniture company

How a small furniture company pivoted to medical supplies to stay afloat

When Matthew Moore’s company, Urban Plough Furniture, lost 80 percent of its business during the pandemic, he turned to an innovative new production strategy to stay afloat. Instead of making furniture, he began making intubation boxes for local medical facilities.  Intubation boxes protect Read More...

Artist Thomas Dambo’s recycled wood troll sculpture.

This Danish artist creates giant troll sculptures using local trash

Since 2014, a Danish artist by the name of Thomas Dambo has erected dozens of wooden, folklore-inspired trolls in greens-aces and parks around the world: a seated, bearded dude in Copenhagen’s hippie enclave of Christiana; sister and brother trolls “lost” in Florida’s Pinecrest Gardens; a Read More...

Origami-style water bottle can

Origami-style water bottle can fold to fit in your pocket

If you push down on certain points on the new reusable water bottle called the Origami Bottle, the container collapses, folding up so it can easily fit in your bag or even squeeze inside your pocket. The design makes use of a unique geometrical structure that’s sturdy when unfolded—and holds Read More...

Startup creates a circular fur

Startup creates a circular furniture model to cut unnecessary waste

Around 12 million tons of furniture ends up in landfills in the US each year. A startup called Feather is looking to change that by shifting ownership: Instead of selling furniture, the company rents it. When someone moves or wants a different sofa, they can send it back, and the company will clean Read More...

New reflective coating keeps h

New reflective coating keeps homes cool and comes in different colors

Just as wearing white clothing is a good way of beating the heat on hot days, painting our buildings white can also keep them cool and thus save a considerable amount of energy in the process. But it isn’t easy to keep white clothes clean, and some of us like a bit more color in our lives. Read More...

Prague will soon be home to th

Prague will soon be home to the first floating 3D-printed house

A group in the Czech Republic is building a 3D printed house, which, on its own, isn't anything we haven't seen before. What sets this house apart from the others, though, is its final destination: Prague's Vltava River. "I dare say it's the first-ever floating 3D printed building in the world," Read More...

Humorous posters urge National

Humorous posters urge National Park visitors to stay a bear’s length apart

As quarantined visitors itch to get back into nature, national parks across the country are moving to reopen. However, even in the vastness of the outdoors, park officials still have concerns about the spread of Covid-19. The National Parks Service has rolled out some creative new posters that are Read More...