Miscellaneous
Why China needs to support its waste pickers
Trash is an unintended consequence of China’s economic boom, urban swell and growing middle-class. Cities’ landfills are running out of space, and waste management policies have been lagging. Essentially, the whole system has been dependent upon hundreds of thousands of individuals who have Read More...
Brits and Turks happiest Europeans before recession, according to map on Internet
Here is a map to ponder. Its origins are unclear, and the data is, well, dated (2008.) Nevertheless, it offers a fascinating window into a reality that seemingly goes against many preconceived ideas. Who would have thought that the French are the not grumpiest Europeans around, that Italians and Read More...
Graphene-based supercapacitors point to breakthrough for electric cars
Better batteries are seemingly the only missing link between today’s fossil-fuel intensive transportation and the expected advent of the electric car. Batteries need to be cheaper, quickly rechargeable, provide better range, while demonstrating a sustainable lifecycle. A supercapacitor developed Read More...
How architects mitigate the Ecological Footprint of a growing population
It is a well-established fact that mankind consumes more than 1.5 as much renewable natural resources as the planet can generate. In fact, if everyone lived like the average American, we would need the equivalent of five planets. With already more than half of the world’s population living in Read More...
26 Scientifically Proven Superhuman Benefits of Meditation
I know meditation is meant to be good for you but I don’t meditate every day. I go through cycles of meditating 20 minutes a day and then slowly ‘forget’ and slide into not meditating until I feel I need to — until I feel like crap. For the last 30 Read More...
Can compassion be trained like a muscle? Behavioral and neural evidence for the cultivation of compassion
Helen Weng, Andrew Fox, Alexander Shackman, Diane Stodola, Jessica Caldwell, Matthew Olson, Gregory Rogers, and Richard J. Davidson, University of Wisconsin-Madison Read More...
Corporate leaders issue strongest call yet to governments to decarbonize the economy
Business leaders gathered in the French capital for Climate Week Paris made their stance known in no uncertain terms yesterday: "We want a global climate deal that achieves net zero emissions — make it happen," they said in a statement directed at almost 200 governments six months ahead of a Read More...
Human Charger uses light to sync humans with the sun, reduces jet lag symptoms
Finnish company Valkee knows a thing or two about seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Its latest device, called the Human Charger, aims to improve jet lag by sending UV-free, blue-enriched white light through earbuds to keep the user in sync with the cycle of the sun. Light as preventive Read More...
Japan’s zoos and aquariums cut ties with cruel dolphin hunt
In mid-2009, the tiny Japanese fishing village of Taiji found itself at the center of an international controversy over dolphin hunting when it was featured in the celebrated documentary The Cove. Yesterday, Japan's association of zoos and aquariums announced that it will stop buying dolphins Read More...
Organic farming beneficial to biodiversity, study finds
The need to meet the food demand of a growing global population runs into one major self-defeating cycle: intensive conventional agriculture damages biodiversity—what with chemicals and monocrops destroying plants diversity and wildlife habitats. Eventually, reduced biodiversity jeopardizes Read More...