Miscellaneous
Youth crime rates are at their lowest level in 60 years
The United States’ youth crime rates are dropping at an astounding rate. Youth arrests dropped for the 13th year in a row, hitting their lowest level in 60 years. This trend shows an optimistic future for the criminal landscape of the next generation, as these teenagers head into adulthood. The Read More...
Elephants at a Berlin zoo are enjoying unsold Christmas trees as festive snacks
A zoo in Berlin is treating its elephants with festive snacks in the form of Christmas trees which are left unsold during the holiday season. The zoo doesn’t accept trees from the public, which could contain chemicals or leftover decorations, but it takes only fresh, undesired trees from selected Read More...
First no-kill eggs hit supermarket shelves in Berlin
Scientists discovered a way to determine the sex of chicks before they hatch, which may prevent the slaughtering of an estimated 4-6 billion male chicks each year. The process can tell a chick’s gender nine days before an egg has been fertilized, and has the potential to put a stop to the Read More...
Scientists add rabbit gene to devil’s ivy to purify surrounding air
In an attempt to find solutions to indoor air pollution, scientists have discovered that by inserting a rabbit gene into devil’s ivy, the plant is able to clean harmful chemicals from the surrounding air. The gene is found in many mammals, including humans, and produces an enzyme that breaks down Read More...
Silicon Valley is fighting homelessness with tiny dwellings
In partnership with the San Jose City Council, Silicon Valley is building tiny home communities as a solution to the increasing rates of homelessness. The tiny dwellings are built to shelter the homeless as they transition into more permanent housing, which the city has been trying to construct to Read More...
Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez’s plan to fight climate change enjoys broad support
According to a new poll, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s plan to cut down carbon emissions in efforts to tackle climate change is supported by as much as 81 percent of the respondents. The Green New Deal is a set of aspirational goals in line with the best available climate science. Among those goals Read More...
Lavender could bring desolated mining sites back to life
Lavender farming may save the desolated mining sites on mountaintops which are left stripped of life and any potential use. The evergreen shrub, which is used industrially for its aromatic fragrance, seems like the only form of life that can survive the barren rocky terrain left behind by Read More...
This interactive map paints a clear picture of the world as it is
A data scientist has managed to paint an accurate picture of the world as it is with the help of an interactive map. The map compares the actual size of certain countries with that projected by the most popular map in the world. The classic Mercator projection distorts land size so that countries Read More...
Scientists discover a drug mix that prevents the rapid growth of cancer cells
Molecular scientists have managed to fabricate a medical cocktail which can dismantle the mechanism that fuels the growth of cancer cells. The drug is produced by combining a commonly used diabetes drug with a 50-year-old hypertension medication, which when administered together can inhibit tumor Read More...
Scientists managed to develop an antibiotic from wasp venom
Scientists at MIT have found a potent antibiotic derived from wasp venom that could kill microbes resistant to conventional antibacterials. It was already known that wasp and bee venom contains peptides that kill bacteria, but these compounds have also proven to be toxic to human cells. Read More...