Miscellaneous
No more animal testing with human organs-on-a-chip
A small, clear plastic chip with red and blue 'veins' could end, or at least drastically decrease, drug testing on animals. The chips mimic human organs, and allow researchers to experiment with drugs. With the chip, researchers can introduce diseases and treatments, and observe how the blood and Read More...
Sustainable palm oil sales skyrocket
Most of the world’s oil palm trees are grown on a couple of islands in Malaysia and Indonesia – islands with the most biodiverse tropical forests found on Earth. The problem is that palm oil companies are clearing out ancient forests like these, to plant the highly lucrative oil palm trees. Read More...
Building designed to produce more energy that it takes to construct
How ecologically conscious can you get? Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta has designed a single-family residence that produces a massive surplus of energy. To achieve this, the house has large windows that minimize the need for artificial lighting and solar panels along its roof to maximize Read More...
Finding answers in your sleep
We usually can only tell the difference between dreams and reality when we’re awake—yet every so often, we may find it possible to distinguish between the two while asleep. This occurrence is known as a lucid dream, and happens when a dreamer separates part of their awareness from the context Read More...
More monkeying around
Bullrush used to be a popular chasing game at schools in New Zealand. It starts with a “chaser,” one child who tries to tackle other children as they run to the other side of a field. But at some point, it got banned at schools. The reason: Teachers were concerned they would be held liable if Read More...
Increasing global compassion
Below is an excerpt from author and researcher Dr. Paul Ekman's new book 'Moving Toward Global Compassion' which was published in March by the Paul Ekman Group. Dr. Ekman’s research, among many things, has laid the foundation for our understanding of microexpressions—involuntary facial Read More...
Ecological tunes
David Sugalski, an electronic music composer who is also known by his artist name, the Polish Ambassador, is using his music tour around the country to spread knowledge about permaculture. His latest album, Pushing through the pavement, is about building a sustainable world together. Music and Read More...
Off the grid, on to wheels
As a native to Red Hook, New York, it made sense for Jonathan Von Reusner to continue living at home during his freshman year while attending the local university, Bard College. But by the time sophomore year hit he got the itch to find his own place and searched for an affordable way to move out Read More...
Finding humor everywhere
We all like to laugh, but do you actively seek out ways to find things funny? You probably don’t, but might want to consider it. Laughing gets your heart going, which improves cardio health, engages your core muscles, and releases endorphins, your body’s natural pain killer. [caption Read More...
Bacteria could push biofuel production into mainstream
The idea behind biofules is great—use organic matter to make gas instead of dirty fossil fuels. But the process is hard to nail down. Utilizing foodstuffs to produce biofuel doesn’t make sense, and other plants entered into the biofuel production chain usually require more energy to make than Read More...