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How the technology behind Bitcoin can save our elections
You can be forgiven for thinking of Bitcoin, the best-known cryptocurrency, as the realm of thieves, Wall Street bankers and libertarian techies who’ve drunk too much Soylent. Despite recently intensified media interest, trading Bitcoin is not a particularly accessible hobby to folks Read More...
Localization guru argues: society should shape business, not the other way round
Conventional development is destructive. That is what Helena Norberg-Hodge concluded in the 1970s as she witnessed a remote region of the Indian Himalayas transform as western influence seeped in. Norberg-Hodge spent many years in Ladakh and wrote a book about it that still inspires many pioneers Read More...
The kids in California prove that the future is bright
Truly good solutions news is sometimes hidden in gradual developments. While many Americans are worried about increasing racism, nationalism and division in their country and the politic debate seems completely polarized and frozen, statistics show that a new generation is coming of age with much Read More...
Report: Public ownership makes energy cheaper, serves climate goals better
Privatization of energy and water supply in cities is not the best way to meet climate targets, a new report has found. The report is based on research involving 1,600 cities in 45 countries that have chosen public ownership over corporate ownership of their energy and water systems. The study Read More...
Police officers in the U.S. are practicing mindfulness to reduce stress and violence
Tragedy struck the city of Dallas last year after a U.S. army veteran killed five police officers. To deal with the traumatization and stress of the incident, the Dallas police force has turned to the practice mindfulness. The technique’s goal is to change the way officers manage stress and their Read More...
Blockchain can fight corruption and restore faith in institutions
The transparency of the blockchain, the technology that drives cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, may also support the drive against corruption in developing countries. The blockchain technology can be used for public records excluding the possibility that public official can manipulate records for a Read More...
Can microbes encourage altruism?
Parasites are among nature’s most skillful manipulators — and one of their specialties is making hosts perform reckless acts of irrational self-harm. There’s Toxoplasma gondii, which drives mice to seek out cats eager to eat them, and the liver fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum, Read More...
No more roaming fees for European residents traveling within the EU
One of the high-level promises that the European Union made when the region began integrating is finally coming true on June 15. On that date, residents of EU countries traveling within the EU will be able to make wireless calls, use data, and send texts without any additional fees. While the Read More...
American history shows immigrants benefit the places they move to
The immigrants entering the U.S. today are similar to those of the past. Most do not speak English, follow different religious practices than the natives, and are fleeing politically or economically treacherous situations. And if history is any indication, most of these immigrants and their Read More...
How investing in agriculture can help sow the seeds of peace
Last week I shook hands with a small boy with a big smile who lives in a pocket of South Sudan that is gripped by famine. I heard stories of families struggling to cope, and witnessed the incredible work humanitarian teams are carrying out, with the support of the European Union and other partners, Read More...