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Scientists take a significant step towards treating some forms of deafness
We all have tiny hairs inside of our ears, and these hairs are doing important work: they convert sounds into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. If these hairs are not doing what they need to do, deafness is the result, and this problem is behind roughly half of cases of Read More...
Plants need probiotics too—and the world becomes a better place
We should know it by now—bacteria are good for us. In fact, research increasingly shows that we need them to improve digestion and prevent degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But just as humans can benefit from the good bacteria of probiotics, plants can benefit from Read More...
Berlin has found a way to avoid the big, expensive sewer system
We recycle newspaper, bottles and cans. So why aren't we recycling our own water? Instead, the water we use goes down the drain. But sewer systems are big, centralized systems that are expensive to maintain. So German wastewater engineer Erwin Nolde has come up with an alternative, which he's now Read More...
Escaping poverty: Making it easier for slum-dwellers to own their land or home
Many millions of people are kept in poverty as their homes aren't registered. As they lack "property rights," they may be evicted any time. That's why banks won't serve them, and why they may be expelled from governmental social services. As Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto has shown, it takes Read More...
Hawaii first U.S. state to ban the plastic bag
The plastic bag is a major cause of the plastic soup that is polluting the oceans. According to the Earthy Policy Institute 1 trillion plastic bags are handed out in the world each year. Less than one percent are recycled. Cities and towns across the U.S have started to ban the bags. However, Read More...
Millennium development goals helped to lift more than one billion people out of extreme poverty
According to the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals have driven “the most successful anti-poverty movement in history.” In the final assessment report of the goals, it became clear that the world has reduced the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day from 1.9 billion Read More...
New, luxurious high-rise in Kuala Lumpur features sustainable construction
This new high-rise in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is more than a fancy, luxurious residential. There's a keen eye for sustainable construction and maintenance practices. Daylighting and natural ventilation systems will be used in all staircases, elevator lobbies, corridors, and restrooms to cut Read More...
The small, electric "Robocab" is coming
We've all heard of electric cars. We've all heard of self-driving cars. And we know about Big Data. Combine all three and the future of transportation looks very different from now. That's the gist from a study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, indicating that in years from now, small, Read More...
Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal will donate all of his wealth of $32 billion to charity
Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is one of the richest people in the world. He surprisingly announced last week that he will donate all of his wealth of $32 billion to charity over the coming years. The money will go to his own organization called Alwaleed Philanthropies. A statement on Read More...
A smokeless cookstove tries to counter millions of annual deaths from cooking with open fire
Throughout the developing world, people cook or heat by openly burning stuff, such as wood, animal dung or charcoal. Breathing in the smoke leads to severe health problems, with 4.3 million people dying a year, which is more than die of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Gathering wood, Read More...