A group of students is using bubbles and robots to clear the world's rivers
Ocean plastic is a persistent problem that endangers wildlife and humans. Around eight to 12 million tons of plastic end up in the sea each year, inspiring projects like The Ocean Cleanup’s trash collecting system and this floating plastic island. However, removing plastic from the ocean is Read More...
Can this robotic fish save the seas?
From food to fashion, consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z-ers, are leaning towards companies that practice green methods of manufacturing their products and transparency, which is a great thing—but it also leads to lots of greenwashing. How can we confirm that companies follow through Read More...
Multi technology energy center provides green energy directly to local community
Wind and solar power have long been the most popular suggested methods to reduce fossil fuel emissions. While in many places their efficacy was still being debated, some entrepreneurs in Wales took it upon themselves to make community-wide renewable energy a reality. The Rassau industrial Read More...
Mosquito monitors prove that these pests can be useful after all
Many of us have probably wondered to ourselves while swatting away pesky mosquitos if these itch-inducing creatures exist solely to ruin our fun and buzz in our ears. As it turns out, Ethan Jackson, a researcher at Microsoft, has found that mosquitos can actually serve a great Read More...
Scientists are designing self-charging wearables that heal themselves
What if your wearable gadgets could harvest body heat to power themselves so that they never ran out of battery? Soon, damaged chargers and lack of power outlets may be problems of the past as scientists come closer to creating wearable thermoelectric generators that are flexible, durable, Read More...
Workshop aims to help disabled Costa Rican women overcome social barriers
35 disabled women and caregivers in the Nicoya region of Costa Rica are working towards massively improving their quality of life through a workshop hosted by the National Women’s Institute (INAMU). The workshop aims specifically to help impoverished and disabled women (and/or their Read More...
Scientists create artificial aorta to reduce the need for heart transplants
An injury to the heart often requires a transplant of the entire organ, but a new invention from scientists at EPFL (Switzerland) could relieve the pressure of a damaged heart so that it could heal itself. When a heart is wounded, it will patch itself up with scar tissue to keep its structure Read More...
A paralyzed man just fed himself using thought-controlled robotic hands
It’s been decades since Robert “Buz” Chmielewski could properly move his arms. A surfing accident robbed him of this ability as a teenager, causing him to be paralyzed from the neck down. But now, over 30 years since the accident, Chmielewski was able to cut food and serve himself thanks to a Read More...
Mobile skin scanner could help keep astronauts safe and sound
A team of engineers at Louisiana State University has developed a portable device that could help non-specialists to autonomously diagnose skin lesions. The device, which looks somewhat like a handheld supermarket scanner, will not only help pediatric patients but also have the potential to help Read More...
Optimist View: Transformative tech teachings in a distanced world
BY PIETRO VIGILANZA Since the start of the global pandemic, our dependence on technology has crystallized to an extent that would have seemed farfetched this time last year. While this certainly has some glad that we can function while we stay physically distanced to cut down on disease, it has Read More...