A morning after Mardi Gras – credit, Grounds Krewe supplied Flung plastic beads, coins, and other trinkets can seem like treasures in the heat of a Mardi Gras moment, but if you’ve ever seen the streets of New Orleans the morning after, you’d recognize only trash. That’s why a coalition of government agencies and nonprofits … Read more
Urban Farm Shop concept rendering – credit, LocalDutch In the city of The Hague, a Dutch agri-tech firm has had the bright idea of combining a greenhouse grow operation with a grocery and delivery business. Called LocalDutch, their idea is that the greenhouse grocers will integrate on-site food production with direct-to-consumer retail and local delivery … Read more
The American kestrel – credit, Charles J. Sharp via Sharp Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0 This is the American kestrel; a sight to behold. Sporting a back that’s emblazoned with pheasant rust and bars of black, supporting wings of battleship grey tipped with white dots like a moth’s, and streaks of menacing black down its eyes, … Read more
You won’t find a more literate bunch of 4th graders anywhere in the nation than if you go and stand in a Mississippi elementary school. Over the last few years, the Magnolia state has risen from 49th in the country for 4th grade reading level to number 1 in both reading and math at the … Read more
credit – Field Museum of Chicago Tiny plants, like moss, are easy to overlook. They’re often as small as an eyelash, and they tend to grow on the ground in dark, wet places. But these small plants sometimes turn out to be big clues in forensic cases. A team of scientists learned that firsthand in … Read more
Wells in the Hortobágy National Park Puszta, with a stable – credit Self2 CC 2.0., via Wikimedia Drought is affecting the Great Hungarian Plain like never before, but a team of concerned citizens have hatched a clever plan to address it in the short term. It’s arguable what the Eastern European country is more famous … Read more
Stick ‘Em Creations – credit, Stick ‘Em, released In Singapore, a pair of self-described “tinkerers” have made headlines around the world for their simple educational toy set to help low-income families introduce their children to robotics. More than just robotics, the stick-in-socket building set encourages kids to manifest the wonders they create in their minds, … Read more
FibreSENSE – credit, courtesy of Kosha.ai An Indian initiative is utilizing a scientific technique known as spectroscopy to prove the authenticity of traditional, handwoven silken garments over forgeries. Often making headlines in the study of planets and nebulae in our galaxy, the spectroscopy device allows for quick and indisputable textile analysis at the molecular level—giving … Read more
Chris Doel with his home battery – credit, Anita Maric / SWNS A man has built a rechargeable battery pack big enough to power his whole home using just the batteries from discarded vapes. British engineer Chris Doel thinks it’s “absolutely insane” that people use disposable vaping pens, as they come with a lithium-ion battery … Read more
One of the REM trains – credit, Reece Martin, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cheap, efficient, new and exciting, Montreal’s new automated light rail transit system which recently opened is a major accomplishment for a country routinely criticized for its public transport. Taras Grescoe is an expert in metropolitan rail systems around the world, and by his … Read more