BY: CAROLINE ROLF With the wingspan of a Boeing 747 but weighing only as much as an SUV, the Solar Impulse 2 glides past the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco marking an incredible achievement. The experimental plane continues its…
Innovation
In an effort to save the dying bee population, these guys will set up a hive in your own backyard
BY: CAROLINE ROLF The urban beekeeping group, Alvéole, wants to collaborate with urbanites to cultivate organic honey. These passionate entrepreneurs are committed to supporting bees by educating people about sustainable beekeeping on a small-scale and their importance in our ecosystem.…
Take a look inside New York City’s first net-zero energy public school
BY: CAROLINE ROLF Before you step foot in the front doors, it’s clear that this is not a typical place of learning. The roof, which is covered in hundreds of solar energy converting panels and the unique floor plan help the…
Microsoft’s HoloLens blends virtual reality with the physical world (VIDEO)
BY: TREVOR HEWITT The future of augmented reality (AR) is beginning to look like something out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. On March 30, Microsoft released the first developer prototype of its HoloLens – the world’s first fully wireless holographic…
This coat turns into a sleeping bag and is giving the homeless a second chance (Video)
BY: M. TOMOSKI When Veronika Scott was given the challenge by her college professor to create something that can make a difference in the community, she chose to help the struggling city of Detroit by creating The Empowerment Plan (TEP).…
A medicinal herb garden is being grown on the grounds of a pharmaceutical company
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Centuries ago, before big pharmaceutical companies ran the medical game, doctors cultivated physic gardens—medieval herb gardens which contain dozens, or even hundreds, of medicinal plants that they would use to concoct remedies for patients. But somewhere along…
A 25-year-old’s innovative and terrifying solution to living in San Francisco for $500 per month
By: Rob Hoffman A 25-year-old illustrator recently aired a unique solution to San Francisco’s absurd living costs. When plan ‘A’ fell through due to unexpectedly high housing prices—renting a two bedroom apartment with a friend—Peter Berkowitz decided to innovate. But…
This design offers nature lovers a walk through the tree tops
BY: CAROLINE ROLF The design studio behind the bouncy castle of the future and other remarkable net-based structures show no signs of slowing down when it comes to allowing adults to play and explore space from unprecedented angles. Their latest…
This 11-year-old has a multi-million dollar lemonade deal – and she’s using it to save bees
BY: JESSICA BEUKER PHOTO BY: Sandra Ramos While most 11-year-olds spend their afternoons playing at the park or kicking around a soccer ball with their friends, Mikaila Ulmer is busy running her own business. Ulmer recently launched BeeSweet Lemonade in Texas—using…
The world’s first app-enabled urn sees your deceased loved one return to life through nature
BY: DANIKA MOIR Ever thought about what happens to your body after you die? I have. If you choose to be buried, you end up rotting in the ground in a box. If you’re cremated, you could either be put…
Will Weed Tampons Really Cure My Period Cramps?
BY: STEFANIE AWRONSKI Some of us women have been blessed since puberty with the gift of monthly menstruation or periods. Many of us deal with it just as a monthly annoyance. Others however suffer with some nasty side effects, such…
Water bottle made from algae could save 50 billion plastic bottles a year from our landfills
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Recently, product design student Ari Jonsson showcased his new project at this year’s DesignMarch, Reykjavik’s annual design festival. His project combined red algae powder with water to create a biodegradable water bottle. “Why are we using materials…
This glass lamp grows plants in windowless spaces without any human maintenance
BY: DANIKA MOIR Photos by We Love Eames I live in a basement apartment that faces an alley, so the two small windows I have bring in almost no light, at least not enough to keep a plant alive. Before…
Every part of this house is reusable and completely edible
BY: CAROLINE ROLF The amateur gardener is advised to start small, beginning with a patch in their backyard that is easy to maintain. Dutch architects ignored this recommendation when they created a space that is all garden. A thick sprawl…
New glove puts communicating for the deaf-blind in the palm of their hands
BY: MARIYA GUZOVA Deaf-blind people around the world often find themselves trapped in a cycle of isolation. They are limited in how they are able to interact with the people around them. Many face the struggle of being cut off…
This new modern jalopy is an electric-powered tree on wheels
BY: ALEX BROWN Toyota just released an electric throwback to the days of prohibition-era jalopies with a modern car, boat, and grandfather’s-desk aesthetic. The vehicle, called the Setsuna—or “moment” in Japanese—is pretty darn classy looking if you can avoid the…
This smart new supermarket exclusively sells expired and discarded food at a fraction of the price
BY: ALEX BROWN A new grocery store that just opened in Copenhagen is challenging arbitrary expiration dates and unnecessary food waste to help curb hunger and exorbitant grocery store prices. The company, WeFood, opened last month under the belief that…
This new preschool will teach kids to grow their own food
BY: JESSICA BEUKER The traditional school structure has long been one of “textbook” learning rather than hands-on learning, where practical experience acts as the teacher. Paired with a societal shift towards convenience and technology, we have cut off some of…
Transhumanism—a future where intellect will be boundless and death will be optional
By: JACK M. Sometimes referred to as H+, Transhumanism is a worldwide, inter-disciplinary, avant-garde intellectual movement whose beliefs and goals are that humans can be, and someday will be, transformed into a super species, a vastly improved version of…
Ontario plans to launch a basic income project this year to give Canadians free money
BY: ALEX BROWN Ontario recently announced plans to launch a basic income pilot project at some point this year, known by some as the free-money initiative. The radical concept is gaining popularity as experimentation continues in European countries like Germany,…