New Mobility Startups Give Uber a Run for its Money
While terms like "smart grid" and "smart economy" are hard to peg down, we can at least say that for "smart mobility" we're starting to see some of the bluster turning into reality.
Subway DNA Survey Finds Microbes, Mozzarella and Mystery
Scientists sequenced genetic material found in all 468 New York City subway stations, and nearly half matched no known organism. Christopher Intagliata reports
Geoengineering Holds Promise, but the Technology Needs Work
Modified jets spewing sulfuric acid could haze the skies over the Arctic in a few years “for the price of a Hollywood blockbuster,” as physicist David Keith of Harvard University likes to say.
How to Choose the Form of an Infographic: It's All About Context
As a graphics designer, I have a love/hate relationship with circles. The humble form provides a relief from rigid rectangular chart structures that are pinned to x- and y-axes.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: America's Greatest Health Risk of 2015?
Today, up to 25 percent of people in the U.S. are living with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to the American Liver Foundation.
“Bionic Leaf” Makes Fuel from Sunlight
Biology paired with machines turns carbon dioxide back into fuel or other useful molecules
As Psychedelics Revival Rolls On, Don't Downplay Bad Trips
I’m no psychedelic prude. I reported on, and applauded, the resurgence of research into psychedelics in my 2003 book Rational Mysticism.
The U.S. Power Grid is in Need of a Technology Upgrade
Innovators gather in DC this week to discuss how to modernize the U.S. electric grid in the face of a changing electricity sector. The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit kicks off today in Washington DC and will highlight technologies that could fundamentally alter how the nation generates, uses, and stores electricity.
When Will “3-Parent Babies” Come to the U.S.?
Action in the U.K. Parliament is raising questions about the future of a new reproductive technique in America
Explaining Stagnation in the Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Market
Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Will Sierzchula, a researcher who analyzes factors which influence the development and adoption of alternative fuel vehicles.
Reducing Lifestyle Diseases Means Changing Our Environment
I’ve always found gyms a bit strange. Think about it: Dozens of people sweating in close proximity, running on conveyor belts going nowhere, lifting and dropping heavy objects for no reason.
There Is No 'Perfect Human' In Puerto Rico or Anywhere Else
Disappointed by James Watson's decision to sell his Nobel Prize medal, Lior Pachter, a computational biologist who works on genomics at the University of California Berkeley, wrote an entry on his private blog in early December protesting the decision.