Vertical farming has gained a lot of traction over the past few years and is being heralded as the green solution to the growing global food crisis. Consisting of crops stacking in vertical layers, this style of farming can yield more crops per square acre than traditional farming or greenhouses, and also uses less water,... Continue Reading →
Medicare for All recognizes that health care is a basic right for all Americans.
Americans overwhelmingly agree: Medicare works. After decades of living with for-profit health insurance or, worse, no health insurance at all, your 65th birthday is eye-opening. That birthday brings Medicare. Once you enroll in Medicare, you generally have no claims to fill out and no insurance companies to contact. Doctors’ offices routinely do the paperwork. It... Continue Reading →
Andrew Yang: “Automation Gave us Trump”
Andrew Yang is an American entrepreneur who will run for president in 2020, a universal basic income for all adult Americans is the main objective of his agenda. Recently, Yang discussed the automation of jobs in swing states that led to Trump’s election. Andrew argues that the districts that swung to Trump most have a direct correlation... Continue Reading →
Transparent Solar Cells Make Any Window Generate Energy
Tapping into solar energy at home currently means having rooftop solar panels installed, or if Elon Musk gets his way, solar tiles. But Michigan State University (MSU) has other ideas. It wants homes to generate lots of solar energy, but without the rooftop modification. How can you add solar power generation to a building without it... Continue Reading →
Researchers Have Developed a Potential Blood Test for Autism
Researchers at the University of Warwick have developed two tests that could potentially detect autism in children. Both tests, one blood, and one urine are based on a previously discovered link between damage to proteins in blood plasma and autism. The team believes the tests to be the first of their kind, and hope that... Continue Reading →
Robots: The Automation Juggernaut That Manufacturers Need
I work for a robotics company. I’m sure you can imagine the rush that comes when the latest predictions about the growth of the market peg the opportunity on the fast-track to exponential growth. After all, it’s how I make my living. For collaborative robots (cobots), the news seems to be all good. Last fall,... Continue Reading →
Is there enough water and land on Earth to meet global food demands?
According to the United Nations, there are 7.6 billion people living on Earth today. Of those 7.6 billion, 815 million people are already going hungry. And, on top of that, the UN expects the global population to jump to 9.8 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100. These figures raise a troubling question: will... Continue Reading →
There’s New Evidence for the Mysterious “Planet Nine”
The Milky Way galaxy might once more have a ninth planet. No, Pluto still isn’t back. Instead, the new planetary candidate takes the form of a mysterious, yet-to-be spotted planet hiding deep in the outer reaches of the solar system. Despite its elusive nature, here’s what we do know about the possible planet. Where did this... Continue Reading →
De Blasio orders NYPD to stop weed arrests ahead of ‘likely’ legalization
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has reportedly ordered the NYPD not to arrest people for smoking marijuana in public ahead of outright legalization of the drug in the city. Currently, only medical marijuana is legal in NYC. The mayor flagged the policy change on social media last week, but city hall aides told... Continue Reading →
Humans and machines learn together to win a competition
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are seen as a potential means by which severely physically impaired individuals can regain control of their environment. BCIs use the electrical activity in the brain to control an external device. They have seen growing use in people with severe motor disabilities, for communication (by controlling a keyboard), mobility (by controlling a... Continue Reading →