Wearable devices that monitor shifts in body temperature may better indicate infections, including COVID-19, than random fever checks, early data suggests.
The Humble Fruit Fly
Meet the essential workers of the insect realm—fruit flies, and the people who help sustain them for scientific research.
Designers Turn to Resilient Design to Reshape the Built Environment
As the pandemic continues to place new demands on the built environment, designers are tasked with creating spaces that protect the physical, as well as mental and emotional, health and wellbeing of those within them. But adaptability also is key. When considering return-to-workplace plans, designers must do more than keep people safe—they must also foster new and evolving human behaviors. The question that remains top of mind is: How, exactly?
Meet Oceanbird, a cargo ship powered by giant wings meant to reduce carbon emissions typically released into the air by traditional engines.
Manufacturers Take Recycling Efforts into Own Hands with Innovative Programs
While wellness remains top of mind given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some flooring manufacturers also are combatting another health concern—the mounting consequences of our warming planet. Action to reduce carpet waste, four billion pounds of which end up in landfills each year, is imperative as product demand rises, especially on the heels of the Carpet & Rug Institute’s recent announcement to suspend a $4 million voluntary product stewardship program.
The Ultimate Quarantine Project
Filmmaker Fernando Livschitz created a stop-motion video while isolating at home in Buenos Aires using over 800 pieces of wood that depicts a silhouette seamlessly break dancing. The filmmaker used a real break dancer to develop the stop-motion video frame by frame.
In the Czech Republic, an artist 3D-printed a house in two days. It is expected to last 100 years and can be positioned on land or float on water.
Fly Away Without The Lines
As airport design shifts, replacing contact points with smart technology, experts predict this could be the beginning of the end of long security lines and maze-like gridlock.
Australia’s Underwater Museum to Open Soon
Sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has created a collection of underwater sculptures installed in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The collection includes a sculpture rising out of the water that changes color according to the ocean’s temperature.
When technology and design collide, there are often amazing outcomes. For the architecture and engineering firm edg, one such result of technology-driven design is the Synthesis 3D collection. This portfolio of cast-concrete furniture and wall paneling was developed with, and named after, edg’s own 3D printing software, which has vast design and customization capabilities, as the new collection makes abundantly evident.
Bees… and bubbles?
Dr. Eijiro Miyako has developed a method for pollination using soap bubbles. Miyako’s soapy concoction successfully fertilized a pear orchard in Japan. This could provide an alternative to bee pollination, which has declined along with the bee population.
Cacti Could Be The Perfect Biofuel
In Camémbaro, Mexico, the Nopal plant has a lot of potential as a biofuel source—it doesn’t need much water or additional land space, and it’s already used to power industrial buildings. In the near future, it could also power cars.
Startup company Module has developed affordable modular homes that can expand by stacking additional floors. What’s more? They’re energy efficient too.
Cashless Villages Are Popping Up In India
What does it take to create a digital village? One bank in India set out to do just that, introducing cashless banking and widespread WiFi access to several rural villages in the country to help improve economic output.
Introducing the World's Most Sustainable Shoe
Adidas and Allbirds, the sneaker startup, are joining forces to design a performance shoe with the lowest carbon footprint ever.
