For years, the symbol of wind power technology has been the wind turbine. While traditional turbines got us moving in the right direction, they are far from perfect. These bladeless wind turbines are changing how we think about collecting wind energy. Power From Bladeless Wind Turbines In 2015, Spanish company Vortex Bladeless came out with...
The world has had a troubled year so far between the pandemic, locusts, and fires — life feels bleak, and we’re only in October. Still, there are many things to smile about. Like freshly brewed coffee, music that vibes exactly with your mood, warm towels from the dryer, or the eagerly-awaited season of your favorite...
Honey bees are one of the most important agricultural commodities in the United States and around the world. They are essential for pollinating flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and support approximately twenty billion dollars worth of crop production in the US every year. Worldwide, that number is 170 billion [1]. Over the last fifteen years, however,...
Albino animals stand out from the pack because their partial or complete loss of pigmentation makes them much lighter in color compared to the other members of their species. Although they are very rare, they have been spotted in the wild around the world. Over the years, there have been sightings of albino turtles, seals, and...
Humans have always found parrots’ ability to “talk” and make funny noises entertaining. Recently, however, some parrots brought in to a British wildlife park used their talents to make rather unsavory comments. Five new feathered and chatty residents were removed from public viewing areas after the swearing parrots hurled insults at each other and guests....
You’ve likely heard the term “bird brain” before. Usually, it describes someone who lacks intelligence or who makes dumb decisions. Well, that saying may change because a new study has shown that crows have conscious thought. For many years, people considered birds to be unintelligent compared to mammals and humans. We thought conscious decision-making was a...
Plastic was invented in the late nineteenth century to replace materials derived from nature, like ivory from elephant tusks. For this reason, plastics were celebrated. They could protect the natural world from the destructive needs of human beings – it turns out, big oil misled us. After World War Two, the plastics industry began booming....
Rituals surrounding death are deeply ingrained into our religious and cultural past. Throughout history, humans have gone to great lengths to preserve those traditions, and in almost every culture there is great ceremony surrounding the passing of a loved one. In many societies, burying the deceased is the traditional way of handling the passing of...
Devastating photos have emerged of two polar bear cubs eating a plastic bag they dug up on the shore. Hungry polar bears aren’t the only ones who unintentionally eat plastic waste in the arctic, and this leftover trash is a big problem. Hungry Polar Bears Eat Plastic Bag Jens Wikström is an Arctic Expeditions leader...
There are not many happy results from dangerous weather. However, this one is downright mesmerizing. As Storm Francis raged across the United Kingdom, the rain and winds revealed a petrified Welsh woodland area. A forest that has been hiding underwater for thousands of years. Its photos are like something out of a fairy tale. Revealing...
Empathy is one of the more complex and integral emotions that humans experience. The question is, are animals capable of experiencing it too? The idea that animals are capable of experiencing a full range of human emotion is not new. Early scientists believed that it was possible. Charles Darwin even once wrote that there is...
“Glass Gem” corn went viral in 2012 when a photo of the rainbow-colored kernels was posted on Facebook. Imagine the excitement of peeling the husk of a corn of the cob to find the purple, pink, blue, red, and yellow of a kaleidoscope. You may not find rainbow corn at a farmer’s stand by the side...
