What the #$*! Do We Know?!
What the #$*! Do We Know?! That's the adept title of a new movie that explores quantum physics: a world of infinite possibilities in which the rigid laws of science and all our suppositions about the universe suddenly seem very shaky. Scientists agree that the observable world is a kind of "matrix of energy," in which our consciousness is a powerful force, and what we see internally is as "real"... posted on Jun 04 2004, 1,528 reads

1000 Journals
Someguy. That's the handle he goes by. In August 2000, he started an experiment that you're a part of. 'Someguy' sent out 1000 blank journals into the world. One thousand journals traveling from hand to hand throughout the world. Those who find them will add their stories and drawings, and the pass the journal along in an ongoing collaborative art form. Anyone could write anything they want.... posted on May 22 2004, 1,184 reads

Technology Toppling Tyrants
Technology is toppling tyrants. Shah of Iran was overthrown in the later 70s by an IT invention -- the audio cassette tape. In 1989, Chinese students organized one of the largest demonstrations in Beijing, largely using the fax machine. President Joseph Estrada was ousted in 2000, due to cellphone text messaging on the street of Manila. And now, it seems that the next killer app is the digital... posted on May 18 2004, 1,283 reads

Lemonade Stories
Behind every billionaire is a ... mom. That's what Mary Mazzio found as she interviewed billionaires around the world for her new film -- "Lemonade Stories". The study of entrepreneurship might be all the rage in business schools but Mary suggests that b-school is too late. The nursery is where the seeds are planted, generally by moms. Incidentally, women led 28% of all U.S. businesses in 2002, ... posted on May 14 2004, 1,641 reads

Modern Day Alchemist
A modern day alchemist. That's what they call John Todd, who creates "living systems" that amazingly transform vile wastes into clean water and other useful commodities! His executive assistant: nature. Here's how it works-- when raw sewage is pumped into plastic tanks, 200 plant species drink up nutrients in the sewage as countless bacteria and microbes roots break down pollutants. As the sewa... posted on Apr 29 2004, 1,236 reads

Your Wish Is Its Command
Your wish is its command. For years, futurists have dreamed of machines that can read minds, then act on instructions as they are thought. Now, human trials are set to begin on a brain-computer interface involving implants. Food and Drug Administration has approved a clinical trial in which four-square-millimeter chips will be placed beneath the skulls of paralyzed patients. If successful, the ... posted on Apr 21 2004, 1,113 reads

State of the Planet
Last month, scientists from around the world gathered at Columbia University for the 'State of the Planet 04' conference, subtitled "Mobilizing the Sciences to Fight Global Poverty." Working sessions covered issues of energy, food, water, and health. To conclude the conference, they came up with a joint, consensus statement of specific recommendations for sustainable development of the planet.... posted on Apr 10 2004, 1,089 reads

Ten-Percent Myth
There is no scientific basis to the often heard claim that we use only 10% of our brains. Brain imaging research techniques such as PET scans and fMRI clearly show that the vast majority of the brain does not lie fallow. Indeed, although certain minor functions may use only a small part of the brain at one time, any sufficiently complex set of activities or thought patterns will indeed use many ... posted on Apr 09 2004, 1,688 reads

What Makes People Happy
Psychologists now know what makes people happy. The happiest people surround themselves with family and friends, don't care about keeping up with the Joneses next door, lose themselves in daily activities and, most important, forgive easily. ... posted on Apr 03 2004, 3,309 reads

Un-Electric Refrigerator
Eggplants can now last 27 days instead of 3. Thanks to Mohammed Bah Abba, who invented an incredible 'Pot-in-a-pot' device that serves as a refrigerator, without the electricity! The device owes its cooling powers to a simple law of thermodynamics: when moisture comes into contact with dry air, it evaporates, causing an immediate drop in temperature. When the water in the sand between the two po... posted on Mar 16 2004, 1,564 reads