A new tool will help future communities become fairer and easier to manage equitably. It’s called a decentralized autonomous organization, or DAO. In simple terms, “a DAO is just a way to organize people towards a collective aim.” Based on the blockchain (“a shared, immutable ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking […]
3D printers aren’t just good for printing prototypes or, in extremely large cases, building whole bridges or houses. Because the list of things that can be put into a 3D printer is quite possibly only limited by our imagination, what can be printed with it is equally unlimited. Great advances have been made in 3D […]
Without a doubt, the social and economic benefits of the internet are immense, providing continuous access to information, generating new ways of learning, promoting new forms of entertainment, facilitating new contacts and offering the convenience of shopping from home, among them. Despite these clear advantages, though, come certain challenges. One major issue is the ability […]
Mysterious and complex, fascinating and disturbing, artificial intelligence (AI) is the subject of much debate. Beyond the controversies, this technology, envisioned in the 1950s by British mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954), is rich in practical applications in the domains of health, the environment, and industry, among others. So what is AI? AI brings together technical systems, […]
According to the WWF’s Living Blue Planet Report, more than half of the world’s coral reefs have died in the past 30 years due to climate change, overfishing and pollution. “Over 25 per cent of all marine species live in coral reefs, yet they cover an area about half the size of France.” Increasing pressure […]
The actress Hedy Lamarr was known for her beauty and film career, but she was also an inventor. The Official Website of Hedy Lamarr describes her accomplishment as follows: Hedy patented an idea that later became the crutch of both secure military communications and mobile phone technology. In 1942, Hedy and the composer and pianist George […]
By Danielle Carpenter – According to UNICEF, “Nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 are attributable to undernutrition, translating into the loss of about 3 million young lives a year. Undernutrition puts children at greater risk of dying from common infections, increases the frequency and severity of such infections, and delays recovery.” Malnutrition can be […]
Some 844 million people worldwide have no access to clean, safe water – meaning one in every nine people (water.org figures). Yet about 13,000 cubic kilometers (3,100 cubic miles) of fresh, clean water in the atmosphere are just waiting to be used. That is more than what is in all the rivers and freshwater reservoirs […]
Blockchain has the potential to topple business models and transform global supply chains, and thus disrupt industrial practices, especially crooked ones. Take the issue of forced labor, for instance. According to the International Labour Organization, “At any given time in 2016, an estimated 40.3 million people [were] in modern slavery, including 24.9 in forced labour. … Out of the 24.9 […]
Did you know? Although it may not seem like it from all we hear in the news, taken altogether, humanity has never been better off, based on GDP and other measures of well-being. Here are some facts: 1) The number of people living in absolute poverty has been reduced by 60% since 1980. 2) The world is safer […]
