Innovation

Inside the budding economy of buying and selling shoutouts on Fiverr
"Check this man out." The Instagram Story is beamed to my phone. Sure enough, there is my handle, "@Luke_Winkie" in red-and-yellow neon, hovering in the feed of a meme page with 62,000 followers. The whole transaction took less than a minute. I sent…
By Luke Winkie
Does banning plastic bags actually accomplish anything?
By Tebany Yune
Over 23 billion plastic bags are used each year in the state of New York, and officials with the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are trying to change that. Starting March 1, the Bag Waste Reduction Law will take effect to reduce…
Scientists are trying to make robots more trustworthy
By Mark Edmonds and Yixin Zhu
Artificial intelligence is entering our lives in many ways – on our smartphones, in our homes, in our cars. These systems can help people make appointments, drive and even diagnose illnesses. But as AI systems continue to serve important and…
Asteroids can become “minimoons” stuck in Earth’s orbit
By Tebany Yune
Every now and then, the Earth attracts a small asteroid or two with its gravity, bringing the occasional rocky friend into its orbit. Most of these hard-to-see space chunks don't stay long; they usually hang out only for a bit before leaving. So…
Oil drilling projects in the Arctic are disrupting polar bear dens
By AJ Dellinger
In recent years the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has become the battleground of a proxy war between conservationists and Big Oil interests. The land has become a safe haven for Alaska's polar bears, providing them with prime real estate…
Flip phones are back, but do we actually need them?
By Brittany Vincent
Over the past few years, smartphone manufacturers have clearly struggled with finding something new to get buyers excited about plunking down hundreds of dollars for. When handsets typically only deliver bigger screens, better battery life, or even…
What the hole in the ozone layer has to do with the Arctic melting
By Karen Smith
One of the earliest climate model predictions of how human-made climate change would affect our planet showed that the Arctic would warm about two to three times more than the global average. Forty years later, this “Arctic amplification” has been…
This German teen is being hailed as the right's climate-denying "anti-Greta"
By AJ Dellinger
Greta Thunberg has been in the global public eye for nearly two years now for her bold acts of climate activism and enthralling speeches given before world leaders. That means it has also been nearly two years since conservatives and climate change…
New study confirms seagulls would rather eat your Cheez-Its than their own food
By Tebany Yune
Yes, the seagulls are targeting your food, and now you've got scientific research to support your suspicions. A recently published study has found that a species of seagulls, the Herring Gull, seemed to favor food that a human had touched.…
Carbon offsets aren’t enough to solve airlines’ climate problem
By Susanne Becken
If you’re a traveler who cares about reducing your carbon footprint, are some airlines better to fly with than others? Several of the world’s major airlines have announced plans to become “carbon neutral”, while others are trialling new aviation…
A new report details how bad your Uber habit is for the environment
By Vanessa Taylor
For many, ride-sharing apps are a go-to method of transportation because of the convenience they offer. However, the cost of these services extends beyond your wallet. A new report found that ride-share apps create 69 percent more climate pollution…
A ‘Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ sequel is definitely coming — but when?
By Tebany Yune
Hey, Nintendo, how are you doing? It's been a little while since we last heard about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel and we're getting kinda antsy for more news. There's so many questions flying around, you know, and it's starting to…
Coronavirus might shut down the Olympics, but why is 'Dick Pound' trending?
By Tebany Yune
Twitter users did a double-take today as 'Dick Pound' rose to the top of the trends. No, it's not a late-night hashtag that somehow made its way to daytime Twitter. It's the honest-to-god name of the the longest-serving member of the International…
Politicians who vote against the environment are making serious bank
By AJ Dellinger
For decades, Big Oil has lined the pockets of politicians with cash in an attempt to purchase influence in Washington. But the fossil fuel industry hasn't just been handing over cash for the campaign and hoping that Senators and members of Congress…
Why your phone dies in really cold weather
By AJ Dellinger
When winter arrives, it manages to slow just about everything down — but it can't bring humans to a complete halt. Even the garments we wear to keep warm once the temperature drops are made to enable our normal routines. Just take a look at gloves…
Apple’s long-rumored over-ear headphones may soon make their debut
By Brittany Vincent
Love your Apple AirPods? You may soon have another Apple-branded pair of headphones to reach for the next time you're ready to listen to some tunes. Apple seems to be poised to release a brand new pair of over-ear headphones in the coming days, if…
Climate change could be "catastrophic" to national security, according to new report
By AJ Dellinger
Climate change is a worldwide existential threat — one that is so big that it can be hard to truly visualize the problem, as it is likely to touch every part of our lives in one way or another. A new report from the Center for Climate and Security —…
NASA just recorded quakes on Mars for the first time
By Vanessa Taylor
There's a lot scientists don't know about Mars, the little red planet next door. Now, new reports are suggesting that Mars is a lot more active than you might think. A NASA mission recorded quakes on Mars for the first time along with another…
Antarctica's glacier melt could lead to a repeat of extreme ancient sea rise
By Chris Fogwill, Chris Turney and Zoë Thomas
Rising global temperatures and warming ocean waters are causing one of the world’s coldest places to melt. While we know that human activity is causing climate change and driving rapid changes in Antarctica, the potential impacts that a warmer world…
Mike Bloomberg is paying people to tweet about him, and Twitter isn't having it
By Vanessa Taylor
As part of his presidential campaign strategy, Mike Bloomberg is pouring millions into social media outreach. His plans may have backfired, though. Last week, Twitter cracked down on 70 pro-Bloomberg accounts for violating the platform's rules.…
Astronomers just found a vital part of the air we breathe in another galaxy
By Vanessa Taylor
Every day, scientists are learning more and more about the universe that surrounds us. Sometimes, their findings are jut neat, but they can also make discoveries that unravel old notions from the past. Recently, researchers found oxygen in a far-off…