Design

How Torvinen Jaakko’s ugly wood can lay the foundations for green building

Canada's forests generate billions of dollars in economic value each year, yet vast amounts of irregular timber are downgraded to wood chips or biomass. A collaboration between researchers at Carleton University and Aalto University is challenging that model, demonstrating how "ugly wood" can be transformed into high-value architecture while reducing waste and storing more carbon in buildings.

Barnacle glue could fix coral reefs, inspire new advances in building and medicine

Aalto University researchers create a protein-based adhesive inspired by barnacles and mussels that works underwater and could aid coral reef restoration.

Jaakko Torvinen finds that the next green building revolution is misfit trees

Crooked, forked and curved trees are often treated as second-class timber. They are considered less valuable, and not suitable for load bearing walls or support systems in building. If a tree trunk is not straight enough to become a saw log, it is frequently diverted into pulp production or burned for energy. Now, new research from Aalto University could help change that.

5 great wearable luggage solutions to hack low cost airlines

Wearable luggage so you can hack low cost air travel

The fossil fuel problem hiding in your wardrobe

The fuel pumps don't lie. When oil prices spike, everyone pays, and lately, we have all been feeling the pain. But the effects of this...

The Pilsok Beetle Bag is the only backpack you will need in your van – or your life

I am picky about bags. Not in a fashion way because I don't care about logos. I care about whether a thing will hold...

Meet Seramic Materials from Abu Dhabi

Based in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, Seramic Materials was founded in 2019 by Dr. Nicolas Calvet and Dr. Jean-François Hoffmann, researchers working at the intersection of renewable energy and materials science. The company grew out of the Masdar Institute ecosystem and is supported by clean tech programs like The Catalyst, with early backing of around $150,000 and more than $2 million invested in research and development over time.

From Crawling to Playtime: Kids’ Room Rugs and Baby Play Mats for Daily Play

Introduction: Explaining the Importance of Play for Children's Development Play is an essential aspect of a child's life. It is through play that children learn...

Pinatex bio-materials files for bankruptcy

Piñatex was among the earliest widely publicized plant-based leather alternatives and played a significant role in raising awareness of agricultural waste valorization within fashion supply chains.

Creative Gifts for Christmas

With the gift holidays officially open now is the time to reconsider gift giving, especially now with the current economic crisis! First, do you...

Knit Your Own Sustainable Beard

Keeping a beard is standard practice according to the "sunnah" in Islam.  That Arabic term generally refers to ways of the prophet Mohammad: he was fully bearded.  Muslim men are encouraged to grow beards when reaching adulthood as a symbol of manhood, purity and maturity.

How AI Can Help Eco-Materials Grow Up

moss is an experimental AI writer grown from the neural compost of Karin Kloosterman’s mind — a synthesis of her memories, research, and wild intuitions. Programmed on her patterns of thought, moss writes where technology meets spirit, decoding the secret language between nature, machines, and human longing.

Green Architecture at Home: Eco Decks as a Bridge Between Indoors and Outdoors

A lot of people think that all wood is equal, but this is not the case. Most of the time, decking materials come from irresponsible logging. This is not natural and sustainable at all. If you want to make responsible choices, you need to look at FSC certified lumber, bamboo, or recycled composites.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Jane Goodall Back Cruelty-free Lab Diamonds

Sarah Jessica Parker has expanded her creative footprint, stepping into the world of fine jewelry as a partner and spokeswoman for Astrea London, a...

This furniture isn’t built, it grows from mushrooms

In Mumbai, architects Bhakti Loonawat and Suyash Sawant are reimagining what furniture can be. Through their studio Anomalia, they grow consoles, blocks, and textiles from mycelium—the root network of fungi—transforming agricultural waste into durable, lightweight, and fully biodegradable designs. From Venice Biennale installations to everyday tables, their mushroom-grown creations offer a radical alternative to conventional furniture and a vision for circular living.

Hot this week

Looms Ran on Binary Code Before Computers Existed

The roots of modern computing run through weaving. From Jacquard looms and Ada Lovelace to women programming early computers, London’s Softwear exhibition reveals the surprisingly tactile history behind our digital world.

Mongolia rangelands the center of climate change

Mongolia put the world’s overlooked rangelands on the climate agenda at UNCCD COP17, where governments and investors backed new financing for land restoration, drought resilience and pastoral communities.

Did China’s AI Boom Melt the Himalayas? Nepal’s Deadly Floods Raises Question About Data Centers and Climate

Nepal’s devastating floods reveal the growing risks of a warming Himalaya. As glaciers retreat and extreme events intensify, clean energy and climate action are increasingly urgent — and local organizations need support.

Lumana Brings AI Cameras Without Sending Everything to the Cloud: Fortune 500 are Buying

Lumana is bringing AI intelligence to more than 50,000 existing security cameras without sending every frame to the cloud. Its hybrid edge architecture offers a compelling lesson for the AI boom: smarter systems may also be more efficient.

Etihad crew denies female doctor from helping passenger in medical distress

A female physician says she and another woman doctor were prevented from helping a passenger during a medical emergency aboard Etihad flight EY16. Was it airline protocol, poor judgment or sexism? Etihad has been asked to explain.

Topics

Looms Ran on Binary Code Before Computers Existed

The roots of modern computing run through weaving. From Jacquard looms and Ada Lovelace to women programming early computers, London’s Softwear exhibition reveals the surprisingly tactile history behind our digital world.

Mongolia rangelands the center of climate change

Mongolia put the world’s overlooked rangelands on the climate agenda at UNCCD COP17, where governments and investors backed new financing for land restoration, drought resilience and pastoral communities.

Did China’s AI Boom Melt the Himalayas? Nepal’s Deadly Floods Raises Question About Data Centers and Climate

Nepal’s devastating floods reveal the growing risks of a warming Himalaya. As glaciers retreat and extreme events intensify, clean energy and climate action are increasingly urgent — and local organizations need support.

Lumana Brings AI Cameras Without Sending Everything to the Cloud: Fortune 500 are Buying

Lumana is bringing AI intelligence to more than 50,000 existing security cameras without sending every frame to the cloud. Its hybrid edge architecture offers a compelling lesson for the AI boom: smarter systems may also be more efficient.

Etihad crew denies female doctor from helping passenger in medical distress

A female physician says she and another woman doctor were prevented from helping a passenger during a medical emergency aboard Etihad flight EY16. Was it airline protocol, poor judgment or sexism? Etihad has been asked to explain.

How to Read Your PG&E Bill After Installing a Heat Pump — and What to Expect the First Year

Electricity bill went up after your heat pump installation? Before you call the contractor, read this. A wrong rate plan, unadjusted thermostat schedule, and a missed baseline allowance are usually the culprit — not the system.

The Best of Hobart: Experiences to Have, Places to Visit, and Flavours to Try

Hobart, Tasmania’s capital, is the kind of city that makes you regret not having come sooner. Mount Wellington/kunanyi that shapes the skyline, Bruny Island's dolphins, Port Arthur's convict ruins and Salamanca's Saturday market are all close enough to fit into the same week.

How Responsible Tourism Could Help Protect the World’s Last Wild Places

From Antarctica and South Georgia to the Galápagos and Thailand, fragile destinations are finding ways to manage tourism without shutting visitors out. Visitor caps, conservation fees, biosecurity rules and controlled access can reduce environmental damage while helping fund the protection of wild places.
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