Eddy is artificial intelligence for vertical farms and hydroponics

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Eddy is like the “easy button” for hydroponics The United Nations is screaming it –– and California is feeling it: drought caused by climate change is killing the way we grow food. And it will only get worse. Thought leaders want a shake up of conventional agriculture, because large mono-crop farms are not producing enough to […]

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Students make AMENDS for a better Middle East

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The American Middle Eastern Network for Dialogue at California’s Stanford University (AMENDS) is a student-led initiative that enables young change agents from across the Middle East, North Africa, and United States to share ideas, collaborate on projects, and, through Ted-style talks, broadcast their experiences and learn from each other. This is a story about a platform for […]

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Is Egypt in denial about Nile phosphate pollution?

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A barge carrying 500 tons of phosphate capsized in Upper Egypt last week after a run-in with a bridge foundation.  According to Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, the ship flipped after colliding with the Dandara Bridge in Qena, about 40 miles north of Luxor, dumping 1 million pounds of phosphate into the Nile River. Egypt’s Minister of Irrigation (MOI) Hossam Moghazi […]

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Palestinian rappers tackle MidEast sexism

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“I am the dishes, the ironing, I am everything, I am nothing. But remind me: Who are you?” So plays the hook of a new feminist anthem released by the Palestinian rappers, DAM. The video for “Who You Are” plays on sexist attitudes by having men and women switch domestic roles typical in the Middle East, but also familiar […]

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Cultivate your own “pocket park” with a 3D planted garden

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Wearable Planter is an art and design studio based in Atlanta, Georgia where owner Colleen Jordan creates tiny vases that blur the line between housewares and accessories. The geometric 3D-printed vessels (a/k/a “jewelry for green thumbs”) are water-resistant. Plant one with a bonsai-sized succulent or lilliputian flower arrangement and celebrate spring with a live plant in […]

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Syrian refugees share their graphic stories

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The population at Jordan’s Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees has dwindled. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) counts current residents at 83,000, down from over 200,000 in April 2013. People are relocating to communities across Jordan, electing to return to Syria, or simply bailing out of the refugee program. Meanwhile, those that remain – many in […]

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Meet the innocent looking doll who’s been around the block

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There’s a new toy on the shelf that’s been whipping up online comments that accuse its maker of radically challenging expectations of femininity, enforcing oppressive gender norms, and preaching conformity over experimentation. Some say she’s racist, as there are no dolls-of-color in her line.  Others point to a liberal tree-hugger theme, as they are dressed for back-packing and camping. Living in […]

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Bio-Pyramid turns Egyptian pyramid into a desert-reversing skyscraper!

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Seven designers teamed up on a project to transform an ancient Egyptian pyramid into a green skyscraper that works to reverse desertification. Their Bio-Pyramid concept won an honorable mention in the 2015 eVolo Skyscraper Competition, an award that recognizes outstanding ideas that challenge the way architecture relates to both natural and built environments. Could up-cycling the Great […]

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When will the Middle East wake up to green roofs?

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Vive la France!  The country recently passed legislation that requires rooftops on all new commercial buildings to be at least partly covered with solar panels or rooftop gardens. French environmental activists had sought to mandate full green roof coverage for all new buildings, but the new law allows commercial owners the option to install roof-mounted solar panels […]

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Capture your loved ones in custom glass planets?

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An artist in northern California (need we add, “where else but?”) is making tiny glass beads meant to look like planets or solar systems encapsulated within delicate glass beads. What makes her creations especially otherworldly is the secret ingredient – cremated human remains caught in dramatic and colorful swirls for eternity. So do we now switch the funereal sentiment […]

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