Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing an audio reading device to be worn on the index finger of people whose vision is impaired, giving them affordable and immediate access to printed words. The so-called FingerReader, a prototype…
Buried treasure doesn't always have to be underground. As photographer Ken Heyman discovered, forgotten storage boxes can yield treasure, too. According to Medium, his former agent, Woodfin Camp, requested that he empty his contents from a closing storage facility. That's…
If you’re squeezed for space in your tiny city apartment, chances are your beloved but bulky outdoor gear will be the first to go in the downsizing process. The folks at Oru Kayak, however, are hoping to change that with…
Some of us may be starting to feel that way about the Internet. As a handful of corporations continue to consolidate their grip over the network, the optimism of the early indie Web has given way to a much-chronicled backlash.…
Never judge a banana by its skin. That’s one of lessons learnt at Salvage Supperclub in Williamsburg, a community dining experience that serves a six course meal for $50 made with ingredients that would usually be chucked out. As well…
Helicopter passengers, including engineer Konstantin Nikolaev, recently spotted a massive crater 80 meters (250 ft) in diameter in the Yamal peninsula in northern Siberia, coincidentally referred to as “the end of the world”. The hole was filmed and put on…
When I started loving myself I understood that I’m always and at any given opportunity in the right place at the right time. And I understood that all that happens is right – from then on I could be…
Photographer Cyjo's "Mixed Blood" portraits make a frank, sweeping statement about the evolution of ethnic identity--and in particular, the melting-pot that is our families. Taken from 2010 to 2013 in New York and Beijing, these photographs reveal how the average…
Visitors to Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas will probably be struck by two things: the immense glass walls and ceiling and the dense forest visible all around. This was the dream of Jim Reed, a retired school teacher who…
Australia’s Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has responded to a letter from a young boy pleading with him to legalise equal marriage. Same Same reports eleven-year-old Orlando Burcham recently wrote to Mr Abbott, saying: “I would like to know why you…
Coca-Cola and American singer-songwriter will.i.am have launched the Ekocycle Cube, a small-scale 3D printer that uses post-consumer plastics to print smaller items out of recycled plastic Coke bottles. Developed together with 3D Systems, the Ekocycle Cube uses cartridges loaded with…
When it comes to feeding our babies, we obviously want the very best. And with so many jars, squeezable packages, and the numerous brands available on market shelves, it’s pretty tough to know which to choose, or what you’re getting.…
The beds and couches at Ikea are communal nap spots in China. Photographer Kevin Frayer captured the phenomenon for Getty Images. Eight of the world’s 10 biggest Ikea stores are in China, where the home goods store is expanding to…
The main obstacle to snorkelling is the difficulty in breathing underwater with a snorkel. Indeed, breathing through your mouth is unnatural, and the snorkel mouthpiece is sometimes considered too intrusive, uncomfortable and unhygienic. That's why Tribord invented the Easybreath, the…
If you met Hanne Blank and her partner on the street, you might have a lot of trouble classifying them. While Blank looks like a feminine woman, her partner is extremely androgynous, with little to no facial hair and a…
Straddling the modern world and the more mysterious, Hong Kong is a city at once ancient and new. With more than 7 million inhabitants, it’s constantly bustling and alive. From globally celebrated cuisine to premiere shopping, from bustling dim-sum parlors…
The ocean is covered in a lot less plastic than we thought — and that’s a bad thing. Ninety-nine percent of the expected pollution turns out to be missing. Where did it all go? Scientists on a cruise trip around…
Do you struggle, like me, with monkey-mind? Is your brain also a little unsettled, restless, capricious, whimsical, fanciful, inconstant, confused, indecisive, or uncontrollable? That's the definition of "monkey mind" I've been given! If you need more motivation to take up…
As history has repeatedly shown, political systems come and go. Given our rapid technological and social advances, it's a trend we can expect to continue. Here are 12 extraordinary — and even frightening — ways our governments could be run…
Since over 1,100 garment workers died in the collapse of a Bangladesh factory last April, fashionistas have turned a wary eye to clothes made in Asia. A new report suggests they should be equally suspicious of clothes made for labels…