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The latest trend in green houses: moss walls

More and more people are greening their homes, and that’s definitely a good thing – whether it’s renewable energy or green walls, it can not only save you a lot of money and reduce your carbon footprint, but also increase your home’s appeal and make it more cozy. The latest trend that’s picking up steam […]

Indian Poverty Falls To 12.4%, electricity plays big role

Poverty in India has dropped stunningly from 21% in 2012 to 12.4%, according to the World Bank.

A pink sludge is taking over Norway's coast

Earlier this month, researchers started noticing that a mysterious purple goo was taking over Norway's coast.

ZME Science is attending COP21, the climate summit in Paris

A team from ZME Science will attend the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP21. Here’s the official page of the event, the Wikipedia page, and the official Twitter (in French). What does this mean? We’ll be attending as many sessions as possible, to give you the latest updates on this potentially historic event. We’ll […]

Raspberry Pi reveals tiny $5 computer

The smallest member of the Raspberry Pi might actually be its largest: at the absurd price of £4 ($5 in the United States), it’s a full scale computer, and it could revolutionize electronic appliances. Wait, what’s a Raspberry Pi? The Raspberry Pi is a series of credit card–sized single-board computers developed in the United Kingdom by […]

What the deal is with the deformed California road

If you've been following the news lately (especially science news), the odds are you may have come across images of this California road, deformed to the point where some sections of it are basically vertical.

Fun GIF shows what hydrophobic coating can do

Hydrophobic coating is without a doubt one of the most coolest inventions in recent years, but it's sometimes hard to imagine just how it can be useful.

Paleontologists find a ridiculously armored Cambrian worm

It basically looks like a weapon: the fossil of a worm-like animal from the Cambrian period has been presented by scientists, and it’s as armored as it gets. The Cambrian was definitely one of the strangest geological and biological stages in Earth’s history; it’s not only that it was 500 million years ago, but the […]

Scientists image organs at microscopic scales

In a new study published in Nature, researchers have demonstrated a technique that allows the mapping of organs at microscopic scales.

18th century alternatives for Thanksgiving recipes

Today, the world seems split into two different parts: some people devouring dramatically large pieces of turkey, and the other ones that simply don’t care about Thanksgiving. But no matter what category you fall into, it’s a good time of the year to enjoy some good food. With this in mind, I thought I’d share […]

How the Moon got its tilt

Astronomers describe that the present-day tilt of the Moon is likely a result of collision-free encounters of the early Moon with small planetary bodies.

Archaeologists reveal 5,000 year old Babylonian recipes

While many people are probably consulting Google these days with searches for “easy turkey dinner” or “last minute side dishes”, it’s pretty safe to say there’s no shortage of websites offering answers to those queries. But there is a shortage of recipes thousands of years old. The Yale Babylonian Collection now allowed us to take dinner as humans did […]

After the climate talks in Paris, the real work begins

The Climate Summit in Paris may or may not create a binding agreement for countries to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, but either way, the real work will begin after the talks. “When the meetings in Paris are done, the real business of decarbonization must begin,” write climate-policy experts David Victor and James Leape in […]

Have you tried Facebook's 'Most Used Words' app? If yes, say goodbye to your privacy

The ‘Most Used Words’ app has picked up steam more and more on our Facebook feeds, but as it’s often the case, this rings some major privacy alerts. So far, more than 17 million people have used the app to find out what they say most – but the recent uproar has begun when people […]

20 Years of International Climate Change Politics: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Philipp Pattberg, a professor of transnational environmental governance and policy at VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands, focuses on the study of global environmental politics, with a focus on climate change governance and biodiversity. Here, he gives a talk about more than 20 years of international climate change diplomacy, from the successful negotiation of the 1992 United Nations […]

Copenhagen takes bike lanes to another level... literally

The Danish capital of Copenhagen is known for its bike friendly culture but this time they’re taking it to the next level. Work is set to start on the new bike lane which will join two skyscrapers, 213 feet in the air (65 meters). The design was the winner of a competition to reinvigorate the […]

70% of Mongolian nomads now have solar power

In many the vast steppes of Mongolia, some things have remained unchanged for centuries. But some things have changed, and big time: according to a new report, almost 3 out of 4 Mongolian nomads are now using solar power. Even if your lifestyle is pretty much Medieval, you can still benefit from advanced technology – that’s […]

Underwater balloons could help us store renewable energy

While wind and solar are offering more energy than ever to global grids, there is still much work to be done if we want to properly integrate them; one question that always arise is that of energy storage. Sure, you can harvest a lot of sun during the day, but you need to store it for later usage, and that's quite a problem. Now, a Canadian start-up believe they may have found a solution for that, and it's just crazy enough to work: underwater balloons.

Reactions to FDA approving genetically engineered salmon

A few days ago, the FDA approved the genetic engineering of modified Atlantic salmon variety. This is the first food animal that was genetically modified that the FDA approved for human consumption and farming; the gene alteration would make it grow much faster. Public reactions have been mixed, as expected. This could be a very good move, greatly reducing the stress on wild populations, but people are always reluctant when it comes to GMOs - especially animals.

Climate change: It's real, and it's up to us

The little things we do matter: being more responsible with the resources we use, walking that extra stop, even speaking our voice out, it all matters.

Why most diets don't work

Universal diets don’t work because “healthy food” varies from person to person, a new study has found. Sadly, only a fraction of all people truly eat healthily these days – we all have our own struggles with food, either because we eat too much, or we eat things that are bad for us, or we don’t […]

Solar panels in refugee camps could make life easier and slash CO2 emissions

A simple yet efficient solution could not only make life easier for millions of refugees worldwide, but also reduce CO2 emissions by 6.85 million tons every year and save a lot of money in the long run: installing solar panels in camps. A consortium of think tanks and NGOs has released a report highlighting that […]

Dubai firefighters will get jetpacks

If you ever wanted to become a firefighter in an exotic location, now you have the perfect extra motivation: jetpacks. As if Dubai didn’t have enough hi-tech with all the awesome cars and helicopters and all, firefighters will receive jetpacks as part of the new year’s city budget – this is considered a “practical” solution […]

Tiny two-legged puppy receives life-time supply of 3D printed wheelchairs

When Tumbles was born in Ohio with just two back legs, prospects didn’t seem that good for him, in a world where having just two legs is sadly, as good as a life sentence for most animals. Friends of the Shelter Dogs in Athens rescued and bottle-fed him, and not long after that, a family adopted […]

Stephen Hawking: You Should Support Wealth Redistribution

In July, Professor Stephen Hawking took the time to answer questions posed by Reddit users in an AMA (Ask Me Antyhing), addressing one of the less discussed aspect of increasing technology and robotization: the distribution of wealth.

Scientists create 244-atom light-driven submarine

Every once in a while, someone creates something so incredible that it probably wouldn't even pass the Hollywood standard, being deemed to unrealistic.

800 Year Old "Extinct Big Squash" Revived With Ancient Seeds

Archaeological diggings at the First Nations in Canada unearthed, among others, a small, 800 year old pot - and inside it, squash seeds!

Start-up develops new robot that identifies and removes weeds

Start-up company Deepfield Robotics has developed a field vehicle that can distinguish weeds from useful crops and eliminate them.

No, a Nigerian didn't solve the Riemann Hypothesis

The problem is still unsolved.

Bad scientists use puzzling jargon to mask wrongdoings

Weeding out bad science is an extremely complicated and delicate process, and short of peer review there's little left to do; even peer review is flawed, or at the very least imperfect.

Why you shouldn't believe cosmetic product claims

Behind all the glitz and glamour, there's little substance to cosmetic products.

Cheaper, brighter and easier to manufacture LEDs created from organic-inorganic hybrid class of materials

Florida Researchers have developed a new class of LEDs that may change the lighting and display industry of the future.

The most and least peaceful countries in the world ranked

Earlier this year, the Institute for Economics and Peace released its GPI - Global Peace Index. Tiny spoiler alert: the United States ranked 94th.

Alcoholism medication could be "game changer" against HIV

Researchers may have found a much needed weapon against HIV in an unexpected place: alcoholism medication.

Even with oil price going down, production is still going up

Today, US closed down the price for crude oil at $40.67/barrel, but a year and a half ago the price was over 2 times more, even going over $100 per barrel; for something that's traditionally went up in recent years, that's a huge, and surprising change.

Bio-engineered algae kills cancer cells and leaves healthy ones unharmed

Scientists have genetically engineered algae to kill up to 90% of cancer cells in the lab, while leaving the healthy ones unharmed.

Are cats really afraid of cucumbers?

In recent days, the internet has been flooded with images and videos of cats having hilarious reactions to cucumbers stealthily placed behind them.

How to easily determine your eye dominance

Not many people know it, but just like you have a hand dominance, you also have an eye dominance. Here's how you can figure it out.

Scientists use laser to cool something down for the first time

Cooling things with lasers? I'm down!

Scientists reveal the first global groundwater map to date

A team of researchers has analyzed a swarm of data and created the first map that tries to estimate how much water is located beneath the Earth.

NASA reveals the suits astronauts will use on Mars

If everything goes according to plan, we'll be going to Mars in the mid 2030s - using these suits.

A new, beautifully detailed geological map of Mars

Geological maps can be awesome here on Earth, but when we have geological maps of extraterrestrial bodies... that's when we get really excited.

New, different type of life could be living in our guts

In recent years, we’re finding out more and more that our guts are actually an impressive ecosystem, influencing not only how we digest our food, but also how we think and behave. But now, researchers have taken it even one step further: we may need to define a whole new life form to describe these […]

Interview with Dr. Thomas Watters, from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

We recently got the chance to talk to Dr. Thomas Watters from the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Watters is a Co-Investigator on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, and discussing lunar tectonics with him was highly insightful: ZME: Your background is in geology and tectonics, how was the transition to planetary sciences? How is studying geology […]

Scientists 3D print models of impact craters on Moon and Mars

3D printing has ignited our imagination and pushed us to think about things in new, different ways.

Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" voted most influential academic book in history

Charles Darwin’s monumental formulation of the theory of evolution has been overwhelmingly voted as the most influential and important academic book, ahead of works by Newton, Plato and Einstein. “Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, […]

Meet Unsinkable Sam: The Cat that Survived Three Ships Sinking in WWII

The black and white cat was originally named Oscar but then became known as Unsinkable Sam. He started his “career” in the fleet of the Nazi regime, the Kriegsmarine, and ended it in the Royal Navy. He was onboard Bismarck, the HMS Cossack, and the HMS Ark Royal, but here comes the cool part: while […]

Paleontologists did discover fossilized brain tissue in 520 million year old specimens

It was a finding that sent ripples throughout the entire paleontology community. Met with heavy criticism, the authors are now vindicated.

Thermal scans reveal interesting anomaly in Great Pyramid

Even inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, outside of Cairo, researchers have found something interesting.

Creating a microbial map of the city

Give it up for your city's sewer system - aside from handling our waste (well, at least most of the time), it also fights disease.