Close a 10-mile section of highway – air quality immediately improves by 83%

This weekend scientists were ableĀ to measure freeway pollution when a 10-mile section was shut down for construction. The results were surprising. Within minutes of the traffic shut-down, air quality for the region improved by 83%. It also improved by 75% in the surrounding cities and 25% for the 30 miles in every direction. The findings …

A look at raptors – the biology of birds of prey

Raptors are hawks, owls, eagles, falcons, and vultures. They are hunters who prefer to capture their prey alive – swooping out of the sky with fierce claws “made to rip flesh off the bones.” And can come in all sizes, fitting into the palm of your hand or displaying a 9-foot wingspan. These are a …

Recipe for Curry Butternut Squash Soup

After a long summer of iced coffees and frozen fruit drinks, we can finally enjoy hot and savory soups. Fall brings back cozy nights with a comfy blanket, a good book, and a steaming bowl of soup. The first soup of the season is Butternut Squash Soup – so easy to make and so overwhelmingly…orange. …

The Great New England Vampire Panic

Bram Stoker published Dracula in 1897, but years before that novel made vampires famous, New England had its own famous living dead. The stories tell of dead relatives rising from the grave to haunt their family – even drink their blood. Townspeople would become so scared they would have the Mayor and Church approve an …

A father and his son – Ray Lewis watches his son play football and hopes he can be a better man

A video about Ray Lewis III, from NFL Videos: Ray Lewis never wanted to be like his the father. Today, Lewis doesn’t want his son to be like him either. Here’s an intimate look at the bond between father and son.  

Scientists set out to study Earth’s most forbidding – and Mars-like – locations

If we want to find life on Mars it might help to study the most forbidding places on Earth. And it turns out there are four places so inhospitable – too cold, dry, hot or salty – that match the conditions on Mars. A team of scientists visited these sites to see if life can …

Tesla announces network of free charging stations powered by solar energy

The biggest problem with driving an electric vehicle (EV) is not driving from home to work. It’s the long trips and vacations that scare people – beyond the EV’s range of 75-150 miles per charge. They need a network of charging stations, like gas stations, placed along highway routes for all the popular destinations. And …

The top ten female icons of advertising

We’ve got Madge the Manicurist and Rosie the Riveter – plus, the little umbrella girl from Morton’s which goes all the way back to 1914 – from Advertising Age: This venerable ad icon was originally an afterthought, one of three substitute ideas that agency W. Ayer & Co. pitched in case the company rejected 12 …

Interesting profile on Elon Musk – a genius billionaire changing the world

It’s not often you read a profile of a man fit for comic books. One whose life so closely resembles a superhero’s that a movie was madeĀ about him. In that movie genius billionaire Tony Stark builds a powerful metal suit that can fly, produce unlimited energy, and battle gods. Which nearly describes Elon Musk. Ok, …

Mirror, mirror – which social network is the greatest of them all? — Customer satisfaction ratings

For the third year, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) asked 70,000 people how they feel about the top social media sites. And Google+ and Wikipedia are the winners – from Marketing Land: Google+, Wikipedia – 78 points YouTube – 73 Pinterest – 69 Twitter – 64 Linkedin – 63 Facebook – 61     …