Stories by Author

Eileen Marable

editor

 
Frankly, it sounds terrifying to me to be pawed in the face by a stuffed robotic polar bear while I sleep*. It's no nightmare though. Japanese engineers have developed the bear — named Jukusui-kun (or "deep sleep") — to gently prod chronic snorers and induce them to change their sleeping position to alleviate the snores.
 
Alaska Airlines recently launched 75 passenger flights running on a 20% biofuel blend made with reclaimed cooking oil. Once we learned this fuel blend met aviation and military safety, environmental, and performance standards we breathed a huge sigh of relief. And this, right after some airlines decided to go electric when taxiing.
 
The first floor of the University of California's newest engineering building is soon to be powered by the equivalent 1.1M high-end lithium-ion AA batteries. If you are curious as to what this looks like, the 1.1 megawatt power supply is big enough to cover a 50-meter long Olympic size swimming pool. That's a lot of power.
 
Dreaming of a "white Christmas" is so 20th Century. Welcome to the 21st Century, where we think of the holiday season as green — and we don't mean cash. Today, with so many stresses on our environment and the need to be mindful consumers, many people are looking for that special "green" gift that will keep on giving. Never fear — we've scoured the web for the grooviest gifts that embody all kinds of green giving. Whether upcycled products bringing something old back to life, something made from left over materials or something that simply brings a bit of nature back into our increasingly urban lives we think all these gifts are wicked cool.
 
Students everywhere can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Now, getting ready for English Lit class is as easy as watching six minute animated videos on their mobile phones. These new interactive videos come courtesy of CliffsNotes — who have saved students for years with their trademark black and yellow bound summaries of the classics.

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