A little dirt never hurt anyone.
Scientific research suggests that all the antibacterial-wiping, germ-killing cleanliness of the developed world may actually be making us more prone to getting sick — and that a little more dirt might help us stay healthier in the long run.
Continue reading… “Excessive cleanliness may be making us sick”
Geophagy – dining on dirt
Parents who have watched in horror as their young children stuff a handful of mud into their mouths while playing in the garden can relax. It appears eating mud or clay could actually be good for the stomach.
Continue reading… “Why Eating Dirt Can Be Good For You”
Plowing tractor exhaust into the field, eliminating fertilizer costs
A wheat farmer in Australia has eliminated adding fertilizer to his crop by the simple process of injecting the cooled diesel exhaust of his modified tractor into the ground when the wheat is being sown. In doing so he eliminates releasing carbon into the atmosphere and at the same time saves himself up to $500,000 (AUD) that would have been required to fertilize his 3,900 hectares in the traditional way. Yet his crop yields over the last two years have been at least on par with his best yields since 2001. The technique was developed by a Canadian, Gary Lewis of Bio Agtive, and is currently in trial at 100 farms around the world.
Continue reading… “Plowing Carbon Into the Fields”
Scientists love a mystery. Biologists used to have the human genome, but now they have the structure of protein. Physics used to have cosmic rays, but now they have the God particle. Astronomers used to have black holes, but now they have dark matter. (Pics)
Continue reading… “The Mysterious Mima Mounds”
Using soil to grow plants is so last century. We live in the future, we don’t need to get our hands dirty with dirt. No, we’re all about aeroponics, where specially formulated nutrient mists replace soil. This Broto Domestic Greenhouse lets you use aeroponics to grow plants, constantly checking the pH, temperature, nutrients, and humidity to ensure that they grow as healthily as possible.
Continue reading… “Aeroponics: Grow Plants Without Soil”
A New Job For Dirt?
It turns out wind power, solar power and lunar power are not the only possible renewable energy sources for our future. Dirt power might be next. There are already plans for use of it in places of Africa that are off-grid.
We first heard of dirt power back in May of 2008. Six Harvard University students (a.k.a known as Lebônê) won a $200,000 grant from World Bank at the Lighting Africa 2008 event in Accra, Ghana for inventing a way to turn soil into electricity using microbial fuel cells.
Continue reading… “Electricity from Dirt: Is it Possible?”
These Shoes REALLY Suck!
Vacuums have come along way since the first manually-powered one was invented back in 1868. Judging by the range of innovations for the floor-cleaners in recent years, they have a long way to go too.
The things with devices like the vacuum is that they will always be needed. Not only that, but because of the diversity of floors and the preferences of the people who own them, there is no one right solution.
Continue reading… “The World’s Most Innovative Vacuum Cleaners”
