Latest Articles

U.S. government gives food speculators the thumbs up

Since the housing crash, food prices have been at the center of Wall Street speculator's games. Can government regulation make a difference?

Guitar Antihero 1: How Gibson Guitars made illegal logging a conservative cause célèbre

Republican leaders are bashing well-respected trade regs that protect American jobs. Behind the coup: Tea Party groups and Gibson Guitar.

Attention, pundits: We have the makings of a serious U.S. solar program

Three ambitious projects could put the U.S. on course for a major solar expansion -- if they get enough attention and support. Thomas Friedman, listen up!

Check out this high-tech prosthetic for amputee cyclists

The Cadence leg prosthetic looks like something Chell from Portal might wear, but it's actually specially designed for riding a bike. Design student Seth Astle just won the James Dyson award for Cadence, which helps give below-the-knee amputees the fluid leg movement necessary to pedal a bike efficiently. 

Feeding frenzy: Who's behind the unsavory food stamp parodies

Two sensationalist videos about government food assistance have gotten the attention of conservatives recently. One may not be what it seems.

Oil drilling wastes 100 million cubic feet of natural gas a day

Every day, oil companies burn 100 million cubic feet of natural gas -- not to power anything, but just because it's not oil and they don't need it. According to The New York Times, the North Dakota landscape is full of will-o-the-wisp plumes of fire where natural gas is burning off. 

More than 100 tar-sands activists politely arrested in polite Canadian protest

On Monday, at least 400 protestors stormed -- or, more accurately, walked gently up to and tapped on the shoulder -- the Canadian parliament building in Ottawa to protest the Keystone XL pipeline. Over 100 people were arrested, charged with trespassing, and barred from coming near the parliament building for a year. But everybody was REALLY, REALLY POLITE about it.

Chow-to: Make your own sea salt

Homemade sea salt captures the flavors of different coastlines in just a few tiny grains. A DIY salt maker shares her tips and tricks.

Grow a real garden in a LEGO greenhouse

Well, here's an innovative urban gardening solution -- a greenhouse made of transparent LEGO bricks that grows real plants in LEGO mulch.

People know how to eat better, they just can't afford it

We know, we know -- you just got done patting yourself on the back over that New York Times graphic showing that healthy food is cheaper than fast food. If you were operating on a really tight budget, we're sure you'd be able to pull off super-wholesome eating for your whole family! Here's the thing, though: For most actual poor people, it's not that simple.