Articles by Jess Zimmerman
Jess Zimmerman was the editor of Grist List.
All Articles
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In the future, cleaning robots will sniff out air pollution
Researchers at the Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science have kitted out a Roomba -- you know, one of those robotic vacuum cleaners that cats ride around on and act out Citizen Kane -- to evaluate air quality. Lights on the Roomba indicate the presence of evaporated alcohol, and a long-exposure photo, above, can show which parts of a room are clean and which are fumey. Blue lights in the above photo mean that the robot detected polluted air.
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Organic farming is not really better for you or the planet [UPDATE: Or is it?]
Science writer Christie Wilcox lays out the top myths about organic farming in Scientific American, and they might surprise you:
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Republicans: We must protect children from energy efficiency
Republican Rep. Sandy Adams wants to limit funding for Department of Energy websites that educate kids about efficiency. She doesn't know how much money that will save, but by god, we must stop children learning at any cost!
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Bikes — and rollerbladers — beat plane in Carmageddon race
What happens when L.A. is debilitated by repairs on a 10-mile stretch of freeway? Some people hop on a 35-mile plane ride to bypass it. And others get on their bikes and make it there in half the time.
