Petrochemical production makes up as much as a 1/4 of the oil use in some parts of the United States. And, it's fair to say, we're every bit as addicted to plastic as we are to gasoline. But alternatives are on the way. And, if pilot programs are any indication, sustainable versions of these chemicals might be easier and cheaper to make than their petrol-based cousins. Great example: 1,4â€butanediol, or BDO. According to an article on Grist, this compound is used to make everything from skateboard wheels to sneakers. Now, a company in California has successfully pilot-tested a method of making it using engineered microorganisms that consume sugar and water and expire BDO. Finally, poop you do want on your shoes.
Better living through green chemistry
Beware: This strawberry under a microscope video shows us what we don't want to know
Here's a case where sticking to the old proverb, "Ignorance is bliss," really comes in handy. Unless you're like me and don't care if you eat harmless, invisible bugs, remain… READ THE REST
A Carl Sagan documentary is coming from Nat Geo & Seth MacFarlane
Thrilled to learn that National Geographic is creating a new documentary about the renowned astronomer, and that it's a love story. Described as an "intimate and cinematic portrait" of the… READ THE REST
Mammoth meatballs grown from ancient genetic information
Think we can't eat them just because they're extinct? Think again! Enterprising geneticists introduced mammoth DNA to the shmeat looms to make ancient meatballs. Voila! This is not an April… READ THE REST
Learn Python programming this spring with this bundle of coding courses, now only $24
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Learning to code is one of the… READ THE REST
Get the best of both worlds with this refurbished Surface Laptop 2, now only $395
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Microsoft computers have held a firm grip… READ THE REST
Store your special memories and important files securely with 200GB of Amaryllo Cloud Storage
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. The truth about cloud storage is… READ THE REST
