Hacking the Tinder algorithm to find love
Dating apps are really good at introducing you to lots of people, but they might not be the best way to find a lifelong partner. Can we decode our data to get better results?
Back to the future: Classic cars go high tech
This boutique auto shop is crafting quality, custom cars that combine vintage designs with the latest technologies. And perhaps more importantly, they’re challenging the widely accepted concept that we live in a disposable world.
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Guardians of the Apocalypse
Will we ever predict earthquakes?
In 2010, an earthquake killed 222,570 people in Haiti, injuring 300,000 and displacing over a million. In an attempt to discover how to predict earthquakes, these researchers are using machine learning to analyze the acoustic data from tectonic plates.
Smart cane gives the blind freedom to explore
WeWALK’s smart cane uses ultrasonic sensors and GPS navigation to help the visually impaired navigate the world around them safely and independently.
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The Edge
Eye tracking gives athletes an unprecedented edge
With eye tracking technology, athletes can now monitor, analyze, and train their eye movements to effectively reduce their average reaction time.
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Catalysts
How urban farming saved a Dallas community
In the impoverished community of Bonton, it takes a three-hour bus ride just to reach the nearest grocery store. But the neighborhood is now home to one of the largest urban farms in the US – offering jobs, nutrition programs, and more.
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Guardians of the Apocalypse
NASA’s plan to stop an asteroid headed for Earth
In 2013, a small meteor exploded above Chelyabinsk, Russia that sent over 1,200 people to the hospital. Now, NASA has plans to detect Earth-bound asteroids and defend the planet from another large-scale catastrophe.
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Guardians of the Apocalypse
Could the human race survive a supervolcano?
The eruption of Mount Tambora pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Today, active supervolcanoes still have the power to nullify our future. What can we do to prepare?
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Catalysts
Turning a construction site into a classroom
unCommon Construction offers a unique alternative to your typical internship for high school students. Their program turns build sites into real-world classrooms where interns learn the soft skills they’ll need to succeed in the workforce.
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The Edge
Top athletes are shocking their brains with tDCS
Why are professional athletes using brain-zapping headsets? This tDCS device creates a state of hyper-learning, which could help improve their performance.
Closed caption glasses: A new way to watch theater
London’s National Theatre made performances more accessible to patrons with hearing loss by creating a smart set of glasses that recognizes spoken words and adapts to stage cues to provide real-time captions.
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Catalysts
Earning college degrees in prison
In the midst of his prison sentence for murder, Sean Pica helped found Hudson Link – an organization dedicated to reducing recidivism and improving lives through higher education.
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The Edge
This coach cut football concussions in half
Long-term health risks threaten to derail America’s favorite sport, but one coach may have found an innovative solution to save the game – a robotic tackling dummy.
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Dope Science
The Drug Users Bible: A guide to safe drug use
Over a 10 year period, Dominic Milton Trott self-administered 157 psychoactive drugs and documented his experiences on each one. He then created the book, The Drug Users Bible, to inform curious minds about safe drug use.
Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s, Tourette’s
Deep brain stimulation surgeries have the power to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson’s, Tourette’s, and other involuntary movement disorders.
Understanding health insurance doesn’t have to be a burden
A recent study found that the vast majority of Americans can’t accurately explain terms like “deductible” and “copay.” And more than half of all bankruptcies are linked to medical expenses. This Silicon Valley startup’s model could be just what we need to turn the tide.
How to drive student engagement? Unleash a swarm.
Our favorite principal, Hamish Brewer, is up to something new this school year. Just like Hogwarts, his school is adopting the traditional house system to improve academic performance, student engagement, and behavior.
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Catalysts
Rethinking addiction recovery with fitness
As drug overdose deaths climb higher, this gym is challenging the thinking behind traditional models for addiction recovery services with free memberships open to anyone sober for at least 48 hours.
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Uprising
The truth about self-driving cars
Self-driving cars have the potential to save thousands of lives and reduce carbon emissions. Will we be smart enough to hop on board?
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Future of Fertility
Uterus transplants: A step closer to overcoming infertility
About 1 in 500 women have a condition that prevents pregnancy called absolute uterine factor infertility, but recent developments show promise that a uterus transplant surgery could be the solution.