Grist

Rock and pop music boost zinc oxide solar panel efficiency by 50 percent. Quit trying for technological innovations and crank up the HAIM!

"Nature is boring. I played in it once. There was nothing to buy. It sucked."

Psychologist Alison Gopnik explains why babies are so much better than adults at learning new things.

Asap Science argues that frozen fruits and veggies are picked while they're at their nutritional peak, rather than the days-old stuff sitting in the produce aisle that flew halfway around the world.

The “desperate rush-hour dash to board a Venezuela subway” video is a mini genre all its own.

Kids, don't get drunk and steal stuff. But if you do, make it a circus llama, and take it on a public transit tour of Bordeaux, France.

It's hard to imagine anything better than "What does the FOX SAY?" but this ranching version is pretty great.

A reader wonders what makes her snacks so scrumptious. Umbra goes straight to the tastemakers.

It's a nice twist on the "home grown" concept, and it'll be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

The Atlanta zoo has new twin panda cubs named Mei Lun and Mei Huan, and thanks to this time lapse video you can watch them grow up.

"Point here if: You have seen a passenger naked."

The moral of the story is not “Teslas suck” but “Don’t drive drunk.”

It's hard not to feel a little bit of wonder watching this video of America's most dazzling places.

As the debate over the TransCanada pipeline nears a breaking point, Obama will have to pick a side once and for all.

Pancho confused a fishing show for sea lion Seamless.

Watch the actor's charming and articulate take on democracy, gorgeous beards, and why we can't vote ourselves out of the climate crisis.

Jonathan Haidt on the psychology of politics, the emotions behind the Tea Party — and why as a self-described centrist, he thinks a Republican crackup may be coming.

Solar road coating Starpath is anti-slip and non-reflective, so basically the only thing it can’t do is beam you into another world.

Banksy sells original work for $60: three customers. Artists sell Banksy fakes for the same price: All 40 pieces sell in less than an hour.

We wish we had a more rational reaction to this than a full-on Kristen Bell sloth meltdown.

Oh, did you want to watch British people make weird groans in the hopes that a stag will respond (but not maul them to death)? It's your lucky day!

In 2012, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. fell to 1994 levels.

Ruby is pretty quick to figure out how to get inside the house when the door is closed.

A paper from arXiv describes a new scientific law: the Law of Urination.

If your first reaction upon learning that giant hornets are stinging people to death in China was "KILL IT WITH FIRE," the Chinese army is one step ahead of you.

The Hana Yakinikui phone accessory emits a meat smell so your food doesn't have to.

Rhett the terrier puppet instructs you to put your helmet on and not act like a tool.

This snakelike oarfish is so long that if you unfurled it out a second-story window, it would probably drag on the ground a little.

Watch Kayak the hedgehog curl up like a sea anemone, flip up a mini-skateboard, and get a bath with a toothbrush. SQUEE!

If only every morning commute sounded this nice. Thanks, random Icelandic singers!

What do you get when techies and community activists team up to make better use of vacant lots? Urban farms, community gardens – and perhaps a whiffle ball park?

In a decade-long, $7 billion effort, Venice is building 78 flood barriers to help keep itself dry. The first four just passed a crucial test.

In Germany, scientists are trying to engineer drought-resistant barley to help prevent famines (and keep Oktoberfest's beer supply flowing).

The street artist is sending a truckload of squealing puppets on a tour of the Meatpacking District.

We're mainly imagining replicants powered by origami unicorns.

This short video is a simple explanation of the global carbon budget.

Scientists have created a new weapon for the ongoing battle with jellyfish.

Good news, everyone: GMOs are getting labeled … with a terrifyingly catchy disco anthem.

If you want a picture of the future, imagine getting pounced on by this thing forever.

This is the most metal way to charge a cellphone.

It might even hold us over til Panda Cam comes back.

David Lobell's technique: Rise above the debate, collect and connect datasets, and try to figure out which sustainable farming techniques actually work.

Each year, the world produces about 1,471 pounds of edible food for every person on the planet. We only eat about half of that. What happens to the rest? This video breaks it down.

With a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions now coming from China, the world's most populous country will have an outsized influence on the future of climate change.

This eco-friendly, recyclable, chemical-free invention could be the last stool your bum ever rests on.

"Baby, You're an Arthropod" is a zany, surprisingly catchy tune from zoologist Lucas Miller.

There are many incredible films about changes being made -- or that need to be made -- in the food system. Here are some of the best.

'Tis the season of climate denial. Be prepared.