Small Acts of Kindness Are Universal: Global Study Finds People Help Each Other Every 2 Minutes
They found that people complied with small requests seven times more often than they declined, and declinations came with explanations.
Global
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Deaths by Extreme Weather and Aviation Accidents Have Never Been Lower than Now
The decadal rate of deaths per 100,000 people during extreme weather events worldwide has never been lower than it is at our present time.
Watch This Cargo Ship Fly a Giant Kite to Save Fuel and Cut Emissions
It's tempting to call it a sail, and the activity sailing. However even the word kite belies the technological sophistication of the Seawing.
Bill Gates Funds Futuristic Toilets: No Piped Water, Sewer or Electricity Needed
Poop in, clean water out. Bill Gates has invested more than three million dollars on behalf of the 2.6 billion people around the world who don't have access to modern toilets. Yesterday, the three winners of his "next-generation toilet prize were announced, showcasing innovative designs that capture and process human waste without piped water, sewer or electrical connections. Even more impressive, the toilet prize-winners all transformed human waste into useful resources, such as energy and water.
Microfinance Effort Matches Tiny Lenders with Kids Who Yearn for College Worldwide
Although microfinancing usually raises funds for small businesses, the Seattle-based non-profit Vittana has been helping students around the world graduate from post-secondary schools by asking donors to pay for their tuition. Like the business loans, money for education can immediately steer a family out of poverty. And, so far, the Vittana record has been stellar.
Israeli Man Funds Tennis for Arab Youth, Promotes Co-existence
An Israeli tennis enthusiast noticed in the 1990s that very few Arabs living in Israel had any chance to play his beloved sport. He dreamed that a tennis court could provide a common ground between Jews and Arabs and Christians alike, so in 1998 he started building or supported tennis courts and programs in nine Arab neighborhoods all across Israel.
Disabled Man Gives Free Wheelchairs, New Lives to Rural Mexicans
According to Richard St. Denis, an estimated 75,000 wheelchairs are thrown away in the U.S. every year. The award-winning wheelchair athlete started the World Access Project to provide life-changing mobility to people with disabilities in rural Mexico.
Winning the Fight: Elephantiasis Cases Cut By 150 Million, the Second-Leading Cause of Disability in the World
Scientists at Lancet report that the number of infections of Lymphatic Filaraisis has fallen by 150 million in 20 years.
Global Program Dramatically Cuts Childhood Hepatitis B Cases By 80% Worldwide-With Less Than 1% to Go
The proportion of children under five who are chronically infected with Hepatitis B has fallen to just under 1%.
Viewed Through Venetian Glass: Old Art Form Captures Modern Global Challenges in Stunning Exhibition
Even in a pandemic, Glasstress, an exhibition that pairs centuries-old Italian glassmaking with modern art, debuts in Boca Raton, Florida.
Boy who was Saved at Sea by Coast Guard Joins Their Ranks 18 Years Later
A 6 year-old boy and his mother probably would have died of starvation at sea had the Coast Guard not found them and their fellow migrants from Haiti. The gratitude he felt as a boy led Orlando Morel to eventually join the Coast Guard. Today, 18 years later, he graduates as a cadet.
Israeli on Mount Everest Skips Summit Dream to Rescue Stricken Climber
An Israeli who rescued a distressed climber on Mount Everest instead of pushing onward to the summit said Friday that the man he helped, an American of Turkish origin, is like a brother to him. The friendship stands in contrast to the political tension between Turkey and Israel, which were once firm allies.
High-end Jewelry Made From AK-47s, for the Greater Good
To combat the devastation caused by illegal assault rifles in Africa's war zones, founder of Ethos water, Peter Thum, announced this week the launch of Fonderie 47. Based in New York City, Fonderie 47 removes AK47s from war zones and transforms them into rare watches and $32,000 cufflinks.
For Fukushima Families, a Brief Respite from Nuclear Nightmare (w/ Video)
At least 11 kids and their parents, refugees from Fukushima and other parts of Japan, are visiting Oregon this month and living with U.S. host families as part of a grass-roots effort to give them a break from the stress and health risks they had been facing at home.
Haitian Cancer Survivor Turns Life Around to Help Kids
After a deadly cancer diagnosis, he dedicated his life to helping hundreds of kids from Haiti's slums. After nine months of treatment and recovery, he returned home determined to start living the life he'd always wanted: helping children from Haiti's poorest slums.
Chinese Flock to Free Lectures on Happiness, Justice
When one of China's most popular Internet portals started offering Open University–style lectures in English last October, eager Chinese netizens flocked to subjects that surprised most observers. Instead of Marketing, Computer or Robotics courses, two contemplative courses — one on happiness, the other on justice — trumped all others.
American Girl, 12, Builds 27 Homes in Haiti
In three years, Rachel Wheeler raised more than $250,000, which helped build brand new earthquake-proof homes that have given shelter to 27 families that were still living in tent cities after Haiti's earthquake.
Teens Trudge in Frigid Cold for Kids on Other Side of Globe
All throughout December, high school students walked to school in the frigid Minnesota temperatures (zero degrees) to symbolically walk in the shoes of thirsty children who have no clean water access near their homes, and to raise money to do something about it. It's called the Wayzata Walk for Water.
Sunflowers Planted in Japan to Absorb Radiation and Lift Hopes
To combat excessive radiation levels in the agricultural regions surrounding the Fukushima nuclear plant, monks at a Japanese Buddhist temple began growing and distributing sunflowers, which are known to absorb radiation. Hundreds of thousands of flowers are now in bloom, spurring deeper connections between people in Fukushima and the rest of the country.
Goodwill Summit Ends 50-year Korean Cold War
The first meeting ever between the leaders of North and South Korea sparked friendship between former foes and produced an historic accord that pledges both countries to "work independently" on common ground issues to achieve "national unification".
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