Pottery from Sonoma Wildfire Ash

After the destruction of last year’s Sonoma County wildfires, ceramicist Gregory Roberts launched the Sonoma Ash Project, wherein he turned ash into meaningful ceramics. Roberts asked his neighbors to donate ash from the wildfires they personally experienced. To his surprise, more than 125 people have donated thus far, some leaving notes explaining the value of what they left with him. The diversity of color and …

CSIRO’s Membrane Makes Sydney Harbor Water Drinkable

Still in the midst of a global drinking water crisis, new developments trigger excitement over the potential for saving lives. Australia’s CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) has created a brand new filtration system centered around a membrane of Graphair, a material produced from graphene. Their testing removed 99% of contaminants—and a specific test on water from Sydney Harbor made that water drinkable. Graphair …

Dating Site for Gorillas Might Keep the Species Alive

From a studbook to a reproductive-management center, many advanced resources have been put into the protection of western lowland gorillas, a species that’s considered critically endangered. One such component happens to be a dating site, built upon an algorithm developed in the late ’80s (which predates human dating sites and apps). It’s all a part of the Washington-based Association of Zoos and Aquariums’s Gorilla Species …