The world is gaga for Google Glass, but even the nerdiest among us must admit that the practical applications are few thus far. For most, wearing the internet in your eyeball is just an excuse to make social media updates with a spoken word. There are some industries, however, that could reap unprecedented benefits if Google Glass was implemented properly. Surgeons and doctors may be some of the earliest adopters, as new research shows that the technology could allow them to view patient scans and monitor critical vital information while performing procedures. Since Google Glass also allows hands-free recording from the viewer’s perspective, “hands-on” teaching could allow for remote training of new surgeons as well.

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After completing his gorgeous 30 foot high treehouse, Ethan Schussler scoffed at the idea of having to climb up and down a giant ladder all day. Rather than abandoned his tree top escape, the designer put an old bicycle to the test. Customizing it to move along a giant chain, Schussler transformed the bike into a personal elevator, which slowly rises to the treehouse’s entrance by pedaling.

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Image © Mark Roy

One of Australia’s more bizarre creatures is the thorny devil or dragon, also known as the moloch. The devil is named for the ancient god Moloch, a hideous demon smeared with the blood of child sacrifice, but in reality, she is five inches long and lives entirely on ants. The thorny devil is, of course, covered in fearsome thorns, presumably to warn off would-be predators, but the spiky scales also serve another ingenious function. They form an incredibly efficient water harvesting system. What can we learn about water management in our own increasingly parched world? Find out in today’s entry of The Biomimicry Manual!

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It is time to get the kids ready for another school year, which means trying to find an outfit that they have not outgrown since last season. Inhabitots is giving parents and their aching pocketbooks a chance to win a $400 giveaway from PanacheBox! Choose between two types of boxes full of designer duds from around the world!

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Image of Lisa Casali via Fine Dining Lovers

The idea of cooking salmon in your dishwasher is a pretty well known kitchen parlor trick that, by itself, ends up wasting a lot of power and water. However, in a recent NPR segment, a pioneering food writer of dishwashing cuisine named Lisa Casali says she has figured out a trendy new way of using heat sealed containers—such as canning jars and food vacuum bags—to cook all her food while cleaning a full rack of dirty dishes. Talk about multitasking... Suddenly cooking with your dishwasher doesn't sound so crazy. Instead, it’s actually an economical, and not to mention, environmentally friendly way to cook. It will also keep your house cooler (no running oven) and you won’t have to watch over it or worry about burning your meal. We've rounded up a small sample of six meals that you could be throwing into your dishwasher right now!

 

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The Eco Chick Guide to Life is a roadmap to greener living for the modern girl. Author Starre Vartan covers fashion, makeup, cleaning supplies, pets, drinking, food and more in this easy-to-read guide. When it comes to transitioning into a greener lifestyle, Vartan leaves no questions unanswered. She explains food and clothing labels, breaks down the reasons to go vegetarian, and spells out every acronym. Read on to see what we thought of this comprehensive book for the green living.

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Enter Inhabitat’s 2013 Back to School Contest!

We can’t believe how fast summer flew by – but now that fall is on the horizon it’s time to start getting ready for a green school year – and Inhabitat is here to help with our 2013 Back to School Contest! This year we’re excited to offer our readers a chance to win one of THREE solar-powered Voltaic Converter backpacks stuffed full of eco school supplies that will help you start the school year with a lighter footprint, including a Dopper water bottle, EcoSmart Markers, Treesmart pencils, Terracycle circuit board clipboards and other eco school gear from Green Apply Supply. Voltaic’s Converter Solar Backpack (worth $129) is equipped with a potent photovoltaic solar panel that can keep your handheld gadgets charged all day long. All you have to do is tell us how you’re going to green your back-to-school routine this year – so check out our full instructions below and enter today!

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

1. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE >

(If you are not already a subscriber.) We’ll be announcing the winner in our weekly newsletter, so if you want to find out who won, you’ll need to receive it in order to claim your prize!

2. BECOME A FAN OF INHABITAT AND VOLTAIC ON FACEBOOK >

Just visit Inhabitat’s Facebook page and Voltaic’s Facebook page and click on the “Like” button at the top.

3. LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW >
Tell us how you plan to green your back-to-school routine this year. The deadline for this giveaway is September 1st. We’ll pick the comments we like best and announce the winners in our newsletter, so make sure you’re signed up!

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Expectant mothers in developing nations don’t always have the luxury of a nearby hospital or well-trained OB/GYN. Instead, when the baby decides it’s ready to be born, they must rely on the assistance of midwives and family friends. Unfortunately, this often means that thousands of newborn babies and mothers die of complications during childbirth that could have been prevented with adequate tools and well trained birth assistants. A Norwegian company recently debuted a low-cost, portable birthing education kit that could better prepare midwives for potential complications, and reduce child and maternal mortality rates by 47% in developing countries.

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Any bride-to-be who has ever spent time poring over pictures of gowns knows how hard it can be to find that perfect, unique garment. But these 11 offbeat wedding dresses go above and beyond to create unforgettable eco-friendly nuptials. Click through to see a dress made entirely of plastic bottles, an assemblage of bread bag tags, and even a dress that is in fact one giant wedding cake.

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It’s been a long week full of rather sad news, so here’s a heart-warmer for you to get the weekend started. Commuters attempting to board the lunchtime train yesterday at the B/Q Church Avenue station in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn were surprised to find service temporarily suspended, but few could be angry once they discovered the reason why: two kittens, one black, one white with gray stripes, were loose on the tracks! The MTA compassionately suspended service on two of its lines so workers in reflective vests could attempt to corral the felines, witnesses and officials told NBC New York.

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Our cars are getting smarter every day--but can we say the same about our roads? Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde believes there is a wealth of untapped energy and potential right beneath our wheels. Winner in the prestigious INDEX: Award 2013 Community Category, Roosegaarde's ‘Smart Highway’ concept modernizes European roadways into interactive experiences that pave the way towards environmental sustainability and greater public safety.

 

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The rate at which science has been evolving for the last few decades suggests it won’t be long before we’re able to build houses with bacteria. Manufacturing processes are close to replacing traditional factories with biological ones, where the tasks performed by digitally controlled machines will be taken by living, breathing and potentially even intelligent organisms.

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The 2013 INDEX: Award council reviewed over 1,000 designs from 73 countries around the world — and after narrowing them down to 59 inspiring finalists they just announced this year's winners! Inhabitat reported live from Denmark at a star-studded black tie event in Elsinore, where the world's biggest design award has been granted to 5 brilliant designs that improve life. Read on for a first look at the winners of this year's €500,000 prize — from a street that can charge your EV as you drive to Copenhagen's concrete plan to combat climate change and packaging that makes food last four times longer!

 

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You might know Lisa Katayama from her articles on Popular Science, Wired and Fast Company - or perhaps she taught you "everything you ever wanted to know about the birth city of Godzilla, Gundam, all-you-can-eat shabu shabu and panty vending machines" on her blog TokyoMango. It's clear that Katayama has a true passion for Japan, where she spent the first 18 years of her life, so when disaster hit the country last March, she knew she couldn't just stand idly by. Her desire to do something led her to create We Are All Radioactive, an online episodic documentary series that follows the lives of surfers and fishermen as they work to rebuild small coastal towns that were affected by the tsunami. The series, produced with TED film director Jason Wishnow, is entirely crowdfunded, meaning that it's up to you to keep new episodes rolling out. We recently spoke to Lisa about why she decided to start We Are All Radioactive, what we can expect to see in the latest episode, and how funders can actually influence what is shown in coming episodes - choose-your-own-adventure-style. Read on to learn more!

 

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Photographer Nick Olson and fashion designer Lilah Horwitz are a couple who take their dreams very seriously. They have left their daily jobs to build and live in a house made from recycled windows. Their unique glazed dwelling is immersed in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia - at the very same spot where they dreamt about building a home for watching sunsets on their very first date.

 

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