You can learn about so many things on the internet, but how much more powerful would it be if you could also DO after you learned stuff? From inventions inspired by woodpeckers and beetles, to hosting a Secret Sandy and making a wish for the future, we have things for you to learn and DO from this past week.
First, Let’s Learn:
Because Science Matters: A Deep Dive into the Phenomenon of Vampire Draw
Vampire draw is the pet name for the electrical power your electronics consume when they are switched off.
Let’s dig into the science of it all…
A DO Suggestion? Unplug all your devices at the end of the night, especially when you’re not using them.
The Agricultural Cliff: Farmers Are Aging, and Young People Have to Step In
If we do nothing, and we lose half our farmers, we can expect these four undesirable things to happen in varying degrees…
Luckily, there is a glimmer of hope.
A DO Suggestion? Ask Congress for a better Farm Bill.
A Stronger Bike Helmet, Made of Cardboard and Inspired by a Woodpecker
When Anirudha Surabhi was a grad student at the Royal College of Art in London, he was in a bike accident and got a concussion. He wondered why the helmet hadn’t worked—and decided to explore the problem for his thesis project.
A DO Suggestion? If you ride a bike, make sure you wear your helmet correctly. Read about the do’s and don’ts. And, if you don’t wear a helmet, do we need to tell you to?
Landfill Harmonic: Making Music From Trash in a Paraguay Slum
Cateura, Paraguay, is a town built on a landfill. Favio Chavez, who works as an ecological technician at the landfill, wanted to offer something more for young people, and decided to start designing violins, cellos, and other instruments from trash.
A DO Suggestion? Donate an unwanted instrument to an underserved child.
RX Made: How We’re Upcycling Building Waste and Creating Jobs
If derelict homes in Chicago head to the dump, it’s the end of story for all the materials that went into making them. At Rebuilding Exchange, they’re creating a different end to the story.
A DO Suggestion? If you’re in Chicago, learn to rebuild furniture by volunteering at RX, or salvage unwanted materials from derelict buildings in your community and find other uses for them.
School by Boat: Architect Brings Classrooms, and Healthcare, to Flood-Prone Bangladesh
Every year, during monsoon season, much of low-lying Bangladesh goes underwater. One way to help: boats that visit flood zones, bringing children’s classrooms, libraries, healthcare, and waste management to more than 80,000 families.
A DO Suggestion? Ask the organization that runs the boats, Shidhulai Swanikar Sangsta, how you can help their cause.
Let Students Design Their Own Social Change Projects
“Welcome to Tuesday and the school’s Changemaker Day!” read the whiteboard in Mr. Frazell’s third grade classroom. It was a beautiful morning, and Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School‘s inaugural Changemaker Day was about to begin…
A DO Suggestion? Go to a school board meeting and suggest a “Changemaker Day” in your local school.
Cheaper than Solar: Gravity-Powered Lights for the Developing World
How do you light your home if you’re not connected to an electrical grid? Two British designers think they may have a better solution: gravity-powered lighting.
A DO Suggestion? Support the GravityLight’s indiegogo project to bring more sustainable lighting options to communities living off the electrical grid.
It’s About Time: ‘The Present’ Is an Updated Time Piece for the 21st Century
A clock was created where the base unit of measurement is not seconds, but seasons.
A DO Suggestion? Measure the value in your days. Record what truly counts.
How a Beetle Inspired Our Clean, Fresh Water Technology
Sara Beaini describes how she wanted to develop a practical and scalable method of patterning a surface to mimic the beetle’s back. This technology has the potential to save energy compared to existing technologies, while utilizing the waste heat from power plants.
A DO Suggestion? Recycle your water.
Streetpong: Redesigning the Walk Signal
It’s a fun way to interact with a complete stranger. It’s also a way to help keep people from crossing dangerous intersections.
A DO Suggestion? Next time you walk across the street and see someone on the other end of the crosswalk, say hello and smile.
Four Ways to Find Your Work Passion(s)
The key is matching your personality with your career. Here are four steps to try to zero in on who you are and discover how that relates to your passion for work.
A DO Suggestion? Conduct an informational interview with someone in a field you admire.
What Tech Manufacturers Have Wrong: How to Design Electronics For Repair
My Wish: Let’s Stop Stealing The Future
Now, Let’s DO the DOs:
In lieu of a traditional gift exchange, host your own “Secret Sandy” gift swap in your office or with your family this year. Just download this DIY Secret Sandy Guide to get started, and choose from these different “gift” options…
Catalyze Innovative Education for the 21st Century
If you believe in re-imagining and rebuilding education to support our highest potential, support Educate 2020 with as little as $5 and join the movement to innovative education for the 21st century. Consider getting involved on a bigger level at Educate 2020.com.
Vote for a School That Deserves $50,000
You can help make a difference for students across the country by casting your vote for one of the 2,500 schools in Clorox’s Power A Bright Future program. Read more here.
Make a Wish for the Future: What’s Yours?
Today begins a two-month activation that begins with one simple request: Make a wish, a Wish for the Future.
Learn more here.
Illustration by Jessica De Jesus. Original Image via (cc) Flickr user Ephemeral Scraps.
