Tech & Innovation Good News

Stories About Using Technology and Innovation To Make a Difference

This cookbook is all about the climate impact of the foods you love: 'Serving up science on a plate'

Author Mark Easter has written more than 50 scientific papers and reports related to carbon cycling and the carbon footprint of agriculture, forestry, and other land uses.

Composite panels made with Australian reishi fungi and biomass waste. Kumar Biswajit Debnath/UTS

These fire-resistant 'mushroom blocks' could be the construction material of the future

Because mycelium grows by binding itself to whatever it feeds on, it naturally forms a kind of living glue.

A photo collage of 2 bikers biking on a bicycle lane, a statue of Barbara Rose Johns holding up a book, hero Ahmed el Ahmed in his hospital bed, an aerial view of apartment buildings, and a line of solar panels

Good News This Week: December 20, 2025 - Puppets, Raccoons, & Grandmas

Your weekly roundup of the best good news worth celebrating...

A man, Chris Doel, takes a selfie, holding up a few discarded vapes and sitting next to a large battery cell

Engineer powers his entire home using 500 discarded vapes: 'Over a million tossed out every day'

Chris Doel has powered an e-bike and portable charger solely using batteries from discarded vapes. Now, he’s living off-grid.

A young man and woman sit together on a bench in a clothing store, smiling at a laptop

This clothing swap app lets shoppers use their own clothes as currency: 'An ever-changing wardrobe'

Closest Closet makes it easier to thrift and swap clothes while saving money, inviting users to trade clothing items instead of donating and buying.

Eric Minikel and Sonia Vallabh smile together in a science lab

Scientist diagnosed with the rare disease that took her mother's life dedicates her life to finding a cure

Sonia Vallabh had already obtained her law degree from Harvard, but after her diagnosis, decided to retrain in biomedical engineering.

Sushma Devi (in green), a local woman trained in air quality mapping, demonstrates the use of an air quality monitor to women in Mahuda village, Dhanbad

A grassroots group of women mapped air pollution in their Indian village. It forced coal companies to act

Within three to four months of publishing their findings, the researchers said coal companies immediately took action to reduce air pollution.

Floating gardens, clean energy, and community first: Why 'solarpunk' architecture gives us climate optimism

In the face of climate doom, more and more people are dreaming of a future full of “solarpunk” architecture.

Two photos. On the left, a washed up piece of kelp on the beach. On the right is a light purple button down shirt

60% of all fashion materials are made from plastic. This startup makes clothes from kelp instead

Keel Labs’ Kelsun material is made from kelp, one of the most regenerative materials on the planet.

A teacher smiles with a student who has a 3D printed prosthetic hand

Teacher 3D prints prosthetic hand for 4th grader right in the school's lab: 'It cost about $20'

The elementary STEAM educator knew a traditional prosthetic could cost thousands, so he got creative instead.

Two photos side by side. On the left is a 3D printer. On the right, a scientist holds up a petri dish containing a food item shaped like SpongeBob SquarePants

Scientists 3D print foods to get kids to eat their vegetables: 'Turning broccoli into SpongeBob SquarePants'

Researchers at the University of Arkansas are experimenting with the benefits of 3D printing food.

An aerial view of a woman using a laptop

Just by opening a new tab, thousands of people have raised $2M for charity

Tab for a Cause has reached a major milestone in its efforts to do more good online.