Aiming to bring low-cost illumination to residents of the Philippines, a nation of 7,000 oceanic islands, the Salt Lamp uses a free and abundant resource to reduce fire risk from candles and replace the cost of traditional lighting.

Developed by engineer Lipa Aisa Mijena of De La Salle University, the Salt Lamp requires a single glass of water with two tablespoons of salt to provide a night’s worth of a light (complimenting approaches like Liters of Light that work in dark spaces during the day), but, best of all, it can run off the naturally salty water of the surrounding ocean.

A pair of electrodes, the other key ingredient, can run for up to a year without requiring replacement. The next-generation version of the Salt Lamp will also have the capacity to charge batteries in portable electronic devices including cellular phones. Essentially, “this lamp uses the science behind the Galvanic cell, the basis for battery-making, changing the electrolytes to a non-toxic, saline solution — making the entire process safe and harmless.”

Masterpieces of the Earth is a spectacular collection of one hundred ancient planetary treasures gathered over a period of 35 years with the intention of creating an experiential museum designed to awaken a new love and appreciation for the magnificence of planet earth. These giant natural crystals and fossils have never before been seen in or out of museums.

In this technological age we need more, not less, connection with the natural world. As each of us loses more and more connection with Nature itself, we are actually beginning to lose our world. We need places of inspiration where each of us can replenish our imagination and revitalize our spirit. The Masterpieces of the Earth Collection is intended to be the vital core of such a place ... where visitors can journey into the heart of the earth, fall in love with the planet, and see it in its immense beauty, power, and fragility. And as Jacques Yves Cousteau wisely observed many years ago, "People protect what they love!" Please join us on a journey to help us protect and find a permanent home for this world treasure where it can be viewed and experienced by all.

MasterpiecesOfTheEarth.com

In a new paper published Thursday, a team of researchers present a compelling case for why urban neighborhoods filled with trees are better for your physical health. The research appeared in the open access journal Scientific Reports.

The large study builds on a body of prior research showing the cognitive and psychological benefits of nature scenery — but also goes farther in actually beginning to quantify just how much an addition of trees in a neighborhood enhances health outcomes. The researchers, led by psychologist Omid Kardan of the University of Chicago, were able to do so because they were working with a vast dataset of public, urban trees kept by the city of Toronto — some 530,000 of them, categorized by species, location, and tree diameter — supplemented by satellite measurements of non-public green space (for instance, trees in a person’s back yard).

They also had the health records for over 30,000 Toronto residents, reporting not only individual self-perceptions of health but also heart conditions, prevalence of cancer, diabetes, mental health problems and much more.

A lot of work is currently going into creating Star Wars-esque 3D holograms that can be seen by the naked eye without wearing 3D glasses, and now researchers have found a way to make safe, touchable mid-air displays using femtosecond lasers.

It is possible to create holograms in mid-air using a laser-induced plasma display, which works by ionising air molecules so that they release extra energy in the form of bluish-white photons that can be seen easily.

The plasma photons are known as 3D pixels, or rather voxels, and at the moment, the lasers used to make 3D holograms are nanosecond lasers, meaning they fire tens or hundreds of thousands of times per second to heat up specific points of air.

The two brightest planets Venus and Jupiter are to appear so close in the sky in the upcoming nights that they will be seen like a single super bright star, which some astronomy-lovers say resembles the biblical 'Star of Bethlehem'.

“Throughout the month of June 2015, the two brightest planets in the night sky, Venus and Jupiter, are going to converge for a close jaw-dropping encounter,” said NASA in a news release.

During the whole month the planets were drawing closer to each other and on June 30 they will reach their tightest grouping. In fact every night in June, the separation between the celestial bodies was visibly shrinking.

“On that night [June 30] Venus and Jupiter will be a … 1/3rd of a degree apart. That's less than the diameter of a full moon. You'll be able to hide the pair not just behind the palm of your outstretched hand, but behind your little pinky finger,” added NASA.

Such a celestial event, when two celestial bodies have either the same right ascension or the same ecliptic longitude, while observed from Earth, is called a conjunction.