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Welcome to Ever Widening Circles, a place where you’ll find insights and innovations from around the globe curated for you to explore. These are some of the articles we suggest starting with, but if you really want an adventure, give our “Surprise Me” button a try over in the sidebar!

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Image: a face with brightly colored paint on it

Helping the Blind See With Their Tongues

14 minutes

[ Health ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

Have you heard of the device that uses the tongue to transmit visual information to the brain? Today, we'll take a look at the lives of Andy and Erik to see the potential in this amazing innovation!
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Saving the Rainforest with Old Cell Phones

11 minutes

[ Animals ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

How can we police large swaths of endangered rainforest with something we all have at home? The incredible startup Rainforest Connection is taking our old cell phones and giving them a second life as protectors of some of the most at-risk habitat on the planet!
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Image: Mario action figure

Can Super Mario Teach Us To Be More Successful?

26 minutes

[ Creativity ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

There's a tendency to look at what stands in our way to success and feel overwhelmed. But Mark Rober has a novel method to get around this, and he calls it the Super Mario Effect. Now, THIS is a game-changer!
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Image: A diver close in front of a sperm whale

Sperm Whales’ Clicks are Expanding Possibility!

25 minutes

[ Animals ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

What if sperm whales are communicating with language far more complex than we are? Could our view of ourselves change if we learn that they may be as capable of future planning, reasoning, and emotions like love and empathy? These mysteries are beginning to be unraveled!
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Image: Sun shining on Machu Picchu

Grab Your Hat! You’re About to Become a Space Archaeologist.

24 minutes

[ Happiness & Hope ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

Ever wished that you could be the one to discover an amazing ancient site? Well, what if we told you that you can be, by connecting to a satellite, yourself!?
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Image: Shadow of a hand reaching towards a door handle

Shadow Dancing Taking Us to New Worlds!

13 minutes

[ Art ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

The dance troupe Pilobolus is known for their mind-bending work and their incredible experiments in shadow and performance will completely transform your sense of reality!
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Image: Stonehenge with the sun setting through it

What Makes Stonehenge So Remarkable?

23 minutes

[ Culture ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

By looking closely at the landscape around Stonehenge we can catch a glimpse at the people who built and used it. Yes, there is much more to it than meets the eye!
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Image: Artist completing a mural in NYC of a skyline and the text "This art is painted with air pollution"

Transforming Pollution into a Powerful Platform for Change

5 minutes

[ Art ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

Can pollution from your tailpipe be turned into something positive? Air-Ink has found a way to turn the smog that would normally end up in our lungs into inks that artists are using to raise awareness. This innovation points to new possibilities for our future—take a look.
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Image: Women Rangers are training to guard elephants from poachers

Single Mothers are Saving Africa’s Endangered Wildlife

7 minutes

[ Animals ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

The best thought leaders among us are quick to accept the risk of abandoning assumptions. Their courage often brings out the best in others, and here's an amazing example of that alchemy!
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Image: A person riding one of many "Tall Bikes" that is 5 wheels tall.

How Tall Bikes Could Save the World!

22 minutes

[ Art ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

Since the dawn of time, wildly creative people (often considered foolish) have been bringing ingenious concepts into our daily lives. Here's a brilliantly fun and remarkable innovation that may be on the horizon!
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Image: A zinnia that was grown in space floating inside of the ISS with the Earth behind it.

Did You Know We Can Garden in Space?

8 minutes

[ Food ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

Lettuce, zinnias, peas, and radishes are just some of the plants that have found their roots in space. But what does this mean for our future?
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Image: Dragonfly wing closeup

Need to Solve a Problem? Turn to Nature!

7 minutes

[ Animals ]

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

The natural world is a remarkable problem solver. So, why aren't we turning to nature to find more answers to our complex problems? Here's how biomimicry is helping us build a better future!
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