Latest Stories from Charlie
New electric car batteries can charge in five-minutes
Israeli company StoreDot has unveiled the first factory produced, five-minute charging battery, which could make electric cars a more viable option for buyers in the near future. Electric cars have taken a while to truly take off with consumers. While big names like Tesla have made them trendy for wealthy celebs and business folks, they’ve yet to capture widespread commercial interest from ordinary people. The high entry costs coupled with less...
Explaining the rise of ‘flat designs’ in 2021
Burger King is the latest big-name franchise to adopt a new ‘flat’ logo. It’s part of a rising graphic design trend that appeals to Gen Zers and mimics the slick style of social apps. The popular fast food chain Burger King has just unveiled its latest branding redesign and it’s about as clean, minimal, and flat as you’d expect from a big name in 2021. It follows in the footsteps...
Apple backing new equality initiatives with $100 million pledge
Last summer Apple announced it would be putting $100 million into a new Equity and Justice Initiative and has now finally revealed how it’ll be spending the cash. In response to the Black Lives Matter protests in mid-2020, Apple committed $100 million to a new Racial Equity and Justice Initiative lead by the company’s vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson. Apple has kept relatively quiet about...
Global warming could stabilise if we reach zero emissions
If net zero goals are reached by 2050 then global temperature increases could stabilise within a few decades, giving renewed hope for future control of the climate crisis. New research suggests that global warming could be steadied within a few decades if we reach zero carbon emissions. It’s long been thought that planetary shifts in temperature would be ‘locked in’ and continue for generations, even if we successfully lowered emission rates...
New study indicates more women directing top Hollywood films
More women were directing in 2020 than ever before, but still only accounted for a measly 16% of the top 100 highest grossing films. How can the industry change? Last year was a particularly challenging time for films and theatre. The pandemic forced nearly everyone indoors and caused worldwide cinema closures. Numerous big budget Hollywood projects were delayed and some wound up releasing straight onto streaming services in the hopes...
Japan developing wooden satellites to reduce space junk
Kyoto University has teamed up with Sumitomo Forestry to create the first satellites made entirely of wood. It’s hoped that they’ll reduce the levels of space junk in our atmosphere. If you thought human littering and wastage was a problem confined to just our planet, you may want to look into the ever-pressing issue of space junk. More satellites are being launched into our atmosphere every year. Tiny alumina particles are...
Are ‘pre-polluted’ babies the new normal?
Researchers find microplastics in human placentas, calling the presence of the particles 'a matter of great concern.' Just when you thought our plastic pollution problem couldn’t get any worse, Italian researchers have found microplastics in the placentas of human fetuses. While we don’t yet know the health implications of this finding, the researchers concluded that the presence of these particles “is a matter of great concern.” Microplastics are small pieces of...
Juice WRLD sells 1 million units for two albums in 2020
The late rapper and singer is the only artist of 2020 to sell over 1 million units for two albums, cementing emo-rap and trap as the defining Gen Z musical genre. It’s been over a year since Juice WRLD’s untimely passing, but he’s continued to dominate the mainstream charts throughout 2020 with a string of single and album releases. He’s the only artist to have sold over 1 million units...
Architects create new sculpture entirely from plant waste
Installed at Tennessee’s Knoxville Museum of Art, a new sculpture made from invasive forestry and plant waste is promoting an ‘alternative material ethic’ for architecture. Who needs brick and mortar when you’re constructing the world’s next best building or architectural masterpiece? Not ‘After Architecture’ co-founders Katie MacDonald and Kyle Schumann, that’s for sure. The pair have just unveiled their latest work in Tennessee called ‘Homegrown’, a large-scale installation constructed from...
CRA unveils first fully compostable marker pens
Made from natural fibres, these new marker pens from the Carlo Ratti Association are entirely compostable and could eventually replace traditional, plastic highlighters. Your local school arts and crafts box could be about to get a whole lot more environmentally friendly. The Carlo Ratti Association (CRA) has revealed the world’s first fully compostable marker pens that are made from natural fibres and non-toxic, water based inks. Considering that the US...
