Inventions-galleries

Swedish designer and thinker Caroline Brahme has come up with some seriously snazzy tiles and pavers that can house tiny pockets of greenery, significantly brightening up an urban space. The benefits of plants aren't just for the planet, either. Did you know that pot plants indoor can help clean your air, reduce pollution and even improve your mood? Imagine how much joy watching these little plans grow out of your walls or paths could bring. The new design is an awesome innovation for anyone that wishes they could beautify a concrete expanse (such as a wall, a garden path or a gloomy bathroom).

This is the invention of Jordanian-Canadian architect, designer and artist Abeer Seikaly. These amazing multipurpose tents were designed with refugees in mind, people who have been displaced by global and civil war, climate change and more. Inspired by elements of nature such as snake skin and traditional cultural aspects such as weaving, nomadic life and tent dwellings, this weather proof, strong but lightweight and mobile fabric tent gives refugees shelter but also a chance to "weave their lives back together".

LifeStraw uses a hollow fibre membrane that doesn't require chemicals such as chlorine or iodine. Using high pressure upon sucking through the straw, the water is forced through the narrow fibres, trapping bacteria, protozoa and other contaminants, which are then flushed out by backwashing. It removes 99.9999% waterborne bacteria (including E.coli), 99.9% of protozoan parasites, and other health issues such as Hepatitis E, Typhoid Fever and Dysentery. Turbidity (muddiness) is also reduced down to 0.2 microns3. Woah! What a game-changer for those living in poverty, or people traveling in areas where the water supply is polluted.