Favorites from NYT's Review of Ideas

The Straw that Saves Lives is a personal water filtration device that costs $3 to make. It's not perfect. It doesn't filter out all viruses and the water may not taste the best but still. . . To have something that can be used during disasters. Wow.

The Journal of Spurious Correlations publishes negative results with the hope that scientists will not be doomed to repeat the same mistakes as past researchers.

A London-based architectural firm, the Facility, have propsoed putting small hydraulic generators in subway platforms to capture vibration and convert it into electricity.

Kiva.org has set up a site where ordinary people can help aspiring small-business owners from developing countries through by giving loans.

Bruce Charlton hypothesizes that "psychological neoteny-the retention of youthful attitudes and behaviors into later adulthood," helping people to remain open to learning and change.