Whether one likes it or not, social media is here to stay. Afterall, it is the go-to place for anyone and everyone who wants to express themselves, find a community, or simply as a way to get attention? But how did social media become this enormously influential thing? How did companies find a way to get us this hooked? And what can we do about it?

The coffee industry is an important economic sector that provides employment to millions of people globally. In recent years, some businesses within the industry have embraced social responsibility by providing work and rehabilitation opportunities for ex-offenders. This not only helps those individuals reintegrate into society with a second chance at life, but also allows businesses to tap into a new pool of employees with potential talent.

Recently people have been experimenting with artificial intelligence tools to make pieces of art. Platforms like Craiyon, DALL-E 2, and Midjourney, among others, seem to be taking the art world by storm. But, can someone with no artistic background create a masterpiece of their own? Is computer-generated design art?

The environmental footprint of the publishing industry is very high. But there are ways to make the consumption of books a sustainable practice. Bookstores that specialize in low-production editions might be the answer.

There’s an invisible kingdom running under our feet and we don’t even notice. It’s usually associated with mold, decomposition, decay, and even death, but actually, we should be grateful this species exists. Indigenous peoples have been using mushrooms for food and medicine for centuries. Now is our turn to start paying attention to the numerous advantages fungi have to offer to humankind.

Based in Oakland, California, The Black Banjo Reclamation Project combines education, earth-based building practices, and community collaboration to create an atmosphere in which African diasporic people can reclaim musical and cultural roots while healing racialized trauma and building toward a more holistic future.

In Japan, tech company Ory Laboratory has created DAWN café, the world's first "Avatar Robot Café". The café is designed to help people with mobility problems, family commitments, or other impediments that make it hard to find conventional work by providing remote employment with the help of avatar robots. Rethinking the future of Japan's super-aging society, the goal is to provide social cohesion and a sense of being of service to others for those who may be bedridden.

There are topics that grab our eyes out of personal interest & personification of those interests, as there are also those that linger continuously & above the level of, I like this, I don’t like that. Without sounding gloomy, there is not much to like about the topic of climate change, no matter which side of the belief we choose to follow: up, for, or against the human effect on the natural habitat. In the world of balanced thought, it is whatever gives us peace at the heart-centered experience of presence. Yet it’s healthy to observe the narrative of details to put our own puzzle together.

Hinton, AB, a town of 10, 000, just 45 minutes east of Jasper National Park, has long depended on industries such as coal mining, pulp and sawmill, forestry, and oil and gas. Even as logging for a pipeline breaks up the vista under the prominent mountain face of Roche Miette, something novel is underway. Latitude 53, a project in conjunction with NovusEarth, will combine geothermal energy and aquaponics to provide food and energy security via a sustainable, year-round greenhouse and seafood harvest.

Many people see surfing as a masculine and aggressive sport. Benny’s Club is a community-based surfing collective in New York City that welcomes all folks who love the ocean. It provides an inclusive place especially for people of color and queers — groups who are often overlooked in the surf scene.

Researchers in Argentina and Australia have found a solution to mitigate the environmental impacts of COVID-19. Thanks to their hard work and commitment to sustainability, they have discovered that discarded face masks, which are filled with microplastics that then are absorbed by soil and water, can be repurposed to extend the life of pavement asphalt.

India - the majestic land of all things spiritual, mystic, and chaotic. Or so is what the zeitgeist in the West has made of India. It was perhaps guided by the former two elements that led to the influx of those seeking a higher purpose - a connection with the divine along with a rebellious zeal for freedom - to the subcontinent over half a century ago.

Luckily, we don’t have to feel alone on this path of discovery, as we can turn to technology-implementation to notice the difference.Among many, let’s pay attention to the following two stories & their uprising: Electric Vehicles and Solar technology. 

Regardless of circumstances, situations, and events that cause disharmony in everyday life; calmness, serenity, and contentment are possible for all of us to witness in the subtle shift through the deep meditative relaxation.

Historically there is a lot of debate on whether street art is to be qualified to hold a worthy high praise tag such as art. The craft of creative work has always carried a complicated definition. Without it, we would’ve never had a device for questioning the narrative of implied regulatory norms, social justice, global warfare & topics of present importance.

Tracing back to the 12th century Polynesia were the first days of surfing encounters. As with many beginnings, modern classic of water gliding was depicted on the cave-wall before becoming a cult following.

Driven by four massive wheels and an early diesel-electric drivetrain, the Snow Cruiser had accommodations for five crew members and could move along at a speed of a face-melting 30 miles per hour when on solid ground.

Evolved navigation theory (ENT) proposes that natural selection has differentiated some psychological processes, including height perception, in response to the navigational outcome of falling.

NFT – non-fungible token, phenomena that stands for a unit of data that is stored on the blockchain is infiltrating all aspects of the world we live in, including action sports.

While the issues stack up across the globe, innovative people endeavor to come up with solutions. The best solutions will always address multiple problems simultaneously, and some of those creative solutions can come from the most unlikely places. 

Even though solar-, wind-, and hydropower developments have been efficient alternatives to coal power plants and helped foster a cleaner environment, even the most agile renewable energy technologies can fail, hindered by their technical requirements.

Our earth is still a wanderer, all the more so now that the clock ticks on its preservation. The digital age, globalization, immigration, technology advancement has exalted the borders of our wanderlust, elevating us farther, increasing hunger for novelty and solitude of wilder remotes.

The notion that exposure to nature is psychologically healthful is very old and has appeared in many cultures. A more specific form of this hypothesis, advanced by numerous writers through history, is the idea that contact with plants, water, and other natural elements can calm anxiety and help people cope with life's stresses.

While others dream of wealth, fame, and success, Purja dreams of nothing but the mountain. He endeavored to do more in less than three-fourths of a year than the rest of civilization does in an entire lifetime. He wanted to climb the world’s fourteen peaks that exceed 8,000 meters.

Following on the emotional impulses’ colors create within us, that inner pulse that doesn’t need explanation. Color has three basic properties: hue, lightness, and chroma. Variation in any of these properties could influence downstream effect, cognition, or behavior, yet only hue is considered in most theorizing.

400 years after the fact, the captainless Mayflower is setting its sails again with the intent of retracing the path of its distant predecessor.

Life is a perpetual collection of information that has its downfall in being too polarizing. How many of us consciously chose to stop & evaluate the essential, dismissing the sequential triggering pull in searching for a desired outcome.

From the backroom to the big time- how a few kids from the L.E.S. changed our world - Now that’s a revolution… We serendipitously interviewed Alex Corporan on National Skateshop Day. Corporan is a legend, an OG Manager of Supreme in NYC, former pro skater, and the creator of Full Bleed, a photographic journey through the early days of the NYC skate scene. Alex went deep on how skate led to Supreme. “A lot of people think they can copy the box logo and recreate Supreme. But there will never be something like that again. You can’t recreate the clubhouse, that period of time, and all the things that were happening. No amount of money can duplicate that.”

The outdoors will always be our playground and in order to preserve the we have to adapt as explorers and adventurers, and that includes the 4x4s that get us out there.

A history and discussion of the silent disco or headphone disco in club and festival culture, and how it has transformed into the party staple it is today.

The biggest issue that comic companies have faced with both of these approaches is that either's success doesn't typically justify continuing the storylines. Changing the core of the characters in TV and film is often faced with backlash because it challenges viewers' expectations of the character or feels lazy.

If you can't recycle your climbing ropes and you don’t want to see them head off to the landfill, what should you and can you do with your old climbing ropes?

There are those moments where you are pushed to see what you really have in you. The feeling of getting through is so rewarding even if you may have been frustrated along the way. A great philosopher once said “I didn’t make the Ramble Ride to be easy for a reason it’s supposed to challenge you and take you places you haven’t been before. Hell I know you curse my name during the day!” This is the beginning of an amazing journey and I’m better for it!

In Latin American, marked by authoritarian regimes, inequality, and repression, women manifested themselves through art, especially by exploring the political dimension of their bodies and organizing themselves into political and artistic collectives. In the case of Latina and Chicana artists in the United States, they were responding to a patriarchal politics as oppressive as that faced by their peers in Latin America. They also had to confront a feminist movement that was often indifferent to the problems faced by women of color.

The link between art and advertising is not a novelty or a trend, it is an action that if done strategically and perfectly executed, can change the destiny of a brand.

The mountain doesn't wait for you to be ready and doesn't care what your plans are. The weather is going to roll in regardless. This has made planning ski or hiking trips a roll of the dice and many ruined days due to questionable weather.

Moving forward, life is going to be different. The pandemic has changed every aspect of our lives... for better or worse. And as large gatherings are growing again, will the "home experience" stream on?

Lacing up a pair evokes memories of roller skating’s heyday, when Boomboxes: the microphones of hip-hop’s arrival, impossibly short shorts, neon, and Prince & the Revolution records reigned supreme in roller rinks.

Cities, like people, are imperfect; they age, crack, and sometimes even crumble. Street art, like tattoos to skin, add an edge, evoke youthfulness, complexity, give historical context—like the changing of demographics and attitudes.

The Orbital 02 is revolutionary in design and concept, while being the world's single largest renewable energy source harnessing the tidal currents off the coast of Scotland. It is the second iteration from Marine Orbital with improvements in the capacity to harness the flow of water with lowered costs in operations.

Art has always evolved, from small paintings to statues to murals encompassing whole buildings and with technology's rapid advancements art too has had to modernize and amplify the experience.

Motorcyclist-aficionados stretch the breadth of the globe and represent a variety of identities, cultures, and lived experiences. And, between them there is a shared love of throttle grips, ignition switches, foot pegs, and the indescribable vantage point of driving from the cockpit of a cycle.

There is something truly inspiring about the idea of new beginnings. Starting something new is often frightening, but there is so much to learn. The magnitude of the activity certainly leads direction and the something 'new' inspires the mind and body to act outside the sense of normalsy and comfort.

With culture, news, and all aspects of media streaming at our fingertips is there still a place for print publications in our tech inspired society? Will print publications hold up against smartphones, tablets, and a growing necessity for near real-time reporting?

Founder and Design Lead of Bilio, Billy Smith is a modern day innovator being guided by an inherent surplus of creativity. He and his design team are fixated on looking to what nature has already created and how "we" can replicate nature's designs and focus on materials first production.

What started as an Instagram account turned into an organization focused on empowering women through the outdoors.