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As worldwide demand for both food and biofuels increases, so does the the demand for palm oil, which can be used for both food and biofuel production. But while biofuels may cut down on CO2 emissions compared to petroleum, palm oil plantations have the nasty effect of releasing CO2 into the atmosphere--and the problem is only getting worse, according to a study from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the National University of Singapore.

Could blindness soon be a thing of the past? A California company called Second Sight recently received approval in Europe to sell the Argus II, a $115,000 gadget that can partially restore sight to patients with degenerative eye disease.

Try holding your arm in front of you for 10 minutes. It probably starts to shake pretty quickly. Now imagine how much more effective dentists, surgeons, jewelers--anyone who holds out their arm all day for work--could be with an arm that never gets tired.

Range anxiety, or the fear of running out of power while driving an electric car, is a common--if not overly hyped --source of stress for EV drivers. Xatori, a startup founded by Forrest North , the founder of Mission Motors and a former engineer at Tesla Motors, released an iPhone app today to change that. The PlugShare app serves two main functions: It allows users to browse a comprehensive list of nearby public charging stations, and it lets users share their own electric outlets and search for charge spots located inside or outside other people's garages.

Algae has been a hot topic in the clean energy community for years; it can be used to produce biofuel efficiently, with minimal water use, and without taking up arable land.

Forget stomach stapling and lap band surgery. The next big thing in weight loss surgery may be the stomach pacemaker.

The folks behind the TED conference have a theory that ads don't have to be annoying; they can, if done well, be compelling enough to spur viewers to share them with friends. This week, TED announced the 10 winners of its Ads Worth Spreading challenge, which asked entrants to create ads that "raise the bar, elevate the craft and invent new forms of engagement, both online and in general." The winning ads range in length from 30 seconds to over 5 minutes, and come from notable ad agencies like Wieden + Kennedy and Ogilvy, as well as lesser-known shops like Venables Bell & Partners and Legs Media