Big Think is a knowledge forum — a distillation of the ideas of the brightest minds in every field into actionable ideas. Through video interviews, blog posts, and careful editorial curation, we package and present powerful ideas. We connect the dots to help our users steer their own personal and professional course, and positively impact the lives of others.

bigthink.com

Bodega Algae,LLC is a developer of highly efficient, scalable Optical Waveguide Photobioreactors (PBRs) in which large amounts of algae can be cultivated efficiently under controlled conditions to produce high-energy algal biomass for use in the production of biofuel. The Bodega photobioreactor is modular and stackable, allowing it to be co-located efficiently in both laboratory settings as well as on the premises of industrial plants. The reactor uses nutrients readily drawn from a variety of waste streams including wastewater from domestic sewage, municipal water treatment plants or carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) flue gases from industrial plants. The microalgae in the bioreactor converts these compounds to biomass, creating the feedstock for biofuel while improving the environment.

bodegaalgae.com

HUX is a group of thinkers and doers committed to helping organizations solve some of the world's greatest challenges — from Education to Health Care, Science and Culture. Our team brings human-centered design innovation to these areas by creating experiences that move people. HUX has recently been engaged by like organizations like TED, The Smithsonian, NASA, The Xprize Foundation and UCLA Health.

huxdesign.com

KIMETRIC is a Kinect based technology, which uses digital displays and Kinect devices installed in a store, to create a new interactive experience at the point of sales. Kimetric allows the customer to interact with products in a new way, by reacting to consumers actions and accordingly provide important interactive information about the products in real time. Kimetric takes the advantages of online shopping to the real world. As well Kimetric provide information about this behavior to retailers, this allows retailers to understand who there real customer is and how to serve them better. Kimetric, redefines the way consumers shop.

kimetric.com

Open Source Ecology is accelerating the growth of the next economy – the Open Source Economy – that optimizes both production and distribution, while promoting environmental regeneration and social justice. We are building the Global Village Construction Set, a high-performance, modular, do-it-yourself, low-cost platform that allows for the easy fabrication of the 50 different industrial machines that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts.

opensourceecology.org

We are a group of New York City-based architects, designers, and developers with a vision. We want to establish a new design practice focused on supporting our relationship with plants through flexible, open-source architecture, media, and technology solutions.

plantincity.com

Imagine what’s possible: kick a ball, turn on a light. At Uncharted Play, we use good, honest fun to make the world a better place, and inspire others to do the same. Founded in May of 2011 by two female, non-engineer Harvard students, Uncharted Play, Inc. is a boot-strapping social enterprise based in NYC. Our flagship product is the SOCCKET, a soccer ball that doubles as an eco-friendly, portable generator. Designed for people living with poor or no access to electricity, the SOCCKET amplifies the global passion for soccer by harnessing the kinetic energy generated during play and storing it for later use as a power source.

unchartedplay.com

Sonar is a mobile app that tells you when your friends and friends’ friends are nearby, revealing the hidden connections and small world moments you might have otherwise missed. By leveraging social and location data from networks like Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and LinkedIn, Sonar gives you context about the people surrounding you, and helps introduce you to relevant people who share your interests, friends and professional contacts.

sonar.me

Styku Smart Fitting Room is the fast and easy way for online apparel shoppers to find the right fit. Since there is no sizing standard for apparel, a customer can be 3 or more different sizes, depending on the brand.Styku uses propriety TUKAcad software (used by apparel manufacturers to create patterns) and Microsoft Kinect (that scans the body in seconds) to capture body measurements and recommend the best size for every shape. Right now, the system can be installed in existing dressing rooms at retail stores. Soon, consumers can use the Xbox Live, or their PC, to scan themselves at home and instantly “try-on” thousands of recommended apparel items. Online apparel shopping will be much easier, with fewer returns.

styku.com

The Interface Ecology Lab invents new media and information by exploring new relationships between human beings and technology. We instantiate the ecosystems approach, with a focus on connecting sensation, computation, media, networks, ontologies, methodologies, and cultures. We develop digital systems, environments, components, and compositions with the intention of elevating the role of human expression in experiences with technology. Our research begins by asking why? What roles can technology play in social, political, and economic contexts? We articulate human values. We develop and connect concepts and processes. We use this grounding as the basis for science, engineering, art, and iterative design.

ecologylab.net

The Not Impossible Foundation is an emerging non-profit organization comprising thinkers, dreamers, and doers. By fusing imagination and technology we are developing creative solutions to real-world problems. We believe in the collective good for the collective gain. It’s like the 60’s – but with the Internet, cell phones and Facebook. At our core, we think that most things people need are indeed possible — and not necessarily expensive. We just have to look at it from an unencumbered, non-hierarchical, apolitical perspective. We believe that ideas that once seemed impossible are entirely “not impossible” when the right people are connected and empowered. We hope our initiatives will encourage more people to tackle other “not impossible” projects and solutions. This is just the beginning.

notimpossiblefoundation.org