The Gates Foundation tweeted this article: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671480/10-of-the-years-best-designs-for-social-good#1 from Fast Company with ten of the year’s best social innovations. The list had some pretty great inventions from the year so we thought we would repost it:
1) “A surgical light for the developing world.” This invention was a cheap and lightweight light to help make surgeries better and safer in developing countries.
2) “A simple solar oven makes salt water drinkable.” As you may have guessed from Fast Company’s title, this invention turns salt water into drinkable water over the course of a day.
3) “Why shrink-wrapping a cucumber is actually good for the environment.” This is a book on sustainable packaging that goes over different packaging types and when best used. It has some interesting findings concerning when shrink wrap for instance may be better than renewable materials.
4) “Shaped by algorithms, a solar-powered pavilion that soaks up maximum rays.” Using math, some very smart people have come up with a way to power a building as well as a near-by building even in the strongest heat of the summer.
5) “Stanford students invent a respirator mask to save babies.” This will be used to help babies from respiratory illness, a major cause of death, in developing countries.
6) “How a foot-powered washing machine could change millions of lives.” In many countries, people spend hours a day hand washing clothing which leads to a ton of physical problems and a waste of hours a day. This will help to change that.
7) “A survival kit for 30 people that turns into a stove.” This innovation is meant to provide help for 30 people for a couple of days after a catastrophe until help arrives.
8) “Led light for the developing world.” A small, solar-powered lamp to replace kerosine lamps in developing countries.
9) “3-D printed ‘magic arms’ let a toddler hug and play.” This is one example of how 3-d printing technology is poised to change the world. Some very exciting developments have been made here already and there will be much more to come.
10) “A stove that turns wood into electricity.” This one is pretty self explanatory and even has a USB port to charge your phone!
You should pull up the Fast Company article and read about all of these advances and the amazing people behind them. These innovators did an incredible amount of good for the world this year alone and people will be able to build on these innovations in 2013. The article is a quick slideshow that will let you see pictures of the devices as well as some of the inventors and is definitely worth your time. Maybe it will even help you come up with an idea to help save the world!