“Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being.”

– Eckhart Tolle

Insights From Mt. Takao

Of all the weird natural systems on the planet, I thought I was over mushrooms. I really did.

Turns out though, we’re back in love. And yes, today I will subject you to that obsession. 

On a strictly academic mission, I climbed Mt. Takao, and got to have a lot of fun drawing different geological features and eating sweet treats (it’s a hard life, I know). 

From that trip- one of the best homework assignments I have ever had to do- I gained some random insights, as many silly backpackers do when swearing off mainstream society and disappearing into the woods.

If you’re wondering about the deep theme of these insights, don’t bother, because there isn’t one.

Rather, I decided to draw from my favorite moment on the trip: the oyster mushroom. 

Me sitting on the forest floor, drawing a mushroom

#1: Systems thinking

It was when I started to see mushrooms cropping up everywhere, and eventually sat on the cool shaded forest floor to draw a few by hand, that it really struck me: this cute little mushroom, right here before me in its dark non-plant-non-animal glory, was part of a huge planetary system that made the perfect conditions for it to end up before me. 

I mean, stop and think about this: mushrooms require particular soil conditions, particular temperatures and moisture, and it’s even larger systems that manufacture these conditions. 

You can zoom out and zoom in, and on all different scales, you can explain the simple presence of a mushroom on the ground. 

Then I thought about it some more, crouched there as one with the little white oyster mushroom, and felt it was a tragedy that when we think about the world around us, it’s often easy to forget about the systems things are made up of. 

Be a systems thinker. 

So what is there to do? 

Try what I did. Choose one object- an apple, an ear bud, your half-eaten sandwich…

Zoom out to the biggest force you can think of that brought that single thing to where it is now. 

Now zoom in. How was your sandwich made – from the bread to the seedling that ended up creative that tomato slice?

#2: Fast-track to replenishing creativity. 

There is nothing like a long train ride followed by a long hike to really clear your head. 

On my way to Mt. Takao, I enjoyed this uninterrupted hour of time on my Kindle, reading about plant leaves and atmospheric gases in David Beerling’s Emerald Planet as my friends napped in their seats. 

It was peaceful, quiet, and I got to let my mind wander along different trains of thought. 

On the trail, it was the same. 

I marveled at the trees, stopping every five steps to take yet another photo of a ravine, towering cedar tree, or translucent spider web. 

But, once again, I had hours upon hours of time to just think. 

No music, no notifications, no to-do list besides keep watching until you reach the top. 

By the time I got back to Tokyo though, I had several new notes on various projects, random tangents, and interesting questions to look up when I got home. 

Make time to think uninterrupted. 

One of the best systems, I realized, to create emptiness in which to nurture the baby seedlings of your creative garden, is to do something where the emptiness is a natural byproduct. 

Hiking is like that. Showering is like that. Reading is like that. Sometimes, even household chores are like that. 

When you do something where you mind can detach from the nagging expectations of a looming Google Calendar block, your creativity will step in and have a play. 

There are probably already tasks like that for you, and you might not even notice it. 

Next time, pay attention as your mind wanders. Savor the creative play. 

#3: Nature is therapy. 

In the deep cavernous well that is my camera roll, there lies a meme. 

On one side is a gray-skinned, sleep-deprived cartoon with bags under their eyes, asking Jesus, “Is this it? Is this the hardest test you have for me?” Jesus replies, “You literally just have to put your phone down and go outside.”

It’s funny, but accurate. 

Why are we always surprised that when we hide from the sun and spend twelve hours a day in front of a screen, we also happen to feel miserable and depressed?

Truth be told, humans weren’t designed to stare at screens. We were made to hike through forests, draw tiny mushrooms, and gaze in wonder at a deep green range of mountains. It’s what humans have been doing for millions of years. 

Nonetheless, I am still impressed at just how rejuvenating it feels to have a day outside, my phone tucked away at the bottom of my backpack, where the Notification Bird can’t get to me. 

Put down your phone and go outside. 

It’s hard to get away from screens- whether it’s your phone, or the laptop where you work all day. 

Still it’s worth making a deliberate effort, because your stress, worry, and constant existential dread will melt away. 

To make it more fun, take someone adventuring with you. Make it fun and easy. Bring a notepad. 

Maybe, like me, you will end up crouched in front of a mushroom, amazed at the multitudes it contains. 

Thought To Action 

1. Map the Impossible: Write down three “too big” ideas you’d pursue if fear, money, or skill weren’t limits. Circle one. Start with the smallest visible step.
2. Use Tech Intentionally: Schedule a daily “digital audit”—10 minutes to check what tools you actually use to create versus to consume. (See this guide to mindful tech habits).
3. Build an Independent Study Track: Pick a theme you want to master this year (creativity, AI, storytelling) and design your own syllabus—books, podcasts, projects, mentors.
4. Pair Reading with Doing: For every chapter you read, add one experiment to test the idea in real life.
5. Reflect in Reverse: Once a week, ask: “What did I not do because I underestimated myself?”—then do one of those things, badly but bravely.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post. 

The post 3 Secrets A Mountain Mushroom Taught Me About Creative Focus, Systems Thinking & Inner Peace appeared first on Green Also Green.

“We can’t just consume our way to a more sustainable world.” – Jennifer Nini

Please steal these ideas. 

After spending a year diving deeper into the world of materials science and nanotech, one thing has become clear: sustainable materials are the future, and the future might make you rich. 

However, before we get ahead of ourselves, there are a few problems scientists, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers need to solve, and today I want to talk to you about those exactly. 

Where can we get leverage?

How can we scale up?

And who will be first?

#1: We don’t dispose of bioplastics effectively. 

We think a lot about how well materials can be used for one exact task: Can your grocery bag carry your groceries to the car and into the kitchen? Does your plastic shoe sole carry you very far? Will your eggs be cracked in their plastic container? 

Yes, that’s all very important, but there is still a big chunk we’re missing: what happens after?

In the surge of work done on biomaterials, we see an inspiring focus on using biodegradable materials like mycelium or algae. 

So, if they happen to end up in the compost, they will not release microplastics- which is great. 

But there is still a gap between (1) getting these materials to break down faster without compromising their main function, and (2) getting consumers to actually dispose of them correctly.  

#2: Plant-based materials can be too weak for high-stress applications.

There is good news and bad news for everyone looking to get rich on bio-plastics. 

The good news is research suggests it could be easier to improve the mechanical strength of the current family of bioplastics than it would be to make more “recalcitrant” plastics more biodegradable. 

(Don’t ask me who decided to call all the other plastics “recalcitrant”, as though they were a gaggle of rowdy teenagers. But they are.)

The bad news?

Well, we aren’t quite there yet. For a lot of more high-stress applications, petroleum-based plastics still perform better. 

Perhaps though, this is good news, because it means there’s an opportunity for anyone ready to innovate. 

#3: Recycled plastic is not valued as highly as virgin plastic. 

Okay, let’s take a break from talking about bioplastics, and talk about those “recalcitrant” petroleum-based plastics we all know so well. 

You know, the ones that are causing all these problems we keep hearing about. 

Specifically, let’s talk about recycling. 

Now, I have already ranted about this in another post, but to sum it up: just about the biggest issue with plastic as they exist now is their end-of-life management. 

That is to say, what happens after you’re done with plastic. 

We want to believe recycling is saving a lot of our plastic, but unfortunately even the majority of trash you choose to recycle doesn’t end up getting repurposed. 

And the lucky minority that does?

Well, in industry, recycled plastic just isn’t valued as highly as virgin plastic. 

Of course, there are reasons for this that boil down to the purity (or lack thereof) of recycled plastic, and the fact that we just can’t easily remove other additives to turn it back into its raw form. 

But ultimately, this fact acts as a huge disincentive for manufacturers to actually use our garbage as a raw material. 

#4: There is a lack of sustainable construction materials that meet safety requirements. 

One of the industries with a silently high carbon footprint is the construction industry. 

Many materials, such as steel and concrete, are incredibly energy-intensive to produce, but have not seen promising alternatives on the market. 

Some are emerging, such as Carbicrete, but there is still room for other alternatives that also match the performance of concrete and steel while also meeting safety requirements.

#5: Almost nobody is designing sustainable materials for circular disassembly.

We keep building objects that can’t be taken apart easily.

What’s the problem with this?

Well, to design without keeping disassembly in mind is to deny the materials you’re using another lifetime. 

I’ve also discussed this in other posts, but it bears repeating. 

When we design for disassembly, we create a circular economy instead of just adding to landfills. 

Furthermore, we open ourselves up to a whole new realm of raw materials that we initially wrote off as “trash”.

The materials of the future that will make you rich. 

There is a well-known quote from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” that goes, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.”

No, he wasn’t talking about materials science, I know. 

But still- we can think of this as another way to describe the bridge between reality and fantasy.

When you take your dreams, and turn them into the world around you, what is that world made of?

Who gets to decide?

If you walk away with one thing, just know, it doesn’t have to be someone else getting rich off the innovations of the future. 

It could be you.

Thought to Action

1. Ask “What If” Every Day: Start or end your day by writing one bold “What if…” question. What if your shoes were edible? What if your routines were designed for joy? These questions open space for unexpected insight.
2. Do a 5-Minute Redesign Challenge: Pick an object you use daily (a water bottle, backpack, phone case) and sketch or describe how you’d redesign it to be more circular, comfortable, or creative.
3. Make Space for Creative Input: Commit to one hour a week where you absorb inspiration—watch a documentary, visit a museum, or read outside your field. Creativity is fueled by unexpected collisions.
4. Redesign Something That’s Annoying You: Find one product, system, or space in your life that bugs you—and reimagine it. You don’t have to fix it in reality, just give yourself permission to sketch possibilities.
5. Start Your Future Job Library: Curate a mini reading list around your dream career or project. Not sure where to start? This post will show you how to learn from curiosity, not credentials.

Sources

https://response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DAnaerobic_degradation_of_bioplastics

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/13/2155

https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/271345/1-s2.0-S0144861723X00125/1-s2.0-S0144861723004393/am.pdf?X-Amz-Security-

https://www.erda.dk/vgrid/JJKK/pdfs/jjkk_38.pdf

https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/6/4/76

“Cradle to Cradle”

http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/62965/1/1205.pdf

The post 5 Problems With Sustainable Materials That Will Make You Rich appeared first on Green Also Green.

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success.” – Nikola Tesla

Materials shape the world.

All around us are items made of different materials with different life cycles. 

No matter what though, for every material you see, there was also someone who had to decide to use that material, and had to decide how to synthesize it and assemble it into a product. 

For each and every product, there are also different additives, various dyes or preservatives, and a wide range of demands during manufacturing, whether it’s heat or water in varying quantities, or manual labor in dangerous conditions. 

Quite literally, all these materials make up the world around us. 

But that’s not all. 

They are also changing the world around us. 

Because of that, the future of materials is the future of the world.

So today, I want to celebrate some of the 4 most thrilling (but also weird) new materials that will change the way we manufacture the items all around us. 

Ready?

#1: Nanomaterials

After getting close-up experience with a UC Berkeley lab developing new nanotechnology, I have grown increasingly interested in the future of nanomaterials. 

But what is nanotechnology?

The prefix ‘nano’ refers to a billionth. So nanotechnology is tech that involves the manipulation of atoms at the scale of 1-100 nanometers. In other words, technology that requires us to rearrange atoms at 1-100 billionths of a meter. 

The field was first founded in 1959 by Richard Feynman, after a lecture called “There’s Plenty Of Room At The Bottom”. 

He suggested we could manipulate individual atoms as a more robust form of synthetic chemistry. 

It was unusual to suggest something like this at the time, but since then, research on nanotechnology has boomed.

Now, we can easily expect the future of nanotech to have applications in energy storage, medicine, and even environmental protection. 

That said, there are still plenty of research gaps yet to be filled, with research into graphene and carbon nanotubes advancing the quickest.

But as Feynman proclaimed, still “there’s plenty of room at the bottom”- for creativity, innovation, and an exciting new future of materials. 

#2: Mycelium

I’ve had my eye on mycelium-based composites for a while. 

But what even is mycelium?

If you’ve ever seen a mushroom, think of it like the rest of the mushroom’s body. In reality, the mushroom you might be imagining is only the reproductive organ of the mycelium, meant to disperse spores to new places. 

Underground, in a dead log, or wherever it is growing, the mycelial network stretches far and wide. In fact, it is even considered the largest organism on earth (!).

However the wonders don’t stop there.

Combined, the production of concrete and steel contribute to approximately 15% of our global carbon emissions. 

Already, people are using mycelium to replace both of these, which release a huge amount of carbon into the atmosphere every year. 

Furthermore, mycelium has been used in clothes, accessories, and even alternative meats. 

What’s left is to refine our production processes and explore the material properties of mycelium even more.

But who knows?

Maybe in 20 years, you will be living in a house made of mycelium bricks, wearing mycelium leather, and eating a hamburger made of mycelium and peas. 

#3: Carbon-sequestering Carbicrete 

Okay, so maybe I said some ugly things about concrete.

But let’s please talk about concrete’s precocious baby cousin: carbicrete. 

Right now, concrete is the most used substance on earth after water.

A key ingredient to concrete is cement, which emits 8% of the world’s carbon emissions. 

Enter: carbicrete. 

Carbicrete essentially allows us to make concrete without using cement, instead replacing it with steel slag as the primary binder and carbon dioxide as the activator. 

Steel slag is a by-product of the steel industry, so using it as a raw material minimizes industrial waste. 

Furthermore, using carbon dioxide as the activator removes carbon emissions from the environment and helps to mitigate climate change.

Ultimately, curing the concrete with carbon dioxide lets us sequester 1 kg of CO₂ per standard concrete block, which holds a lot of promise in the face of current emission trends.

Now just imagine what would happen if we adopted carbicrete on an even larger scale!

#4: Metamaterials

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, I need to tell you something. 

Invisibility cloaks are real. 

And guess what?

It’s all thanks to metamaterials. 

These are artificial materials (so you can’t find them in nature) that were designed with certain properties in mind. 

Think: noise-cancelling barriers, cloaking devices, and super-lenses. In a lot of ways, these materials feel like the supernatural heroes of the material world. 

They are very much the stuff of comic books and Marvel movies!

But how will they save the planet?

So many ways!

For starters, they can help to increase energy efficiency, such as in solar panels or thermal regulation in buildings. 

Additionally, metamaterials can be used to develop lightweight and high-performance materials for applications like transportation. 

Also, they can be used for passive cooling and heating systems, water purification, and desalination. 

That said, there are still many challenges with metamaterials in terms of fabrication, design, and characterization. 

We still need to work to make them better. That goes without saying. 

But you already know, if you start to see scientists showing off real-life invisibility cloaks, that amazing things are happening. 

It’s enough to make me absolutely thrilled for the next 20 years!

Thought To Action 

1. Design a Life You’d Want to Live In: List three feelings or values (e.g., curiosity, calm, freedom) you want to feel more often. Now ask: What would a day designed around these look like?
2. Choose One Thing to Repair or Repurpose This Week: Whether it’s sewing a hole in your sock or reusing packaging in a creative way, practice seeing value where others see waste.
3. Imagine a Future Without Trash: Write a short paragraph or draw what your neighborhood would look like if nothing was disposable. What would change?
4. Audit Your Footprint (Literally): Check the label on your most-used shoes or clothes. What are they made of? Could a more sustainable material work instead?
5. Read About the Next-Gen Materials: Check out mushroom leather, mycelium bricks, or algae packaging. Explore how artists and engineers are already building that future.

Sources

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381686851_A_review_of_applications_and_future_prospects_of_nanotechnology

https://pubs.rsc.org/aa/journals/articlecollectionlanding?sercode=na&themeid=ff357ff7-0458-45f1-b224-27a11965624b&utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/does-steel-and-concrete-needed-build-renewable-energy-cancel-out-benefits

https://www.theclimategroup.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/The%20Steel%20and%20Concrete%20Transformation%20-%202024%20market%20outlook%20on%20lower%20emission%20steel%20and%20concrete.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/18/namibia-homes-built-from-mushrooms-mycohab-mycelium?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://fungalbiolbiotech.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40694-021-00128-1?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0734975025000035?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://solve.mit.edu/solutions/8782

https://news.mit.edu/2025/mapping-future-metamaterials-0327?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384601877_Metamaterials_A_Comprehensive_Review_of_Design_and_Applications

The post 4 Weird Materials That Will Save The Planet appeared first on Green Also Green.

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” -Maya Angelou

Butterfly wings are inspiring new technology.

When you picture the first whispers of spring, and the vivid colors of flowers and butterflies in your garden, perhaps your mind doesn’t first go to the study of photonics in butterfly wings.

Now, maybe, it will. 

As a big fan of biomimicry, I was excited to read this 2024 paper about bio-inspired nanostructures based on the photonic structure of butterfly wings. 

It was facilitated by interdisciplinary research and perfectly demonstrates the power of combining fields to bring new insights to tech. 

The best part is that this isn’t the only example of new tech taking inspiration from biology, and today I want to talk to you about how you can look to this same source for inspiration as well.

#1: Define the challenge. 

It’s hard to imagine how to organically translate what you see on a hike or long drive into a ground-breaking new invention. 

If we could all just look at butterfly wings, chameleon skin, anthills, or gecko feet and see new technology, we would not only have a more efficient world, but also one that is more harmonious with the social and environmental forces around us. 

But let’s start with the (seemingly) easy part: identify the challenge. 

What criteria does a potential solution need to meet?

#2: Discover nature’s strategies. 

The number of natural adaptations and weird but cool talents out in the kingdom of plants and animals (let alone fungi, archaea, bacteria, and protists) is daunting. 

How can one begin to whittle it down?

Align your constraints. 

If you are trying to create a new material that can be used in tropical climates to naturally cool indoor spaces, look to species that live in tropical climates, and research how they keep cool. 

Similarly, if you are interested in keeping warm, why not research a species that lives in the Arctic? 

And if you are interested in understanding how to synthesize materials that can manipulate light, look at butterfly wings!

Don’t narrow it down at first, but think in terms of traits- species that live in particular climates, species that can effectively digest toxins, species that hunt with a particular technique, and so on. 

Once you have honed in on some key inspirational figures in your niche of nature, go deeper. Distinguish their strategies, and think about how these approaches would carry over into your own work. 

#3: Abstract the mechanisms. 

This step is where you shift from biology to design by uncovering how the biological system works. 

Don’t just describe what the butterfly does — ask what principle makes it work. 

Focus on function, structure, and interaction with the environment.

In the case of the Morpho butterfly: The shimmering blue of its wings isn’t from pigment but from nanoscale structures that reflect specific wavelengths of light through interference. These microscopic ridges amplify or dampen certain light waves depending on the viewing angle or environmental conditions.

Abstracting that, we can say the mechanisms at play are:

• Responsive color change through microstructure manipulation, not chemical change
  
• Use of light interference to encode or reveal information
  
• Passive sensing (no energy input required)

#4: Translate into a design idea. 

Now take that principle and apply it to a problem you care about. This is where the “bio” becomes the blueprint for your invention. You’re not copying nature—you’re adapting its logic.

With the Morpho butterfly, researchers studied how its wing structures reflect specific wavelengths of light without using pigment, relying instead on nanoscale ridges that manipulate light through interference. 

The key is not to recreate the butterfly’s wing exactly, but to borrow its logic. 

Ask yourself: how could I achieve a similar effect using modern tools like 3D printing or thin-film layering? 

What problem in my domain could benefit from a responsive, low-energy, visually communicative surface? 

Begin with a rough sketch, a simple material test, or even a thought experiment. 

The most important part is taking that natural strategy and reshaping it into something new, useful, and rooted in elegant efficiency—just like nature intended.

Thought To Action 

1. Start a “Future Self” Journal: Write one page from the perspective of your dream self—what are you building, learning, wearing, prioritizing? Use this to guide daily decisions.
2. Identify Your Personal Design Criteria: What makes a task or project feel deeply worth it to you? Make a mini checklist. Use it to evaluate new commitments before saying yes.
3. Create a “Someday Stack” of Ideas: Start a list of odd, impractical, or ambitious project ideas that you don’t have time for yet. This becomes your personal innovation vault.
4. Study Someone Whose Job Didn’t Exist 20 Years Ago: Look up someone in a role like climate designer, circularity strategist, or biofabrication artist—and reverse engineer how they got there.
5. Fuel Up With Fiction That Thinks Ahead: Read a sci-fi or speculative fiction book this month. Start with something weird. It will stretch your imagination more than any TED Talk ever could.

Sources

The Biomimicry Institute. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved July 13, 2025, from https://biomimicry.org/

The post How Butterfly Wings Inspired New Tech appeared first on Green Also Green.

 “Mama always said you could tell an awful lot about a person by the kind of shoes they wear.” ― Forrest Gump

A “What If” Exercise

What if running didn’t leave a trail of microplastics behind?

Let me elaborate.

I have a love-hate relationship with running. We go way back, and the relationship is pretty toxic. 

After several months of walking around in San Francisco and doing almost no running, I am putting my shoes to the test. 

The only downside, though, is that the soles of running shoes, much like most clothing made of plastic, gradually release microplastics into the environment.

But what if it didn’t have to be this way?

Today, I want to use my running shoes to explore what it looks like to “redesign” for circularity. 

But first, let’s talk about how we got to the current design. 

What If The Faulty Design Is Serving Us?

The concept of running as a sport can be traced all the way back to the ancient Greeks, who ran barefoot. Then it was passed on to the Romans, who ran in thin-soled sandals. 

Over time, we started to design more fit-for-purpose running shoes. In fact, spiked shoes emerged in the 1800s, as vulcanized rubber also became more widespread. 

In the 1900s, we saw some shoes made of leather. 

Now, in the 21st century, our shoes consist of materials like ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), nylon, polyurethane, rubber, and more. 

As you might imagine, these materials are hard to reuse once they have gone through their initial life cycle on your feet. They are also predominantly plastic, so they release microplastics as they wear down. 

But let’s stop being haters for a moment and talk about why we use these materials in the first place. 

#1: Performance. 

You might not realize everything your running shoes do for you already, so let me go down the list. 

They help you prevent injury by stabilizing the foot and preventing the skin from damage. 

The stiff plates within the shoe’s midsole also help you to redistribute pressure from the knee to the joint of your toes. 

In fact, your shoes even store energy for you through the compression of the midsole, releasing it as you take another step. 

On top of this technology, there is also a huge degree of customization for each type of user. 

Ultimately, the shoe on your feet is there based on many factors. For example, this includes the distance you typically run, how your foot strikes the ground, and (of course) what colors you like.

#2: Style.

Okay, time for the elephant in the room:

Modern-day sneakers just look cool. 

They come in a variety of shapes, colors, textures, and brands. 

In fact, they are so cool, you probably even wear them when you aren’t about to go to the gym. 

Shoes are a matter of social status, and a big reason why we choose one over the other is simply this: appearances. 

So let’s not brush past that too quickly, because if you want to replace our current cradle-to-grave running shoes with a cradle-to-cradle upgrade, it has to be an upgrade that takes the aesthetic appeal of shoes seriously as well as the engineering.

What If We Can Make It Better?

Now that we’ve paid our respects to the way running shoes are designed now, let’s turn our attention to the future.

 Together, let’s explore what it would look like to design a running shoe that is actually “zero waste”. 

What if we designed running shoes for disassembly?

The way to know if running shoes are “zero waste” or follow a cradle-to-cradle design is to look at what happens after they are done being used. 

So what if, after we finished with our shoes, they could be broken down and fed into the next cycle of innovation?

What if we could actually separate the fabrics, insole, midsole, and outsole, and separate every different material used? 

If we could do this, we could ask questions about each material and how to return it to the manufacturer. 

If we can’t repurpose the material for the manufacturer, we are asking how to return the material to the ecosystem around us. 

What if you could throw your old laces into the compost?

After we have designed for disassembly, we ask whether the materials we use can be returned to the manufacturer or the planet. 

Imagine throwing your old shoe laces in the compost bin. Maybe you’re tossing them into a flowerpot, which releases key nutrients that, over time, degrade into the phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen you would otherwise get from a fertilizer. 

Could you fathom a starch-based plastic outsole that, once you take it apart, could be tossed into a pot of boiling water to dissolve into sugar water for butterflies or hummingbirds?

Maybe, with edible packaging, your shoes even would come in a cardboard box that can be tossed into your garden to grow wild flowers after unpackaging. 

If you think this is crazy, you’re right, but crazy ideas are just what drive progress. 

What if we actually looked cooler and performed better in eco-friendly running shoes?

Now let’s talk about one of the most important aspects of this entire idea. How do we make it fun? How do we make it aesthetically pleasing to wear cradle-to-cradle running shoes?

What if it didn’t have to feel different to wear a shoe like this?

What if you could still be protected from injury, joint damage, and blisters? 

Maybe it’s more feasible than we think. After all, we can take some valuable lessons from the design of shoes already, and apply them to the shoes of the future.

So let’s preserve performance and sleek appearances while upgrading our materials. That way, we can make the life cycle of your shoes just as amazing as what you do while wearing them. 

Thought To Action

1. Start a Curiosity Journal: Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s approach to learning, begin documenting your daily observations and questions. This practice nurtures a habit of inquiry and creativity.
2. Embrace Constraints to Spark Innovation: Challenge yourself with limitations to enhance problem-solving skills.
3. Integrate Artistic Practices into Learning: Incorporate art forms like drawing or music into your study routines to enhance understanding and retention of STEM concepts.
4.  Advocate for Inclusive Design: Engage in conversations and initiatives that promote clothing designs catering to diverse body types and needs.
5. Start A Reading Habit: Check out this post to easily start reading about and enjoying the topics you’ve always wanted to learn more on.  

Sources

https://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Running-Shoe.html

https://www.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/running-shoes-how-science-can-help-you-run-faster-and-more-efficiently

The post A “What If” Exercise That Will Change How You Think appeared first on Green Also Green.

 “Make it simple, but significant.”   — Don Draper.

Design From A Thought Experiment. 

One of the books I enjoyed recently- Cradle To Cradle- got me thinking a lot about circular design. 

Not only have I experienced the slight despair about the short life span of most products and packaging, but I’ve also experienced a surge in curiosity. 

So today, I’m going to take you on a tour through one of the thought experiments I tried to pursue after reading this book, asking myself one simple question: 

What does it take to keep materials in the supply chain?

Not slightly delaying their arrival at a landfill by recycling them one more time, but to turn them back into technical or biological nutrients for the next iteration of products.

Step #1: Identify the goal of the design.  

Everyone loves setting goals so much that we have a holiday for it (New Year’s Eve). 

However, setting the right goal is not necessarily an easy task.

In my experiment, though, I started thinking about this goal the way Braungart and McDonough do in Cradle to Cradle—through the lens of designing for circularity in technical and biological nutrients.

These two categories define everything in our supply chain. 

Technical nutrients are the stuff of modern life: metals, electronics, old cars, rusty bikes—anything that won’t just dissolve harmlessly into soil or water. 

These materials don’t biodegrade, but they can be designed to circulate endlessly through industrial systems.

Then there are biological nutrients—your food scraps, wood shavings, natural fibers—anything that once came from a living thing and can return safely to the earth.

We’ll dig into the problems with each of these in a moment. But first, it’s worth zooming out.

For technical nutrients, our challenge is to design a system where disassembly and reuse are the norm. 

This is where systems thinking comes in.

Imagine a decentralized network for collecting e-waste, where rare earth metals and precious components are recovered and reintroduced into the supply chain—instead of being buried in landfills.

For biological nutrients, our aim is just as ambitious: materials that break down into clean, nourishing compost. Think banana peels that grow your tomatoes, not chemicals that poison your groundwater.

In both cases, the big question is the same: How do we redesign our materials and systems so that today’s waste becomes the fuel for tomorrow’s innovation? 

Step #2: Ask what stands in the way. 

The next step of my thought experiment was outlining what is standing in the way. 

I thought about plastic, for example, and the hundreds of varieties of it that make recycling it a nightmarish puzzle. 

Indeed, while some plastic can be repurposed, melted into some new form (think #1 plastic, PET- polyethylene terephthalate, and #2 plastic, HDPE, high-density polyethylene), not all can. In fact, even the plastics that can be recycled still pose the question of microplastics and toxic additives. 

To separate hundreds of different types of plastics, not to mention all the waste that isn’t made of plastic, or the waste that includes plastics mixed with some other material, is a systems thinking feat that is enough to give anyone a headache. 

Then there is the e-waste problem, which has been one of the fastest-growing waste streams worldwide. Currently, approximately 350 million tons of e-waste are sitting in landfills. 

In the picture below, you can see some of the other barriers I identified. 

Step #3: Think big with “what if” questions. 

This third step might just be the most courageous of all, because it asks you to take a risk. 

It invites you to tap into your imagination and suggest ideas that might feel bold, unconventional, or even downright “stupid” at first glance. 

That takes guts.

Here, we’re not focused on what’s practical or realistic. We’re not trying to impress anyone or get it “right.” 

Instead, we ask the simple but powerful question: “What if?” 

Then we let our curiosity lead the way. 

No idea is too wild. No path is too strange. This is a space for exploration, not evaluation.

It’s important to remember that creativity thrives in an environment free from judgment. So we suspend the instinct to criticize or edit ourselves. 

We give ourselves full permission to be imaginative, even absurd- because often, the ideas that seem the most ridiculous at first are the ones that spark genuine innovation later on.

The time for filtering, refining, and choosing comes later. For now, your only job is to wonder.

Step #4: Experiment.

The final step in this process—experimenting with an actual design—is one I haven’t reached yet.

But that’s the beauty of this kind of work: it’s iterative, open-ended, and constantly evolving.

So far, I’ve explored the principles, asked the “what if” questions, and thought critically about how materials could circulate more intelligently through our systems. 

The next challenge is to bring these ideas to life—to sketch, prototype, and test designs that embody cradle-to-cradle thinking. 

I don’t know exactly what that will look like yet, but I’m excited to find out.

In future posts, I plan to document that experimentation phase: the successes, the failures, the messy in-betweens. 

I hope that by sharing the process in real time, it might spark new ideas—not just for me, but for anyone else dreaming of a world where waste becomes a resource.

For now, consider this the start of the blueprint.

Thought To Action

1. Start a Curiosity Journal: Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s approach to learning, begin documenting your daily observations and questions. This practice nurtures a habit of inquiry and creativity.
2. Embrace Constraints to Spark Innovation: Challenge yourself with limitations to enhance problem-solving skills.
3. Integrate Artistic Practices into Learning: Incorporate art forms like drawing or music into your study routines to enhance understanding and retention of STEM concepts.
4.  Advocate for Inclusive Design: Engage in conversations and initiatives that promote clothing designs catering to diverse body types and needs.
5. Start A Reading Habit: Check out this post to easily start reading about and enjoying the topics you’ve always wanted to learn more on.  

Sources

Braungart, M., & McDonough, W. (2002). Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we make things. North Point Press.

Eartheasy. (n.d.). Plastics by the numbers. https://learn.eartheasy.com/articles/plastics-by-the-numbers/

WasteDirect. (n.d.). E-waste statistics. https://wastedirect.co.uk/guides/e-waste-statistics/

The post How To *Actually* Rethink Circular Design appeared first on Green Also Green.

“With a bucket of Lego, you can tell any story. You can build an airplane or a dragon or a pirate ship – it’s whatever you can imagine.” -Christopher Miller

What I Learned From Playing With Blocks

Perhaps the most memorable shared generational memory is of building unique LEGO creations one block at a time. 

In fact, I still have vivid recollection of spending many languid Saturday afternoons as an 8-year-old sprawled all over the floor among an ocean of LEGO bricks. My brother and I resurrected neighborhoods, cars, and tiny monuments. We had lengthy discussions about the kinds of bricks we would use, the size and color, and where we would place each structure. 

In the end, we spent hundreds of hours like this over the years- playing and building, having fun. It was not in the hope of anything more than exploring what we could do in that moment, but recalling those precious childhood memories got me thinking a lot about modular design. 

Modular design is not a concept limited to LEGO creations; in fact, you can find it all over nature. From the inner lives of termite mounds, anthills, and beehives to the structure of cells or genes, modular design (i.e. a way of building things using separate, interchangeable parts that can be combined, rearranged, or replaced without changing the whole system.) has been one of the most effective design ideas on earth for longer than humans have even been around to observe it. 

Lately, in our noble pursuit of a circular economy, some fields have started to take note of the efficiency of modular design. 

What I want to pose to you today is this: What if we leaned in to “playing with blocks” and applied it even more widely?

If you were once that kid who spent hours reconfiguring LEGO bricks into new creations, this one’s for you.

Top 3 Lessons Insights From Blocks In Nature

#1: Modularity Is Nature’s Favorite Design Language. 

Modularity means building things in independent, reusable parts that can be rearranged without needing to redesign the whole system. 

Nature does this brilliantly: cells, coral reefs, DNA, and mushroom networks all grow through repeating modular units. 

This allows for growth, adaptation, and resilience—if one part fails, the whole doesn’t collapse.

To apply this in your own life, don’t try to redesign everything all at once. 

Break your goals or routines into small, repeatable blocks—like a 20-minute creative block each morning, or modular habits that can be swapped in and out depending on your energy. 

In your career, you can build a portfolio of modular skills. 

Rather than following one rigid path, develop stackable capabilities—communication, data literacy, design, etc.—that you can rearrange for different roles or industries.

Finally, design products and systems that can grow, shrink, or shift easily. 

Modular housing, open-source platforms, and refillable packaging all reduce waste and increase adaptability. 

Build with the expectation that parts will change.

#2: A Circular Economy Is A Creative Challenge. 

A circular economy aims to eliminate waste by designing products, systems, and lifestyles for reuse, repair, and regeneration. However, this isn’t about limiting ourselves—it’s about reimagining the lifecycle of everything we create. 

Ultimately, creativity thrives not when we have infinite resources, but when we work within our constraints.

LEGO is a perfect example: the same bricks are reused across decades to build infinite new things. In the real world, companies can design products to be taken apart, repaired, and reassembled, rather than discarded.

In your life, you can think of creativity and circularity as having a mutually beneficial relationship with each other. 

The more we incorporate circularity into our design processes, the more we build our own creativity. Similarly, the more creative we are, the easier we will find it to work within our constraints and design for circularity right from the get-go. 

Ultimately, it’s most effective to view reuse not as an obligation, but as a game. 

Try to find joy in creatively repurposing what you already have—clothes, food scraps, notebooks, tech. 

Make circular living feel expressive, not restrictive.

In your career, explore how you can reuse knowledge, tools, or content in new ways. 

Don’t reinvent the wheel every time—remix it. 

Reuse old project formats, slide decks, blog structures, or workflows to spark innovation.

Try designing for disassembly and reconfiguration. Create systems with built-in second lives. Consider whether a product could become a raw material in the future.

#3: Make Failure A Design Feature. 

Nature doesn’t fear failure—it learns from it. 

Evolution is built on trial, error, mutation, and adaptation. 

Modular systems fail in small, local ways- failing in the realm of one block without taking down the whole system. 

That kind of safe-to-fail structure is essential for resilience and long-term success.

A forest doesn’t collapse if one tree falls. A LEGO structure doesn’t ruin the entire set when it breaks—it just invites a new build. 

In tech, agile design is based on this: test small, learn fast, iterate.

In your personal life, try reframing mistakes as “prototypes” of who you’re becoming. 

Instead of aiming for perfection, try short experiments—test new routines, hobbies, or habits without big commitments. Let mini-failures teach you instead of discouraging you.

At work, test pilots, seek feedback loops, and create room for iteration and improvement rather than locking into a rigid plan and risking a larger failure. 

In the end it all boils down to designing with the expectation that there will be change, evolution, and failure. 

By making this a design feature, we start building systems that can grow from failure rather than being hurt by it. 

This kind of system will last and prosper. 

Rebuilding Block By Block

When we think about lots of the big systems in the world today, unfortunately, there are very few that we can say are designed for true circularity. 

However, that doesn’t mean we should despair. 

Good design is about intentionality—and that means breaking a system down, block by block, and rebuilding it better.

Successful designs are also about iterating. 

Perhaps that can give us hope, to know that we are only at the current iteration, with many more to come, and that all it takes for us to arrive at our goal state is for someone to keep taking the next step. 

Maybe, even, the next iteration starts with you. 

Thought To Action 

1. Practice modular thinking by breaking a project, routine, or goal into swappable parts that you can rearrange.
2. Play with constraints—set a time, material, or space limit—and design something new within those boundaries.
3. Use nature as a model: observe how systems in biology adapt through repetition, resilience, and regeneration.
4. Revisit a childhood passion or game, and ask what it taught you about building, rebuilding, and imagination.
5. Explore circular design through a creative challenge: reuse one item in five totally different ways.

Sources

No external sources were used. 

The post The Block: The Ultimate Design For A Healing World appeared first on Green Also Green.

“Sustainability is a political choice, not a technical one. It’s not a question of whether we can be sustainable, but whether we choose to be.” – Gary Lawrence

Sustainability is like math class.

Before we talk about materials and sustainability, let’s talk about math. 

Do you remember that fateful algebra class where the heartbreaking split between the “naturally-gifted” math geniuses and the “I’m not a math person” students began?

I do, and I remember thinking it was odd how many of these math geniuses actually turned out to be complete idiots, and how many of the not-math people were intelligent, analytically-minded, and capable individuals. 

Now, as someone far-removed from the toxic grounds of middle school math class, but still in a good relationship with math, I have often gone back to the question of whether math is really difficult, or if we just make it difficult. 

Do we teach it the wrong way and mistakenly perpetuate the idea that you will only succeed if you’re genetically destined to, or is it really just the domain of a select few with genetically-determined talent?

The research that has sought to answer this question tells us that actually, there is no such thing as a “math person”. 

These are just labels we made up- imaginary constraints made to excuse lazy instruction and embarrassingly low diversity in STEM. It is not that women, Hispanics, black people, and other minorities “just don’t think that way”; it’s that they are systematically force-fed the false narrative that math just isn’t for them.

Now, what does this have to do with materials and sustainability?

Once again, “sustainability” is a word with baggage, and the baggage mostly tells us that to be sustainable is extremely difficult, if not impossible, and that our attempts at it are futile anyway. 

Don’t get me wrong; it’s noble to have a high standard. 

But also, learning sustainability is a lot like learning math. If we think it’s hard, it will become that way. In the same vein, if we approach it with a patient, open mind, and a willingness to really wrestle with the problem, we are inevitably going to reach a solution. 

How To Make Sustainability Easy 

#1: Define & Research The Gap. 

There’s an Albert Einstein quote I love that goes, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”

What I love about this is (1) it’s uncommon to see implemented in practice, and (2) it’s simple, practical, and right on point. 

How many times have you been so insistent on making a particular purchase that you neglect whether it will even solve the problem you think it will? Think: that one guy who overthinks the supplements he should take without having established a clean diet and consistent workout routine. 

Instead of jumping to the solution you’re emotionally attached to- like making another random household item out of bamboo or hemp- consider analyzing the deeper problem at hand for a new leverage point you can meaningfully explore.  

This is frustrating, I know. 

In our 15-second-attention-span, results-driven world, it can feel silly to just sit around and think. It feels like you’re going crazy while everyone else is being productive 25 hours a day. 

However, the truth is that when you jump to results too fast without the right consideration of the problem, you might end up focusing on an inefficient answer to your question.

Or worse, you might be tackling the wrong problem altogether.

Creativity is like fishing.

To borrow a concept from Rick Rubin, creativity is like fishing. You have to create the environment for the bait to be in the water, for fish to come, and for you to feel them tugging on your line. Then, (and this is the hardest part) you have to wait. 

The fish, like the ideas, will come, I assure you. But will you create the right space to let them in?

If you want to create space for the creativity that will make a difference, but you don’t know how, there are some easy initial steps. 

Easy Initial Steps

1. To begin with, you can improve the quality of what your brain consumes. Replace 30 second reels with podcasts on your drive home. Replace doom scrolls with books. Make deliberate time to read them. 
2. Do less. Schedule less. Commit to less. When you whittle down your calendar to only the essential commitments, you will notice there is more time to engage with your ideas. Chances are you might also be less stressed, and more inclined towards creativity as well.
3. Have fun. Play. While I stand by the belief that play is a thoroughly atelic activity, an activity that is itself an end, you can also view it as a low-stakes way to boost your creativity and problem-solving ability. This is backed up by research. 

#2: Ideate, prototype, iterate.

Part of making an amazing and sustainable product is effectively applying the design process. 

For products that help people and the planet both, this is even more important as you continue to see opportunities for growth. 

Engage with ideas playfully, and think deeply about how the user will interact with your product. Don’t just think about what your vision is, but also how others engage- not only your intended users, but also professionals with different backgrounds.

One of my favorite examples of this is IDEO coming up with a new shopping cart. 

#3: Define your own “enough”.

The thing about the design process is that it just keeps on going. 

Because of this, you get to define where the process of prototyping and revising should end. 

Here, you need to consider your metrics of success and what you want to achieve. 

Applying constraints like this, in which you decide to let go of the project after a certain amount of time or after spending a certain amount of resources, further supports your creativity in coming up with a new approach to solving the problem. 

Additionally, it helps you get your work into the world and into the hands of other people.  

You can always revisit the design later, although maybe once you step back, you will be able to see a more pressing challenge that calls for your attention.

Sustainability In A Material World

One of the biggest leverage points in making sustainability easy is energy efficiency. 

That’s why materials and sustainability go hand-in-hand.

It’s the force multiplier that ripples across industries—from agriculture to aerospace—reducing waste, lowering emissions, and cutting costs. 

But what often gets overlooked is this: the key to energy efficiency isn’t just in better systems; it’s in better materials.

Materials determine how much energy is needed to produce, transport, and use a product. 

Think about fishing gear that resists biofouling, reducing drag and fuel consumption in boats. Or hospital equipment designed with lightweight, durable composites that make sterilization faster and less energy-intensive. 

In agriculture, self-cooling storage materials cut down on the need for constant refrigeration. 

In energy storage, advanced battery materials increase charge efficiency, reducing energy loss. 

Even in cars and airplanes, switching to ultra-lightweight, high-strength materials slashes fuel consumption dramatically.

By designing for efficiency at the material level, we’re addressing sustainability at its roots. Hence, the perfect marriage: materials and sustainability.

When you are innovating for a more sustainable world, here are some questions you can use to combine what we know about energy-efficient materials and sustainability to make a great product.  

Questions To Combine Energy-Efficient Materials And Sustainability

1. Where does this material come from? Is it made from renewable, recycled, or non-toxic sources?
2. How much energy does it take to produce this material? Does it require lots of heat, water, or electricity to make?
3. Is there a lower-energy alternative? Can I replace this with something that takes less energy to produce or use?
4. How long does this material last? Will it break down quickly or last for years before needing replacement?
5. What happens when it’s thrown away? Is it biodegradable, recyclable, or does it end up in a landfill?
6. Does this material help reduce energy use in the product’s life? Can it make the product lighter, more efficient, or better insulated?
7. How does this material impact human health? Is it free of harmful chemicals and safe to use?
8. What’s the environmental impact of getting this material? Does it involve deforestation, mining, or pollution?
9. Is it easy to reuse or repurpose? Can parts of it be taken apart and used for something else later?
10. Does this material support a circular economy? Is it part of a system where waste becomes a resource instead of trash?

Thought to Action

1. Enter global innovation challenges like the Biodesign Challenge or XPRIZE Circular Economy competitions.
2. Write to local policymakers advocating for more research funding and pilot programs in biodegradable materials & circular economy incentives.
3. Leverage Free Resources: Learn from free resources online to maximize your awareness of other disciplines, such as statistics, data analysis, and marketing. 
4. Measure your progress using these 3 journaling ideas to accelerate your success.
5. Cultivate An Interdisciplinary Network: Use these techniques to talk to professionals from a range of other fields. Use the expertise of others to see unique solutions at the crossroads of different disciplines.  

Sources

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9590021

https://www.nrel.gov/analysis/future-system-scenarios.html

https://www.perlego.com/book/4191891/sustainable-materials-without-the-hot-air-making-buildings-vehicles-and-products-efficiently-and-with-less-new-material-pdf

The post Materials And Sustainability: Why Sustainability is Easy  appeared first on Green Also Green.

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein

The Invisible Problem To Solve

Before we talk about femtech problems to solve, let’s talk about awkward conversations.

In my experience, the most effective way to make the average man squirm is to tell him, “I’m on my period.” This has always, without a doubt, evoked a long period of awkward silence, stifled confusion, and hesitant nods. 

After all, blood in war and video games is fine, but please don’t go on and on about the blood coming from the female body. It’s crass, it’s gross, it’s disgusting.  

On the other hand, I have found that the most effective way to make the average man hyped up is to talk about the “grind” of making money, working out, and building success (stay hard, son). 

There is an interesting question for me here, as the one who has had the periods, seen the blood, survived the cramps and surfed the sea of hormones…the many “pain points” that Silicon Valley seems to mysteriously overlook.

Any female-bodied human being knows these struggles inside and out, and most men at least know vaguely that it sucks.

So why isn’t there a rush to fill the gap, to sell the proverbial “painkiller”? Why is almost nobody selling the solution to the challenges almost all women would pay boatloads of money to get rid of?

Really, there is no satisfying answer to this question. Women are huge economic drivers, and there is no reason to ignore their routine discomfort. 

…Not just because it is blatantly unjust, but also because it is a huge untapped opportunity for anyone interested in making a difference and a lot of money at the same time.

If that’s you- regardless of your background, education level, or even gender (I’m looking at all you tech bros.) – read on. 

Problems To Solve!

I have done the first step for you (the pleasure is mine, truly), and identified 11 problems to solve in the women’s health space. 

Let’s dive in!

#1: Lack Of Data On How Menstrual Cycle Affects Overall Health.

Despite being a fundamental aspect of many individuals’ lives, academia has under-researched the menstrual cycle, leading to significant gaps in our understanding of its impact on overall health.

This lack of data hampers our ability to address various health issues effectively.

For instance, conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are linked to increased risks of heart disease and stroke. However, doctors often fail to diagnose them in time due to insufficient research and awareness.

To bridge this knowledge gap, here are some problems to solve:

• Pharmacology: How do hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle impact drug metabolism, and why have clinical trials historically excluded menstruating individuals from these studies?
• Sports Science: What role do cycle phases play in strength, endurance, and injury risk? How should training programs adapt to these variations?
• Mental Health: Why are conditions like anxiety and depression more prevalent in menstruating individuals, and how do hormonal shifts contribute to their severity?
• Workplace, Schools & Productivity: How does menstrual pain and fatigue affect cognitive function, absenteeism, and economic productivity? What metrics could be used to quantify this?
• Medical Diagnostics: Why do so many reproductive disorders (PCOS, endometriosis, PMDD) take years to diagnose, and what biomarkers could improve early detection?
• Sleep Science: How do menstrual phases influence sleep patterns and overall sleep quality? Could poor sleep in certain phases contribute to long-term health risks?
• AI & Data Science: How can machine learning models better predict and track cycle irregularities? Why is existing menstrual tracking data often unreliable or biased?

#2: Lack Of Effective Diagnostic Tools For Endometriosis & PCOS

Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are prevalent gynecological conditions that significantly impact individuals’ quality of life. Often, this leads to chronic pain, infertility, and metabolic complications.

However, diagnosing these conditions remains challenging due to the absence of reliable, non-invasive diagnostic tools, resulting in prolonged suffering and delayed treatment.

Endometriosis: Affects approximately 10% of individuals with uteruses during their reproductive years. Diagnosis often requires invasive procedures like laparoscopy, leading to delays averaging 7 to 12 years. 

PCOS: Impacts up to 10% of individuals with ovaries of reproductive age. Diagnosis is complicated and the lack of a definitive test, often relying on the exclusion of other disorders. 

To address these challenges, consider the following research problems to solve:

• Biomarker Discovery: What specific biomarkers can we identify in blood or menstrual fluid to facilitate non-invasive, early detection of endometriosis and PCOS? ​
• Imaging Techniques: How can we advance imaging technologies to improve the sensitivity and specificity of detecting endometriotic lesions or polycystic ovaries without resorting to invasive methods? ​
• Genetic Factors: What genetic predispositions contribute to the development of endometriosis and PCOS? How can we use this information to enhance diagnostic accuracy?
• Artificial Intelligence: How can we train machine learning algorithms to analyze medical records? How can imaging data be used to predict and diagnose these conditions more effectively?​
• Patient-Reported Outcomes: How can we integrate patient-reported symptoms and histories into electronic health records improve early recognition and diagnosis?

#3: Stigma & Misinformation

Stigma and misinformation have long plagued women’s health, leading to misdiagnoses, delayed treatments, and inadequate care.

Conditions like endometriosis and menopause are often misunderstood or trivialized. This results in prolonged suffering and diminished quality of life. Similarly, menopause remains shrouded in stigma, leaving many women unprepared and unsupported during this natural life transition. 

To address these challenges, consider the following interesting problems to solve relating to stigma and misinformation:

• Media Studies: How do media representations of women’s health issues perpetuate stigma and misinformation? What strategies can promote accurate portrayals?​
• Medical Education: What gaps exist in medical training regarding women’s health? How can we improve curricula to ensure healthcare professionals are well-equipped to address these issues? 
• Public Health Communication: How effective are current public health campaigns in dispelling myths about conditions like endometriosis and menopause? What approaches can enhance their impact?​
• Sociology: In what ways do cultural norms and societal expectations contribute to the stigmatization of women’s health issues? How can community-based interventions foster open dialogue?​
• Psychology: What psychological effects do stigma and misinformation have on individuals experiencing women’s health issues? How can we tailor mental health support to their needs?​
• Policy Analysis: How do existing healthcare policies address or neglect the impact of stigma and misinformation on women’s health outcomes? What policy reforms are necessary to mitigate these issues?

#4: Safer & More Accessible Birth Control Options

Despite advancements in medical science, many individuals still face challenges in accessing birth control methods that are both safe and convenient. Traditional options like hormonal pills have remained largely unchanged for decades, leading to dissatisfaction due to side effects and health concerns. Additionally, financial barriers prevent many from obtaining modern contraceptives, underscoring the need for more affordable solutions. 

To address these issues, consider the following problems to solve in the birth control space:

• Pharmaceutical Research: Why has there been limited innovation in developing new contraceptive methods? What factors contribute to the stagnation in contraceptive research and development?​
• Male Contraception: What are the challenges hindering the development and adoption of male contraceptive methods? How can these barriers be overcome to promote shared responsibility in birth control? ​
• Financial Accessibility: How do economic factors influence individuals’ access to preferred contraceptive methods? What policies could be implemented to make birth control universally affordable? 
• User Experience: What are the common side effects associated with current birth control methods? How do they impact users’ satisfaction and continuation rates? 
• Digital Tools: How reliable are menstrual cycle tracking apps in preventing unintended pregnancies? What improvements are necessary to enhance their effectiveness? 
• Education & Misinformation: How does misinformation about contraceptive methods spread through social media? What strategies can be employed to provide accurate information to the public?
• Policy & Regulation: What role do governmental policies play in either facilitating or hindering access to a variety of contraceptive options? How can legislation evolve to support reproductive autonomy?

#5: Less Invasive Fertility Treatments

Traditional fertility treatments, such as conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF), often require intensive hormonal stimulation and surgical procedures, leading to physical discomfort, emotional stress, and financial burdens for individuals and couples seeking to conceive. The invasiveness of these methods can deter many from pursuing treatment, underscoring the need for safer, less invasive alternatives.​

To address these challenges, consider the following problems to solve regarding fertility treatment:

• Microfluidic Sperm Selection: What impact does the SpermGuide device have on selecting high-quality sperm? How does it compare to traditional methods in terms of reducing invasiveness and improving outcomes?
• In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG): What are the potential benefits and ethical considerations of lab-grown gametes for fertility treatments? How might IVG reduce the need for invasive procedures? 

#6: Better Solutions For Hot Flashes & Night Sweats

Hot flashes and night sweats, collectively known as vasomotor symptoms (VMS), affect approximately 80% of women during menopause, significantly impacting their quality of life, daily activities, and work productivity. These symptoms can lead to sleep disturbances, mood swings, and cognitive impairments, underscoring the need for effective and accessible treatments.

To address these challenges, consider the problems to solve for those experiencing hot flashes:

• Neurokinin 3 Receptor Antagonists: How effective and safe are novel medications like fezolinetant in alleviating VMS compared to traditional hormone replacement therapies? 
• Non-Hormonal Therapies: What is the efficacy of non-hormonal treatments, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and anticonvulsants, in managing hot flashes and night sweats? 
• Lifestyle Interventions: How do lifestyle modifications, including diet, exercise, and stress management, influence the frequency and severity of VMS?​
• Wearable Technology: Can wearable devices that monitor physiological changes provide real-time feedback and personalized strategies to manage VMS? ​
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): What role does CBT play in mitigating the psychological impact of VMS, and how can it be integrated into standard care practices?​
• Workplace Accommodations: How can employers implement supportive policies and environments to assist employees experiencing VMS, thereby enhancing productivity and well-being?

#7: Personalized Hormone Therapy & Menopause Monitoring

Menopause marks a significant transition in a woman’s life, often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can alleviate these symptoms, its application has been met with controversy, particularly concerning dosage and potential health risks. Recent debates have arisen over high-dose HRT prescriptions, with concerns about increased risks of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, the lack of personalized treatment plans often leads to suboptimal outcomes, highlighting the need for individualized approaches.​

To address these challenges, consider these problems to solve relating to HRT:

• Individualized Hormone Therapy: How can genetic and metabolic profiling be utilized to tailor hormone therapy, ensuring efficacy while minimizing adverse effects?​
• Non-Hormonal Interventions: What alternative treatments can effectively manage menopausal symptoms for women who cannot or choose not to undergo HRT?​
• Wearable Health Technology: How can wearable devices, such as smart rings, monitor physiological changes during menopause? What role do they play in personalizing treatment plans? 
• Long-Term Health Outcomes: What are the long-term effects of various HRT regimens on cognitive function and cardiovascular health? 
• Patient Education: How can healthcare providers improve communication to ensure women are well-informed about the benefits and risks of different menopause management strategies?

#8: Menopause Workplace Support

Menopause is a natural phase in a woman’s life, yet its impact on the workplace is often overlooked. In the UK alone, approximately 14 million working days are lost annually due to menopause-related symptoms, with around 900,000 women leaving their jobs because of inadequate support. Similarly, a 2023 Mayo Clinic study estimated that menopause symptoms contribute to an annual loss of $1.8 billion in the United States due to missed workdays…sounds like many billion-dollar problems to solve.

To address these challenges, consider the following research questions:

• Policy Development: How can organizations implement effective menopause policies that provide flexible working arrangements, access to healthcare resources, and supportive environments? 
• Awareness and Education: What role do awareness campaigns and training programs play in reducing stigma and fostering open discussions about menopause in the workplace? 
• Economics: How does inadequate menopause support contribute to economic losses due to absenteeism, reduced productivity, and employee turnover? ​
• Employee Retention: What strategies can organizations employ to retain experienced female employees who might otherwise leave due to menopause-related challenges? 
• Global Practices: How have different countries implemented reproductive leave policies? What lessons can be learned to support menopausal employees effectively? ​

#9: Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Treatment

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) encompasses a range of disorders resulting from weakened or overly tight pelvic floor muscles, leading to symptoms such as urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and chronic pelvic pain.

To address these challenges, consider the following research questions:

• Physical Therapy Efficacy: How can pelvic floor physical therapy protocols be optimized to effectively treat various forms of PFD, including stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse?​
• Integration of Biofeedback: What role does biofeedback play in enhancing patient outcomes during pelvic floor muscle training? How can its application be improved?
• Postpartum Interventions: What are the most effective strategies for preventing and treating PFD in postpartum women, considering the high prevalence of urinary incontinence in this group? ​
• Impact of Physical Activity: How does engaging in high-intensity physical activities, such as heavy lifting, influence the development or exacerbation of PFD, and what preventive measures can be implemented?
• Technological Innovations: How can emerging technologies, such as wearable devices or mobile applications, be utilized to support pelvic floor muscle training and improve patient adherence to treatment plans?

#10: Vaginal Microbiome Research & pH Balancing

The vaginal microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining women’s health, serving as a defense against infections and contributing to overall reproductive well-being. A balanced vaginal environment is typically dominated by Lactobacillus species, which produce lactic acid to maintain an acidic pH, thereby inhibiting the growth of pathogenic organisms. Disruptions to this balance can lead to conditions such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), characterized by a decrease in Lactobacillus and an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria like Gardnerella vaginalis and Prevotella species. Recent research has identified BV as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), highlighting the importance of treating both partners to prevent recurrence.

To address these challenges, consider the following research questions:

• Microbiome Composition: How do variations in the vaginal microbiome across different populations influence susceptibility to infections? What role does Lactobacillus dominance play in maintaining vaginal health?​
• pH Regulation Mechanisms: What are the underlying mechanisms by which Lactobacillus species regulate vaginal pH? How can this knowledge inform the development of targeted therapies to restore and maintain pH balance?
• Impact of Hygiene Practices: How do common hygiene practices, such as the use of scented menstrual products, affect the vaginal microbiome and pH balance, potentially increasing the risk of infections? 
• Partner Treatment Strategies: What are the most effective treatment protocols for BV that involve simultaneous treatment of both partners, and how can these strategies reduce recurrence rates? 
• Probiotic Interventions: Can probiotic therapies effectively restore Lactobacillus dominance in the vaginal microbiome, and what are the long-term outcomes of such interventions on vaginal health?

#11: Gender Bias In Research & Funding

Gender bias in medical research and funding has led to significant disparities in healthcare outcomes for women. Historically, women were underrepresented in clinical trials, resulting in a lack of data on how treatments affect them differently than men. This exclusion has contributed to misdiagnoses and less effective treatments for women. For instance, a 2019 study revealed that when grant reviewers focused on the applicant rather than the research proposal, male principal investigators had a higher success rate (13.9%) compared to female principal investigators (9.2%). 

To address these challenges, consider the following research questions:

• Clinical Trial Representation: How can we ensure equitable representation of women in clinical trials to obtain accurate data on sex-specific responses to treatments?​
• Funding Allocation: What strategies can be implemented to eliminate gender bias in research funding decisions, ensuring that women’s health issues receive appropriate attention and resources?​
• Femtech Support: How does gender bias in venture capital funding affect the development of femtech innovations, and what measures can be taken to support female entrepreneurs in this sector?
• Educational Reforms: In what ways can medical education be restructured to address and reduce gender biases in diagnosis and treatment?​
• Policy Development: How can government policies be shaped to mandate the inclusion of sex and gender analysis in all health research?

So what now?

Good question, and an important one. We all have different levels of commitment to the challenges within women’s health, and different skillsets to contribute. 

That said, regardless of where you stand, there is an impact you can make. 

In your professional life, make a point to ask, “where are women being excluded here?” If you can’t find an answer, just ask a female colleague. From medicine, to tech, to engineering, architecture, urban design, education, and even public transport, there are many blindspots just waiting for creative problem-solvers like you to make a difference. 

But even if you are not interested in pursuing the problems to solve for women’s health through your career, one simple step you can take is to learn how to listen. 

If a woman in your life (colleague, significant other, friend, daughter, co-worker, or a stranger on the street) is brave enough to open up, just be there to acknowledge their struggles and their feelings. Don’t jump to invalidate. Don’t jump to “mansplain”. Just listen. Offer your support in whatever way possible. 

For some, that means buying a box of tampons and chocolate for your girlfriend when they’re on their period. For others, it means cranking up the thermostat in the office. Maybe, it’s just acknowledging that in a world so systematically biased against the female body, there is no such thing as a “hysterical woman”.

Thought to Action

1. Sign petitions & support legislation for more women’s health research funding.
2. Email universities & research institutions encouraging more studies on underfunded women’s health issues.
3. Donate to organizations funding women’s health research, like the WHAM (Women’s Health Access Matters) Initiative or the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR).
4. Support crowdfunding campaigns for femtech innovations, even with small donations.
5. Become an early adopter—test new femtech apps and products and provide feedback.

Sources

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17455057241290895?icid=int.sj-abstract.citing-articles.12

https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2024-global-report-reveals-major-gaps-in-menstrual-health-and-hygiene-in-schools

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/explainer/2024/05/period-poverty-why-millions-of-girls-and-women-cannot-afford-their-periods

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/aug/31/endometriosis-study-1000-women-wanted

https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-023-02732-2

https://drseckin.com/endometriosis-and-pcos

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/03/menopause-doctors-education-harvard-mayo

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39511120

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/greens-announce-election-push-to-make-birth-control-free/news-story/6e974c3f287fbb90356fa77a28ebc41a

https://www.theguardian.com/society/commentisfree/2025/feb/22/the-pill-hasnt-been-improved-in-years-no-wonder-women-are-giving-up-on-it

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3233302

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-novel-drug-treat-moderate-severe-hot-flashes-caused-menopause

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8746897

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jan/26/lab-grown-eggs-sperm-viability-uk-fertility-watchdog

https://www.heraldsun.com.au

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/article/dr-louise-newson-hrt-menopause-expert-celebrities-zg7zxxb0n?region=global

https://www.wired.com/story/oura-perimenopause-report

https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-study-puts-price-tag-on-cost-of-menopause-symptoms-for-women-in-the-workplace

https://www.fnlondon.com/articles/sjp-charles-stanley-boost-menopause-support-for-city-workers-9cef0327

https://apnews.com/article/menopause-work-benefit-hot-flash-insomnia-support-c91eb76a8802c3dbbd5a0fdef219086c

https://www.fnlondon.com/articles/women-flee-uk-fund-jobs-after-50-398c445d

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shattering-the-silence-about-menopause-12-month-progress-report/shattering-the-silence-about-menopause-12-month-progress-report

https://www.parents.com/postpartum-incontinence-is-common-but-untreated-8785817

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4570968

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559246

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fnation%2Fbacterial-vaginosis-now-classified-as-an-sti%2Fnews-story%2Ffc1975db9d71f78418a292a3fc5d08d2&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/05/paradigm-shift-australian-researchers-discover-key-to-treatment-of-bacterial-vaginosis

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/08/the-huge-disadvantage-women-behind-femtech-phenomenon-face

https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-close-the-gender-health-gap

The post 11 Problems To Solve In FemTech That Will Make You Rich appeared first on Green Also Green.

“We’re not building technology to replace care; we’re building it to make care better.” – Greg Corrado

The AI revolution has, by now, reached into every crevice of life, including (but not limited to) healthcare.

From education, research, law, and various artistic mediums, it has become the trusty unpaid intern of the world. 

However, it is also an incredible example of how collaboration across multiple disciplines yields groundbreaking advancements. 

Yes, healthcare is only one of these domains that have been completely revolutionized, but understanding where you fit into the revolution is crucial. 

Not only does it allow you to engage with your own healthcare in a completely new way, but it also allows you to understand how to effectively apply AI tools in your own field, applying the shortcomings and successes of AI to your own professional challenges.

So let’s dive into this success story, and how you can easily understand what all the hype is about, no matter your background. 

How To Learn About AI In Healthcare

To effectively learn from resources online takes not only discipline, but creativity, curiosity, and most importantly, application. 

This doesn’t necessarily have to manifest as a project or a new business venture. “Applying” what you learn can be as simple as sharing insights from it in conversation, expanding on and engaging with its principles alongside others. 

Often, instead of doing this, we stick to just skimming what we read, and asking ourselves if we understand everything at the end. This does not truly serve the purpose that informational material is meant to have, which in reality, is to serve as a tool to catalyze informed action. 

To learn about how AI has been applied in the healthcare industry, this is the same. 

To retain what you learn from the following resources, share with others, talk about the ideas you come across, and ask yourself how AI can solve problems you already face in your own life. 

#1: Books 

We have all read books before, but few of us have read books in a way that maximizes the output of our time. 

Below are easy steps you can follow that will easily make you feel like an expert after finishing reading just one book about AI in healthcare. 

1. Identify your goal. Why are you reading this book? Before you start reading, write down the key ideas you believe make this book align with your purpose. 
2. Skim. Look through the table of contents, introduction, and the beginnings and ends of each chapter to glean the high-value ideas of each section. Note these down, and identify which sections you expect to get the most value from (if any).
3. Dive Deeper. Now that you have an idea of what to expect from each section, determine if you will read the entire book, or if you believe only a few sections will be valuable to you. Have no mercy- do what will give you the most value. 
4. Actively read. Now that you have a plan, execute it. Don’t feel restricted by the need to write everything down, or ruthlessly highlight, but make sure to document any ideas that really stand out to you, whether on your phone, in a notebook, or in the margins of the page. 
5. Reflect. You have finished the book, and you are eager to move onto something else. To satisfy this impulse, go right on ahead, but first, quickly set a block in your calendar, either a week or a month from finishing the book, to assess your progress in implementing the ideas into your life. When this block comes, set clear, simple tasks that you can do to apply what you have learned. 

AI In Healthcare Reading suggestions:

1. Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again by Eric Topol
2. “Healthcare Disrupted: Next Generation Business Models and Strategies” by Jeff Elton and Anne O’Riordan
3. “Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: The Future is Bright” by Parag Mahajan

#2: Web Platforms & Blogs 

One of the most prolific resources available to anyone with an internet connection is website platforms. 

However, because they are also so new, few know how to use them properly. Today, you will cease to be one of those people. 

Here are X straightforward steps to getting the most out of the infinite online resources available to us all. 

1. Define Your Immediate Goal (2 minutes). Ask yourself: What is one actionable outcome I want from this reading?
2. Use Targeted Curation Techniques. Use content aggregators such as Feedly or Pocket to curate articles and blog posts about the content you want to see (e.g. AI in healthcare).
3. Set weekly micro-actions. Based on your readings, take an action that requires fewer than 5 minutes to do within a week’s time (e.g. signing up for a relevant event, following a new industry voice on social media, etc.)

#3: TED Talks

To make the most of a TED Talk, approach the experience like reading a book or an article. Outline what you are hoping to achieve, and make each step of the process an intentional progression toward that goal. 

1. Identify your goal. What question do you want to be answered from this TED Talk? Before watching, write down the key ideas you believe will align this talk with your purpose. 
2. Search Intentionally. Use keywords that align with your purpose to search for talks that will help you accomplish your goal.
3. Adopt The “One-Sentence Insight” Technique. After watching a TED Talk, summarize its essence in one actionable sentence.
4. Use “Auditory Recall Anchors”. To help retain the information that you learn, record a 1-2 minute voice memo summarizing your key takeaways. Review these memos during commutes or workouts.
5. Implement Immediate Application. Set yourself a 24-hour challenge to apply what you have learned immediately. Ask what can I do with this knowledge in the next day?

AI In Healthcare TED Talk To Start You Off…

• Can AI Catch What Doctors Miss? Physician-scientist Eric Topol discusses how AI models can interpret medical images with remarkable accuracy, potentially identifying details that human eyes might overlook
• Can AI Help Develop New Medicines? Computational biologist Aviv Regev explores how AI can expedite the drug development process, analyzing vast datasets to create precise medications for patients.
• How AI Can Heal Healthcare Dr. Edmund Jackson illustrates how AI can simplify complex healthcare processes, enhancing efficiency and improving patient outcomes.
• Navigating the AI Future of Health Care Benjamin Collins discusses aligning AI and digital medicine with patient and community interests, highlighting the potential of AI to reduce health disparities.
• How Doctors Can Help AI to Revolutionize Medicine Greg Corrado, co-founder of the Google Brain team, shares his vision for AI’s role in healthcare and the importance of doctors in this technological revolution.

Thought to Action

1. Self-Educate: Use free online resources to enhance your education and overall problem-solving abilities. 
2. Be Skeptical: Apply these key lessons from the field of journalism as you read about a new topic. Use this understanding to understand the true story behind what you are presented. 
3. Apply Biomimicry: Use lessons from the medical field, or human biology generally, to influence technological advances in AI software. 
4. Network: Attend an AI in Healthcare networking event to expand your connections with others interested in healthcare innovation. 
5. Support Yourself: Look out for your health more effectively by using these AI hacks. 

Sources

(See each section for recommendations of sources to explore. No additional sources were used to write this post.)

The post AI in Healthcare: The Ultimate Cheatcode For Interdisciplinary Innovation appeared first on Green Also Green.