Sanitation Solution Wins Innovation Prize

A group of MIT business students’ plan to help solve the global sanitation crisis by converting human waste into energy, fertilizer and profit wins $100,000 entrepreneurship award.

How do we win the future?

In his State of the Union address, President Obama told Americans that “the first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation.” The President said, maintaining leadership “in research and technology is crucial to America’s success.” What do you think? What’s your take on how America can win the future? Post your comments here

‘Our generation’s Sputnik moment’

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“This is our generation’s Sputnik moment,” President Obama said during last night’s State of the Union address. He was referring to the need to spur innovation and stay competitive in a rapidly-changing world. The World’s Jeb Sharp tells us what Sputnik was and whether the analogy makes sense for today’s challenges. Download MP3

Backyard innovation in Kenya

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For today’s Geo Quiz we are looking for a city located in between the cities of Kampala and Mombasa. Host Katy Clark takes us to the backyard of an ambitious engineer in this city who has built his own aircraft. Download MP3 (Photo: Mkimemia)

Video: The ingenious engineer’s aircraft

‘Created in China’ series

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China’s Communist Party has been celebrating 60 years in power. During those decades, the party has shown a remarkable ability to reinvent itself and pragmatically adjust to the times, without letting go of the core levers of authoritarian power. In the final part of the series, Mary Kay Magistad reports on whether China’s Communists can continue to deliver economic growth and still maintain tight political control. Download MP3

• ‘Created in China’ series page
• Mary Kay’s 2007 series on ‘Young China’
• Pictures of China’s anniversary celebration

‘Created in China’ series

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China has been staging mass celebrations to mark 60 years since the Communist Party came to power. One of the themes was how much progress China has made. In part IV of her series, Mary Kay Magistad explores how innovation in China is coming and will have to come from the private sector. Download MP3

• ‘Created in China’ series page
• Mary Kay’s 2007 series on ‘Young China’
• Pictures of China’s anniversary celebration

‘Created in China’ series

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We continue our series ‘Created in China’ with a look at the roots of innovation, at how Chinese children are or are not encouraged to be creative, and how that’s evolving as the government makes innovation more of a priority. Mary Kay Magistad reports from Beijing. Download MP3

• Illustrated transcript of part III
• ‘Created in China’ series page
• Mary Kay’s 2007 series on ‘Young China’

Created in China: part III

Innovation comes not just from infrastructure and investment – it comes from a culture that encourages originality and creativity, rewards risk-taking and tolerates failure. In the People’s Republic of China, that is still a work in progress. Today, we continue our series “Created in China” with a look at the roots of innovation, at how Chinese children are or are not encouraged to be creative, and how that’s evolving as the government makes innovation more of a priority. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports from Beijing.

‘Created in China’ series

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China invented paper, printing, the compass and the seismograph. China was among the first to harness fossil fuels, and map the stars. And then, about 500 years ago, it lost its innovative edge. Now China hopes once again to lead the world in creativity. In part II of her “Created in China” series, Mary Kay Magistad looks at how the government in Beijing is trying to spur innovation. Download MP3

• Illustrated transcript of part II
• Created in China Series page
• Mary Kay’s 2007 series on “Young China.”

Created in China: Part I

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China invented paper, printing, the compass and the seismograph. China was among the first to harness fossil fuels, and map the stars. And then, about 500 years ago, it lost its innovative edge. Now China hopes once again to lead the world in creativity. In this five-part series, The World’s Asia Correspondent Mary Kay Magistad examines the history of Chinese innovation. Download MP3

• Read the transcript and see photos

Created in China

China invented paper, printing, the compass and the seismograph. China was among the first to harness fossil fuels, and map the stars. And then, about 500 years ago, it lost its innovative edge. Now China hopes once again to lead the world in creativity. In this five-part series, The World’s Asia Correspondent Mary Kay Magistad examines the history of Chinese innovation.