Progress & Innovation – Page 19

Oil Slow Down Encourages Operational Efficiency, Lowers Break Even Prices

by: Josh Wolsky | November 18, 2016

If there’s an upside to the slowdown in the oil business, it’s that it forced operators to look for ways to get more efficient. The result, the industry continues to make significant strides in lowering production costs to the point where, in some regions of the Bakken, operators can produce oil at rates competitive with

Read & Share sourced from: Williston Herald

Fargo: Plains Museum wins $500,000 for ‘Community Innovation’

by: Josh Wolsky | November 17, 2016

Fargo’s Plains Art Museum will get a boost to its work in engaging the public. The Bush Foundation has granted the museum $500,000 as part of their Community Innovation program. The program is designed to invest in the region’s most “outstanding problem-solving organizations.”

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Maine became the first state in the country Tuesday to pass ranked choice voting

by: Josh Wolsky | November 13, 2016

Is there a way to make democracy more democratic? As a country, as a culture, we’ve been locked in a centuries-old mentality when it comes to voting — that’s it’s one or the other. But there are other methods, and the entire state of Maine will be experimenting with one of those other methods at

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Watch & Learn: Which Diets Actually Work?

by: Josh Wolsky | November 12, 2016

With the approach of the holiday season, days of gluttony and overindulging will soon be here. There’s nothing to be done about it; such is the cyclical pattern of modern American existence. And following the holiday we’ll no doubt be making our new year’s weight loss resolution, right? Well, if you want to be a bit

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How to build smart cities that benefit everyone

by: Josh Wolsky | November 2, 2016

We were introduced to the concept of a smart house 20 years ago. Today, many of us are living in them. That same revolution is taking place in the way we design and build our bigger living spaces — the towns and cities we go to work in. And the trick to making them really

Read & Share sourced from: The Gov Lab

It’s Time to Think About Living in Parking Garages

by: Josh Wolsky | November 2, 2016

The next twenty years are going bring forth dramatic changes to the way we live our lives. Of most note is the likely diminished role private vehicle ownership will have. This commentary from Wired challenges us to start thinking about the way we design our communities as a result of these inevitable transitions.

Read & Share sourced from: WIRED

How One University Used Big Data To Boost Graduation Rates

by: Josh Wolsky | November 1, 2016

Predictive analytics is helping Georgia State University determine which students are falling behind with their education — a scenario that makes it more likely for them to drop out down the road. The University is then feeding this data to advisors and student support networks in the hopes of getting students back on the right track.

Read & Share sourced from: NPR

Corporate boards are turning to younger board members

by: Josh Wolsky | October 31, 2016

The change which has the world in its grips is accelerating, and it has left corporate boards bewildered by how to keep their companies relevant. One solution being explored: bringing younger voices into the board room.

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

Watch & Learn: The 71 Most Amazing Innovations of All Time

by: Josh Wolsky | October 28, 2016

You may not realize it, but we’re all here right now standing because of the astounding innovations that allowed our species to propagate successfully up through time. ASAP Science has conveniently put the most important 71 of those innovations into a short video. It’s a great history lesson and exercise in humility. Watch it below.

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Heart-rate data helps UND hockey coaches learn more about players

by: Josh Wolsky | October 28, 2016

UND Hockey is going high tech with its data gathering. One of the new metrics coaches are using — heart rate data of the players. The information informs coaches on how hard the players are working and how quickly they’re able to recover.

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald

Watch: Uber’s Self-Driving Truck Makes Its First Delivery: 50,000 Beers

by: Josh Wolsky | October 25, 2016

Self-driving cars have been in the news a lot recently, and there’s no doubt there coming. But an equally big cultural shift will take place in the shipping industry — self-driving trucks. And this shift won’t be at the whim of consumer sensibilities — industry will move this forward because it’s safer and more efficient.

Read & Share sourced from: WIRED

Grand Forks Officials Re-Imagining their Library

by: Josh Wolsky | February 11, 2016

City and County officials gathered for a joint meeting this week. The topic: the future of the Grand Forks Library. And the concept for the building is much more 21st century than the old idea of a quiet place to keep books.

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald

NDSU Grad Students Compete in ‘Three Minute Thesis’

by: Josh Wolsky | February 11, 2016

Graduate students at NDSU are being forced to acknowledge that when they get out to the real world, no one will know what they’re talking about. To solve the problem, students compete in a program that requires they distill their research into an 180-second elevator pitch.

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Dickinson Chamber Hosts City Wide ‘State of Education’ Event

by: Josh Wolsky | February 10, 2016

The Dickinson Chamber of Commerce was the sponsoring organization behind the community’s recent ‘State of Education’ event. A gathering that included all the education stakeholders such as public, private, and higher education interests.

Read & Share sourced from: Dickinson Press

Bismarck-Mandan draft application for Bicycle Friendly Community status

by: Josh Wolsky | January 5, 2016

The Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Planning Organization is taking a progressive approach to building a bike-friendly community and they’re in the final stages of an application that would see them designated a ‘bicycle friendly community’. The Bismarck-Mandan area has more than 100 miles of trails and paths.

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

Grand Forks reps to study pedestrian, bike infrastructure in Denmark

by: Josh Wolsky | August 24, 2015

The City of Grand Forks is sending a couple people to Denmark next month. The goal: learn how to create a more bike and pedestrian friendly city.

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald