Mark Walker's blog

Solid state (light emitting diode, known as LEDs) street lights, an energy saving device for water heaters, more efficient elevators, and a massaging mouse won top honors at this year’s Future Science Star competition in Shanghai, China.

When artists apply their vision and creativity to cast-offs from our contemporary life, gardens of plastic bags bloom, creatures boast zippered eyes, and gum wrappers take flight.

As nearly 9,500 people prepare to gather in downtown San Jose, California on Thanksgiving morning to participate in the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, they can jog assured that they will be raising funds for local charities in a green way.

People like Howard Weinstein, who turn personal tragedy into triumphant accomplishments, inspire me. The Ashoka-Lemelson fellow and 2009 Tech Award laureate was a successful Canadian business executive until his 10-year-old daughter suddenly died from an aneurysm.

Across the globe, lack of access to electricity creates a cycle of poverty that is difficult to break. According to the International Energy Agency, 1.6 billion people are without access to electricity in the world – mostly in poor, rural areas.