Welcome back to The Measure Monthly!

After a predictably cold, wet and dark start to the year, we thought we’d use this newsletter to spread a bit of positivity.

Keep reading for some of the latest climate, tech and workplace news that put a smile on our face this January.

Interesting climate news 🌍

🐓 Could chicken feathers be used to power cars?

Researchers have found a way to transform chicken feather waste into clean energy. Keratin extracted from the feathers can be transformed into an ultra-thin membrane, which can then be used as an electrolyte in fuel cells – producing clean, green energy when combined with hydrogen and oxygen.

Read more.

🛣️ Could beetroots be the key to fighting winter storms?

Cold weather has brought heavy snow to cities this January, but one unlikely savior helped alleviate the icy road conditions: the humble beetroot! Beetroot juice is being used to de-ice roads, and it’s more effective and sustainable than using salt.

Read more.

🚬 Could cigarette butts be used to build roads?

Bratislava is pioneering a new way to recycle cigarette butts. Rather than used cigarettes contaminating soil and water, the city’s waste company is collecting and reusing discarded cigarettes to create asphalt for roads. 

Read more.

Weird tech news 🧑‍💻

This year’s CES trade show saw lots of exciting tech announcements from some of the world’s most innovative tech giants. And as always, there were also some very weird and wonderful concepts that caught our attention. 

🥩 An AI-powered grill to help you cook the perfect steak

Seergrills released a new product called Perfecta that uses AI to perfectly cook a steak in less than three minutes. It’s claimed that the grill can cook food up to 10 times faster than conventional cooking, but with a hefty $3,500 price tag, is it really worth it?

⌚️ A new smartwatch… for your dog

Invoxia showcased a smart collar which essentially acts as a smartwatch for your dog, monitoring things like heart rate, steps and playing time. Although it might seem a bit bizarre, it could actually be a handy way to keep track of your pet’s location and health. 

🦜 A new pair of binoculars that’ll make you a birdwatching pro

Swarovski Optik unveiled AI-powered binoculars which can identify around 9,000 species of birds and wildlife, with augmented reality display overlaying information onto the user’s field of view. They even include a camera for capturing photos and videos, and a ‘share discoveries’ mode for marking points of interest

Happy workplace news 💼

Bruce Daisley has released a ‘Work in 2024’ report, and it contains a lot of interesting stats about current trends in workplace culture.

⏰ Coordination is key

In-person social time has the largest impact on mood, but the total amount of time matters less than the event itself.

🤗 Face-to-face time is valuable

Sales people who were paired up with random team members to eat lunch together once a week saw a 24% increase in their sales figures.

🤝 Mentoring matters more

Those who came into work reported spending as much as 35% to 40% more time mentoring.

And when it comes to employee engagement, a survey found the following:

For lots more interesting insights, check out the full report here.

LinkedIn lowdown 🚨

It’s been a busy month for us over on LinkedIn, running our #LightsOut campaign for Dark January. If you want to find out more, check out some of the top posts below:

💡 Launch post from Metrikus explaining what the campaign is all about

💡 Newsletter from our COO, Michael Grant, sharing why going #LightsOut is so important

💡 Article from our ESG & Sustainability Lead, Sami Mustapha, on why we should all live near landfills (don’t worry, there’s more to this than meets the eye)

💡 Post from our number one Dark January supporter, Accenture’s Michael Przytula

💡 Article in City AM from our CMO, Charlotte Laing, questioning whether the Fortune 500 are afraid of the dark