Five Best Ideas of the Day: March 3

1. What if a microbe could solve the fracking wastewater problem, all while generating additional clean energy?

By Michael Casey at CBS News

2. Thank your dog: A new paper credits domesticated wolves with giving humans the evolutionary advantage over Neanderthals 40,000 years ago.

By Robin McKie in the Guardian

3. With all their innovation, apps on tablets can’t give kids the experience of building with blocks.

By Eric Westervelt at National Public Radio

4. This device could revolutionize childbirth. It was created by a car mechanic.

By Ed Stocker in GlobalPost

5. The old models for statecraft don’t account for the power of networked communications. Welcome to Netpolitik.

By Charlie Firestone and Leshuo Dong in the Aspen Journal of Ideas

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C.