Global Thermostat's pilot plant in Menlo Park, Calif., pulls carbon dioxide from the surrounding air. The next challenge is to find uses for the captured gas. Courtesy of Global Thermostat hide caption

The Ouya game console and controller. Games are sold through something like an app store, allowing customers to sample them before buying. Courtesy of Ouya hide caption

Customers check out at the new flagship Walgreens in Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown. Brenda Salinas/NPR hide caption

Caryn Lantz and her husband Chuck were surprised to learn that costs associated with adopting black children were much lower than for white or mixed race children. They ultimately went with an adoption in which the fee was based on their income, not skin color. Courtesy of Caryn Lantz hide caption

Harry Kaplan practices pitching during Home Run Baseball Camp at Friendship Recreation Center in June. Kaplan's arm is stretched long and toward the ground as his hips are faced away from the catcher. A chimp, in contrast, could never throw a fastball. Heather Rousseau/NPR hide caption

Want to invest in coffee futures? One roaster says when it comes to the price of coffee, it "is like a roller coaster." Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

A table (Le Dejeuner), an 1892 oil painting by Edouard Vuillard, appears to show a quiet domestic scene. But Isabelle Cahn, the curator of a new show at the Musee d'Orsay, says this painting actually depicts a scandal-ridden household. Courtesy Musee d'Orsay hide caption