The wealthy world is growing nervous, the ocean could be our next fuel source, and more top insights

During the week, the Daily Rundown brings you the day’s trending professional news. On the weekend, we try to keep you current on the big ideas that can help you see what’s coming. Read on and join the conversation.

Turning the ocean into fuel: Stanford researchers have developed a method to turn ocean water into hydrogen fuel, using electrodes to separate oxygen and hydrogen. Previous attempts at using saltwater to make hydrogen fuel have failed, partly because the process attracts chloride, which decays the electrodes. The researchers used a special coating that allows the electrodes to slow down decay. Hydrogen fuel cells can store more energy than batteries and its use would eliminate tailpipe pollution in cars. And this method could allow ships to power themselves using the water they traverse. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Citizens of rich nations are anxious, and frustrated: According to an OECD survey of 22,000 people from 21 wealthy nations, 59% said they don’t receive enough benefits for the taxes they pay. And only 25% believe they’d receive sufficient financial support from the government if they lost their jobs. Such sentiment — which is felt by the young, the highly educated, and those with high incomes — persists even as residents of these nations are living safer and longer lives, the OECD notes. Despite the gloom, 40% said they would pay more in taxes to improve public programs. ? Here’s what people are saying.

California housing is sending workers packing: From tech to finance, companies are leaving the Golden State for places like Dallas, Austin and Pittsburgh, citing difficulties recruiting and retaining talent due to housing prices, The Wall Street Journal reports. Wages in California can’t keep up, with over half of renters and more than a third of homeowners devoting over 30% of their income to housing. The state needs to build 180,000 homes a year by 2025. Over the past decade, it’s built 80,000 a year. And as a fresh crop of tech companies prepare to IPO, many fear further spikes in home prices. ? Here’s what people are saying.

An Rx that can save billions? Fruit and vegetables: Prescribing healthy foods to patients — and having programs like Medicaid and Medicare subsidize such purchases — could save the U.S. health system $100 billion, according to a study from Tufts University. 86% of healthcare costs in the U.S. are tied to chronic ailments, many of which are driven by lifestyle and diet choices. The researchers found that treating food as preventative medicine, rather than prescribing drugs to address problems after the fact, could prevent some 620,000 deaths. ? Here’s what people are saying.

We’re inching closer to DNA computing: As we approach the limits of silicon-based tech, many are looking to DNA molecules as the next leap forward. Why DNA? It’s an astonishingly effective pack rat. It can hold a warehouse’s worth of data in a set of Yahtzee dice, claims Microsoft (LinkedIn’s parent company), which teamed up with the University of Washington to build a prototype DNA storage drive. But it’s still early days. It took the research team 21 hours to store and retrieve the word “hello,” according to MIT Technology Review. ? Here’s what people are saying.

One last idea:  It would be wonderful if our daring ideas were instantly welcomed with open arms. But, as author Safi Bahcall reminds us, the road to exceptional success is often paved with initial setbacks and disappointments.

“The most important breakthroughs rarely follow blaring trumpets and a red carpet, with central authorities offering overflowing pots of tools and money. They pass through long dark tunnels of skepticism and uncertainty, crushed or neglected; their champions often dismissed as crazy.”

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— Scott Olster and Kelli Nguyen