See the jaw-dropping sketches The Human Camera draws from memory.

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During the last week of October 2016, Stephen Wiltshire flew to Mexico City. From the instant he landed, the world-renowned artist drew a crowd.

Dozens of fans and reporters (and a few thousand fans on his live-stream) came to watch him sketch a panoramic view of the Mexico City skyline. The audience watched, mouths agape, while Wiltshire, dressed in a hoodie and headphones, sketched hundreds of buildings.

He captured details like roundabouts, windows, and trees. It would be a true feat for any local, but that's what makes Wiltshire so impressive: He's not from Mexico City. Or even Mexico. He's from London, and he drew all this from memory.

Photo by Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images.

Since childhood, Wiltshire has used art to communicate and interact with the world around him.

He was mute as a child and diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old. In elementary school, he discovered drawing and found not only a passion for it, but also a real talent.

As a kid, Wiltshire sketched animals, city buses, and buildings with great delight. When he spoke for the first time, two of his earliest words were paper and pencil.

Photo by Tony Edwards, used with permission from Stephen Wiltshire.

Wiltshire's teachers noticed how talented he was, so they encouraged his gift.

One helped him enter local art competitions. Soon, the press came to see then 7-year-old Wiltshire and his incredible talent. And before long, he was appearing on game shows and signing an art book deal. At 8, he sold his first piece and received a commission from the British prime minister. Impressive accomplishments for anyone, especially considering Wiltshire didn't fully speak until he was 9. But Wiltshire never let the sudden fame go to his head; he was just doing what he loved.  

"I enjoy it because it makes me feel happy and lots of people enjoy looking at my work," Wiltshire said in a press brief. "It makes them smile ... I feel very proud."

Wiltshire puts the finishing touches on a drawing of the nearly completed Shard site. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.

Today, Wiltshire travels the world as a professional artist.

He's been called The Human Camera because after seeing an aerial view a city for an hour or less, he's able to complete a perfectly scaled panoramic illustration.

"I can memorize any city I like, buildings or anything really," Wiltshire said in a press brief. "I can still remember buildings I saw when I was very young, like five or six years old."

Photo by Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images.

He's been to Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, New York, Madrid, Houston, Singapore, and more to do live drawings.

For his achievement in art, the London native was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

When he's not on the road, Wiltshire resides in London, where he opened his own permanent gallery.

"I feel proud of myself, lots of people come to visit my gallery from all over the world and buy my artwork, lots of school groups also come to visit," Wiltshire said in a press brief. "I come to my gallery twice a week and meet people and sign my autograph."

Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images.

Wiltshire's work would be impressive with or without his autism diagnosis.

It's important to remember that his autism doesn't make his talent or finished sketches any more or less incredible. And it doesn't make him any more or less deserving of the accolades and honors he's received either.

But it does make him human, just like the rest of us.

Yes, Wiltshire has struggled to communicate, but his grit, talent, and passion (buoyed by a supportive family) got him where he is today. And that's something to cheer about, autism or not.

Photo by Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images.

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The brilliant reason this dog trainer is having school teachers train service dogs.

Elon Musk's energy company is making glass shingles that double as solar panels.

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We all know the feeling. Looking at your energy bill can be a lot like this:

How the heck did I use $30,000 worth of electricity? Was it all my Tesla coils? Photo from iStock.

Electricity is expensive. Renewable energy could help, but the technology has its hurdles to overcome, including cost, availability, and infrastructure.

There's also another psychological barb: A lot of renewable energy tech is kind of goofy-looking.

So Elon Musk has a new plan. He wants to make solar power super pretty.

Image from Tesla.

On Friday, Elon Musk announced that his company would make glass roofing shingles that double as solar panels.

There have been solar shingles before, but what makes Tesla's different is they're incredibly pretty. Compared to those big, bulky, blue ping-pong tables we probably normally think of, these are downright artistic. Musk hopes by making the panels visually attractive, they'll entice more homeowners to add them to their roofs.

They showed off four different types of tiles: terra cotta, slate, textured glass, and smooth glass.

They work like thousands of little solar panels all hooked together.

Image from Tesla.

They're basically mini-solar cells covered in a durable glass coating that will protect them from the elements. They can be designed to match different shapes and styles to fit the house.

The shingles will likely be out of reach for most homeowners at first. Tesla hasn't announced a price, but a similar product by Dow costs about $20,000 for a small patch of 350 shingles. Tesla's website does suggest that with the lower utility bills they'd end up paying for themselves, however, and government incentives could help too.

All that said, for now, they'll probably be similar to Tesla's first electric cars — a cool device for people who are really into new technology. But they could end up becoming more popular: Think of all the people driving electric cars now. And we have seen solar power in general get massively cheaper in the last few years, a trend that is likely to continue.

This is a neat example of how renewables could end up integrated into everyday life.

Right now we depend on just a few huge power plants, but in the future inventions like this — combined with more affordable energy storage options — could turn our homes, offices, and garages into mini power plants.

This could not only help us transition away from fossil fuels and toward more green energy, it could also be a lot cheaper and make the market more dynamic.

Which would probably make everyone more like this:

FEED ME ELECTRICITY, SUN, MNOM MNOM MNOM MNOM MNOM. Photo from iStock.

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The cool reason some Toys R Us stores will dim their lights and go quiet this weekend.

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Here's something you probably don't need me reminding of: Malls are a lot to handle during the holidays.

Long lines, ferocious bargain shoppers, road rage in overcrowded parking lots — you know the drill.

If you have autism, though, a bustling shopping center can be an exhausting experience in an entirely different sense.

Illustration courtesy of The National Autistic Society.

Many people who have autism have varying degrees of sensory input issues. They may be over- or undersensitive to the sights, smells, and noises around them.

As you can imagine, going to the mall on a day like Black Friday is basically out of the question.

"For many autistic people and their families, a simple trip to the shops, which should be an enjoyable experience, can be fraught with difficulty," Daniel Cadey of the U.K.'s National Autistic Society said in a statement. "Autistic children and adults can become overwhelmed with too much information inside a busy store."

That's why, on Nov. 6, 2016, several Toys R Us stores in the U.K. will hold a quiet hour of shopping for kids who have autism and their parents.

Many slight adjustments will go into effect to make the shopping experience more comfy and calm, such as dim lights, a reduction of overhead fluorescents, and no in-store music or announcements over the loud speaker.

Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images.

"We understand toys are more personal to many additional needs individuals," said Mike Coogan, marketing and e-commerce director at Toys R Us, reports The Independent. "So being able to relax and choose something special themselves and enjoy the facilities and content of the store, the same as other children can do without concerns, will help in making their Christmas truly magical."

"Me and my son and daughter will be there," one woman wrote on the Facebook event page. "My son is 20 months old with autism. What a lovely thing to do."

Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty Images.

Shopping can be very taxing for someone with autism and their loved ones — even beyond sensory overload itself.

Autism isn't visible. So when someone is overwhelmed by their environment, it can seem as though they're acting out or misbehaving.

"My son had a meltdown in a shopping center after becoming overloaded by the crowds, bright lights, and smells," explained Jo Wincup, a mom whose son, Ben, has autism.

People stared, as though Ben had been acting naughty. Some even said hurtful things to her.

"I just wanted to cry," Wincup said. "For the ground to swallow us up."

Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images.

If you want to be a helpful ally to moms like Wincup, it's probably smart to learn more about autism and how it may affect others. That way, instead of jumping to conclusions the next time you're out in public, you may be able to lend a helping hand or offer a kind word of support at a stressful moment.

Sure, holiday shopping is a lot, but it's also a big part of the season.

So it's important retailers — and each and every one of us — do our parts in making sure everyone feels loved and included.

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Obama's hilarious Samantha Bee interview touched on voting, white hair, and sexism.

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On Halloween, President Obama went on "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" to get to the bottom of some serious business — like what costume the president was trying to pull off.

GIF via "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee."

GIF via "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee."

They also found some time to talk about voting. Bee put on her best millennial impression to see if Obama could persuade her to cast her ballot on Nov. 8.

“Young people have a bigger stake in this election than anybody," the president told her. "I would hope that you’d be willing to take about the same amount of time that you spend just looking through cat videos on your phone to make sure that democracy’s working."

Bee ... wasn't making it easy for him.

GIF via "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee."

GIF via "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee."

They also talked about what Obama wants his legacy to be after he leaves the White House next year.

"If we can look back 20 years from now and say to ourselves, ‘There were a whole bunch of people who were inspired by what we did and are doing it even better,’ then we’ll feel pretty good," the president said of he and Michelle's impact in the White House.

Bee made him aware of the other monumental milestone his presidency offered America.

GIF via "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee."

GIF via "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee."

The two also touched on the hardships Hillary Clinton will face as a glass-ceiling-shattering figure, should she become president — something Obama knows a thing or two about.

Being the first black president, Obama faced unique challenges no president before him had to endure, such as the racist, ludicrous notion that he's not really an American.

“If and when Hillary is president," Bee asked, "what do you think will be the female equivalent of 'You weren’t born in this country'?”

Obama responded (emphasis added):

“I think the equivalent will be, 'She’s tired, she’s moody, she’s being emotional.' When men are ambitious, it’s just taken for granted — ‘Well, of course they should be ambitious.' But when women are ambitious, ‘Why?’ That theme, I think, will continue throughout her presidency, and it’s contributed to this notion that somehow she is hiding something.”

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.

Obama's answer is one many women are familiar with. Because even if you detest everything about Clinton, you can still respect the fact that she will face blowback from an electorate grappling with change.

Clinton's gender has played a role in the public's perception and attitudes toward her for decades, highlighting the double standards we often see between men and women in the workplace.

She's been accused of being too emotional, but also not emotional enough. She's been too soft, apparently — but somehow also too ruthless? Her "likability liability," which dogs many women in positions of power, is just as relevant in this election as it ever was before. And you already know what happens when she's caught — gasp! — not smiling on the campaign trail.

When photo blog Humans of New York profiled Clinton in September, a telling thing happened in the comment section on Facebook: women of all political stripes empathized with her story of handling sexism as a college student.

"While we’re waiting for the exam to start, a group of men began to yell things like: 'You don’t need to be here,'" Clinton recalled. "It was intense. It got very personal."

“I was taking a law school admissions test in a big classroom at Harvard. My friend and I were some of the only women...

Posted by Humans of New York on Thursday, September 8, 2016

Clinton's HONY story of having to deal with sexist classroom bullies transcended political boundaries for many women.

And you didn't need to like her to understand the struggle.

Sadly, history will probably prove the 44th president correct, should Clinton become our 45th.

Her gender will likely play a role in how she is seen and judged as a leader.

GIF via "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee."

But if enough nasty women (and the men who support them) stand up to the injustice, maybe we can make a difference — especially for the future madam presidents headed our way.

Watch President Obama on "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" below:

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Libraries full of human 'books' are spreading across the country.

'Show me a person who doesn't want to feel understood.'

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What would happen if you sat down and had an open and honest conversation with someone with completely opposing views?

Could it bring you closer together?

All images via the Human Library Organization, used with permission.

The Human Library Organization is counting on it.

In this day and age, it may seem like getting two people with different views together to discuss them is a recipe for disaster. Just read the comment section on any online post on a heated topic and you're bound to wish you hadn't. Political division and the ability to hide behind a screen and shout your thoughts through your fingertips has encouraged an "I'm right, you're wrong" discourse that seldom opens doors for productive dialogue.

Human Libraries — where actual people are on loan to readers instead of books — are a way to highlight the common ground.

At a Human Library, people volunteer to become "books" and make their experiences open and available. "Readers" are encouraged to ask them questions freely, and they'll get honest answers in return. There's no judgment, and no questions are off-limits.

You won't find people talking over each other. You won't find nasty comments or political agendas, and you won't lose faith in humanity. At the Human Library, you might actually feel better about the world you live in. You might even make a new friend!

The human "books" consist of people who have been marginalized or discriminated by society.

"Certain communities are being pinpointed as the 'bad people' because they believe different, or live different, or eat different, or look different, or have a different color, or ethnic or religious background," said Ronni Abergel, the Human Library Organization's founder.

Abergel has set out to counter that by building a space for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue.

Some of the "books" readers may find at a Human Library include a Muslim, a Jew, a cancer survivor, a recovering alcoholic, a police officer, a refugee, someone living with Alzheimer's, a veteran, a teacher, and the list goes on.

Even better? Human libraries are on the rise globally, including in the United States.

The Human Library Organization, originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, just marked its 16th year in service. This year they're as busy as they've ever been.

Allison McFadden-Keesling can vouch for the org's success. When she saw an article about the Human Library in a London newspaper in 2008, she immediately knew she wanted to set up an event for students at Oakland Community College in Michigan. Fast-forward to today, and she's getting ready to host her 11th Human Library event on campus in five years.

"The most pleasantly surprising thing about the Human Library is how close all the human books become to one another," she said. "It has a family reunion feel every time we host as previous human book participants return and others join."

Some of the human books found in Chicago!

From Michigan to Connecticut to Texas to Arkansas, Human Library events are growing — with 30 new U.S. partners having joined in the past month alone.

Abergel knows the rise in interest isn't a coincidence. There's a consistent theme he sees in the applications he receives daily: the negative and fearful tone of the election.

"The tone of the election has made it important for many to set up a Human Library to counter and to show that this is not who we are," he said.

In a world that seems to focus on controversy instead of compassion, it can be difficult to identify our shared humanity.

Human Libraries help to remind us there really is more that unites us than divides us. And as events now spread throughout 82 countries, with Human Libraries even set to launch soon in Pakistan and Jordan, you can tell that is a shared feeling.

"We can spend billions and billions on trying to build up homeland security and our safety, but real safety comes from having positive relations to other groups in your community," said Abergel.

"Real safety is not going to come from building walls. It’s going to come from reaching out and getting to know each other."

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To find out how to become involved with Human Libraries or to host your own event, contact them here. Following them on Facebook is a good idea too!

Upset her son wasn't getting cast in ads, she posted his photos online. They went viral.

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Meagan Nash thought her son, Asher, belonged in magazines.

Asher Nash. Photo by Crystal Barbee.

"I wanted to submit him because he always seemed to like having his picture taken," Nash said. "Anytime I get my phone out, his eyes get big, and he gets this big grin on his face, almost like he knows what's happening."

Nash sent Asher's pictures to a local talent agent that was casting a campaign for the baby brand Carter's.

She was confused when the agent refused to submit them.

Asher has Down syndrome, and Carter's, the agent explained, wasn't calling in children with special needs.

Photo by Crystal Barbee.

Nash insisted. Yes, the company hadn't specified that they were looking for kids with disabilities, but Asher's pictures were good, and Carter's hadn't said they weren't looking for kids like him.  

"My first reaction was he should get the same chance to be accepted or rejected as any other baby," she said.

The agent apologized and agreed to send the photos.

For months, Nash heard nothing. Frustrated, she contacted Changing the Face of Beauty, an organization that works to increase representation of people with disabilities in media and advertising.

Her contact there encouraged her to post Asher's photos online as part of the group's annual campaign.  

Asher and his sister, Addison. Photo by Crystal Barbee.

"The talent industry, first of all, rarely represents people with disabilities, and when they do, they don’t always present because they don’t look at them as 'brown hair, blue eyes child'; they look at them as a disabled child," Katie Driscoll, Changing the Face of Beauty's founder and president, said.

Nash's post with Asher's photos was shared over 126,000 times. A story about the mother and son's campaign appeared on The Mighty.

According to Nash, representatives from OshKosh B'Gosh — a company affiliated with Carter's — messaged her less than an hour after the article was posted.

"They wanted to talk and hear my concerns, so I went over everything from the beginning and told them how it all started," Nash said. "At the end of our conversation, we had set a date for us to come in to meet with them."

Photo by Crystal Barbee.

She and Asher met with representatives from OshKosh recently, and they invited Asher to participate in an upcoming holiday advertising shoot, according to a statement provided by the company.

In the meantime, thanks to the publicity generated by the post, he's already done a shoot for Oball toys — his favorites.

Driscoll explained that while featuring kids like Asher in print ads might seem like a small thing, it can have concrete effects beyond simple representation.

"It also shows retailers and employers that, hey, obviously we’re valuing this community in advertising, we’re speaking to them as consumers, why wouldn’t we consider them for a job?" she said.

For Nash, getting the OshKosh shoot is a victory — a step closer to a world in which her son's talents are evaluated like any other kids' — independent of his disability.

For Asher, the photo shoot is another chance to show off his million-dollar smile.

Photo by Crystal Barbee.

And cash his first paycheck.

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