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Apr 5, 2016
Taiwanese research institute is wrapped in an undulating skin of 4,000 aluminum fins
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: energy, innovation
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is located at Central Taiwan Innovation and Research Park in Nantou, Taiwan. It is expected to become the central facility of the Science Park to be built in this region. Noiz Architects and Bio Architecture Formosana won the competition to design the building in 2010. During the development phase, the project site had to be relocated once during the design development phase, and the construction finally completed in September 2014.
Related: Japanese research center fuses natural design elements with energy efficiency.
Apr 5, 2016
Introduction: Explaining the Future of Synthetic Biology with Computer Programming’s Past
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, business, computing, genetics, information science, mathematics, Ray Kurzweil, singularity
Like this article highlights; we will see a day soon when all techies will need some level of bio-science and/ or medical background especially as we move closer to Singularity which is what we have seen predicted by Ray Kurzweil and others. In the coming decade/s we will no longer see tech credentials relying strictly on math/ algorithms, code, etc, Techies will need some deeper knowledge around the natural sciences.
If you are majoring in biology right now, I say to you: that was a good call. The mounting evidence suggests that you placed your bet on the right degree. With emergent genetic recombination technologies improving at breakneck speed alongside a much deepened understanding of biological circuitry in simple, “home grown” metabolic systems, this field is shaping up to be a tinkerer’s paradise.
Many compare this stage of synthetic biology to the early days of microprocessing (the precursor to computers) when Silicon Valley was a place for young entrepreneurs to go if they needed a cheap place to begin their research or tech business. One such tech entrepreneur, the founder of O’Reilly media, Tim O’Reilly — who also coined the term “open source” — made this comparison in an interview with Wired magazine., O’Reilly further commented on synthetic biology saying, “It’s still in the fun stage.”
Apr 5, 2016
IKEA launches virtual reality shopping experience
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: habitats, virtual reality
Apr 5, 2016
Virtual reality helps farmers connect to kids, public
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: education, food, internet, robotics/AI, sustainability, virtual reality
I expect education to be taught more through VR & AI. I know as a kid, my own elementary, Jr High/ Middle School, and HS experience was pretty mundane and boring at times. By having VR & AI technologies to enable the catering/ customizing of education to the student’s needs and pace will be awesome.
Virtual reality on a Nebraska farm tour combined with a live audience made for a first-time event Tuesday at Deere & Co. headquarters, Moline.
Designed to highlight innovation behind sustainable food production, the web broadcast may have originated in Moline, but it was seen online by 37,000 high school students in the United States.
Continue reading “Virtual reality helps farmers connect to kids, public” »
Apr 5, 2016
DNV GL to Validate ARPA-E ‘Internet of Energy’ Microgrid in Texas
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: energy, internet
BURLINGTON, MA—(Marketwired — Apr 5, 2016)
DNV GL, the world’s largest resource of independent energy experts and certification, together with its partners, Group NIRE and Geli (Growing Energy Labs, Inc.), will produce and operate an Internet of Energy (IoEn) platform integrating the management of up to 100 distributed energy resources (DER).
The award, DNV GL’s third from ARPA-E, is one of twelve new projects in the Department of Energy’s Network Optimized Distributed Energy Systems (NODES) program announced in December.
Continue reading “DNV GL to Validate ARPA-E ‘Internet of Energy’ Microgrid in Texas” »
Apr 5, 2016
Singapore is the most future-ready economy in APAC
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: economics, futurism
Apr 5, 2016
Nano-technology patch could help manage diabetes, treat allergies
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: biotech/medical, nanotechnology
Nice
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The number of people being diagnosed with diabetes is growing. Every third American adult will develop type 2 diabetes within the next 35 years. But there may be a new way to manage the illness.
A new device might make managing your insulin levels or even treating allergies virtually painless. We know Western New York is becoming a hub for nano-medicine. Now a local organization is on the front lines of whats called nano- patch technology.
Continue reading “Nano-technology patch could help manage diabetes, treat allergies” »
Apr 5, 2016
Say Goodbye to Washing Machines
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: materials, nanotechnology
Apr 5, 2016
Federal legislation to jumpstart space solar power
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: climatology, economics, food, government, law, nuclear energy, security, solar power, space, sustainability
The United States is transitioning from a primary reliance on fossil fuels to greater use of sustainable natural and nuclear energy sources. There are two reasons for this transition. The first reason is that the abnormally high and increasing level of atmospheric carbon dioxide has created scientific uncertainty and concern as to the detrimental impact this may have on the environment and, consequentially, human civilization. Almost certainly, this abnormal level is due to anthropogenic causes linked to the tremendous expansion in the human population since the early 1700s, the growth of human civilization (e.g., agriculture and industrialization), and the increasing use of fossil fuels. Although fossil fuels have enabled worldwide progress in elevating the standard of living, most of the world’s nations have reached the conclusion that the world should transition entirely to sustainable energy by 2100 (see “The Paris climate agreement and space solar power”, The Space Review, February 29, 2016). It is, however, very important to manage this transition carefully to avoid economic hardship or energy deprivation.
While the United States has large remaining fossil fuel resources, only some are technically recoverable with current safe, legal, and profitable extraction methods. The remaining known and yet-to-be-discovered domestic technically recoverable fossil fuels are inadequate to sustain US fossil fuel energy needs to the end of this century, especially given likely continued immigration-driven US population growth (see “US fossil fuel energy insecurity and space solar power”, The Space Review, March 7, 2016). While the United States has an ethical environmental obligation to end its use of fossil fuels by the end of the century, the reality of having inadequate oil and natural gas resources makes the urgency of transitioning successfully to new sustainable energy sources a clear matter of national energy security. This warrants federal government leadership and strong American private sector engagement.
Unfortunately, due to its large and growing population and per capita energy needs, the United States lacks sufficient suitable land to utilize terrestrial renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. (see “US terrestrial non-fossil fuel energy vs. space solar power”, The Space Review, March 14, 2016). While the United States will utilize terrestrial domestic renewable energy to the extent it is politically acceptable, many factors will likely limit their scale-up. The expansion of nuclear fission energy is also not a satisfactory approach, given the large number of reactors needed. These factors lead to the conclusion that only space-based sustainable energy, such as space solar power, will enable the United States to practically transition away from fossil fuels.
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