An Inconvenient Energy Bill
Posted by goodmind on June 18th, 2008
Al Gore is neither the first, nor the last unsuspecting citizen to have his inconvenient truths rendered public information. Here’s some co-rendered embarrassment for your entertainment;
The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359. (via the Tennessee Center for Policy Research)
We all contribute to global warming every day. The carbon dioxide you produce by driving your car and leaving the lights on adds up quickly. You may be surprised by how much Co2 you are emitting each year. Calculate your personal impact and learn how you can take action to reduce or even eliminate your emissions of carbon dioxide. (emphasis ours)
Industrial Evolution
Posted by goodmind on November 2nd, 2007
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mo5Hp_6uD-E]
Adrian Bowyer envisions a world where manufacturing is like agriculture, and products are produced without factories, shipping, or industrial waste. The Pop!Tech presenter described this world as an impending reality, thanks to his “computer controlled glue gun,” made of starch based polymers that can be re-used, natch.
Bowyer is currently developing the RepRap, or “replicating rapid prototyper,” along with his colleagues at Bath University, and a loosely assembled team of international developers. RepRap is a fab machine; an open source, low-cost machine that can ‘print’ three-dimensional objects. It uses digital data to additively compile products, laying down layers of material much like a standard printer lays down layers of ink.
The idea of a fab machine as a low-cost, low-labor alternative to traditional step-by-step manufacturing has been around since the 1950’s. Yet never before has the concept been backed by the biological principles of evolution.
Bowyer explained that fab machines are evolutionary entities because as a “species” they can reproduce themselves. Reproductive capabilities allow a machine to become increasingly sophisticated over time. The concept of mechanical biology is not merely clever cocktail party science, it is a large part of Bowyer’s unique business approach.
The RepRap is targeted to the bottom of the economic pyramid, and should be available by 2008, for around €400. While this altruistic profit model wasn’t so singular at Pop!Tech, Bowyer took his approach to the next level, insisting that if his product is any good, he will only have to sell one Rep Rap. A RepRap warehouse will be entirely unnecessary since the machine can basically reproduce and improve itself over time.
If successful, the RepRap will place production capabilities squarely in the hands of “the people,” and could potentially make the sprawling manufacturing plant obsolete. No word yet on how the evolutionary theory will be received among advocates of Intelligent Design.
How Your Fish Tank Can Decrease Our Dependence on Foreign Oil
Posted by goodmind on September 20th, 2007
Though the use of farmland to “harvest” ethanol has raised the price of corn in Mexico, and the price of wheat in Italy (resulting in a one day spaghetti boycott), we are still sanguine about the outlook for biofuels, particularly this very green version. Algae, the bane of fish tank owners everywhere, represents a decentralized source of renewable energy. We may never look at pond scum the same way again.
Fortunately, viewing algae as potential energy requires little more than a fifth grader’s understanding of photosynthesis. Algae consumes water, sunshine, and CO2, and produces oil and carbohydrates as byproducts, which can later be converted into biodiesel and ethanol respectively. Under favorable conditions, algae can double its volume overnight, making it a nearly inexhaustible renewable resource. Most importantly, algae growth is not limited to a specific set of environmental variables, or political climates. It can thrive pretty much anywhere as long as there is water, sunlight, and CO2. OPEC must be mighty worried.
Colorado based Solix Biofuels, the most promising algae-based energy start up, hopes to eventually compete with petroleum, powering your M3 for around the same price as Premium gasoline. Though many labs have viewed algae as a promising biofuel for several years, no one has yet to hit upon the magic method that will make algae a viable option at the pump.
Algae might be easy to cultivate on a small scale, but producing, harvesting, and converting a larger yield is surprisingly difficult. However, if fish tank owners work together on this, someone should be able to find a solution. Algae could become the crowdsourced derivative of ethanol. Try doing that with crude oil in your backyard.
(via Popular Mechanic)
Images in Stereo
Posted by goodmind on June 27th, 2007
If the 1990’s were a very painful time for you because of those elusive Magic Eye books, then you will truly appreciate this new take on the 3-D experience.
The stereo-animated pictures are not only easier to appreciate, but also don’t expose the viewer to the same degree of humiliation that Magic Eye Books inflicted on users. You may maintain a healthy distance between your face and your computer monitor, and still manage to experience all three dimensions, as advertised.
Hot spots are getting hotter
Posted by goodmind on July 22nd, 2005
Check out this graphic from BusinessWeek detailing installed and planned WiFi networks across the US. Also check out a related article on continuous computing from MIT’s Technology Review.
Nanotech Update
Posted by goodmind on July 13th, 2005
An incredible animation of a nanofactory is available here. In some sense it seems almost unbelievable that this could be possible. But then, so does the notion that a particle of light can be in two places at once. But it is coming.
Take this nano quiz. If you fail, get cracking! (Via Responsible Nanotechnology)
(Warning: the animation is 60 MB)
