The Light in the Middle...

Normally I am quite pessimistic about certain paths. Random little spikes of optimism seem to sprout through on a continual basis though. Various topics poke through the clouds of dark. Sometimes I am motivated by stories of human spirit. Sometimes I am happier with an achievement or maybe just me that day. At times I can get excited over performance at my job. And then there is the whole universal potential thing - since I don't believe in fate and since everything in the universe is causal then the potential is damn near infinite as there are no things that aren't bound by rules and thus unable to be manipulated.

Today Solar Power makes me happy. Does it make you happy? It should. First off, it will power your existence. I have commented a couple of times in the past and I do think that we will become individual energy creators. It seems to obvious that everything will move away from centralized production to individual production as we become more able with technologies. Even complicated items will become localized as we create better fabricators and transfer of IP becomes more secure and efficient. The USA has begun the slow move away from general manufacturing because of the high costs. The small business factory world is gaining huge ground as our quality on the lower volume level is high enough and efficient enough to compete with the world.

42%+ is a good number. Energy from the sun. Machines that use it cleanly. A society that creates so much more because its focus is moved from the support of itself to the furtherance of thought. Individuals may have been able to progress beyond Maslow's hierarchy of needs - but I don't imagine any societies have just yet (except maybe some of those Norwegian countries...but that is another day).

New Skyscaper Uses Zero Total Emissions

Zero Emission Building

The first thing one must do when speaking about an idea like this is first throw out that the building is still in the planning stages. Computer simulations have shown that the ideas work. But..let us leave that now.

The building has a wind turbine built on the top. It's air movement system allows hot air to be sucked out of the top and cold air to be pulled down inside. Custom made window coverings to shield from the HOT desert sun. A floating island of solar panels to power the building. Hydrogen storage tanks to allow for energy storage. Internal mirror system which pumps real sunlight throughout the building. And I am sure a whole host of other ideas.

These concepts that are being tested all over the world by ultra wealthy countries will slowly filter down to you and I. In the near future you will create your own energy. Your home will have some of these tools. Your car will run on hydrogen (or electricity) created by you on your land. You will sell power to those companies and individuals who have chosen not to partake in the revolution.

I am happy this Sunday morning. :-)

The Green SocioEconomic Machine Rolls On...

The Power of Green

The changes that will occur in the future always give me a bit of apprehension. I have an aversion to change I guess. Humans in general have been know for their ability to adapt themselves and their environments to make living agreeable. Maybe we need a big roll back...

They argue that the world needs to deploy any seven of these 15 wedges, or sufficient amounts of all 15, to have enough conservation, and enough carbon-free energy, to increase the world economy and still avoid the doubling of CO² in the atmosphere.

Here are seven wedges we could chose from: "Replace 1,400 large coal-fired plants with gas-fired plants; increase the fuel economy of 2 billion cars from 30 to 60 miles per gallon; add twice today's nuclear output to displace coal; drive 2 billion cars on ethanol, using one-sixth of the world's cropland; increase solar power 700-fold to displace coal; cut electricity use in homes, offices and stores by 25 percent; install carbon capture and sequestration capacity at 800 large coal-fired plants."

Brain of 10,000 Transistors

Giant Computer Rat Brain Taking Over!

But -- has there been mental activity?

The newborn "Blue Brain" surprised the designers with its willfulness from the very first day. It had hardly been fed electrical impulses before strange patterns began to appear on the screen with the lightning-like flashes produced by cells that scientists recognize from actual thought processes. Groups of neurons started becoming attuned to one another until they were firing in rhythm. "It happened entirely on its own," says Markram. "Spontaneously."

A phenomenon arising from the arrangement of a certain set of items put in a certain arrangement. A whole that is greater than its parts. Think of a solar system. A bunch of random dust. Then a few solidifying bodies. Then very few larger bodies circling the giant mass of slowly building and heating at the center. Eventually the center lights up due to the crush of matter and it rains the energy of life onto those smaller bodies which then starts it own chain reaction on the planet...We arise from mass.

Coal Based Cars?

A new take on an old resource...

Human intuition. Kinda neat we are. We look at every system and search for a potential benefit. We have turned into evolving our environment for us. Our human evolution is creeping along. We are taller and smarter these days. Our collection of ideas is growing. Maybe we will attack this thirst of future energy with a rainbow of solutions, all eating tiny bits away.

If we can survive...

"For cars, he says the company's processes can be used to produce barrels of "oil" for car fuel that will cost about half of what conventional oil costs today, which is around $50.

What's the secret? Coal , a word that makes most people's flesh crawl. Silverado takes low-grade coal, pulverizes it and cooks it under pressure with water until it develops a waxy coating. The waxy coal particles are then reunited with carbon-infused water removed at an earlier part of the process to make a liquid fuel. So think of it as a coal latte. "


Coal latte, eh?

Project Epoc: Brain Wave Game Controller

Project Epoc: Brain Wave Game Controller




"Project Epoc is a headset that uses a set of sensors to tune into electric signals naturally produced by the brain to detect player thoughts, feelings and expression. It connects wirelessly with all game platforms from consoles to PCs. Project Epoc now makes it possible for games to be controlled and influenced by the player's mind."


This product isn't available yet, but the technology behind it is getting sharper and it will be ready soon. Are you ready to remote control you house from your brain? How about your car? I know the US Military is watching technology like this (if not integrating it already).

Why Social Security "disappearing" in 40 years doesn't worry me.

I won't need it. Simple answer - technology. In 1900 the average age was 47.* Today greater than 75 in America. The world changes. By the year 2040 I am thinking that at the age of 71 I will be going strong and I won't tap into my $$ until I am ready to retire around 85 or so. Cus I will still have another 15 years to jack around playing golf after that. At least. Additionally, the quality of the medical help will be of a different sort as we learn to use robots to do the busy work and allow our professionals to really take care of the people and the pressing needs. The quality of life is always improving. We learn to do things better all the time.

I do actually believe in a small central government and strong state governments, as our states are now turning into mini economies all their own (CA would be the WORLDS 6th largest). The variety is what allows for growth and change and mix. The freedom to move among is what keeps it fresh.

*Source: The Mercury, 11 November, 1997, p.26-27