Innovation Watch Newsletter 1.11
June 15, 2002

SCIENCE

Astrocytes Trigger Maturation of Neural Stem Cells - [Howard Hughes Medical Institute] Researchers have discovered that astrocytes - brain cells once thought to be little more than a component of the supportive scaffold for neurons - may actually play a starring role in triggering the maturation and proliferation of adult neural stem cells. The studies also suggest that growth factors produced by astrocytes may be critical in regenerating brain or spinal tissue that has been damaged by trauma or disease.

Mice Could Provide the Key to Growing Human Lungs for Transplant - [Science Daily] Scientists from Imperial College London have successfully directed mouse stem cells to turn into the type of cells needed for gas exchange in lungs, bringing the prospect of being able to regenerate damaged lung tissue, and even the creation of artificially grown lungs one step closer.

China Plans Moon Base for 2010 - [New Scientist] China's ambitious space plans have been extended to building a base on the Moon starting in 2010, a Chinese space official has said. Before that the fledgling space power aims to complete a number of manned missions into space and to establishing an orbiting "space laboratory".

Consciousness Based On Wireless? - [Wired] Human consciousness is actually wireless communication between the cells of your brain, according to a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Surrey in Great Britain.

Two Genetic Suspects are Identified in the Mystery of Why We Need Sleep - [Eurekalert] Like sleuths in an endlessly complex Agatha Christie novel, scientists at The Neurosciences Institute have been trying to solve the mystery of why we need to sleep. Now, following a two-year investigation, they have identified two genetic suspects that suggest one day it may be possible to prevent the consequences of sleep deprivation.

Advance Could Lead to Diabetes Treatment - [Technology Review] A new drug based on a simple molecule can eliminate a notorious blood protein linked to many severe diseases, possibly leading to new treatments for Alzheimer's and diabetes, British researchers report in the journal Nature.

Human Clone's Birth Predicted - [Washington Post] Infertility researcher Panos Zavos predicted that his Kentucky-based human cloning team will produce a pregnancy this year, with the delivery of a cloned human being coming in 2003.

Copy-Proof CDs Cracked With 99-Cent Marker Pen - [Mercury News] Technology buffs have cracked music publishing giant Sony Music's elaborate disc copy-protection technology with a decidedly low-tech method: scribbling around the rim of a disk with a felt-tip marker.

Will IBM's Cell Chip Knock Intel Off Its Throne? - [Wireless News] Although it is somewhat shrouded in mystery and its capabilities still leave analysts guessing, IBM's Cell -- an embedded technology that IBM calls a "supercomputer on a chip" -- could represent the future of consumer electronics devices. IBM said its innovation -- the result of a US$400 million R&D investment with Sony Computer Entertainment and Toshiba -- will power consumer devices capable of greater computing power than IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer.

Bluetooth: A Miracle Awaits the Right Price - [International Herald Tribune] For many people, Bluetooth, the technology designed for wireless gizmo-to-gizmo communication over distances of about 30 feet (9 meters), is the technology that cried wolf. The original hope and hype erupted nearly three years ago, as electronics industry representatives described a future in which the space behind our desks was no longer a dusty snake pit.

Telematics Left in Dot-Com Dust - [cnet.com] The automobile industry has a hangover, and it's blaming Silicon Valley and the technology sector for the all-night bender. Automobile executives who gathered last week for the two-day Telematics Detroit 2002 conference said the late 1990s Internet stock bubble inflated revenue expectations and warped business plans for the emerging niche of dashboard computing, also known as telematics.

The Thousand-Leg Race - [Technology Review] More than a century after its invention, the venerable punch card is fueling a quiet contest between the world's largest computer makers. IBM and Hewlett Packard are racing to develop a nanoscale version based on atomic force microscopy, with the potential for vast data storage at low cost.

U.S. Commerce Department is Bullish on Nanotechnology - [Small Times] The U.S. Department of Commerce's top official for technology extolled nanotechnology, saying that helping to shepherd the industry toward commercialization ranks at the top of his priorities.

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BUSINESS

Will the Cablecos Kill File-Sharing? - [Business Week] New pricing plans for broadband use could make downloading "free" songs a costly habit.

Merger Meltdown - [Fast Company] The voracious corporate appetite for mergers in recent years has caused a bad case of indigestion for mega companies like AOL Time Warner, DaimlerChrysler, and J.P. Morgan Chase. Do these partnerships add up to less than the sum of their parts?

Where Can Execs Learn Ethics? - [Business Week] Not necessarily in B-school, where too many focus too little on doing the right thing -- despite the rash of corporate scandals.

System Failure - [Fortune] Corporate America has lost its way. Here's a road map for restoring confidence.

Driving Innovation - [Fast Company] Traditional car companies are courting a new group of consumers with hard-driving innovation. Learn about the unconventional branding campaigns launched by Chrysler, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz to inject some soul in new cars created for generation Y.

Terrorism-Insurance Battle Looms - [Washington Post] Senate rejects GOP plan to limit damages.

Bill Would Unlock Cars' Computer Codes - [Detroit Free Press] With more cars relying on computers that only dealers can access for repairs, efforts are building in Congress to force auto manufacturers to share their diagnostic codes with car owners and independent mechanics.

Fanatics With Laptops: The Coming Cyber War - [NewsFactor] The blossoming of the Internet and its universal adoption have reinforced a trend toward interdependence of the world's political, economic and social systems. That increasing interdependence, however, becomes frightening when one considers that a next-generation cyber terrorist will likely not represent an aggressive world power. In terms of present-day vulnerability, such a terrorist could simply be a lone fanatic wielding a laptop. And the damage could be staggering.

The Alliance is Doomed - [Washington Post] When George W. Bush arrives in Berlin Wednesday, he will be welcomed by Berliners, who have never forgotten America's role in defending their city's freedom during the Cold War. He also will be greeted by protest. Members of East Germany's post-communist party, who share power in Berlin's current government, will help lead anti-American mobs. More important, the president's arrival will coincide with still another debate about the future of NATO. This round may be the last one.

Europe Fears Looming Trade War - [The Times] Trade relations between Europe and the United States are reaching a critical point as disputes proliferate, the European Commission fears.

Why Public Intellectuals? - [Wilson Quarterly] Is there a place for public intellectuals today?

Weapons of Precise Destruction - [Technology Review] How snipers in the sky might help revive the practice of assassination.

Kwaito, Dagga, 'Edutainment,' and the Generation Gap in South Africa - [World Press Review] Reading the South African press, one would think that the first generation of youth to come of age since South Africa scrapped apartheid in 1991 has gotten off to a rather bad start.

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ENVIRONMENT

Parched Future Predicted by State - [San Jose Business Journal] Stock up on water now, because in 50 years or less California could be parched with a severe water shortage due to global warming. That's according to calculations by a team of researchers at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Media Sheep - [Worldwatch] How did The Skeptical Environmentalist pull the wool over the eyes of so many editors?

U.S. to Relax Air Pollution Rules for Utilities - [Environmental News Network] The Bush administration said it will relax costly air pollution rules when U.S. utilities are repaired or expanded, triggering a storm of protest from environmental groups and some Democrats.

Honda Takes Own Path on Fuel, Ecology Issues - [Houston Chronicle] When it comes to fuel economy and the environment, there is Honda and there is the rest of the auto industry. The gap has come into sharp relief as battles rage over how to curb the nation's swelling appetite for oil. Honda is the only major automaker that has not joined the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the industry trade group that has led the fight against tougher fuel and emissions standards.

Global Warming Brings More Weather, Climate Extremes - [People's Daily] Statistics show that five times more major meteorological calamities occurred in the 1990s than in the 1950s. The world's annual economic loss due to these disasters also soared from 4 billion U.S. dollars in the 1960s up to 29 billion U.S. dollars today.

Seiyu Plans to 'Tax' CO2 Emissions - [Asahi] Supermarket operator Seiyu Ltd. plans to do its bit to counter global warming. The firm will introduce a program to collect "eco taxes'' from its outlets based on the amount of carbon dioxide they produce, company officials said Tuesday.

Europe to Regulate Deep Sea Fisheries - [Environment News Service] The European Commission has crafted a new Common Fisheries Policy for Europe in an attempt to revive collapsing fish populations and keep the European fishing industry alive at the same time.

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THE FUTURE

Untangling the Future - [Business 2.0] Technologies never move in straight lines. They wander. They cross-pollinate. And they create opportunities you'd never expect.