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Tinkering with life...
Science News reports that Japanese
researchers have added a human gene to rice. Plants engineered
with this gene are resistant to more than a dozen herbicides,
allowing farmers to rotate the chemicals they use. By alternating
herbicides, the scientists say, farmers can give engineered
rice an advantage, and avoid creating herbicide resistant
weeds.
James Auger, author of the book Augmented
Animals, advocates using technology to 'improve' the
experience of domesticated animals. He envisages a bird
cage that uses wind tunnel techniques to give captive birds
the experience of free flight, and respirators that eliminate
unattractive odors for dogs. The idea has also been explored
by others. Wired quotes David Pearce, associate editor
of the Journal of Evolution and Technology: "To offset
the cruelty of factory-farming, routine implants of smart
microchips in the pleasure centers may be feasible.... Since
there is no physiological tolerance to pure pleasure, factory-farmed
animals could lead a lifetime of pure bliss instead of misery."
MSNBC reports that a University of Nevada-Reno
researcher has added human cells to sheep, creating animals
that have partly-human livers, hearts, brains and other
organs. Could adding human cells to the brain create an
animal that thinks like a human? Unlikely, scientists say.
But the ethics committee at Stanford University that approved
such experimentation in mice recommended killing any animals
that exhibited human-like behavior.
Nanofutures...
Business Week says IBM is creating
transistors from carbon nanotubes. The tubes are almost
infinitely small (100,000 approximate the size of a human
hair when they are laid side-by-side). Nanotube transistors
are faster, and they use less power, so heating is less
of a problem than it is with current computer chips. Researchers
are also working on nanotube memory that retains data when
the power is turned off. Experts expect an incremental transition
to these new technologies, starting with hybrid silicon
and nanotube chip designs.
Technology Research News reports
that California Institute of Technology scientist Erik Winfree
has pushed molecular self-assembly to a new level, where
strands of artificial DNA arranged themselves in the fractal
pattern of a Sierpinski triangle. The DNA molecules themselves
directed the process. "The only place one finds sophisticated
embedded control of chemical processes is in biology,"
Winfree says. And while the creation of a Sierpinski pattern
is much simpler, he says, "it is far more complex than
the four DNA rule tiles that directed its growth."
The friend of my friend...
According to eWeek, Insider Pages
and LinkedIn Corp. have both introduced the capability to
find local services -- such as lawyers, financial planners
and tradespeople -- through recommendations from a social
network. Stu MacFarlane, CEO of Insider Pages, says: "We've
taken the concept of word of mouth and moved it online."
LinkedIn ranks service providers so that businesses recommended
by friends appear first.
Still connected...
Wired tells the story of a couple
living on opposite coasts of the United States, who spend
time "together" through their cell phones. With
an unlimited calling plan, Julia Steinmetz and Michael Mandiberg
send text, photos and emails, and leave the connection open
-- even as they sleep.
Voting 'non'...
Will French voters say Yes or No when they
pass judgment on the draft EU constitution later this month?
Advanced polls suggest that it may be No. Wharton Public
Policy and Management discusses the likelihood and the
consequences of a No vote. Assessments of the impact of
a negative result range from the "fall of Europe"
to a temporary setback for European integration. There are
many reasons for the opposition, ranging from a fear of
distant decision-makers in Brussels to concerns about an
inflow of immigration from Eastern Europe, and resulting
competition for jobs.
Changing the rules...
In a Technology Review article, Stewart
Brand predicts a change in sentiment in the environmental
movement around four contentious issues: population growth,
urbanization, genetic engineering, and nuclear power. Brand
says we will benefit as population declines due to urbanization,
as GM crops reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides,
and as we increase the use of nuclear power to reduce atmospheric
pollution.
Fast forward...
Writer Elizabeth Gardner makes twelve predictions
for 2050 in a Financial-Planning.com article. In addition
to the usual technology projections -- solar paint; wearable
electronic devices; printable transistors; and inkjet printing
of human tissues, bones and organs -- she comments on a
number of significant social trends. "People of two
or more races will become so common in the US that the Census
Bureau will consider dropping the 'race' question,"
she says. California will introduce legislation making English,
Spanish and Chinese official languages.
David Forrest
we welcome your comments and feedback at mail@innovationwatch.com
SCIENCE
Mice
Put in 'Suspended Animation' - [BBC] Mice have been
placed in a state of near suspended animation, raising the
possibility that hibernation could one day be induced in
humans.
Rice
With a Human Touch: Engineered Grain Uses Gene from People
to Protect Against Herbicides - [Science Daily] A human
gene that Japanese researchers have inserted into rice enables
the plant to break down a portfolio of chemicals now used
on farms to kill weeds. The unusual breadth of that herbicide
resistance could circumvent a major shortcoming of existing
genetically engineered crops and also open new avenues for
cleaning up contaminated soils.
Europe’s
ExoMars Rover: Steering A Course Toward Humans On Mars
- [Space.com] Future hunts for past or present life on Mars,
hauling back to Earth samples of martian rock and soil,
as well as setting the stage for a human voyage to the red
planet is taking on a decidedly European look.
Augmenting
the Animal Kingdom - [Wired] Natural evolution has produced
the eye, butterfly wings and other wonders that would put
any inventor to shame. But who's to say evolution couldn't
be improved with the help of a little technology?
Scientists
Create Animals that are Part-Human - [MSNBC] On a farm
about six miles outside this gambling town, Jason Chamberlain
looks over a flock of about 50 smelly sheep, many of them
possessing partially human livers, hearts, brains and other
organs.
Major
Advance Made on DNA Structure - [Science Daily] Oregon
State University researchers have made significant new advances
in determining the structure of all possible DNA sequences
-- a discovery that in one sense takes up where Watson and
Crick left off, after outlining in 1953 the double-helical
structure of this biological blueprint for life.
Newfound
Dinosaur Caught in Evolution Act - [MSNBC] All plant-eating
dinosaurs were ultimately descended from a meat-eater, and
switchovers to plant-eating occurred several times. The
newly discovered species, which lived 125 million years
ago, could help scientists understand details of how the
changeovers took place.
TECHNOLOGY
Return
of 3-D - And No Goofy Glasses - [Christian Science Monitor]
The digital world is essentially flat. Computers, TVs, movie
screens, even cellphones, display images in two dimensions.
But several latter-day Columbuses are trying to chart a
digital world in three dimensions. And they've made enough
progress that 3-D imaging -- once a laughable Hollywood
experiment - is reaching new levels of realism.
The
Coming Chip Revolution - [Business Week] Facing the
limits of silicon, scientists are turning to carbon nanotubes.
Look
for the Intelligent Label - [CIO Magazine] UK retailer
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is taking its ongoing pilot
with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to
the next level. Currently, the retail chain is testing the
benefits of using RFIDs to track inventory of men's suits
at nine stores. Next year, the company plans to extend its
effort to 53 stores.
Trapped
Cells Make Micromotors - [TRNmag] Researchers working
to make machines at the molecular scale are tapping a ready-made
source of motors -- biological cells.
Programmed
DNA Forms Fractal - [TRNmag] DNA Sierpinski triangles
show that there is no theoretical barrier to using molecular
self-assembly to carry out any kind of computing and nanoscale
fabrication.
Search
Battle Heads to Video - [Wired] In recent weeks, Yahoo,
Google and MSN have each rolled out services designed to
make it easier to upload or locate video online. The portals'
rollouts come as a handful of startups and independent film
sites are creating tools to make putting video online nearly
as simple as publishing text.
Six
Heads of State Propose European Digital Library - [American
Libraries] Following France’s call for European nations
to make their library collections available on the internet,
six European leaders have offered a proposal for what they
called a “European digital library.”
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
IBM
to Axe 13,000 Jobs Worldwide - [BBC] Computer giant
IBM will cut 13,000 jobs worldwide, or about 4% of its total
workforce, as part of a restructuring aimed at boosting
profits.
Greenspan:
Budget Deficits Pose Danger - [ABC News] On the same
day that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan issued
a fresh warning about the dangers of bloated budget deficits,
Congress considered new tax breaks for the energy industry
and an $81 billion measure to pay for US military operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Local
Search Services Tap Social Networks - [eWeek] Local
search is going social as a pair of startups launch services
based on relationship-aware referrals and reviews rather
than standard business listings.
Space
Tourism Industry to Run 'Like Fast-Food Franchises'
- [New Scientist] Space pioneer Burt Rutan foresees space
tourism companies running like a fast-food franchises, with
his company licensing spacecraft to tour operators. But
he says he may have trouble cutting through federal regulations
to get there.
More
Foreigners Investing in American Real Estate - [MSNBC]
There's a new group of buyers in the US real estate market:
foreigners. A weak dollar and relatively low mortgage rates
have turned houses and other real property into the investment
of choice for a growing number of people from other countries.
US
May Bring Back 30-Year Treasury Bond - [ABC News] The
30-year Treasury bond may be making a comeback. The Bush
administration, which had stopped selling the bonds in October
2001, said on Wednesday that it was seriously considering
bringing them back as the government faces the need to finance
record budget deficits.
Breakthrough
in Free Trade Talks - [BBC] The World Trade Organisation
has moved a step closer to freeing up global trade after
agreeing a tariff structure for agricultural imports.
SOCIETY
Teens
becoming 'Generation Rx' - [CNN] About one in five teenagers
have tried prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and
OxyContin to get high, with the pill-popping members of
"Generation Rx" often raiding their parents' medicine
cabinets, according to a study by the Partnership for a
Drug-Free America.
Far
Apart but Intensely Connected - [Wired] Julia Steinmetz
and Michael Mandiberg live on opposite sides of the United
States, but are in constant contact -- courtesy of their
unlimited cell-phone plan. The couple spends hours "together"
each day, talking, messaging and, yes, even sleeping on
the phone.
Heirloom
Vegetables Rooted in Rich History - [Lawrence Journal-World]
Interest in raising heirloom produce in home gardens, or
buying it from farmers markets, appears to be increasing
nationwide.
Women
'To Be Richer Sex by 2025' - [BBC] Women will be richer
than men by 2025 and own 60% of the UK's personal wealth,
a new study suggests.
Ad
Execs Want to Track Every Move - [Wired] Marketers are
testing new techniques to measure whether advertisers' messages
are getting across, and they are prepared to spend vast
sums and deploy astonishingly complex technologies to do
so.
Mixed
Roots: Science Looks at Family Trees - [Christian Science
Monitor] Among the many spinoffs from the 2003 completion
of the Human Genome Project - a government-funded effort
to sequence and map all the human genes - is a new ancestry
industry. Companies are using DNA markers passed from generation
to generation to let people peer into the past to learn
their genetic roots.
HIV
is 'Out of Control' in India - [BBC] A senior Aids expert
has warned that HIV in India is "out of control".
The executive director of the Global Fund to Fight Aids
said that the epidemic in India is spreading rapidly and
nothing is being done to stop it.
GLOBAL POLITICS
The
French Connection: Will a 'No' Vote from France Cause Europe
to Fall Apart? - [Wharton Public Policy] 'Oui' or 'Non'?
That's the question French voters will face on May 29 in
a referendum on a constitution that would encompass the
25 countries of the European Union.
Global
Poll Shows Preference for Europe Over US in World Affairs
- [VOA] A new public opinion poll taken in 23 nations around
the globe shows people in many countries would prefer that
Europe become more influential than the United States in
world affairs. Analysts say the results reflect resentment
that the United States is the world's sole superpower and
continued opposition to the conflict in Iraq.
‘The
Challenge for India is to Move Up Its Value Chain Further’
- [Financial Times] Though the slow, but steady emergence
of countries like China in mainstream offshore outsourcing
is happening, India is a long way ahead and continues to
grow fast as large global players want to take advantage
of Indian offshore models with their own operations coupled
with the Indian players’ capabilities to move up the
value chain quickly.
US
Figures Show Sharp Global Rise In Terrorism - [Washington
Post] The number of serious international terrorist incidents
more than tripled last year, according to US government
figures, a sharp upswing in deadly attacks that the State
Department has decided not to make public in its annual
report on terrorism due to Congress this week.
EU
Warns China on Textile Exports - [BBC] The European
Union has called on China to reduce its clothing exports
to Europe or else face enforced limits.
Apocalypse
Soon - [Foreign Policy] Robert McNamara is worried.
He knows how close we’ve come. His counsel helped the
Kennedy administration avert nuclear catastrophe during
the Cuban Missile Crisis. Today, he believes the United
States must no longer rely on nuclear weapons as a foreign-policy
tool. To do so is immoral, illegal, and dreadfully dangerous.
We
Are Taiwanese, We Are Chinese - [World Press] As China
continues to demand that Taiwan be recognized as domestic
property, most experts agree that the island, which houses
East Asia’s most stable democracy, will soon have to
surrender to the geopolitical laws of gravity or commit
itself, once and for all, to a determined trajectory, one
that holds some hope of complete sovereignty.
ENVIRONMENT
Unwittingly,
Earth Becomes a Lab - [Christian Science Monitor] Every
day we conduct unwitting experiments on our home in the
universe. We clear land and dam waters, remove species and
introduce new ones. Sometimes the effects are benign; sometimes
they're dangerous. What's scary is that we don't have the
extensive ecological research to be able to tell the difference.
End
of the Wild - [ZNet] For the past several billion years
evolution on Earth has been driven by small-scale incremental
forces such as sexual selection, punctuated by cosmic-scale
disruptions -- plate tectonics, planetary geochemistry,
global climate shifts, and even extraterrestrial asteroids.
Sometime in the last century that changed. Today the guiding
hand of evolution is unmistakably human, with earth-shattering
consequences.
Environmental
Heresies - [Technology Review] "Over the next ten
years, I predict, the mainstream of the environmental movement
will reverse its opinion and activism in four major areas:
population growth, urbanization, genetically engineered
organisms, and nuclear power."
Experts
Seek Efficient Use of Water for Food Security - [Financial
Times] Experts from four leading global research institutes,
in a joint study, have said that unless steps are taken
to improve efficient use of water, the world may need twice
the level of current water consumption to feed a population
of about nine billion in 2050.
Seabed
Supplies a Cure for Global Warming Crisis - [Guardian]
Scientists say they have found the solution to the global
warming crisis. They want to bury it. They believe millions
of tonnes of carbon dioxide could be dumped under the bed
of the North Sea to reduce atmospheric warming.
Greenhouse
Gas Market to Slow Global Warming - [CNN] Greenhouse
gases are being bought and sold on the open market by countries
concerned about climate change. The Kyoto Protocol, an international
treaty to curb global warming, created the market in greenhouse
gases to reduce emissions of methane, carbon dioxide and
other gasses heating up the planet. The trade has gained
steam since the Kyoto treaty entered into effect this February.
DNA
Fingerprints for Ecosystem Heath - [Sci-Tech Today]
US researchers said it is possible to determine the health
of an ecosystem just by analyzing the DNA of microbes living
in it.
THE FUTURE
2050:
Twelve Predictions for What May Come - [FinancialPlanning.com]
Given the ever-changing nature of the world, the potential
accuracy of a prediction has a tendency to drop in inverse
proportion to the distance between present and future. But
here are a dozen possibilities about what the world may
be like forty-five years from now -- and what those changes
may mean for you.
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