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Making hydrogen work...
Physics Today publishes a detailed
exploration of issues and opportunities in developing a
hydrogen economy. Scientists George Crabtree, Mildred Dresselhaus
and Michelle Buchanan look at alternatives for hydrogen
production, storage and use; discuss the economics of current
technologies; and describe fundamental breakthroughs that
will be required to actually realize the promise of hydrogen
as an alternative fuel.
Perhaps most intriguing, the article discusses
the potential for sunlight to be converted directly into
hydrogen, through reactions that are reminiscent of photosynthesis.
"Bio-inspired processes offer stunning opportunities,"
the authors say, "to approach the hydrogen production
problem anew." Success in creating a hydrogen economy,
they say, will depend on many fundamental advances in chemistry,
physics, and materials science.
Jaron Lanier's restless mind...
Arnie Cooper interviews virtual reality
pioneer Jaron Lanier -- computer scientist, software engineer,
visual artist, writer and musician -- in a wide-ranging
article on the relationship between people and computers.
Lanier talks about the origins of virtual reality, his hope
that it will improve contact and communication between people,
and his disagreement with those who are now beginning to
see the computer as a sentient being. "I'm worried
that the technologies of the future will be created by people
I call 'cybernetic totalists'...," Lanier says. "They
believe there isn't any real difference between people and
computers, that the human brain is just a better computer
than the ones you can currently buy from Apple or Dell."
The new mainstream...
In his book, The New Mainstream,
Guy Garcia writes about a revolution that is now transforming
the United States -- a gigantic wave of multiculturalism,
driven by immigration and changing demographics. By 2050,
he says, non-Anglos will make up almost half of the U.S.
population. The buying power of Latinos is now equivalent
to the GNP of Mexico.
"As a group," Garcia says, "the
nation's non-Anglo consumers purchase more goods than the
general population, are more brand loyal, and collectively,
represent other important new social patterns, influencing
everything from images in advertising to attitudes about
religion, family, education and the afterlife." Diversity
is the key to the future, he says. The United States is
becoming a nation of many nations.
Twice as many workers...
Richard Freeman writes in The Globalist
that the world labor force has doubled in the last 15
years. In 1980, he says, the workforce comprised approximately
960 million people -- predominantly in the developed countries,
Africa and Latin America. The number of workers in these
countries increased to 1.46 billion by 2000. At the same
time, an additional 1.47 billion workers entered the world
labor pool from China, India and the ex-Soviet Union. These
new entrants have contributed little additional capital,
Freeman says, placing great pressure on world labor markets.
"Mexico, Columbia or South Africa cannot
compete with China in manufacturing, as long as Chinese
wages are one-quarter or so of theirs..." And even
workers in developed countries are feeling the heat. "China
and India are producing millions of college graduates,"
he says, "capable of doing the same work as the college
graduates of the United States, Japan or Europe -- at much
lower pay." Experts expect that digital work -- about
10% of employment in the United States -- will be off-shored
to highly educated low-wage workers in other countries.
Going nuclear...
Executive Intelligence Review asked
engineer James Muckerheide to describe how nuclear energy
could be used to meet world energy needs. Business-as-usual,
Muckerheide says, means international conflict over scarce
oil and gas supplies, environmental pollution, rising energy
costs, and the real possibility of economic collapse due
to energy shortages. These challenges will only increase,
he says, with growing energy demands in the developing world.
Muckerheide believes that nuclear energy
is the answer, but he estimates that some 6,000 new nuclear
plants will be needed by 2050. The challenge in achieving
these numbers is immense, he says, given that only about
6 units are now being built in the world each year. He proposes
an all-out global effort in power plant design, production
and construction to meet these goals. Uranium mining would
also have to be ramped up, he says, to create the required
fuel. He describes the initiative as "an enormous project
to salvage the world energy lifeline."
And more...
MSNBC reports that Norway will create a
seed bank on the Svalbard Islands to help preserve the world's
genetic heritage. Stored in Arctic conditions, the seeds
will be protected from climate change and other hazards,
providing a "safety net for the world's food supplies."
Norway will operate the new facility like a bank vault,
where any country will be able to make deposits and withdrawals.
Norway is an ideal location, Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Wera Helstroem says, because it has a "stable society
and democracy."
David Forrest
we welcome your comments and feedback at mail@innovationwatch.com
SCIENCE
The
Hydrogen Economy - [Physics Today] If the fuel cell
is to become the modern steam engine, basic research must
provide breakthroughs in understanding, materials, and design
to make a hydrogen-based energy system a vibrant and competitive
force.
Coming
In Out of the Cold: Cold Fusion, For Real - [Christian
Science Monitor] After the 1989 announcement of fusion in
a bottle, so to speak, and the subsequent retraction, the
whole idea of cold fusion seemed a bit beyond the pale.
But that's all about to change.
Science
Sees 30 Years into NASA Future - [SunHerald] At NASA's
request, scientists have given the space agency a detailed
wish list of missions they hope to see conducted over the
next 30 years.
In
the Future, Will Alzheimer's Exist? - [MSNBC] About
4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and
it is predicted to strike 14 million by 2050 as the population
ages. Currently there are treatments available that target
the symptoms, but one experimental drug is actually working
to slow the underlying disease process.
Science
Moving Closer to Plague Vaccine - [RedNova] American
scientists say they've taken a step toward developing a
vaccine against the plague, an ancient disease that could
pose a new threat in the age of bioterrorism.
This
is the Dawning of the Age of Planet Detection - [RedNova]
Astronomers may not have spotted an Earth-like planet yet.
But they're closing in, says Michel Mayor of Switzerland's
Geneva Observatory.
How
the Universe Got its Hydrogen Pairs - [Nature] A computer
model has made progress in solving an astronomical mystery:
why is so much hydrogen in the Universe paired up into molecules
instead of existing as single atoms? The secret is simple.
It comes down to the fact that space dust is probably bumpy
rather than smooth.
TECHNOLOGY
Dancing
Robot is Strictly Ballroom - [CNN] Developed by scientists
at Tokhuro University, the Partner Ballroom Dance Robot
(PBDR) is able to predict the steps of a human partner based
on body movement and react accordingly on its three wheels.
Japan
Unveils ‘Robot Suit’ to Enhance Human Power
- [Financial Express] Japan has taken a step into the science-fiction
world with the release of a ‘robot suit’ that
can help workers lift heavy loads or assist people with
disabilities climb stairs.
Voodoo
Electronics - [Utne Reader] A child prodigy whose playmates
were scientists and engineers, Jaron Lanier enrolled in
college at the age of 14 and dabbled in fine arts, music,
activism, goat herding, and midwifery. Then he stumbled
upon computer programming, and reality was forever changed
-- Lanier made it "virtual." Now, he thinks he
has the answer to the future of technology.
Nanotech
Researchers Develop High-Tech 'Smart Textile' - [PhysOrg]
Researchers at North Carolina State University are using
emerging breakthroughs in nanotechnology to develop layers
of "smart textiles" that will not only keep first
responders and the military safe without sacrificing comfort
or ease of use, but also may have numerous other widespread
uses.
'Cornell
Dots' Replace Quantum Dots for Biological Tagging, Imaging
and Optical Computing - [PhysOrg] By surrounding fluorescent
dyes with a protective silica shell, Cornell University
researchers have created fluorescent nanoparticles with
possible applications in displays, biological imaging, optical
computing, sensors and microarrays such as DNA chips.
X-Ray
Fingerprints - [ScienCentral] Scientists at Los Alamos
National Laboratory (LANL) are developing a tool that advances
fingerprint analysis by using x-ray technology and imaging
software to reveal not only print patterns, but their unique
chemical composition.
Robot
Guards Japanese Shops and Offices - [C|NET] In an idea
straight out of science fiction, robots could soon begin
patrolling Japanese offices, shopping malls and banks to
keep them safe from intruders. Equipped with a camera and
sensors, the 'Guardrobo D1', developed by Japanese security
firm Sohgo Security Services, is designed to patrol along
preprogrammed paths and keep an electronic eye out for signs
of trouble.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Prepare
Now for Changes to Come - [Computing] Nobody really
knows what the IT department of the future will look like.
Some experts say it won't exist, having been outsourced
entirely. Others say IT will be too fundamental not to retain
in-house expertise. Choose anywhere between the two extremes
and you can make a sound argument.
Crumpled
Proteins a New Frontier - [Boston Globe] In the biotechnology
field, venture capital money sometimes pours into start-ups
trying to commercialize promising research in fields like
protein misfolding and RNA interference, both of which attempt
to rip up the root causes of disease, rather than just hack
away at symptoms.
US
Refineries Straining - [Detroit Free Press] America's
unquenched thirst for gasoline is stretching the nation's
refineries to their limits. Even so, no refineries are likely
to be built soon, and that helps ensure that gas prices
will stay high as America becomes increasingly dependent
on foreign-made gasoline.
Age
of Abundance Requires Innovation - [TechNewsWorld] You
might have the best team with the best of innovation, but
there are these overly diluted markets out there, glutted
with look-alike brands and identical services. The challenge
is to fine-tune a marketing process that will not only re-energize
the production but produce a shaper edge in design, quality
and value, and build a unique iconic identity.
HR
Must Abandon Hope or Become 'Human Remains' - [MSNBC]
HR professionals must face up to the reality of the global
trends that have changed the role of HR if they are to avoid
becoming ‘human remains.'
McCain
Bill Would Help Municipal Wi-Fi - [InternetNews] Municipal
Wi-Fi supporters gained a powerful ally today as Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation promoting local
governments' rights to launch wireless networks in direct
competition to incumbent carriers.
Wikis,
Weblogs and RSS: What Does the New Internet Mean for Business?
- [Wharton Managing Technology] The Internet may be entering
a new phase that will decentralize control inside companies,
enable employees to collaborate more easily, and drive efficiency.
But corporations that want to use the web strategically
to build corporate value will not just need to make radical
cultural changes, they may also need to master a new vocabulary
with terms such as Wikis, Weblogs, and RSS.
SOCIETY
Lakeland,
Fla., Looks Like US in 2025 - [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
The politicians and power brokers of this central Florida
town don't like to acknowledge it, but underneath the manicured,
tree-lined surface lies the economy of an aging America's
future.
Asexual
Evolution - [Times Union] Individuals who don't follow
the standard script of sex and romance find they are not
alone.
Parents
Footing the Bill for Teenagers' High-tech Desires -
[Taipei Times] Until recently, most teenagers coveted sneakers
and jeans. But to keep their place in the modern social
hierarchy, they are pestering their parents for must-haves
that are expensive, high-tech and constantly in need of
upgrade.
Job
Sites Stress 'Insider' Angle - [Boston Globe] Social
networking sites for job-seekers are popping up all over
the Web. With names like LinkedIn, Ryze, Spoke Software,
and Tribe Networks, the sites boast the opportunity to link
users to ''insiders" with access to jobs, eliminating
anxiety-ridden cold calls.
The
New Mainstream - [Guerrilla News Network] In his new
book, The New Mainstream, journalist Guy Garcia explains
how a multicultural revolution is transforming the American
economy. The change, Garcia argues, is both subtle and seismic.
It is demographic and social, cutting across corporations
and organizations. It is putting a multicultural spin on
everything from business and politics to entertainment and
technology, and no amount of armed vigilantes on the Arizona
border can stop it.
Tomorrow's
Homes Must Be Flexible, Freewheeling and Full of Life
- [Detroit Free Press] Three powerful demographic forces
will shape housing in the future, determining who will buy
homes, where they'll buy them and what they will be like.
How
Japan Grew Bored With Love - [Mail & Guardian] Predictions
of population decline in the industrial world are nothing
new, but it is only now that Japan is taking seriously the
unfolding crisis.
GLOBAL POLITICS
Bangalored
in Beijing - [Sunday Express] After watching 8-lane
highways and digital maps of a 3000-year-old city, after
bumping into an architect who says he will build seven Chinese
cities in four years, Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani drives
home to Bangalore past ghostly girders of incomplete flyovers.
India
Today Group Launches Indian Edition of 'Scientific American'
- [Indian Television] The India Today Group launched the
Indian edition of Scientific American, the world’s
foremost and oldest science and technology magazine published
since 1845. In India, the title will
be known as Scientific American India and will bring
to its readers insightful analysis of the emerging trends
in the fields of science and technology and their relevance
to the daily lives of people.
The
Dangers Confronting China - [rediff.com] Current economic
projections -- such as the one by Goldman Sachs -- suggest
that by 2050 the hierarchy of the largest economies would
have China as the largest, followed by the USA, India, Japan,
Brazil and Russia. Such historic shift of power is not likely
to be smooth for a variety of reasons.
A
New Fuel Fix: Boon or Bane? - [Christian Science Monitor]
The US increases natural-gas imports to meet energy demands.
Will it create a new dependency?
Poor
Nations Win Improved EU Access - [Daily Telegraph] The
European Union granted developing nations improved market
access for a range of products today, putting aside wrangling
among its members over surging Asian textile imports.
The
Future of the Transatlantic Project - [The Globalist]
The United States and Europe are no longer united by the
common project of Germany and the challenges of the East-West
divide. What can take its place? Nicholas Burns -- US Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs -- maps out where
he sees a common purpose. In his view, the longtime allies
must now look outside their borders and expand their joint
mission internationally.
What
Really Ails Europe (and America): The Doubling of the Global
Workforce - [The Globalist] Most people still have not
come to grips with the most fundamental reality change in
the current era of globalization -- the fact that the global
labor force has virtually doubled in size in the last 15
years. Harvard University's Richard Freeman explores the
far-reaching consequences of the addition of countries like
China, India and the ex-Soviet Union to the global pool
of labor.
ENVIRONMENT
Some
Fear Catastrophe From Amazon Highway - [ABC News] Brazil's
government is preparing to let private companies embark
on a $417 million paving project to turn BR163 into a modern
two-lane toll highway stretching 1,100 miles, nearly the
distance between Philadelphia and Miami. That would link
Brazil's most important soy-growing region with a deep-water
Amazon River port.
New
Alchemists, Ocean Arks - [Christian Science Monitor]
"A Safe and Sustainable World" is a very readable
and competently researched accounting of two pioneering
ecological ventures, The New Alchemy Institute (NAI) and
Ocean Arks International.
China's
Cars on Road to Ruin? - [People and Planet] In 1990
there were just one million cars on Chinese roads. Fourteen
years later that number has rapidly risen to 12 million,
and this year alone a further 2.4 million new cars will
be added. In itself, that's a lot of new cars, but the figures
take on an altogether greater significance when you realise
where this trend might lead.
Decades
of Drought Predicted for Southern Africa - [AllAfrica]
Countries in the Sahel region of Africa will receive more
rainfall and floods, while southern Africa will experience
persistent drought in the coming decades, say researchers.
How
To Build 6,000 Nuclear Plants by 2050 - [Executive Intelligence
Review] EIR asked nuclear engineer James Muckerheide how
many nuclear plants would be needed to bring the world's
population up to a decent standard of living, and how to
do it. Here are his answers.
11
States Sue Over US Mercury Trading Plan - [MSNBC] Eleven
states sued the Bush administration to block new rules allowing
coal-burning utilities to trade rights to emit toxic mercury,
adding to other lawsuits challenging the regulations.
Global
Seed Bank Set for Arctic - [MSNBC] Using its natural
environment as a freezer of sorts, Norway has announced
it will create a seed bank on a remote Arctic island that
aims to preserve the genetic diversity on the planet.
THE FUTURE
Categorisers
are Second Guessing Future Trends - [Information World
Review] With more and more users tagging information with
their own terms, creating a taxonomic structure to keep
up with change is impossible.
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