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New light on evolution...
By comparing human, mouse, rat, cow, pig,
dog, cat and horse chromosomes, American researchers have
found that evolutionary change tends to occur at hotspots
in the genetic code -- rather than randomly, as was previously
believed. Chromosomes have a greater tendency to break in
these places, producing changes in the DNA sequence. Fragments
of the genetic code can even move between chromosomes. The
researchers found that chromosomal evolution accelerated
dramatically about 65 million years ago, at the time of
the extinction of the dinosaurs. They reported that genetic
abnormalities associated with human cancer also tend to
be located at these hotspots, although the link between
cancer and the hotspots is not yet known.
Society in silicon...
A consortium of European research institutes
plans to create a society of virtual agents on a network
of 50 computers, watching to see what evolves. Each agent
will have mobility, and the capability to build simple structures.
It will also be able to communicate and cooperate with others.
Researchers expect that the agents may evolve their own
language and culture. Work is currently underway to develop
the technology required to maintain and visualize this virtual
world.
A breakthrough in quantum computing...
Physicists at the
University of Basel in Switzerland have imagined a new device
that would allow quantum computers to be made out of silicon.
Analogous to the transistor, the device -- called a 'spin-parity
meter' -- could be used as a building block to construct
quantum circuitry. While it has not yet been made, scientists
are excited. "With a spin-parity meter in hand,"
says physicist Jose Carlos Egues, at the University of Sao
Paulo in Brazil, "quantum computing could be just around
the corner."
Using microbes to create hydrogen...
Researchers at Stanford University have
found a soil microorganism that uses energy from sunlight
to split water and create hydrogen. It is anaerobic, and
dies when exposed to large concentrations of oxygen. The
research team is working to create a genetic strain of the
organism that will survive when exposed to the atmosphere.
The ultimate objective is to use it to manufacture hydrogen
biologically as an alternative fuel source.
Asian growth...
Data from the International Iron & Steel
Institute shows that steel production is growing rapidly
in Asia, while it is falling in the rest of the world. Production
grew by 20% in Asia last year. It increased by 32% in China,
and by 17% in India, in the first quarter of this year.
At the same time, output has dropped by 4% in Europe and
by 5% in the United States.
The Globalist reports that Samsung
-- a South Korean company that is the world's second largest
semiconductor manufacturer after Intel -- increased its
sales by 53% last year. It has surpassed Motorola to occupy
second place in the global mobile phone market. South Korea,
The Globalist says, is a major supplier to China,
chalking up a $29 billion trade surplus. It already graduates
half as many engineers as the United States, with only one-sixth
of the U.S. population.
The scramble for energy...
India imports 70% of its oil, EcoWorld
says, and demand for petroleum products is increasing by
5% each year. Little wonder then, that the country is pursuing
energy security. Its national Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
has already made equity investments in oil fields in Iraq,
Sudan, Libya, Angola, Burma, Sakhalin (in Russia), Vietnam,
Iran and Syria. EcoWorld says India is drawing closer
to a new 'energy axis' that is forming between Iran, Russia
and China. China and India, the magazine says, are starting
to appreciate their shared energy interests "against
the multinational corporations and Western governments,
who currently dominate the field."
The San Francisco Chronicle reports
that China's state oil company has investments in approximately
26 nations, including Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia,
Sudan, Syria, Korea and Azerbaijan. The author of the article
-- Richard D'Amato, chairman of the U.S.-China Economic
and Security Review Commission -- says China's recent bid
for the American firm Unocal was a "brazen energy grab."
D'Amato says China's economic growth accounts for approximately
40% of the increase in world demand for oil, and that diversion
of scarce energy resources to China will cause "severe
economic dislocations in the United States."
FutureThink...
This week we feature a new book by futurists
Edie Weiner and Arnold Brown, who share the techniques
they use in their consulting practice, showing us how to
think more clearly about the future. FutureThink
is a great read. It describes patterns of change, the major
forces creating change in the world today, and ways to increase
our level of awareness.
David Forrest
we welcome your comments and feedback at mail@innovationwatch.com
SCIENCE
Multi-Species
Genome Comparison Sheds New Light on Evolution - [RxPG
News] An international team that includes researchers from
the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has discovered
that mammalian chromosomes have evolved by breaking at specific
sites rather than randomly as long thought --and that many
of the breakage hotspots are also involved in human cancer.
Chronic
Fatigue Gene Signs Found - [Turkish Weekly] Scientists
believe they have pinpointed biological markers of chronic
fatigue syndrome which could help develop a test and treatment
for the condition. CFS, or ME, makes people feel extremely
tired, and can cause weakness, headaches, and disrupted
sleep.
Collapsed
Ice Shelf Exposes Life - [Wired] An expansive ecosystem
of knee-high mud volcanoes, snowy microbial mats and flourishing
clam communities lies beneath the collapsed Larsen Ice Shelf
in Antarctica, say researchers.
Simulated
Society May Generate Virtual Culture - [New Scientist]
Virtual computer characters more accustomed to battling
deranged alien monsters are about to take part in a unique
social experiment. A society of virtual "agents”
-- each with a remarkably realistic personality and the
ability to learn and communicate -- is being crafted by
scientists from five European research institutes who hope
to gain insights into the way human societies evolve.
Has
Huygens Found Life on Titan? - [New Scientist] Titan's
atmosphere is about 5 per cent methane, and Chris McKay
of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffet Field, California,
thinks that some of it could be coming from methanogens,
or methane-producing microbes. Now he and Heather Smith
of the International Space University in Strasbourg, France,
have worked out the likely diet of such organisms on Titan.
Lost
Civilization Throws New Light on Origins of Chinese Culture
- [Manilla Times] Day after sweltering day on the banks
of the Modi stream, archeologists are dealing shattering
blows to traditional views of Chinese history as they work
their way through the parched, yellow earth.
Huge
Spy Satellite Set to Launch to Mars - [New Scientist]
NASA is preparing to launch the largest spacecraft ever
sent to Mars. The behemoth will skim relatively close to
the Red Planet's surface -- beaming back more data than
all previous missions combined -- and scout out landing
sites for future Mars missions.
TECHNOLOGY
Quantum
Computers Go for a Spin - [Nature] Two physicists have
come up with an idea that could crack the as yet unsolved
problem of how to build a quantum computer, a device that
would make a conventional supercomputer look like a Palm
Pilot.
Mini
Robot Mimics Cockroaches - [C|NET] Scientists in Lausanne,
Switzerland, have successfully infiltrated a colony of roaches
with a micro robot that has enough intricacies to interact
with the world's most resilient insect, according to a report
published in the June issue of IEEE Robotics & Automation.
Stanford
Project Mixes Darwin with Hydrogen - [C|NET] Researchers
at Stanford University, led by chemical engineering professor
James Swartz, have discovered a soil microorganism that
absorbs photons and subsequently metabolizes the energy
to split water, a chemical reaction that produces hydrogen.
Wi-Fi
in the Sky - [PC World] Boeing has launched streaming
television delivered straight to your laptop as part of
its Connexion by Boeing high-speed Internet service. The
video service will debut on Singapore Airlines, and lets
passengers watch CNBC, BBC, Eurosport News, and either MSNBC
(if you're flying in the United States) or Euronews (if
you're abroad).
Robo-Sapiens
Rising - [Macleans] Sony, Honda and others are spending
millions to put a robot in your home.
Homemade
- [IEEE Spectrum] By giving everyone the means of production,
personal fabrication systems could usher in a new age of
customization.
Blogging
+ Video = Vlogging - [Wired] It was inevitable: Bloggers
who previously wrote endlessly about everything from politics
to tech tips to how to fry an egg on a hot sidewalk can
now take their commentary, advice and random experiments
to the next level by filming and broadcasting their work,
thanks to the latest web trend -- video blogging.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Is
There Method in Microsoft's Security Buys? - [C|NET]
While Microsoft's latest deals show it's committed to building
its security muscle, some analysts say the company needs
to focus on a clearer and more productive strategy.
Steel
Output Shines 20% in Asia, But Dulls Globally - [Economic
Times] The latest data for June ’05 from International
Iron & Steel Institute shows that steel production growth
is getting concentrated in Asia while the rest of the world
shows a decline in steel output.
Age
of Abundance Demands Innovation - [Globe and Mail] 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.
Ecosystem
Considerations Make Businesses More Competitive - [World
Business Council for Sustainable Development] James Griffiths
of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
commends the newly launched report, Ecosystems and Human
Well-being: Opportunities and Challenges for Business and
Industry.
Podcasting:
Can This New Medium Make Money? - [Wharton Managing
Technology] Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh and his
nemesis, Al Franken, are podcasting. As are ESPN, former
MTV video jockey Adam Curry and thousands of others. Podcasting,
a way to broadcast audio over the Internet, has become the
latest web movement to get everyone's attention.
Designed
for Loving - [Business Week] As consumers grow increasingly
accustomed to products that look good and work well, market-leading
companies and their design teams must provide something
more -- well-designed customer experiences that evoke emotional
attachment. The global advertising agency Saatchi &
Saatchi has put its finger on this new competitive standard
by stating that the future belongs to products and services
with "love marks" -- emotional connections that
go beyond brand loyalty.
Reach
Out and Call Someone…Again - [Darwin] We’ve
become so accustomed to depending on e-mail that we not
only use it to communicate with colleagues and friends across
the globe, but also with those who are within “indoor
voice” distance... What could be more efficient? There
is a price for this efficiency, however.
SOCIETY
Pressure
on US to Use More Surveillance - [ABC News] Pressure
is building for greater use of video cameras to keep watch
over the nation's cities particularly in transportation
systems and other spots vulnerable to terrorism after the
bombings in London.
Urban
Rise, Rural Demise - [Deutsche Welle] In 1800, a mere
2 percent of the world population lived in urban areas.
Granted, the 21st century is denser, but nonetheless, urban
living has now reached an all time high, and there seems
to be no turning back.
Europe's
Culture Clash - [Boston Globe] If Europe is to weather
the challenge of accommodating an ever greater proportion
of Muslims, many of whom do not want to abandon their distinct
values and traditions, majorities and minorities will both
have to change their ways.
Sweden's
'Marriage Lite' Gets Closer Examination - [USA Today]
The rise of cohabitation in the USA has prompted those who
track the state of American marriages and families to take
a closer look at Sweden, where unmarried, opposite-sex partners
routinely live together.
Re-Defining
Libraries for the Google Age - [eGov Monitor] Lynne
Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, writes
that a national digital research collection is essential
for the UK’s future innovation and economic growth.
A
Lever Long Enough to Move the World - [Fast Company]
Bill Drayton is founder and chief executive of a group called
Ashoka. It is not hyperbolic to call Ashoka this century's
(much better) version of the United Way, and Drayton the
most important innovator of any sort out there -- a seer
who has correctly predicted the rise of the "citizen
sector" in the past two decades and an audacious visionary
of what will yet come.
Trapped
in the Poverty Cycle - [The Standard] The rich-poor
divide is greater than before 1949. Last month, Beijing
announced it has widened in the first three months of the
year, with the richest 10 percent of the population controlling
45 percent of the country's wealth, and the poorest 10th
holding little more than 1 percent.
GLOBAL POLITICS
US
Schools Lack Adequate Chinese Language Skills - [CNN]
US schools lack resources and teachers to meet the demand
for Chinese language and culture studies, despite the growing
importance of China's economic and political relationship
with the United States, according to a study released by
the Asia Society.
Managing
a Ménage à Trois - [International Herald
Tribune] Washington's current courtship of New Delhi takes
place against the backdrop of a similar Sino-Indian entente,
as well as thickening U.S.-China ties.
China's
Global Bid for Energy - [San Francisco Chronicle] China's
economy has grown dramatically -- 9 percent in 2004 and
more than 8 percent in 2005 -- and its government is eager
to feed its economy and its upwardly mobile 1.8 billion
people with natural resources that it does not currently
possess.
Our
Place in the World: Global Forces Alter US Economy -
[Seattle Post-Intelligencer] The war on terror is so visually
dramatic that its gruesome headlines and sound bites actually
limit our view of the larger world. In fact, those life-and-death
themes often mask an otherwise mustard-or-mayo complacency
about broader, even revolutionary change.
India's
Energy Future - [EcoWorld] Now
importing over 70% of her oil, India registered a trade
deficit in 2004 for the first time in several years. In
searching for more oil India must navigate global markets
that point her towards an emerging energy-trading bloc comprising
Russia, Iran and China. India has also forged new partnerships
with Burma and Venezuela, strengthened ties with Middle
Eastern nations, and explored unprecedented economic cooperation
with Pakistan.
The
South Korean Firehose - [Globalist] Some think of South
Korea as a developing country -- an "Asian tiger"
defended by 30,000 US troops and locked in a tense standoff
with its counterpart to the North. But Clyde Prestowitz
says that stereotype could not be further from the truth.
As he contends, a trip to South Korea proves that the country
is relentless in its drive to the top of the tech world.
US
Right Turns on Blair for Being 'Soft on Terror' - [Telegraph]
The American Right, for four years a fount of rapturous
praise for Tony Blair, is showing signs of falling out of
love with Britain over what it sees as its soft and ineffective
record on terrorism.
ENVIRONMENT
Disaster
Losses Spur Eco-Debate - [Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]
As head of the “geo risks” division at Munich
Re, the world’s largest insurer of insurance companies,
Peter Hoeppe sizes up the threat of tropical cyclones, floods
and tsunamis like a Las Vegas oddsmaker tries to pick the
winner of the Super Bowl. And increasingly, Hoeppe’s
biggest worry is not when the fabled big one will shake
California or the next Hurricane Andrew will steamroll Florida.
It’s global warming, which he believes already is costing
the $3 trillion insurance industry.
GM
Crops Created Superweed, Say Scientists - [Guardian]
Modified genes from crops in a GM crop trial have transferred
into local wild plants, creating a form of herbicide-resistant
"superweed", the Guardian reveals.
Helping
China's Environment Will Help the World - [David Suzuki
Foundation] China is the most populous nation on the planet
-- home to 1.3 billion souls -- yet, economically, it's
just waking up. How China handles its burgeoning economy
and how the developed world deals with China's rapid industrialization
will have a profound impact on the planet.
Why
Not 'Sustainability Fundamentals' in Corporate Reporting?
- [GreenBiz] One cannot imagine the financial markets functioning
without public disclosure of financial fundamentals in a
form that allows for benchmarking with competitors. Yet
investors who wish to take a longer-term view of risk and
consider sustainability performance are left hanging. And
without key performance indicators, sustainability performance
will never improve.
Body
Burden -- The Pollution in Newborns - [Environmental
Working Group] In a study spearheaded by the Environmental
Working Group in collaboration with Commonweal, researchers
at two major laboratories found an average of 200 industrial
chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10
babies born in August and September of 2004 in US hospitals.
Easy,
Breezy, Beautiful - [Grist Magazine] For small-scale
wind turbines to be a practical option, you need at least
half an acre of land in a wind-rich area.
Toyota
Plans Ways to Make Hybrid Models Stand Out - [USA Today]
Toyota is planning more prominent emblems on its gas-electric
hybrid SUVs in a new belief that owners want others to know
of their environmental consciousness.
THE FUTURE
Eco-Designs
on Future Cities - [BBC] Imagining what our cities will
look like in the future has long been a favourite pastime
of the Hollywood movie industry. Ask a gathering of leading
thinkers in the worlds of architecture and design, and you
get a rather different picture.
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