In a recent post, I raged about Sydney staging New Year’s Eve fireworks when so much of Australia is burning. This is a fantastic alternative for New Year’s Eve 2020 and beyond:
My thanks to Carol Cooks 2 for bringing this amazing video clip/technology to my attention.
cheers
Meeks
Apologies for the flurry of posts, but the diamonds are jumping out at me this week. Even if you don’t like ballet, please watch this:
Ignore the hype and just watch what the human body, and spirit, can do.
Meeks
The world is quickly abandoning coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels. But that’s not the end of the road for coal mines—in many countries they’re coming back to life as solar farms. Over the weekend, the world’s biggest floating solar project began operating in the eastern Chinese city of Huainan, which accounted for nearly 20%…
via Dead coal mines everywhere are being reincarnated as solar farms — Quartz
Originally posted on Climate Denial Crock of the Week: India charging ahead on renewables. Vying with China for global leadership in the growth industry of the new century. Meanwhile, Washington looks longingly to the 19th century. Watch for new video on this topic coming very soon. Meanwhile, Denmark has decided to offload oil interests, and…
India is surging ahead with renewables because the India government recognizes that renewables will be cheaper in the long run than fossil fuels. China is doing the same, and both countries are positioned to become the power houses of industry in the coming decades.
But where does that leave Australia? Fumbling in the dark, that’s where. We could have become world leaders in solar technology, but the lack of political vision and will sent our innovative companies offshore, and now we import the technology from…China.
All that potential, wasted, because our politicians are ‘scared’ of upsetting the apple cart. So instead of leading, we follow, and in the process, we get left further and further behind.
Ten years ago, the Australia people voted with their wallets when they installed record numbers of rooftop solar panels. But instead of rewarding us, successive governments have tried to slow or stop small scale solar altogether.
And then there’s Adani…taxpayer dollars to fund the hope of short term gain. Pathetic.
Meeks
I first read about capsule accommodation in the 1970s when the first one opened in Japan. The amenities were pretty basic and that memory informed the creation of ‘short term transit pods’ in Innerscape. But time moves on, and the humble, claustrophobic pod has become high tech, finding takers in some of the world’s largest, and not so large, cities.
If you follow the link below it will take you to an article about the new pod hostel that opened in Mumbai, India. The photos look quite amazing with push button everything:
The article also gives a nod to the ‘Tiny Homes’ movement which I’ve featured before. And just in case you thought this could not happen in your city, think again. Pod hostels have now sprung up in China, Iceland and…ta dah…Australia, amongst others. You can find some interesting titbits in the video clip right at the end of the article.
I’m still not sure if I’d be able to lock myself in and sleep in a pod, but I’d love to try one on for size…just for fun. Then, I’d traipse off to a nice big hotel room and thank my stars I can afford it. 🙂
cheers
Meeks
I was going to post a recipe for plum cake, but then I found this video clip on Quartz. What can I say? I like robots. 🙂
So, this from China:
And this from…?
But I saved the best till last – the Teslasuit. It’s a full body haptic suit. For gamers to wear in conjunction with a VR headset.
The Teslasuit doesn’t exist…yet…but there’s a Kickstarter campaign to turn it into reality.
Apologies, I was wrong – the Teslasuit does already exist and it’s being enhanced by its developers. This is what the still image looks like:
And these are two video clips that show it actually working:
There is also another video clip but you need Flash to play it and I don’t use Flash anymore. But for those that do, here it is:
http://www.bbc.com/specialfeatures/horizonsbusiness/seriessix/sharper-senses/?vid=p03xnpch
And finally, you can go to the website for even more information :
I am seriously excited!
Meeks
I wouldn’t be much of a sci-fi writer if I didn’t keep up with technology, so I’ve had a love affair with 3D printing since I first heard about it, but the technology is changing so fast, I’m constantly being surprise. This is my surprise for the day:
Those are actual, standard sized structures, printed by huge machines. But, as if that were not surprise enough, the material used to build them is made out of a combination of industrial waste and cement, so it’s recycling on top of everything else.
Colour me gobsmacked.
The video below is an animation of how the process is supposed to work:
The video goes for almost five minutes, but the music is pretty and I couldn’t stop watching. I work with words, ideas and computers, so I’m fascinated by this technology, but I can’t help wondering about those whose jobs will be made obsolete by 3D printing. What of them?
If I had a crystal ball, I’d say that some of the manual workers of the world will become artisan crafts people – I think there will always be a demand for crafts – but only a small percent of builders and brickies labourers will be able to make that transition. What of the rest?
I think our whole way of thinking about work is going to have to change. Any thoughts?
cheers
Meeks
As a science fiction writer, I’m always on the lookout for unusual and innovative technology, and this ‘straddling bus’ ticks both of those boxes for me. Sadly,…it may not be sci-fi for very much longer. 🙂
Happy Sunday,
Meeks
“Apple announced Thursday that its China operations are now 100 percent powered by renewable energy, leaving it carbon neutral in the country. That brings them in line with its U.S. operations, which are likewise run off 100 percent renewable energy.
Worldwide, Apple says its operations are now 87 percent green…”
Read the rest of this Venturebeat article here:
https://wordpress.com/read/post/feed/26908997/841304834
I don’t particularly like Apple the company, or any of the Apple products. I don’t even like iTunes very much. But. I. Do. Like.Their. Position. On. Climate. Change.
I also admire the fact that one of the biggest, most popular companies in the world is putting its money where it’s mouth is. Now if only governments worldwide could do the same.
cheers
Meeks
p.s. Would you believe this is my 700th post? I know. Me neither.
Okay, as a future geek and sci-fi-phile, how could I resist this?
I notice thought that a human is sweeping the floor. Hmmm…..
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