Thursday, April 24, 2008
Future of Physics - Trends and Issues
It is not an easy time being a physicist.
On the one hand, the brightest career prospects appear to be in the field of computing and software, and on the other hand, making fundamental breakthroughs and discoveries is becoming more difficult by the day
But all is not doom. The biggest crisis we are facing today is the energy crisis and sciences such as physics are the key to delivering the right solutions. With this in mind, one can expect more money and brains to be employed in this.
So with these pros and cons, where is the science of physics heading? What are the trends and challenges? Can we expect more exciting breakthroughs from this science in the near future? This post @ Future of Engineering Blog looks at web resources discussing and debating the above points.
The Future of Physics David Gross, one of the winners of the 2004 Physics Nobel Prize, gave an interesting colloquium here at CERN, presenting his list of the 25 most important questions in physics. Listed below are some interesting
1 - The origin of the Universe
2 - The nature of Dark Matter
3 - The nature of Dark Energy
4 - The formation of structures in the Universe
5 - The validity of General Relativity
6 - The validity of Quantum Mechanics
Seven questions about the past, present and future of physics? What happens when you ask some of the world's leading physicists seven questions about the past, present and future of physics
Q1. What have been the three most important discoveries in physics
Q2. Which five physicists have made the most important contributions to physics
Q3. What is the biggest unsolved problem in your field
Q4. What is the biggest unsolved problem in the rest of physics
Q5. Would you study physics if you were starting university this year
Q6. If you were starting your research career in physics again, which areas of physics would you go into
Q7. Stephen Hawking has said that there is a 50-50 chance that we will find a complete unified theory in the next 20 years. Do you agree that the end of theoretical physics is in sight
A bleak future for physics - Physics undergraduates are fast becoming a dying breed. Only months after the internationally renowned chemistry department at the University of Sussex was given a last minute-reprieve, another university has confirmed it would axe a science department. The latest casualty is physics at Reading. In the past decade some 19 physics departments have merged or closed and it seems, even a strong research record is not enough to save a department.
The Future of Physics and Society - Many difficulties faced by physics as an 'institution' and as a subject in schools and universities. These difficulties do not arise from its own subject matter and in particular the conference affirmed that the subject is certainly not 'worked out.' Nevertheless, physics as an activity and as an academic subject does face problems and listed below are two such from the article. For many students, physics can seem remote from their everyday concerns. This is true also for the general public. This is in great measure because physics is abstract and lacks visualizable elements (particularly modern microscopic physics, with astrophysics an exception). This presents a problem for teachers and those communicating with the public. The fact that physics is essentially mathematical also presents special problems.
The future of physics A hundred years is a suspiciously round number. But if researchers at CERN, the European particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, turn out to be correct, it is exactly the period needed to build a model of how the universe works. Construction began in 1900 with Max Planck’s publication of the first incarnation of quantum theory. Since then, and particularly with the development of high-energy particle accelerators in the 1930s and 1940s, the structure of matter has been probed in greater and greater detail while theorists have sought to impose order on what has been discovered. The result of their labours, now known as the standard model, will be complete with the discovery of a particle called the Higgs boson. This would round off the 18-strong menagerie of fundamental, irreducible particles required by the model.
The Future of Condensed Matter Physics - The standard model of particle physics is extremely successful, but incomplete. Its mathematical structure suggests how it might be derived from a more comprehensive unified theory. The arguments are both aesthetic and quantitative. They predict specific new phenomena observable which will be observable at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Recent results on neutrino masses confirm and encourage this line of thought. Another problem within the standard model, the so-called strong CP problem, is one of a number of reasons to suspect the existence of a radically new class of very light, very weakly interacting particles. All these ideas have important implications for cosmology; in particular, they provide plausible, testable candidates for the ``dark matter''. For nuclear physics, the future is QCD. This theory opens new possibilities for understanding hadronic matter at extreme temperatures (as in the big bang, and at RHIC) and extreme density (as in neutron star interiors). Recent insights concerning color superconductivity are especially beautiful, and shed penetrating new light on the problem of quark confinement. Another lively frontier is the direct solution of the QCD equations using the full power of modern parallel computing. Other topics discussed are Astrophysics and Cosmology, Future of Physics in Biology The Future of String
Space-Time Physics and the Future of Time Travel - Human beings have always tried to explain the world around them. They have worked to organize it, to measure it, and to understand it. These efforts at understanding such basic concepts as space and time and light have led to many discoveries. In the last one hundred years many changes have been made to how we understand these concepts. You may not be able to move as quickly and easily through time as the hero of H.G. Well's Time Machine, but scientists have been able to understand how certain variables can affect time - to slow it down and speed it up - leading them to believe that it is possible that time travel may become possible. Before looking at time travel, an understanding of the terms and history are required. Space, time, and light have been studied and the definitions have evolved as research has advanced. Looking at these concepts as they have been explained through history will help us understand what may be possible in the future
Future Electroweak Physics - This document is the report of a working group established to evaluate the potential of an extended high p T physics program at the Tevatron Collider. The authors have found that, in addition to a complete program of top quark physics, there is a rich catalog of topical measurements and important discovery potential in many areas.
What is in the future for physics? - This page contains interesting questions and answers on the future of physics.
Predictions on the future of physics - A little over a century ago, the scientific community thought that all the questions physics were answered with the exception of one. They thought it would just be a matter of time before that question was solved using what was already known. That single, unanswered question led to an explosion of new questions and the birth of quantum mechanics. The field of physics has never been so fertile or chaotic. Physics is this century will focus on answering questions raised in the last, and will undoubtedly raise more questions. And just as in the last century, new understanding of physics will allow for new forms of technology. We may not have flying cars anytime soon (unfortunately), but we will have new tools at hand that we can hardly imagine.
World's top theoretical physicists converge to consider 'future of physics' - "The Future of Physics" is the subject of a singular conference being hosted by the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) from Oct. 7 to Oct. 9. Over 150 of the world's top theoretical physicists, including many Nobel laureates and the leaders of the various physics fields, are the participants.
On the one hand, the brightest career prospects appear to be in the field of computing and software, and on the other hand, making fundamental breakthroughs and discoveries is becoming more difficult by the day
But all is not doom. The biggest crisis we are facing today is the energy crisis and sciences such as physics are the key to delivering the right solutions. With this in mind, one can expect more money and brains to be employed in this.
So with these pros and cons, where is the science of physics heading? What are the trends and challenges? Can we expect more exciting breakthroughs from this science in the near future? This post @ Future of Engineering Blog looks at web resources discussing and debating the above points.
The Future of Physics David Gross, one of the winners of the 2004 Physics Nobel Prize, gave an interesting colloquium here at CERN, presenting his list of the 25 most important questions in physics. Listed below are some interesting
1 - The origin of the Universe
2 - The nature of Dark Matter
3 - The nature of Dark Energy
4 - The formation of structures in the Universe
5 - The validity of General Relativity
6 - The validity of Quantum Mechanics
Seven questions about the past, present and future of physics? What happens when you ask some of the world's leading physicists seven questions about the past, present and future of physics
Q1. What have been the three most important discoveries in physics
Q2. Which five physicists have made the most important contributions to physics
Q3. What is the biggest unsolved problem in your field
Q4. What is the biggest unsolved problem in the rest of physics
Q5. Would you study physics if you were starting university this year
Q6. If you were starting your research career in physics again, which areas of physics would you go into
Q7. Stephen Hawking has said that there is a 50-50 chance that we will find a complete unified theory in the next 20 years. Do you agree that the end of theoretical physics is in sight
A bleak future for physics - Physics undergraduates are fast becoming a dying breed. Only months after the internationally renowned chemistry department at the University of Sussex was given a last minute-reprieve, another university has confirmed it would axe a science department. The latest casualty is physics at Reading. In the past decade some 19 physics departments have merged or closed and it seems, even a strong research record is not enough to save a department.
The Future of Physics and Society - Many difficulties faced by physics as an 'institution' and as a subject in schools and universities. These difficulties do not arise from its own subject matter and in particular the conference affirmed that the subject is certainly not 'worked out.' Nevertheless, physics as an activity and as an academic subject does face problems and listed below are two such from the article. For many students, physics can seem remote from their everyday concerns. This is true also for the general public. This is in great measure because physics is abstract and lacks visualizable elements (particularly modern microscopic physics, with astrophysics an exception). This presents a problem for teachers and those communicating with the public. The fact that physics is essentially mathematical also presents special problems.
The future of physics A hundred years is a suspiciously round number. But if researchers at CERN, the European particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, turn out to be correct, it is exactly the period needed to build a model of how the universe works. Construction began in 1900 with Max Planck’s publication of the first incarnation of quantum theory. Since then, and particularly with the development of high-energy particle accelerators in the 1930s and 1940s, the structure of matter has been probed in greater and greater detail while theorists have sought to impose order on what has been discovered. The result of their labours, now known as the standard model, will be complete with the discovery of a particle called the Higgs boson. This would round off the 18-strong menagerie of fundamental, irreducible particles required by the model.
The Future of Condensed Matter Physics - The standard model of particle physics is extremely successful, but incomplete. Its mathematical structure suggests how it might be derived from a more comprehensive unified theory. The arguments are both aesthetic and quantitative. They predict specific new phenomena observable which will be observable at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Recent results on neutrino masses confirm and encourage this line of thought. Another problem within the standard model, the so-called strong CP problem, is one of a number of reasons to suspect the existence of a radically new class of very light, very weakly interacting particles. All these ideas have important implications for cosmology; in particular, they provide plausible, testable candidates for the ``dark matter''. For nuclear physics, the future is QCD. This theory opens new possibilities for understanding hadronic matter at extreme temperatures (as in the big bang, and at RHIC) and extreme density (as in neutron star interiors). Recent insights concerning color superconductivity are especially beautiful, and shed penetrating new light on the problem of quark confinement. Another lively frontier is the direct solution of the QCD equations using the full power of modern parallel computing. Other topics discussed are Astrophysics and Cosmology, Future of Physics in Biology The Future of String
Space-Time Physics and the Future of Time Travel - Human beings have always tried to explain the world around them. They have worked to organize it, to measure it, and to understand it. These efforts at understanding such basic concepts as space and time and light have led to many discoveries. In the last one hundred years many changes have been made to how we understand these concepts. You may not be able to move as quickly and easily through time as the hero of H.G. Well's Time Machine, but scientists have been able to understand how certain variables can affect time - to slow it down and speed it up - leading them to believe that it is possible that time travel may become possible. Before looking at time travel, an understanding of the terms and history are required. Space, time, and light have been studied and the definitions have evolved as research has advanced. Looking at these concepts as they have been explained through history will help us understand what may be possible in the future
Future Electroweak Physics - This document is the report of a working group established to evaluate the potential of an extended high p T physics program at the Tevatron Collider. The authors have found that, in addition to a complete program of top quark physics, there is a rich catalog of topical measurements and important discovery potential in many areas.
What is in the future for physics? - This page contains interesting questions and answers on the future of physics.
Predictions on the future of physics - A little over a century ago, the scientific community thought that all the questions physics were answered with the exception of one. They thought it would just be a matter of time before that question was solved using what was already known. That single, unanswered question led to an explosion of new questions and the birth of quantum mechanics. The field of physics has never been so fertile or chaotic. Physics is this century will focus on answering questions raised in the last, and will undoubtedly raise more questions. And just as in the last century, new understanding of physics will allow for new forms of technology. We may not have flying cars anytime soon (unfortunately), but we will have new tools at hand that we can hardly imagine.
World's top theoretical physicists converge to consider 'future of physics' - "The Future of Physics" is the subject of a singular conference being hosted by the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) from Oct. 7 to Oct. 9. Over 150 of the world's top theoretical physicists, including many Nobel laureates and the leaders of the various physics fields, are the participants.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Sabic Innovative CEO Brian Gladden @ Plastics News Executive Forum
Keynote speaker Brian Gladden offered some thought-provoking insights into global trends at the recent Plastics News Executive Forum. The president and chief executive officer of Sabic Innovative Plastics LP touched on globalization, future growth, feedstock and energy costs, sustainability and human capital issues, while also suggesting some keys for succeeding in the North American market.
The industry is facing tremendous challenges with sustainability and rising pressure by environmentalists and politicians who want to ban plastics. In the face of this, Gladden suggests four keys to winning the game in the United States
Innovating
Playing global
Finding value-added niches
Driving productivity
More from here
The industry is facing tremendous challenges with sustainability and rising pressure by environmentalists and politicians who want to ban plastics. In the face of this, Gladden suggests four keys to winning the game in the United States
Innovating
Playing global
Finding value-added niches
Driving productivity
More from here
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Manufacturing-Production-Engineering
PermaLink - Sabic Innovative CEO Brian Gladden @ Plastics News Executive Forum posted by Ecacofonix : 3:26 AM
0 Comments
Biocatalysts - Generics Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Go Green
Green chemistry incorporates concepts such as atom economy, convergency (higher process efficiency with fewer operations), reagent optimization (use of catalysis and more selective and recyclable reagents), and raw material efficiency.
One of the emerging green chemistry aspects is biocatalysts.
An advantage of these biocatalysts and of green chemistry in general, is the ability to manufacture a product in more generic facilities, compared to the demands of traditional chemocatalysis, which typically requires high pressure and high or low temperature reactors.
Another green chemistry strategy is telescoping, which aims to minimize the carryover of impurities from one process step to the next. The ability to make a product or an intermediate without any side products eliminates purification steps, saving time, energy, cost, and waste.
Interest in biocatalysis is high in the generics industry, in particular, as the generics manufacturers are actively seeking strategies to lower manufacturing costs and increase profit margins. It is predicted that biocatalysis technology will improve incrementally, with advances in proteomics enabling molecular evolution to be more directed and structure-based and less dependent on random mutagenesis.
More from here
Keywords: Green chemistry, recyclable reagents, BioVerdant, IChemE Alex Tao, CSO, Codexis, biocatalytic enzymes, biocatalysts, green generic facilities, generics industry
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Biocatalysts - Generics Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Go Green posted by Ecacofonix : 3:25 AM
0 Comments
Buckyballs Toxicity No Harm To Microbes That Clean The Environment
Even large amounts of manufactured nanoparticles, also known as Buckyballs, don't faze microscopic organisms that are charged with cleaning up the environment, according to Purdue University researchers.
In the first published study to examine Buckyball toxicity on microbes that break down organic substances in wastewater, the scientists used an amount of the nanoparticles on the microbes that was equivalent to pouring 10 pounds of talcum powder on a person. Because high amounts of even normally safe compounds, such as talcum powder, can be toxic, the microbes' resiliency to high Buckyball levels was an important finding, the Purdue investigators said.
The experiment on Buckyballs, which are carbon molecules C60, also led the scientists to develop a better method to determine the impact of nanoparticles on the microbial community.
Keywords: nanoparticles, Buckyballs, Purdue, microscopic organisms, toxicity
C60, microbial community
Labels: Bio-engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Buckyballs Toxicity No Harm To Microbes That Clean The Environment posted by Ecacofonix : 3:24 AM
0 Comments
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Amazing Chemistry Videos - Thermites, Liquid Nitrogen, Stalagmites
Fiery explosions, beautiful reactions, and hilarious music videos are great reasons to be excited about chemistry. Here are some cool videos that are favorites of Wired Science editors.
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Sciences
PermaLink - Amazing Chemistry Videos - Thermites, Liquid Nitrogen, Stalagmites posted by Ecacofonix : 10:50 PM
0 Comments
Microfiber Fabric Creates Electricity, Uses Zinc Oxide Nanowires
Scientists have developed a microfiber fabric that generates its own electricity. The cloth makes enough current to recharge a cell phone or power a small MP3 player.
The fibers are coated with zinc oxide nanowires; one fiber is also coated with gold. When rubbed together, they generate electrical current. The shirt generates power as it moves, so a person walking or a slight breeze would create power. A 3 meter square piece of fabric is enough to power an iPod!
More from here
The fibers are coated with zinc oxide nanowires; one fiber is also coated with gold. When rubbed together, they generate electrical current. The shirt generates power as it moves, so a person walking or a slight breeze would create power. A 3 meter square piece of fabric is enough to power an iPod!
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Microfiber Fabric Creates Electricity, Uses Zinc Oxide Nanowires posted by Ecacofonix : 10:47 PM
0 Comments
Network Science to Predict Future for Pentagon?
The University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science announced recently that it's been awarded a $7.5 million grant to work in the emerging field of network science, which melds everything from mathematics to sociology.
Network science is increasingly the "hot" area for Pentagon research. Why? Because the Pentagon hopes that if it can understand complex networks, then it can understand terrorist networks, and even predict who will join such a network.
What exactly is network science? According a 2005 study done for the Army:
A working definition of network science is the study of network representations of physical, biological, and social phenomena leading to predictive models of these phenomena. Initiation of a field of network science would be appropriate to provide a body of rigorous results that would improve the predictability of the engineering design of complex networks and also speed up basic research in a variety of applications areas
More from here
Network science is increasingly the "hot" area for Pentagon research. Why? Because the Pentagon hopes that if it can understand complex networks, then it can understand terrorist networks, and even predict who will join such a network.
What exactly is network science? According a 2005 study done for the Army:
A working definition of network science is the study of network representations of physical, biological, and social phenomena leading to predictive models of these phenomena. Initiation of a field of network science would be appropriate to provide a body of rigorous results that would improve the predictability of the engineering design of complex networks and also speed up basic research in a variety of applications areas
More from here
Labels: Society
PermaLink - Network Science to Predict Future for Pentagon? posted by Ecacofonix : 10:40 PM
0 Comments
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Future of Commercial Space Travel - Predictions, Companies, Technologies
Future of Commercial Space Travel
This post at the Future of Engineering Blog provides web resources that discuss the future trends in commercial space travel.
Movers & Shakers
One Step Closer to Commercial Space Travel - Sir Richard Branson unveiled the design of spaceship two and whiteknighttwo, the future flagships of his virgin galactic endeavor. Branson, along with scaled composites, has become the only game in town for commercially viable spaceflight able to take passengers.
'Space Ship Two' Unveiled - Virgin Galactic, a company owned and established by Richard Branson's Virgin Group in order to create the world's first commercial spaceline, has unveiled the designs of the Space Ship Two and White Knight two carrier aircrafts. Space Ship Two is designed to carry six tourists and two pilots into sub-orbit, reaching a speed of just over 3 times the speed of sound and climbing to altitudes of over 360,000 feet. White Knight two, an all-carbon composite aircraft, is designed to carry and launch space ship two when reaching a height of around 50,000 feet. Commercial space travel never seemed this close.
NASA and Virgin Galactic to Explore Future - NASA officials announced they have signed an agreement with a U.S. Company, Virgin Galactic, to explore collaborations on development of future space systems and support to commercial human spaceflight activities. Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, NASA Ames research center and Virgin Galactic will explore possible collaborations in several technical areas.
Commercial Space Travel - Russia's Mir Space Station was supposed to be the first destination for space tourists. But in march 2001, the russian aerospace agency brought mir down into the pacific ocean. As it turned out, bringing down mir only temporarily delayed the first tourist trip into space. Russia is not alone in its interest in space tourism. There are several projects underway to commercialize space travel. Here are a few of the groups that might take you to space: --> Bigelow aerospace, formed by budget suites of america hotels owner Robert Bigelow Space Island group --> The x prize a national contest that offered $10 million to the first private company. And more such info are present in this article.
50 Years in Space - The wealthy men behind today's commercial space industry were just kids when the U.S.-Soviet space race started 50 years ago. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, Virgin boss Richard Branson. The common denominator between these men? They are the pioneers of a new private space race, 35 years after anyone has walked on the moon. At the 50th anniversary of space exploration, many industry pundits and executives say there's a new era upon us. They describe the 17 years after sputnik as the first phase of a journey marked by new human and robotic exploration in space, and which culminated in the skylab and the apollo missions. The second phase, from 1976 to 2007, was characterized by robotic missions to other planets like saturn, collecting data about the universe. What's in store for the next phase?
Predictions
Space Travel Technology for Next 100 Years - This article contains collection of blogs and discussions on space travel technology.
International Commercial Space Development for the Future 50 Years - The first 50 years of the space era have been driven by the establishment and development of the main space powers: USA and USSR/Russia, followed by Europe, Japan, China, India. Space activities were a field for demonstration of worldwide strategic positioning, with the acquisition of access to space, of new military capabilities, but also through prestige programs in human space flight and exploration, and through utilitarian applications. In the next 50 years, the influence of government business will remain, in security applications, in exploration, and also in civil applications supporting sustainable development. But the development of the commercial markets shall accelerate, through various axes.
Towards Commercial Space Travel - Many people would like to experience space travel for various reasons. Since the early days of science fiction in the 1930s, the image of space flight as adventurous and exciting has played a growing role in popular culture. Furthermore, those who have been lucky enough to visit space have all confirmed that it is a highly enjoyable experience. The view of earth and the stars is spectacular, and the experience of living in "zero gravity" is fascinating. In order to determine the commercial potential of space travel, research is required both on the technological possibilities of reusable passenger-carrying spacecraft and orbital accommodation, and on the economics of operating a commercial service, including market research.
The Near Future of Space - Beginning in 2009 Virgin Galactic will start taking tourists to space. This will be the first “affordable” option for commercial space travel (the much more expensive option being the russian space program). The tickets will start at $200,000 per flight, and i have to say, out of my range but very affordable. What do you get for $200,000? The experience will last for 2 1/2 hour with views of a 1000 miles in any direction at a height of 360,000 feet above earth. The exciting part (for all the people who can spend 200k on a quick space flight is the future. The age of commercial space tourism is here but the rest of us or going to have to wait… but (hopefully) not too long, which is very exciting… at least to me.
Brave New World? Next Steps Planned for Private Space Travel - While Space Ship One's wispy contrail from sky to space quickly vanished into the thin desert air, the flight at Mojave Spaceport left a solid line in the sand -- to create a "new space age" of personal space travel. "This is the end of the beginning," said Gregg Maryniak, X Prize foundation executive director, shortly after brian binnie had piloted spaceshipone to a successful win of the $10 million Ansari X Prize. For the X prize foundation, plans are underway for the start of an annual event called the X Prize cup.
Technologies
Maglev Launch Assist Technology may Enable Commercial Space Travel - The same technology used in Magnetically Levitated ("Maglev") trains may give spaceships a low-cost, stable boost for the future of space travel—possibly even for joy rides. A research group from two universities in beijing, china has constructed a maglev test vehicle that works on a model track made of a permanent magnet-high temperature superconductor (PM-HTS).
This post at the Future of Engineering Blog provides web resources that discuss the future trends in commercial space travel.
Movers & Shakers
One Step Closer to Commercial Space Travel - Sir Richard Branson unveiled the design of spaceship two and whiteknighttwo, the future flagships of his virgin galactic endeavor. Branson, along with scaled composites, has become the only game in town for commercially viable spaceflight able to take passengers.
'Space Ship Two' Unveiled - Virgin Galactic, a company owned and established by Richard Branson's Virgin Group in order to create the world's first commercial spaceline, has unveiled the designs of the Space Ship Two and White Knight two carrier aircrafts. Space Ship Two is designed to carry six tourists and two pilots into sub-orbit, reaching a speed of just over 3 times the speed of sound and climbing to altitudes of over 360,000 feet. White Knight two, an all-carbon composite aircraft, is designed to carry and launch space ship two when reaching a height of around 50,000 feet. Commercial space travel never seemed this close.
NASA and Virgin Galactic to Explore Future - NASA officials announced they have signed an agreement with a U.S. Company, Virgin Galactic, to explore collaborations on development of future space systems and support to commercial human spaceflight activities. Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, NASA Ames research center and Virgin Galactic will explore possible collaborations in several technical areas.
Commercial Space Travel - Russia's Mir Space Station was supposed to be the first destination for space tourists. But in march 2001, the russian aerospace agency brought mir down into the pacific ocean. As it turned out, bringing down mir only temporarily delayed the first tourist trip into space. Russia is not alone in its interest in space tourism. There are several projects underway to commercialize space travel. Here are a few of the groups that might take you to space: --> Bigelow aerospace, formed by budget suites of america hotels owner Robert Bigelow Space Island group --> The x prize a national contest that offered $10 million to the first private company. And more such info are present in this article.
50 Years in Space - The wealthy men behind today's commercial space industry were just kids when the U.S.-Soviet space race started 50 years ago. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, Virgin boss Richard Branson. The common denominator between these men? They are the pioneers of a new private space race, 35 years after anyone has walked on the moon. At the 50th anniversary of space exploration, many industry pundits and executives say there's a new era upon us. They describe the 17 years after sputnik as the first phase of a journey marked by new human and robotic exploration in space, and which culminated in the skylab and the apollo missions. The second phase, from 1976 to 2007, was characterized by robotic missions to other planets like saturn, collecting data about the universe. What's in store for the next phase?
Predictions
Space Travel Technology for Next 100 Years - This article contains collection of blogs and discussions on space travel technology.
International Commercial Space Development for the Future 50 Years - The first 50 years of the space era have been driven by the establishment and development of the main space powers: USA and USSR/Russia, followed by Europe, Japan, China, India. Space activities were a field for demonstration of worldwide strategic positioning, with the acquisition of access to space, of new military capabilities, but also through prestige programs in human space flight and exploration, and through utilitarian applications. In the next 50 years, the influence of government business will remain, in security applications, in exploration, and also in civil applications supporting sustainable development. But the development of the commercial markets shall accelerate, through various axes.
Towards Commercial Space Travel - Many people would like to experience space travel for various reasons. Since the early days of science fiction in the 1930s, the image of space flight as adventurous and exciting has played a growing role in popular culture. Furthermore, those who have been lucky enough to visit space have all confirmed that it is a highly enjoyable experience. The view of earth and the stars is spectacular, and the experience of living in "zero gravity" is fascinating. In order to determine the commercial potential of space travel, research is required both on the technological possibilities of reusable passenger-carrying spacecraft and orbital accommodation, and on the economics of operating a commercial service, including market research.
The Near Future of Space - Beginning in 2009 Virgin Galactic will start taking tourists to space. This will be the first “affordable” option for commercial space travel (the much more expensive option being the russian space program). The tickets will start at $200,000 per flight, and i have to say, out of my range but very affordable. What do you get for $200,000? The experience will last for 2 1/2 hour with views of a 1000 miles in any direction at a height of 360,000 feet above earth. The exciting part (for all the people who can spend 200k on a quick space flight is the future. The age of commercial space tourism is here but the rest of us or going to have to wait… but (hopefully) not too long, which is very exciting… at least to me.
Brave New World? Next Steps Planned for Private Space Travel - While Space Ship One's wispy contrail from sky to space quickly vanished into the thin desert air, the flight at Mojave Spaceport left a solid line in the sand -- to create a "new space age" of personal space travel. "This is the end of the beginning," said Gregg Maryniak, X Prize foundation executive director, shortly after brian binnie had piloted spaceshipone to a successful win of the $10 million Ansari X Prize. For the X prize foundation, plans are underway for the start of an annual event called the X Prize cup.
Technologies
Maglev Launch Assist Technology may Enable Commercial Space Travel - The same technology used in Magnetically Levitated ("Maglev") trains may give spaceships a low-cost, stable boost for the future of space travel—possibly even for joy rides. A research group from two universities in beijing, china has constructed a maglev test vehicle that works on a model track made of a permanent magnet-high temperature superconductor (PM-HTS).
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Future of Commercial Space Travel - Predictions, Companies, Technologies posted by Ecacofonix : 7:03 AM
0 Comments
Future of Automation - Trends, Predictions
This resource page @ the Future of Engineering Blog provides web resources that discuss the future of automation.
The Future of Industrial Automation - Because of the relatively small production volumes and huge varieties of applications, industrial automation typically utilizes new technologies developed in other markets. Automation companies tend to customize products for specific applications and requirements. So the innovation comes from targeted applications, rather than any hot, new technology.
The Future of Automation - Advances in computer and automated systems technology have impacted the entire manufacturing enterprise. CASA/SME developed and uses the Manufacturing Enterprise Wheel as a framework for understanding the different elements and relationships of the manufacturing enterprise. Examples of automation technology can easily be found that impact each area of the wheel, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Workflow Management, and Knowledge-Based Design, to name a few.
Avoid Disasters for Automation's Future: Could this Happen to You? - Past analysis has attributed so many aircraft accidents to human error. Yet at a closer look, we could trace quite a few back to design issues. The Airbus philosophy was to give the computer final authority when there was a discrepancy with the pilot. Although there could be a good reason for this, we aren't at the point where we can build software to account for every possible condition. Trusting software above human intelligence and flexibility may be a mistake. At least three other Airbus accidents resulted in hundreds of deaths due to similar computer-versus-pilot control issues.
Are all operating parameters documented and accounted for in your design? Might the safety requirements differ during different plant operating phases, such as start-up, operation, maintenance, and shutdown? Have you considered and reviewed factors like these during your hazard analyses? Make sure you account for the impact of spurious sensor signals in the rest of the system design and operations
Future Automation Flat Screen Lifts - The Future Automation Inverted Plasma lift allows a plasma screen to be stored in a ceiling. Press the remote control and the plasma will drop in to view. The mechanism also opens a trap door in the ceiling before lowering the plasma. A matching piece of ceiling above the plasma then fills the opening in the top of the cabinet when the plasma is down
A Model for Types and Levels of Human Interaction with Automation - Here you find the outline of a model for types and levels of automation that provides a framework and an objective basis for deciding which system functions should be automated and to what extent. Appropriate selection is important because automation does not merely supplant but changes human activity and can impose new coordination demands on the human operator. We propose that automation can be applied to four broad classes of functions: 1) information acquisition; 2) information analysis; 3) decision and action selection; and 4) action implementation
The Hottest Trends in Automation & Technology - Automation and technology systems are exerting more influence on the way businesses run. And as automated systems and technologies get more ubiquitous and powerful, they are also becoming more invisible, with many imbedded intelligent devices undetectable to passersby.CAD/CAM software is improving its process planning capabilities, which "involves finding the right tool to do the right job
Modern Trends in Industrial Automation, Process Control and Robotics - Globalisation, growing Technology and their development increasingly influence Automation in industry. And, it plays an important role in the global economy and in our daily lives. The most effective and visible part of modern Industrial automation is the industrial robotics. Fully automated process control Robots have contributed greatly to improve the productivity of virtually all manufacturing industries throughout the world. And, almost all the process monitoring systems installed as a part of plant or production process are basically Digital Control Systems DCS connected by digital networks.
Design Automation for Deepsubmicron: Present and Future - Advancing technology drives design technology and thus design automation (EDA). How to model interconnect, how to handle degradation of signal integrity and increasing power density are changing now, and have led to integrating logic and layout synthesis. Aggressive gate sizing to control timing has become part of any modern back-end. From 0.13 μ and down, chips will be more susceptive to breakdown during fabrication (antenna effect) or to wear out over time (electromigration) and dealing with these issues will require careful planning. More integration of fast and accurate analysis with a complete design flow (chip planning, synthesis, placement and routing) will be needed, and still, advancing complexity will affect design and verification
Future Trends in Process Automation - The importance of automation in the process industries has increased dramatically in recent years. In the highly industrialized countries, process automation serves to enhance product quality, master the whole range of products, improve process safety and plant availability, efficiently utilize resources and lower emissions. In the rapidly developing countries, mass production is the main motivation for applying process automation. The greatest demand for process automation is in the chemical industry, power generating industry, and petrochemical industry; the fastest growing demand for hardware, standard software and services of process automation is in the pharmaceutical industry. The importance of automation technology continues to increase in the process industries
The Future of Industrial Automation - Because of the relatively small production volumes and huge varieties of applications, industrial automation typically utilizes new technologies developed in other markets. Automation companies tend to customize products for specific applications and requirements. So the innovation comes from targeted applications, rather than any hot, new technology.
The Future of Automation - Advances in computer and automated systems technology have impacted the entire manufacturing enterprise. CASA/SME developed and uses the Manufacturing Enterprise Wheel as a framework for understanding the different elements and relationships of the manufacturing enterprise. Examples of automation technology can easily be found that impact each area of the wheel, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Workflow Management, and Knowledge-Based Design, to name a few.
Avoid Disasters for Automation's Future: Could this Happen to You? - Past analysis has attributed so many aircraft accidents to human error. Yet at a closer look, we could trace quite a few back to design issues. The Airbus philosophy was to give the computer final authority when there was a discrepancy with the pilot. Although there could be a good reason for this, we aren't at the point where we can build software to account for every possible condition. Trusting software above human intelligence and flexibility may be a mistake. At least three other Airbus accidents resulted in hundreds of deaths due to similar computer-versus-pilot control issues.
Are all operating parameters documented and accounted for in your design? Might the safety requirements differ during different plant operating phases, such as start-up, operation, maintenance, and shutdown? Have you considered and reviewed factors like these during your hazard analyses? Make sure you account for the impact of spurious sensor signals in the rest of the system design and operations
Future Automation Flat Screen Lifts - The Future Automation Inverted Plasma lift allows a plasma screen to be stored in a ceiling. Press the remote control and the plasma will drop in to view. The mechanism also opens a trap door in the ceiling before lowering the plasma. A matching piece of ceiling above the plasma then fills the opening in the top of the cabinet when the plasma is down
A Model for Types and Levels of Human Interaction with Automation - Here you find the outline of a model for types and levels of automation that provides a framework and an objective basis for deciding which system functions should be automated and to what extent. Appropriate selection is important because automation does not merely supplant but changes human activity and can impose new coordination demands on the human operator. We propose that automation can be applied to four broad classes of functions: 1) information acquisition; 2) information analysis; 3) decision and action selection; and 4) action implementation
The Hottest Trends in Automation & Technology - Automation and technology systems are exerting more influence on the way businesses run. And as automated systems and technologies get more ubiquitous and powerful, they are also becoming more invisible, with many imbedded intelligent devices undetectable to passersby.CAD/CAM software is improving its process planning capabilities, which "involves finding the right tool to do the right job
Modern Trends in Industrial Automation, Process Control and Robotics - Globalisation, growing Technology and their development increasingly influence Automation in industry. And, it plays an important role in the global economy and in our daily lives. The most effective and visible part of modern Industrial automation is the industrial robotics. Fully automated process control Robots have contributed greatly to improve the productivity of virtually all manufacturing industries throughout the world. And, almost all the process monitoring systems installed as a part of plant or production process are basically Digital Control Systems DCS connected by digital networks.
Design Automation for Deepsubmicron: Present and Future - Advancing technology drives design technology and thus design automation (EDA). How to model interconnect, how to handle degradation of signal integrity and increasing power density are changing now, and have led to integrating logic and layout synthesis. Aggressive gate sizing to control timing has become part of any modern back-end. From 0.13 μ and down, chips will be more susceptive to breakdown during fabrication (antenna effect) or to wear out over time (electromigration) and dealing with these issues will require careful planning. More integration of fast and accurate analysis with a complete design flow (chip planning, synthesis, placement and routing) will be needed, and still, advancing complexity will affect design and verification
Future Trends in Process Automation - The importance of automation in the process industries has increased dramatically in recent years. In the highly industrialized countries, process automation serves to enhance product quality, master the whole range of products, improve process safety and plant availability, efficiently utilize resources and lower emissions. In the rapidly developing countries, mass production is the main motivation for applying process automation. The greatest demand for process automation is in the chemical industry, power generating industry, and petrochemical industry; the fastest growing demand for hardware, standard software and services of process automation is in the pharmaceutical industry. The importance of automation technology continues to increase in the process industries
Labels: Automation, Industrial-Engineering
Future of Astronomy - Trends and Predictions
Future of Astronomy
This post @ The Future of Engineering Blog presents web resources that discuss the future trends in astronomy and space science.
Scientists to discuss future of astronomy from space
Approximately 150 astronomers from around the country will gather at the University of Chicago for a workshop April 2 to 5 to ponder what sort of orbiting telescope should probe the universe at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths once the Hubble Space Telescope's two-decade mission ends in 2010. The Next Generation Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2009, will scan the skies at infrared wavelengths. The Hubble Telescope studies the universe at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths.
Australia's Astronomy Future - Mission: To maximise Australia’s engagement in the new generation of optical/infrared and radio telescopes, through world-class scientific research and innovative instrument development programs. The Australian Astronomy Major National Research Facility (MNRF) is a $52m collaborative venture involving nearly all major astronomical institutions in Australia. The specific objectives of the Facility are to Increase Australia’s share of premier optical/infrared telescopes such as the Gemini 8-metre twin telescopes;
Develop enabling technologies for Australia to play a key role in, and host, the Square Kilometre Array, the centimetre-wave radiotelescope of the future; and
Visions of the Future: Astronomy and Earth Science - What does the future of science hold? Who is making the discoveries that will help shape this future? What areas of research show the greatest promise? Representing a careful selection of authoritative articles published in a special issue of Philosophical Transactions--the world's longest-running scientific journal--the chapters explore such themes as:
The Big Bang
Humankind's exploration of the solar system
The deep interior of the Earth
Global warming and climate change
Atoms and molecules in motion
New materials and processes
Nature's secrets of biological growth and form
Understanding the human body and mind
Quantum physics and its relationship to relativity theory and human consciousness
Exotic quantum computing and data storage
Telecommunications and the Internet Written by leading young scientists
Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers - The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) is an international society of dedicated enthusiasts who teach, learn, trade technical information, and do their own observations of the radio sky. This organization is a scientific, non-profit group founded for the sole purpose of supporting amateur radio astronomy. SARA was organized in 1981, and today has hundreds of members worldwide. The group consists of optical astronomers, ham radio operators, engineers, teachers and non-technical persons. Many of our members are new to the field, and membership is extended to all who have an interest in radio astronomy.
Active and future projects - Due to rapid advances in infrared detector technology, the development of adaptive optics for ground based work and the commitment to infrared missions from space organizations such as NASA, ESA and ISAS, the future of infrared astronomy is extremely bright. Within the next decade, infrared astronomy will bring us exciting discoveries about new planets orbiting nearby stars, how planets, stars and galaxies are formed, the early universe, starburst galaxies, brown dwarfs, quasars and interstellar matter. Below is a summary of currently active and future infrared projects. Go through this link to learn more.
Imagining the future: gravitational wave astronomy - On October 27-30, 2004, a group of 64 gravitational wave astronomers and astronomers from traditional fields of astronomy and astrophysics, representing 20 different institutions, convened at Penn State for a workshop to speculate on the future of gravitational wave astronomy.
To facilitate discussion and debate oriented toward considering the future of the field, six questions were posed:
What will it mean to be a ``gravitational wave astronomer''?
What will be the interplay between gravitational wave astronomy and other, now conventional, forms of astronomy?
What will be the interplay between instrumentation, observation, and science in the field?
What will be the role of individual observatories vs. Global networks?
What will be the critical technologies used in gravitational wave detection?
What infrastructure will best contribute to broad participation, community growth, and the best possible science?
A white paper summarizing the key findings and open debates left by the conference is in preparation, and will be posted to arxiv.org when it is completed.
The future of astronomy - Boundaries of the universe, the depth of all that it contains, and the underlying forces that sustain and motivate it, will one day be fully exposed, comprehended, and ultimately and intimately explained by mankind. Such haughty wisdom is to be seriously doubted.
What is the real measure of time and space? Where does the boundary of the universe actually lie? Many would say that it is some 12-billion light years from us. Here, then, one simply needs to ask two very destructive questions; "What is on the other side of the boundary. . . And what, preciously, is time? There will be no factual, scientific answers to these questions.
What, then, is the future of astronomy? It is what it has always been . . . The searching out of, and displaying of, the "observable & quantifiable" universe; the continuing progression into the provable mathematics of the universe; and, yes, the publishing of the many personal "theories" of universal solutions that seem to always abound.
More from this post.
Future of Astronomy in Canada - Canadian astronomers today released the Report of the Long-Range Planning Panel on Canadian Astronomy and Astrophysics in the 21st Century.
The Report, entitled "The Origins of Structure in the Universe", outlines areas critical to Canadian astronomy that need to be developed over the next fifteen years to maintain a Canadian role at the forefront of this field.
Some of the recommendations in their Report include:
Canada's participation in key international projects in the space-based and ground-based astronomy facilities, the Next Generation Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimetre Array
Enhancement of Canada's ongoing observatory and facility commitments
Increased training opportunities for new astronomers through fellowship programs and some increase in staff at national laboratories
Establishing university laboratories for experimental astrophysics
Improvement in computing for astronomical data interpretation
An enhanced public outreach program
What space telescopes of tomorrow will see - Giant-sized telescopes such as Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra offer unprecedented views of the cosmos, but astronomers are eager to put more powerful tools into orbit around the Earth. Without the extra help, said Rachel Somerville, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, it may be impossible to resolve some of the universe's greatest mysteries.
This post @ The Future of Engineering Blog presents web resources that discuss the future trends in astronomy and space science.
Scientists to discuss future of astronomy from space
Approximately 150 astronomers from around the country will gather at the University of Chicago for a workshop April 2 to 5 to ponder what sort of orbiting telescope should probe the universe at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths once the Hubble Space Telescope's two-decade mission ends in 2010. The Next Generation Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2009, will scan the skies at infrared wavelengths. The Hubble Telescope studies the universe at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths.
Australia's Astronomy Future - Mission: To maximise Australia’s engagement in the new generation of optical/infrared and radio telescopes, through world-class scientific research and innovative instrument development programs. The Australian Astronomy Major National Research Facility (MNRF) is a $52m collaborative venture involving nearly all major astronomical institutions in Australia. The specific objectives of the Facility are to Increase Australia’s share of premier optical/infrared telescopes such as the Gemini 8-metre twin telescopes;
Develop enabling technologies for Australia to play a key role in, and host, the Square Kilometre Array, the centimetre-wave radiotelescope of the future; and
Visions of the Future: Astronomy and Earth Science - What does the future of science hold? Who is making the discoveries that will help shape this future? What areas of research show the greatest promise? Representing a careful selection of authoritative articles published in a special issue of Philosophical Transactions--the world's longest-running scientific journal--the chapters explore such themes as:
The Big Bang
Humankind's exploration of the solar system
The deep interior of the Earth
Global warming and climate change
Atoms and molecules in motion
New materials and processes
Nature's secrets of biological growth and form
Understanding the human body and mind
Quantum physics and its relationship to relativity theory and human consciousness
Exotic quantum computing and data storage
Telecommunications and the Internet Written by leading young scientists
Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers - The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) is an international society of dedicated enthusiasts who teach, learn, trade technical information, and do their own observations of the radio sky. This organization is a scientific, non-profit group founded for the sole purpose of supporting amateur radio astronomy. SARA was organized in 1981, and today has hundreds of members worldwide. The group consists of optical astronomers, ham radio operators, engineers, teachers and non-technical persons. Many of our members are new to the field, and membership is extended to all who have an interest in radio astronomy.
Active and future projects - Due to rapid advances in infrared detector technology, the development of adaptive optics for ground based work and the commitment to infrared missions from space organizations such as NASA, ESA and ISAS, the future of infrared astronomy is extremely bright. Within the next decade, infrared astronomy will bring us exciting discoveries about new planets orbiting nearby stars, how planets, stars and galaxies are formed, the early universe, starburst galaxies, brown dwarfs, quasars and interstellar matter. Below is a summary of currently active and future infrared projects. Go through this link to learn more.
Imagining the future: gravitational wave astronomy - On October 27-30, 2004, a group of 64 gravitational wave astronomers and astronomers from traditional fields of astronomy and astrophysics, representing 20 different institutions, convened at Penn State for a workshop to speculate on the future of gravitational wave astronomy.
To facilitate discussion and debate oriented toward considering the future of the field, six questions were posed:
What will it mean to be a ``gravitational wave astronomer''?
What will be the interplay between gravitational wave astronomy and other, now conventional, forms of astronomy?
What will be the interplay between instrumentation, observation, and science in the field?
What will be the role of individual observatories vs. Global networks?
What will be the critical technologies used in gravitational wave detection?
What infrastructure will best contribute to broad participation, community growth, and the best possible science?
A white paper summarizing the key findings and open debates left by the conference is in preparation, and will be posted to arxiv.org when it is completed.
The future of astronomy - Boundaries of the universe, the depth of all that it contains, and the underlying forces that sustain and motivate it, will one day be fully exposed, comprehended, and ultimately and intimately explained by mankind. Such haughty wisdom is to be seriously doubted.
What is the real measure of time and space? Where does the boundary of the universe actually lie? Many would say that it is some 12-billion light years from us. Here, then, one simply needs to ask two very destructive questions; "What is on the other side of the boundary. . . And what, preciously, is time? There will be no factual, scientific answers to these questions.
What, then, is the future of astronomy? It is what it has always been . . . The searching out of, and displaying of, the "observable & quantifiable" universe; the continuing progression into the provable mathematics of the universe; and, yes, the publishing of the many personal "theories" of universal solutions that seem to always abound.
More from this post.
Future of Astronomy in Canada - Canadian astronomers today released the Report of the Long-Range Planning Panel on Canadian Astronomy and Astrophysics in the 21st Century.
The Report, entitled "The Origins of Structure in the Universe", outlines areas critical to Canadian astronomy that need to be developed over the next fifteen years to maintain a Canadian role at the forefront of this field.
Some of the recommendations in their Report include:
Canada's participation in key international projects in the space-based and ground-based astronomy facilities, the Next Generation Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimetre Array
Enhancement of Canada's ongoing observatory and facility commitments
Increased training opportunities for new astronomers through fellowship programs and some increase in staff at national laboratories
Establishing university laboratories for experimental astrophysics
Improvement in computing for astronomical data interpretation
An enhanced public outreach program
What space telescopes of tomorrow will see - Giant-sized telescopes such as Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra offer unprecedented views of the cosmos, but astronomers are eager to put more powerful tools into orbit around the Earth. Without the extra help, said Rachel Somerville, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, it may be impossible to resolve some of the universe's greatest mysteries.
Algae Startups to Watch - GreenFuel, Petrosun, Solazyme
If corn-based biofuels are the Britney Spears of the cleantech world (a fallen star but still all over the place), fuel made from algae is the next great American Idol winner (major potential in the pipeline). And despite the fact that algae-to-biofuel startups have been taking their sweet time bringing a pond scum fuel product to market, some inroads have been made recently — GreenFuel is building its first plant, PetroSun starts producing at their farm on April 1, and big oil Chevron and Shell have made some early bets as well.
As we watch this play out, here are 15 algae biofuel firms that you should know about
GreenFuel Technologies
Solazyme
Blue Marble Energy
Inventure Chemical
Solena
Live Fuels
Solix Biofuels
Aurora Biofuels
Aquaflow Binomics
Petro Sun
Bionavitas
Seambiotic
More from here
Keywords: Algae Startups, Pond Scum, Fuel Tanks, corn-based biofuels, cleantech world
GreenFuel, PetroSu,Solazyme , Blue Marble Energy , Inventure Chemical , Solena
Live Fuels, Solix Biofuels, Aurora Biofuels, Aquaflow Binomics, Petro Sun Bionavitas, Seambiotic
As we watch this play out, here are 15 algae biofuel firms that you should know about
GreenFuel Technologies
Solazyme
Blue Marble Energy
Inventure Chemical
Solena
Live Fuels
Solix Biofuels
Aurora Biofuels
Aquaflow Binomics
Petro Sun
Bionavitas
Seambiotic
More from here
Keywords: Algae Startups, Pond Scum, Fuel Tanks, corn-based biofuels, cleantech world
GreenFuel, PetroSu,Solazyme , Blue Marble Energy , Inventure Chemical , Solena
Live Fuels, Solix Biofuels, Aurora Biofuels, Aquaflow Binomics, Petro Sun Bionavitas, Seambiotic
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Algae Startups to Watch - GreenFuel, Petrosun, Solazyme posted by Ecacofonix : 5:12 AM
1 Comments
India's Future Lies in its Water Management
How India manages its fresh water and the populations’ response to water issues will determine whether it will be a giant civilisation, just another giant or a giant problem. Its river basin’s are not only catchments of precipitation or Monsoon but social, cultural and political needs and challenges of highland, lowland urban and rural citizens. India will only be a giant if it survives and prospers after this global environmental change.
Dam building and the National River Linking Project need further study and careful examination because of the lack of a comprehensive environmental and cultural information database. So too the building of mega infrastructure in a seismically sensitive area of the Himalayas needs careful planning even if this hinders economic development.
Full report from here
Keywords: India Hydrological Future, river basins, seismically sensitive area
Dam building and the National River Linking Project need further study and careful examination because of the lack of a comprehensive environmental and cultural information database. So too the building of mega infrastructure in a seismically sensitive area of the Himalayas needs careful planning even if this hinders economic development.
Full report from here
Keywords: India Hydrological Future, river basins, seismically sensitive area
Labels: Civil-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering, Society
Mechanical Engineering Becoming the Choice for Students
Mechanical engineering is all about designing, building, and maintaining machines of all types and sizes. It's an engineering classic, dating to the early days of the industrial revolution, when engineering know-how was needed to harness the potential of the steam engine. But despite its 19th-century pedigree, M.E. is today at the heart of many cutting-edge technologies.
That makes it a hot choice for students. It's by far the most popular undergraduate degree in engineering; according to the American Society for Engineering Education, 16,063 undergrad degrees were awarded in 2006. At the graduate level, it's the third-most-popular discipline among engineering master's and is back in first place among doctorates.
More from
That makes it a hot choice for students. It's by far the most popular undergraduate degree in engineering; according to the American Society for Engineering Education, 16,063 undergrad degrees were awarded in 2006. At the graduate level, it's the third-most-popular discipline among engineering master's and is back in first place among doctorates.
More from
here
Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., Margaret Anderson, space-travel bug, NASA, Rochester Institute of Technology,
co-op program, hybrid rockets, experimental power plants, liquid fuel technologies, counterintuitive, fledgling rocket, RIT
Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., Margaret Anderson, space-travel bug, NASA, Rochester Institute of Technology,
co-op program, hybrid rockets, experimental power plants, liquid fuel technologies, counterintuitive, fledgling rocket, RIT
Labels: Education, Mechanical-Engineering
PermaLink - Mechanical Engineering Becoming the Choice for Students posted by Ecacofonix : 5:12 AM
0 Comments
Xcor Aerospace Unveils Lynx Rocket for Space Tourism
A California aerospace company plans to enter the space tourism industry with a two-seat rocket ship capable of suborbital flights to altitudes more than 37 miles above the Earth.
The Lynx, about the size of a small private plane, is expected to begin flying in 2010, according to developer Xcor Aerospace, which planned to release details of the design at a news conference Wednesday.
The company also said that, pending the outcome of negotiations, the Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded it a research contract to develop and test features of the Lynx. No details were released.
Xcor's announcement comes two months after aerospace designer Burt Rutan and billionaire Richard Branson unveiled a model of SpaceShipTwo, which is being built for Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourism company and may begin test flights this year.
More from here
Keywords: Aerospace, space tourism, California aerospace company, two-seat rocket ship, suborbital flights, altitude, Lynx, private plane, Xcor Aerospace, Air Force Research Laboratory, Burt Ru, Richard Branson, SpaceShipTwo, Branson's Virgin Galactic space, tourism company , spaceship builder
The Lynx, about the size of a small private plane, is expected to begin flying in 2010, according to developer Xcor Aerospace, which planned to release details of the design at a news conference Wednesday.
The company also said that, pending the outcome of negotiations, the Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded it a research contract to develop and test features of the Lynx. No details were released.
Xcor's announcement comes two months after aerospace designer Burt Rutan and billionaire Richard Branson unveiled a model of SpaceShipTwo, which is being built for Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourism company and may begin test flights this year.
More from here
Keywords: Aerospace, space tourism, California aerospace company, two-seat rocket ship, suborbital flights, altitude, Lynx, private plane, Xcor Aerospace, Air Force Research Laboratory, Burt Ru, Richard Branson, SpaceShipTwo, Branson's Virgin Galactic space, tourism company , spaceship builder
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Xcor Aerospace Unveils Lynx Rocket for Space Tourism posted by Ecacofonix : 5:12 AM
0 Comments
Cow Dung, Agriculture Waste as Fuel - Ann Christy, MIT BioVolt Cells
While the brightest scientists in the world are in the process of inventing high-tech equipments and processes in pursuit of alternative energy, there are folks who are looking at utterly down-to-earth sources for the same. Take Ann Christy, for example.
Ann Christy, an associate professor of food, agriculture and biological engineering at Ohio State University, has been conducting new research into the use of cow waste to produce energy. According to Ms Christy's research, the bacteria in cow dung release electrons during the digestion on cellulose - "in the form of undigested plant matter in the cows' waste.
Ms Christy's team of scientific researchers have so far succeeded in producing half of the power required to energise an AA battery. "While that's a very small amount of voltage, the results show that it is possible to create electricity from cow waste," she commented.
This is hardly the first time cow dung is used as fuel. In fact, in developing and poor countries, cow dung has been used as a form of fuel for ages. What is significant about recent research are the more scientific methods used to explore the potential of cow waste as a fuel. Current use of cow dung in poor countries, though intuitive, might not be the most optimal way to use it.
It is hoped that researches such as these will enable us to accomodate animal and human waste as a significant alternative energy source. Don't look forward to waste powering your car anytime soon, but they could at least power your mobile battery!
See also related researches done last few years in using cow dung as fuel here, here, here and here
Energy from waste is an interesting domain because of its double-benefits - creates energy from a free resource while improving the environment by sanitizing waste.
On related developments in the waste-to-energy domain, a team of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have also created waste-powered fuel cells. The MIT BioVolt cells are capable of running on plant waste and can generate electricity for household use in off-grid areas and developing countries.
Ann Christy, an associate professor of food, agriculture and biological engineering at Ohio State University, has been conducting new research into the use of cow waste to produce energy. According to Ms Christy's research, the bacteria in cow dung release electrons during the digestion on cellulose - "in the form of undigested plant matter in the cows' waste.
Ms Christy's team of scientific researchers have so far succeeded in producing half of the power required to energise an AA battery. "While that's a very small amount of voltage, the results show that it is possible to create electricity from cow waste," she commented.
This is hardly the first time cow dung is used as fuel. In fact, in developing and poor countries, cow dung has been used as a form of fuel for ages. What is significant about recent research are the more scientific methods used to explore the potential of cow waste as a fuel. Current use of cow dung in poor countries, though intuitive, might not be the most optimal way to use it.
It is hoped that researches such as these will enable us to accomodate animal and human waste as a significant alternative energy source. Don't look forward to waste powering your car anytime soon, but they could at least power your mobile battery!
See also related researches done last few years in using cow dung as fuel here, here, here and here
Energy from waste is an interesting domain because of its double-benefits - creates energy from a free resource while improving the environment by sanitizing waste.
On related developments in the waste-to-energy domain, a team of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have also created waste-powered fuel cells. The MIT BioVolt cells are capable of running on plant waste and can generate electricity for household use in off-grid areas and developing countries.
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Cow Dung, Agriculture Waste as Fuel - Ann Christy, MIT BioVolt Cells posted by Ecacofonix : 5:11 AM
0 Comments
Rocket Racers from Rocket Racing League, XCOR, Armadillo Aerospace
The Rocket Racing League says its rocket-powered race planes will take off for their first public exhibition races on Aug. 1 and 2 at the EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wis. But that's just the start. The league's founders have also acquired an airframe-manufacturing company, taken on a new partner to build rocket engines and set up a string of subsidiaries.
Whitelaw and his partners have been working to create a "NASCAR in the sky" - a series of aerial fly-offs that would draw in spectators and viewers the way auto races do today. Now Rocket Racing Inc. is aiming to take that auto-racing parallel several steps further.
The two rocket racers that will fly will be from California-based XCOR Aerospace and Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace respectively.
More from here
Keywords:
The Rocket Racing League, Rocket Racers, rocket-powered race planes, EAA AirVenture air show, XCOR Aerospace, Armadillo Aerospace, Velocity Aircraft
Whitelaw and his partners have been working to create a "NASCAR in the sky" - a series of aerial fly-offs that would draw in spectators and viewers the way auto races do today. Now Rocket Racing Inc. is aiming to take that auto-racing parallel several steps further.
The two rocket racers that will fly will be from California-based XCOR Aerospace and Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace respectively.
More from here
Keywords:
The Rocket Racing League, Rocket Racers, rocket-powered race planes, EAA AirVenture air show, XCOR Aerospace, Armadillo Aerospace, Velocity Aircraft
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Rocket Racers from Rocket Racing League, XCOR, Armadillo Aerospace posted by Ecacofonix : 5:11 AM
0 Comments
Monday, April 14, 2008
Hybrix Lightweight Steel from Lamera - Combined with Decorex
Last spring Swedish Lamera won the aircraft industry's Crystal Cabin Awards with their lightweight steel Hybrix. It is a sandwich material that consists of microscopic steel fibres between two sheets of stainless steel.
It is thin (1-2 mm), strong and it can be processed and formed in the same ways and with the same tools as ordinary stainless steel. In fact, the only apparent difference is that it weighs about half as much.
Hybrix has been described as "magic" since it seems too thin and firm to be hollow but this story gets even better: Lamera has combined their invention with Decorex - a material developed by another Swedish steel company, Sandvik. Decorex is a steel surface processed on nano level that can be given different colours and structures.
One obvious area of use is aircraft interiors since there is A LOT of money to save with fewer kilos in the air. Hybrix itself was developed at the well-known bionic intersection of biology and engineering.
More from here
Keywords: Swedish Lamera, Lightweight steel Hybrix, Sandwich material, Decorex
It is thin (1-2 mm), strong and it can be processed and formed in the same ways and with the same tools as ordinary stainless steel. In fact, the only apparent difference is that it weighs about half as much.
Hybrix has been described as "magic" since it seems too thin and firm to be hollow but this story gets even better: Lamera has combined their invention with Decorex - a material developed by another Swedish steel company, Sandvik. Decorex is a steel surface processed on nano level that can be given different colours and structures.
One obvious area of use is aircraft interiors since there is A LOT of money to save with fewer kilos in the air. Hybrix itself was developed at the well-known bionic intersection of biology and engineering.
More from here
Keywords: Swedish Lamera, Lightweight steel Hybrix, Sandwich material, Decorex
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Hybrix Lightweight Steel from Lamera - Combined with Decorex posted by Ecacofonix : 8:51 PM
0 Comments
MediaCore Sofaside PC from Pearing Systems: Adrian Robins
Tired of sitting alone in your computer room? Then this MediaCore computer system dubbed as the Sofaside PC will fit perfectly into your living room. This contemporary piece of furniture by Pearing Systems gives everyone the ability to own a media center PC that is a beautifully designed and highly functional.
Adrian Robins, owner of PearingSystems and inventor of the MEdiaCOre computer system has a background in engineering and a degree in architecture. His love of design and electronics prompted him to design and build the MEdiaCOre™. He says, “This is innovation and invention - as many people know the problem with computers in the living room is, they’re ugly, noisy and need cooling – and what’s the obsession with making them look like audio components?
This European, hand built unit features versatile design with media functionality.
The wooden enclosure offers superior noise reduction over other cases and uses a forced air flow system and unique custom chassis to keep components cool and quiet. It features built-in cable boxes and wireless router to keep your living room clutter-free.
The hand crafted cabinet is available in many finishes and colors to suit many styles of décor.
More from here
Keywords: Sofaside PC, computer room, MediaCore, Pearing Systems , MEdiaCOre, media boxes , forced air flow system AV, cable TV boxes, keyboard, décor.
Adrian Robins, owner of PearingSystems and inventor of the MEdiaCOre computer system has a background in engineering and a degree in architecture. His love of design and electronics prompted him to design and build the MEdiaCOre™. He says, “This is innovation and invention - as many people know the problem with computers in the living room is, they’re ugly, noisy and need cooling – and what’s the obsession with making them look like audio components?
This European, hand built unit features versatile design with media functionality.
The wooden enclosure offers superior noise reduction over other cases and uses a forced air flow system and unique custom chassis to keep components cool and quiet. It features built-in cable boxes and wireless router to keep your living room clutter-free.
The hand crafted cabinet is available in many finishes and colors to suit many styles of décor.
More from here
Keywords: Sofaside PC, computer room, MediaCore, Pearing Systems , MEdiaCOre, media boxes , forced air flow system AV, cable TV boxes, keyboard, décor.
Labels: Computer-Science, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - MediaCore Sofaside PC from Pearing Systems: Adrian Robins posted by Ecacofonix : 8:51 PM
0 Comments
Americans' DIY & Engineering Skills on the Decline?
Even the simplest of automotive tasks, changing a tire, seems to be beyond the ken of many people. According to AAA, nearly 4 million motorists requested roadside assistance last year—for flat tires.
To be fair, young people today are likely to have skills that earlier generations never dreamed of—building Web sites, say, or editing digital movies. But manipulating pixels and working with physical materials aren’t quite the same thing. Does this matter? And if people are becoming less mechanically handy, is that so bad? I think so—and not just because specialization is for insects.
Interesting musings @ this post. More from here
To be fair, young people today are likely to have skills that earlier generations never dreamed of—building Web sites, say, or editing digital movies. But manipulating pixels and working with physical materials aren’t quite the same thing. Does this matter? And if people are becoming less mechanically handy, is that so bad? I think so—and not just because specialization is for insects.
Interesting musings @ this post. More from here
Labels: Society
PermaLink - Americans' DIY & Engineering Skills on the Decline? posted by Ecacofonix : 8:50 PM
0 Comments
UK Wind Turbines, Wave, Tidal, Hydro Energy Devices to Increase
Nearly 10,000 wind turbines will be spinning on land and sea by 2020 if Britain is to meet a new renewable-energy target announced recently.
The estimated fivefold increase in the number of turbines would be required to meet a new renewable-energy target for the UK under a plan detailed by the European Commission. Under the proposals, which are still to be agreed by member states, the UK would have to ensure at least 15 per cent of energy – in the form of electricity, heating and fuel – will come from renewable resources. Given limited scope to reduce fossil fuels used for transport and heating, renewable electricity supplies will need to make up between 30 and 40 per cent of the total.This could potentially mean a total of 5,200 turbines on land and 4,000 on sea, plus a mix of about 5,000 wave, tidal, and small run-of-river hydro and biomass devices by 2020, generating up to 46 gigawatts – or around 37 per cent of electricity demand.
More from here
The estimated fivefold increase in the number of turbines would be required to meet a new renewable-energy target for the UK under a plan detailed by the European Commission. Under the proposals, which are still to be agreed by member states, the UK would have to ensure at least 15 per cent of energy – in the form of electricity, heating and fuel – will come from renewable resources. Given limited scope to reduce fossil fuels used for transport and heating, renewable electricity supplies will need to make up between 30 and 40 per cent of the total.This could potentially mean a total of 5,200 turbines on land and 4,000 on sea, plus a mix of about 5,000 wave, tidal, and small run-of-river hydro and biomass devices by 2020, generating up to 46 gigawatts – or around 37 per cent of electricity demand.
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - UK Wind Turbines, Wave, Tidal, Hydro Energy Devices to Increase posted by Ecacofonix : 8:50 PM
0 Comments
Atomically Precise Manufacturing - Tiny Assembly Lines
A University of Texas at Dallas team will play a key role in a new $15 million research project designed to enable manufacturing at an almost unimaginably small scale: one atom at a time.
Known as atomically precise manufacturing, the technique is expected to enable a wide variety of devices and products, including:
* Ultra-low-power semiconductors for cellphones and other wireless communications.
* Sensors with ultra-high sensitivity.
* Data encryption orders of magnitude more secure than existing technology.
* Optical elements that enable unprecedented performance in computing and communications.
* Customized surfaces that would have an array of applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.
* Nanoscale genomics arrays that would enable a person's complete genetic sequence to be read in less than two hours.
More from here
Keywords: Tiny Assembly Lines, Ultra-low-power semiconductors, cellphones, wireless communications, Sensors, Customized surfaces, Nanoscale genomics arrays, complete genetic sequence
Known as atomically precise manufacturing, the technique is expected to enable a wide variety of devices and products, including:
* Ultra-low-power semiconductors for cellphones and other wireless communications.
* Sensors with ultra-high sensitivity.
* Data encryption orders of magnitude more secure than existing technology.
* Optical elements that enable unprecedented performance in computing and communications.
* Customized surfaces that would have an array of applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.
* Nanoscale genomics arrays that would enable a person's complete genetic sequence to be read in less than two hours.
More from here
Keywords: Tiny Assembly Lines, Ultra-low-power semiconductors, cellphones, wireless communications, Sensors, Customized surfaces, Nanoscale genomics arrays, complete genetic sequence
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Atomically Precise Manufacturing - Tiny Assembly Lines posted by Ecacofonix : 8:49 PM
0 Comments
Biomimetics in Engineering, Materials Science, Solar Panels
A research fellow at the Natural History Museum in London and at the University of Sydney, Parker is a leading proponent of biomimetics—applying designs from nature to solve problems in engineering, materials science, medicine, and other fields. He has investigated iridescence in butterflies and beetles and antireflective coatings in moth eyes—studies that have led to brighter screens for cellular phones and an anticounterfeiting technique so secret he can't say which company is behind it. He is working with Procter & Gamble and Yves Saint Laurent to make cosmetics that mimic the natural sheen of diatoms, and with the British Ministry of Defense to emulate their water-repellent properties. He even draws inspiration from nature's past: On the eye of a 45-million-year-old fly trapped in amber he saw in a museum in Warsaw, Poland, he noticed microscopic corrugations that reduced light reflection. They are now being built into solar panels. Parker's work is only a small part of an increasingly vigorous, global biomimetics movement. Engineers in Bath, England, and West Chester, Pennsylvania, are pondering the bumps on the leading edges of humpback whale flukes to learn how to make airplane wings for more agile flight. In Berlin, Germany, the fingerlike primary feathers of raptors are inspiring engineers to develop wings that change shape aloft to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. Architects in Zimbabwe are studying how termites regulate temperature, humidity, and airflow in their mounds in order to build more comfortable buildings, while Japanese medical researchers are reducing the pain of an injection by using hypodermic needles edged with tiny serrations, like those on a mosquito's proboscis, minimizing nerve stimulation.
More from here
Keywords: Natural History Museum, University of Sydney, Parker, National Geographic on Biomimetics, antireflective coatings, Iridescence, water-repellent properties, amber, Polandmicroscopic corrugations, light reflection, solar panels, mosquito's proboscis, hypodermic needles
More from here
Keywords: Natural History Museum, University of Sydney, Parker, National Geographic on Biomimetics, antireflective coatings, Iridescence, water-repellent properties, amber, Polandmicroscopic corrugations, light reflection, solar panels, mosquito's proboscis, hypodermic needles
Labels: Bio-engineering, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Biomimetics in Engineering, Materials Science, Solar Panels posted by Ecacofonix : 8:49 PM
0 Comments
Intelligent Homes Lead to the Future of Home Automation
In light of today's suffering housing market, one solution to increasing the resale value of one's home may be through equipping it with the most up and coming technology available.According to Michael Milde, proprietor and systems integrator of Hunter Home Automation based out of Chicago, Ill., the home automation industry has been in place for more than two decades.However, only recently has it surfaced as an affordable means of revamping one's property to include what Ian Trible, operations manager at Intellihome Inc, a home automation company in Houston, Texas, refers to as "more qualities of life people look for.""Full automation in homes will become as common as cell phones are today," Milde said.With that being said, home automation services are destined to become accessible for every home dweller willing to think outside of the box."It used to be a custom standard…[now] it's becoming a standard," Trible said.One dimension of this current standard allows for the acquirement of reasonable "green" additions to the home, making it more energy efficient.
More from here
Keywords: Intelligent homes, future of home automation, housing market, Michael Milde, systems integrator, Hunter Home, Automation, Chicago, Ian Trible, Intellihome, Houston, Texas, cell phones, home automation services
More from here
Keywords: Intelligent homes, future of home automation, housing market, Michael Milde, systems integrator, Hunter Home, Automation, Chicago, Ian Trible, Intellihome, Houston, Texas, cell phones, home automation services
Labels: Automation, Civil-Engineering, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Intelligent Homes Lead to the Future of Home Automation posted by Ecacofonix : 8:48 PM
1 Comments
Cybercrime - Evolution, Future Trends
What if you could just sneak $1 out of the wallet of 50,000 different people? They probably won’t notice. If they discover the $1 missing, they probably won’t care, or may even assume they just lost it or mis-counted.
Now, what if you could sneak $1 from 50,000 different people while sitting at your laptop in the local coffee shop? What if you never have to physically confront a single person, nor risk physical harm in any way? What if you could perpetrate a virtual crime, cyberpickpocketing? How about if your cyberpickpocketing could net $50,000 today? That definitely sounds like a more solid business plan than the “Pickpocketing Across America” approach cited above. That is the allure of cybercrime, says this interesting post
Got me thinking about cybercrime in general, not just micro-commerce cyber crime. How is cybercrime going to evolve in future? What will be its various dimensions? And what are we doing about it? I have provided the various interesting resources I found during my research for answers to the above questions.
This interesting post @ ThinkQuest ( http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00460/future.html ) was certainly thought-provoking. It discusses how the rate of malware penetration in wireless and PCs is increasing. It also notes how malware are becoming more intelligent by the day. It concludes that "Trends suggest that criminals will become more insidious. Large-scale and damaging acts such as Dos attacks will become less popular as they are easy to detect and thwart with better security systems. Instead, newer and more indirect methods of crime like phishing and Trojans will become much more popular".
In this report Predicting the future of cybercrime and security, Alan Paller of SANS Institute provides details on predictions by twenty respected leaders in cyber focusing on the top 10 security developments for 2007. They narrowed 40 probable computer security developments down to 10 that have the highest probability of happening and will, if they happen, have substantial impact on large numbers of people. The developments predicted are in the following domains: 1. Laptop encryption, 2. PDA smart phones, 3.Targeted cyber attacks, 4. Cell phone worms, 5. Voice over IP (VoIP) systems, 6. Spyware, 7. Security vulnerabilities, 8. Rootkits, 9. Legislation governing the protection of customer information and 10. Network access control (NAC). In summary, the report says that attacker sophistication seems to be ahead of defensive tools. But by making the attackers' job harder and harder and by increasing the length of gaol sentences for cybercrime and improving international police co-operation and skill levels, we can continue to keep up with the attackers and, over time, begin to turn the tide.
In this brief interview titled Protecting the future from cyber crime, Platypus Magazine spoke with Federal Agent Nigel Phair about his new book and the impact of high-tech crime as he sees it, and the challenges which lay ahead in controlling cyber crime. Some of the questions posed in the interview are: "What are the challenges which lie ahead in policing high tech crime?", "Can policing keep up with the evolution of cyber crime – or is this an unwinnable war?", "Does a cyber criminal fit a typical profile?", & "Who do you see as being the most vulnerable to high tech crime?". Interesting perspectives in the answers.
According to Dan Hubard, a cybercime expert, cybercrime is all about costs and benefits, and criminals are no different from legitimate businesses in this respect. "The old criminals are learning from the new ones how to launder stolen credit cards, and they are learning how little risk they face of being caught," he said. The old criminal gangs have a lot of money that they can plough into cybercrime, which is potentially much more profitable that traditional forms of crime and is less risky.
The U.S. military has hinted that it will expand its cyber crime to cyber warfare in the near future, according to this article. Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., who heads the Air Force's cyber operations command told the press that the military was currently developing ways to launch virtual attacks on enemies. The general even reckoned that if cyber squaddies could use the Net to scramble an enemy's communications system, they might even be able to do away with heavy handed conventional weapons like bombs.
First it was SAAS and now it it is CAAS - Crimeware as a Service. Criminals invest in crimeware-as-a-service, says this interesting article from Computerworld UK. 'Crimeware as a service', where criminals use online cybercrime services instead of running their own servers and software, is the latest development in internet crime. Hmmm
The Internet Crime Complaint Center posted their latest statistics on cybercrime recently, based on nearly 207,000 complaints people filed in 2007. Since 2006 losses to cybercrime had jumped over 20%, although complaints fell slightly. Over a third of the complaints were about auction fraud, the center said, and a quarter were about non-delivery of goods. Credit/debit card fraud, check fraud, identity theft and Nigerian letter fraud were also represented.
"Years ago, we saw cybercrime as a speciality," says a Dutch expert. "Now we have added cybercrime in every form of police training, so we are raising the level of the entire Dutch police force. There's no crime anymore where there are no digital components built in."
I guess the last statement kind of sums it up. Cybercrime is not a specialty crime any longer. It is a part of most crimes happening today. Not the most pleasant of news!
Now, what if you could sneak $1 from 50,000 different people while sitting at your laptop in the local coffee shop? What if you never have to physically confront a single person, nor risk physical harm in any way? What if you could perpetrate a virtual crime, cyberpickpocketing? How about if your cyberpickpocketing could net $50,000 today? That definitely sounds like a more solid business plan than the “Pickpocketing Across America” approach cited above. That is the allure of cybercrime, says this interesting post
Got me thinking about cybercrime in general, not just micro-commerce cyber crime. How is cybercrime going to evolve in future? What will be its various dimensions? And what are we doing about it? I have provided the various interesting resources I found during my research for answers to the above questions.
This interesting post @ ThinkQuest ( http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00460/future.html ) was certainly thought-provoking. It discusses how the rate of malware penetration in wireless and PCs is increasing. It also notes how malware are becoming more intelligent by the day. It concludes that "Trends suggest that criminals will become more insidious. Large-scale and damaging acts such as Dos attacks will become less popular as they are easy to detect and thwart with better security systems. Instead, newer and more indirect methods of crime like phishing and Trojans will become much more popular".
In this report Predicting the future of cybercrime and security, Alan Paller of SANS Institute provides details on predictions by twenty respected leaders in cyber focusing on the top 10 security developments for 2007. They narrowed 40 probable computer security developments down to 10 that have the highest probability of happening and will, if they happen, have substantial impact on large numbers of people. The developments predicted are in the following domains: 1. Laptop encryption, 2. PDA smart phones, 3.Targeted cyber attacks, 4. Cell phone worms, 5. Voice over IP (VoIP) systems, 6. Spyware, 7. Security vulnerabilities, 8. Rootkits, 9. Legislation governing the protection of customer information and 10. Network access control (NAC). In summary, the report says that attacker sophistication seems to be ahead of defensive tools. But by making the attackers' job harder and harder and by increasing the length of gaol sentences for cybercrime and improving international police co-operation and skill levels, we can continue to keep up with the attackers and, over time, begin to turn the tide.
In this brief interview titled Protecting the future from cyber crime, Platypus Magazine spoke with Federal Agent Nigel Phair about his new book and the impact of high-tech crime as he sees it, and the challenges which lay ahead in controlling cyber crime. Some of the questions posed in the interview are: "What are the challenges which lie ahead in policing high tech crime?", "Can policing keep up with the evolution of cyber crime – or is this an unwinnable war?", "Does a cyber criminal fit a typical profile?", & "Who do you see as being the most vulnerable to high tech crime?". Interesting perspectives in the answers.
According to Dan Hubard, a cybercime expert, cybercrime is all about costs and benefits, and criminals are no different from legitimate businesses in this respect. "The old criminals are learning from the new ones how to launder stolen credit cards, and they are learning how little risk they face of being caught," he said. The old criminal gangs have a lot of money that they can plough into cybercrime, which is potentially much more profitable that traditional forms of crime and is less risky.
The U.S. military has hinted that it will expand its cyber crime to cyber warfare in the near future, according to this article. Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., who heads the Air Force's cyber operations command told the press that the military was currently developing ways to launch virtual attacks on enemies. The general even reckoned that if cyber squaddies could use the Net to scramble an enemy's communications system, they might even be able to do away with heavy handed conventional weapons like bombs.
First it was SAAS and now it it is CAAS - Crimeware as a Service. Criminals invest in crimeware-as-a-service, says this interesting article from Computerworld UK. 'Crimeware as a service', where criminals use online cybercrime services instead of running their own servers and software, is the latest development in internet crime. Hmmm
The Internet Crime Complaint Center posted their latest statistics on cybercrime recently, based on nearly 207,000 complaints people filed in 2007. Since 2006 losses to cybercrime had jumped over 20%, although complaints fell slightly. Over a third of the complaints were about auction fraud, the center said, and a quarter were about non-delivery of goods. Credit/debit card fraud, check fraud, identity theft and Nigerian letter fraud were also represented.
"Years ago, we saw cybercrime as a speciality," says a Dutch expert. "Now we have added cybercrime in every form of police training, so we are raising the level of the entire Dutch police force. There's no crime anymore where there are no digital components built in."
I guess the last statement kind of sums it up. Cybercrime is not a specialty crime any longer. It is a part of most crimes happening today. Not the most pleasant of news!
Labels: Computer-Science, Safety, Society
Future Of IT -- Very Big and Very Small?
So, you either believe that IT is undergoing yet another upheaval, or you don't.
You either buy into Nicholas Carr's core premise (as found in "The Big Switch"), or you don't.
But if you do buy into these ideas, there's another implication to consider.
There will likely be very little medium-sized IT in the future. Just the very big, and the very small.
Over time, IT is done much more efficiently at uber-scale. Much like power generation shifted from small-scale to large-scale at the beginning of the 20th century, we're seeing the same thing applied to IT at the dawn of the 21st century.
More from here
Keywords: IT, Nicholas Carr's, The Big Switch, Nick, outside IT services, generic, specialized, Google, Amazon
You either buy into Nicholas Carr's core premise (as found in "The Big Switch"), or you don't.
But if you do buy into these ideas, there's another implication to consider.
There will likely be very little medium-sized IT in the future. Just the very big, and the very small.
Over time, IT is done much more efficiently at uber-scale. Much like power generation shifted from small-scale to large-scale at the beginning of the 20th century, we're seeing the same thing applied to IT at the dawn of the 21st century.
More from here
Keywords: IT, Nicholas Carr's, The Big Switch, Nick, outside IT services, generic, specialized, Google, Amazon
Labels: Computer-Science
IBM Management Complexity Factor for Media (MCF for Media) Solution
IBM's rolling out a new assessment service geared to help enterprises get a better grip on storage using a propriety framework that evaluates everything from architecture complexity to future data growth. IBM said it's specifically targeting film production, entertainment and other media companies.
Management Complexity Factor for Media (MCF for Media) includes a six to eight-week evaluation process that results in a customized program that lists out recommendations for two to three years of storage management.
Such niche service offerings are gaining ground as vertical markets, such as healthcare and entertainment, wrestle with demanding storage requirements and want better technology to improve data retrieval and more efficient data processes.
More from here
Management Complexity Factor for Media (MCF for Media) includes a six to eight-week evaluation process that results in a customized program that lists out recommendations for two to three years of storage management.
Such niche service offerings are gaining ground as vertical markets, such as healthcare and entertainment, wrestle with demanding storage requirements and want better technology to improve data retrieval and more efficient data processes.
More from here
Labels: Computer-Science
PermaLink - IBM Management Complexity Factor for Media (MCF for Media) Solution posted by Ecacofonix : 8:47 PM
0 Comments
Space Economy - Outer Space the Next Business Frontier
Outer space is the future of business, according to a report released by the Space Foundation.
The report said the Space Economy, defined as the full range of economic activities in the course of exploring, understanding and utilizing space, has become the next great frontier for business growth, exceeding $250 billion in projected value to the U.S. economy.
Commercial activities such as satellite and GPS-related services raked in $173.4 billion in 2007 -- more than 70 percent of total global space revenues. In contrast, NASA's budget is only $17.3 billion in 2008.
Underscoring this development, the Austin, Texas-based Phillips & Co., a global business development and market consulting firm launched its Space Technology and Commerce Practice on Wednesday, on the 49th anniversary of the Mercury Seven news conference, when NASA introduced the first seven American astronauts to the world.
More from here
Keywords: Space industry, Space Foundation, Space Economy, GPS, Austin, Texas-based Phillips & Co, Mercury Seven news conference, NASA , astronauts, Rich Phillips
The report said the Space Economy, defined as the full range of economic activities in the course of exploring, understanding and utilizing space, has become the next great frontier for business growth, exceeding $250 billion in projected value to the U.S. economy.
Commercial activities such as satellite and GPS-related services raked in $173.4 billion in 2007 -- more than 70 percent of total global space revenues. In contrast, NASA's budget is only $17.3 billion in 2008.
Underscoring this development, the Austin, Texas-based Phillips & Co., a global business development and market consulting firm launched its Space Technology and Commerce Practice on Wednesday, on the 49th anniversary of the Mercury Seven news conference, when NASA introduced the first seven American astronauts to the world.
More from here
Keywords: Space industry, Space Foundation, Space Economy, GPS, Austin, Texas-based Phillips & Co, Mercury Seven news conference, NASA , astronauts, Rich Phillips
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Space Economy - Outer Space the Next Business Frontier posted by Ecacofonix : 8:47 PM
0 Comments
E-commerce to Complement Brick & Mortar Stores - Visa Europe Report
New research commisioned by Visa Europe and unveiled at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona shows that, contrary to suggestions, online channels can complement bricks and mortar stores.
With internet sales expected to account for almost 20% of turnover by 2012-15, and websites becoming increasingly transactional rather than informational, there is also likely to be a rise in the application of technology within the retailer community. As a result there would be a rise in automated self scanning, product tracking for inventory using RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) and targeted promotions delivered directly to consumers while they shopped. In addition they were likely to have access to PC/web based facilities in store giving immediate access to product and customer reviews
More from here
With internet sales expected to account for almost 20% of turnover by 2012-15, and websites becoming increasingly transactional rather than informational, there is also likely to be a rise in the application of technology within the retailer community. As a result there would be a rise in automated self scanning, product tracking for inventory using RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) and targeted promotions delivered directly to consumers while they shopped. In addition they were likely to have access to PC/web based facilities in store giving immediate access to product and customer reviews
More from here
Labels: Automation, Computer-Science
PermaLink - E-commerce to Complement Brick & Mortar Stores - Visa Europe Report posted by Ecacofonix : 8:46 PM
0 Comments
Future Touch Release MyServant v3.0 Home Automation Software, HAL Add-on
Ozzy smart home company Future Touch have released v3.0 of their MyServant system. The windows software is an add-on for HAL and provides touchscreen support complete with floor plan style graphics as well as occupancy tracking, security system control and weather display...
Ever wished you had a maid or a butler around the home? Then how about a virtual housekeeper? Future Touch Ltd have take the home automation experience to the next level, with the release of their software called MyServant.
MyServant v3.0 is a Windows based application that works in conjunction with the leading home automation software – HAL2000.
Visual Interface features include:
Touch screen support
Extensive Visual Control of your home via a custom floor-plan
See which occupants are home & away
See & hear who's calling the home before you answer it
Access your own personal websites & voicemail on-screen
Control of your Security System, HVAC, media equipment & more
Weather forecast displays
Tracking & low-notification of Battery-levels for all home appliances
Visual display of your Address book
More from
Ever wished you had a maid or a butler around the home? Then how about a virtual housekeeper? Future Touch Ltd have take the home automation experience to the next level, with the release of their software called MyServant.
MyServant v3.0 is a Windows based application that works in conjunction with the leading home automation software – HAL2000.
Visual Interface features include:
Touch screen support
Extensive Visual Control of your home via a custom floor-plan
See which occupants are home & away
See & hear who's calling the home before you answer it
Access your own personal websites & voicemail on-screen
Control of your Security System, HVAC, media equipment & more
Weather forecast displays
Tracking & low-notification of Battery-levels for all home appliances
Visual display of your Address book
More from
here
Keywords: Future Touch, MyServant v3.0, Home Automation Software,Ozzy smart home, HAL, touchscreen, floor plan style graphics, occupancy tracking, security system control and weather display..., Touch screen support, Extensive Visual Control of your home via a custom floor-plan, Home Automation, Lighting Intelligence, Personality Integration, Room Targeted Announcements, Advanced Alarm Clocks, Occupant Tracking, Status enquiries
Keywords: Future Touch, MyServant v3.0, Home Automation Software,Ozzy smart home, HAL, touchscreen, floor plan style graphics, occupancy tracking, security system control and weather display..., Touch screen support, Extensive Visual Control of your home via a custom floor-plan, Home Automation, Lighting Intelligence, Personality Integration, Room Targeted Announcements, Advanced Alarm Clocks, Occupant Tracking, Status enquiries
Labels: Automation
PermaLink - Future Touch Release MyServant v3.0 Home Automation Software, HAL Add-on posted by Ecacofonix : 8:45 PM
0 Comments
Self-making Bed - Italian Enrico Berruti's Invention
An Italian has given the world the first self-making bed.
Throughout history the Italians have made a major contribution to the world's inventory of useful products -- the barometer, ball bearings, the electric battery, the thermometer, the typewriter and the ice cream cone -- it's a staggering list. Enrico Berruti has this month been proudly displaying his self-making bed at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva and unsurprisingly it's attracted a lot of attention, particularly from rather dishevelled men who look as though they haven't eaten for a week.
Berruti's invention is a godsend to those who hate making beds - and I confess to being one of them.
More from here
Keywords: 21st Century invention, barometer, ball bearings, electric battery, thermometer, typewriter, ice cream cone, Enrico Berruti, self-making bed
Throughout history the Italians have made a major contribution to the world's inventory of useful products -- the barometer, ball bearings, the electric battery, the thermometer, the typewriter and the ice cream cone -- it's a staggering list. Enrico Berruti has this month been proudly displaying his self-making bed at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva and unsurprisingly it's attracted a lot of attention, particularly from rather dishevelled men who look as though they haven't eaten for a week.
Berruti's invention is a godsend to those who hate making beds - and I confess to being one of them.
More from here
Keywords: 21st Century invention, barometer, ball bearings, electric battery, thermometer, typewriter, ice cream cone, Enrico Berruti, self-making bed
Labels: Automation, Society
PermaLink - Self-making Bed - Italian Enrico Berruti's Invention posted by Ecacofonix : 5:42 AM
0 Comments
Oorja - A Small Stove in India to Reduce Carbon Emissions
A $17 stove could reduce carbon emissions and improve women’s health in India. The invention of a tiny stove in India demonstrates the link between reduced carbon emissions and improved health – and how technology can contribute to slowing climate change. Global energy giant BP is producing and marketing Oorja, which means energy in Hindi, a small pellet stove that produces substantially fewer emissions than the traditional wood-burning stoves so common throughout India. In developing the stove, BP ran models by rural consumers. A team of businesswomen based in villages sell stoves and fuel made of agricultural waste products, while also offering BP advice on promoting other energy products to rural India’s millions. In wealthy and poor countries alike, efforts to control climate changes will require innovative and affordable alternative-energy products, combined with meticulous grassroots marketing campaigns in order to change old habits.
More from here
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Oorja - A Small Stove in India to Reduce Carbon Emissions posted by Ecacofonix : 5:42 AM
0 Comments
Flat Screen TV Bed or Robotic TV Bed: from EliteChoice
Flat Screen TV Bed
The functionality of this bed targets elite class who respects space and doesn’t want to compromise on their routine activities done in lavish style. The flat screen TV comes integrated with a bed and its USP is that its hardly visible. It is hidden at the bottom of the bed but in a robot style gets erected on its own, when need be with a simple push of a button and goes back when asked for. Robot TV can be an alternative name for it. No price information is available but for sure this one-of-its-kind TV cum bed furniture is an elite model.
More from here
The functionality of this bed targets elite class who respects space and doesn’t want to compromise on their routine activities done in lavish style. The flat screen TV comes integrated with a bed and its USP is that its hardly visible. It is hidden at the bottom of the bed but in a robot style gets erected on its own, when need be with a simple push of a button and goes back when asked for. Robot TV can be an alternative name for it. No price information is available but for sure this one-of-its-kind TV cum bed furniture is an elite model.
More from here
Labels: Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Flat Screen TV Bed or Robotic TV Bed: from EliteChoice posted by Ecacofonix : 5:42 AM
0 Comments
Microsoft's LucidTouch Handheld Computer - No More Fat Finger Problem?
If you think the touchscreen on Apple's iPhone is cool, imagine a device that actually sees, reflects and responds to your fingers touching the back of the device. A prototype of that capability was among many that Microsoft Research showed off at TechFest , Microsoft's annual display of its research projects. LucidTouch isn't very practical in its current form. It's a large handheld computer with a small video camera attached to an arm about 30cm long on the back of the device. But the technology that enables it could easily change now that the concept is proven, said Patrick Baudisch, a researcher at Microsoft.
The current setup includes a touch sensor layer on the back of the device. That senses when a user's fingers are touching it. The camera attached behind it sends an image of the fingers to the device, where the image is overlaid lightly, like a shadow, on the screen. Moving your fingers on the back of the device, you can choose an item on the map. With LucidTouch, a user could touch an area on the wristband of the watch instead to make choices on the watch face.
More from here
The current setup includes a touch sensor layer on the back of the device. That senses when a user's fingers are touching it. The camera attached behind it sends an image of the fingers to the device, where the image is overlaid lightly, like a shadow, on the screen. Moving your fingers on the back of the device, you can choose an item on the map. With LucidTouch, a user could touch an area on the wristband of the watch instead to make choices on the watch face.
More from here
Labels: Computer-Science, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Microsoft's LucidTouch Handheld Computer - No More Fat Finger Problem? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:41 AM
0 Comments
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) - Treatment for Depression?
Steve Zatuchni, who suffered from depression, says the magnetic pulse treatment he got saved his life. He no longer takes any medicine. Sixteen years ago, Steve Zatuchni was a computer sales manager, making a six-figure income. Then all hell broke loose in his brain. in 2004, he enrolled in a study of an experimental therapy called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS -- a noninvasive treatment that sends magnetic pulses into the brain. It worked. "Within a week, the depression was lifting," he says. "Within two months, it was gone. TMS saved my life." Zatuchni, 59, who lives in the Philadelphia area, no longer takes any medicine
Proponents -- including scientists at Harvard, Yale and UCLA -- say TMS could transform treatment for depression as well as a range of other ailments, including schizophrenia, migraines, insomnia, epilepsy, chronic pain and Parkinson's
More from here
Proponents -- including scientists at Harvard, Yale and UCLA -- say TMS could transform treatment for depression as well as a range of other ailments, including schizophrenia, migraines, insomnia, epilepsy, chronic pain and Parkinson's
More from here
Labels: Bio-engineering