Ultimate Explorer

Could robots ever be equals amongst humans? It’s a topic that’s been brought to discussion over the last several decades, with films like I, Robot, A.I. and Centennial Man whose plots in one form or another all center around the humanity of robots.

While Hollywood’s vision of robotics doesn’t quite line up with the practical versions in existence now, built by students of physics and electronics, there is one thing on which both types of experts can agree. Robots are coming.

Far from the polished, life-like robots of the silver screen, pulleys, gears, pins, sensors, wheels, and blocks that look a bit like Legos are the foundation for modern robotics. Still, robots have been designed that can do some pretty neat tricks. Some robots can travel to a specific coordinate, even moving to manipulate obstacles in their path. Robots can make coffee, bartend, help with the house cleaning, dance (alright, so they aren’t winning any awards), follow directions, and plenty more.

The science of robotics is becoming more accessible as well. There are basic sets that children can put together, just like model cars or other do-it-yourself educational toys. Many high schools now host robotics clubs that work toward a specific goal as a team, building and programming robots.

The Japanese, long considered the front runners in the robotics movement, have announced that researchers at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have completed a robotic exoskeleton for farmers. This innovation comes as a proposed solution to the problems of aging Japanese farmers who lose much of their productivity as their manual labor abilities diminish. The robotic suit will be mass produced at a cost of around 200,000 Yen.

Robots are currently in use in the form of nanosensors, space exploration vehicles, and high-tech toys. The every day use of robotics is still a long way off, but scientists are approaching this inevitability step-by-step every single day. Want to try your hand at building your own automaton? Check out Lego’s Mindstorms line. As technology improves, robots are able to accomplish more and more intricate tasks. Their motions are more life-like and mimic natural movement patterns. Better sensors allow them to collect more precise information to be processed and used in their tasks. Some scientists believe that in the distant future, robots may be capable of reason. Until then, you’ll have to settle for innovations a piece at a time, like those of WT-4, the robot capable of simulating human speech!

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No matter how you feel about the current president, it’s almost time for a new one to step into office. What will the new candidates declare about the war in Iraq? Many Americans disagree with the decision to invade. I certainly did. They want to know: Why are our troops really over there in the first place? Did you know Bush decided to invade Iraq in April 2001, six months before the tragic event of September 11^th? What if, instead of invading other countries for access to their energy resources, we used the technology available to us in alternative fuels? Why do we continue to hear about these “miracle innovations” destined to replace gasoline, but they’re always just on the cusp of being put into commercial use? It’s time to be informed about the alternative fuel choices out there and why they aren’t in the pumps today.

Biodiesel

This form of diesel fuel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or grease that has been recycled after restaurants have used it. (There’s plenty of that available, isn’t there?) It is safe, biodegradable, and is much better for the environment than oil-based diesel. While the costs are slightly higher than regular diesel, this is mostly due to the scarcity of processing/filling stations and will decrease as more plants are put in place. The best thing about biodiesel is it can be used in engines with little or no modification. The cons of this type of fuel, like many others, come down to cost. And who will take up that cost? In the end, you and I.

Fuel cells

Research into fuel cells has been going on in earnest since the 1950s, believe it or not. In fact, this was the way the Apollo astronauts were able to generate enough energy to make it to the moon and back. Conventional fuel cells have relied on hydrogen gas as a fuel source. Recently, scientists have begun to investigate the idea of using bacteria in a fuel cell in order to generate electrical energy. The bacteria can use almost any chemical as a food source. The major expense in research, development, production, and implementation will have to be handed down to the consumer. Can you imagine where we could be if we spent 10% of what we have spent on the Iraq war in advancing this technology? Nevertheless, as long as fuel cells stay so expensive, this isn’t the technology that’s going to get us out of Iraq.

Ethanol

This alcohol-based fuel is created when the (mostly) non-edible parts of some crops have been broken down into simple sugars, fermented, then distilled. In the United States, these crops are primarily corn or sorghum. In Brazil, it is made from sugar cane. It burns cleaner than gasoline, emitting fewer greenhouse gases, but right now since production is basically still in infancy, planting, harvesting, and processing ethanol might take more fuel than is produced. With better research and increasing awareness/use of the fuel, it will become less energy-costly to make.

So why aren’t we pumping ethanol already? For one reason, there’s not nearly as much energy in it as there is in gasoline. Producing it costs almost twice as much energy as is in the final product, creating a net energy loss. And, since machinery used to plant, maintain, and reap the corn burns fossil-fuels…. well, you see the problem. But that’s not the biggest problem. Some scientists estimate the ethanol needed to power a car for a single year would require 11 acres of corn! While those fields replenish themselves, it would leave no usable land for other food crops.

This problem, like so many others, may have a compromising solution: cellulosic ethanol can be made from non-food products like corn stalk, wood chips, and switch grass. Keep an eye out for this product, bound to hit gas stations nearby in the next…… well, whenever scientists can figure it all out. Stay tuned!

Bottom line: In the near future, oil wars will be a thing of the past. Our dependencies upon other countries for oil, and the toll burning it takes on the environment, will hopefully be at an end. In the meantime, become informed about the candidates for the upcoming election and research their stance on the issues of the environment and the war. Then, do your part by walking when it’s possible and investing in the most fuel-efficient vehicle you can that will fit your needs. If we all make a concerted effort to help, we can promote good health for our environment for years to come.

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Did you know that there’s actually a SCIENCE about happiness? I had no idea, until I heard this young man speak at a recent conference. His name is Shawn Achor and he is a HOOT! He teaches at Harvard and has THE most popular course on campus. Over 1000 students have signed up for his course, “Psychology: Positive Psychology and the Science of Happiness”.

Course Description:

In our increasingly modern and even luxurious world, why aren’t wealth and success translating into greater happiness? Depression rates in the United States are currently eight times higher than they were during the Great Depression, and that’s just one measure of our society’s mental health. Positive Psychology is an emerging branch in social psychology that attempts to answer this paradox. Researchers in this field are also investigating whether there is a way of living and thinking that can lead not only to increased happiness, but also to a longer, healthier life. Whereas traditional psychology explores the abnormally bad or merely the average, positive psychology looks at the “growing tip” of the curve-the most happy and the most successful-to figure out what can be learned from them. This lecture examines the latest research and discoveries in the field, and explores some of the techniques that incorporate positive psychology and can lead to increased happiness and health.

Shawn Achor is the winner of over a dozen distinguished teaching awards at Harvard University. Indeed, Achor is the Head Teaching Fellow for the most popular course at Harvard, Positive Psychology, which is led by Professor Tal Ben-Shahar. Over 1,000 students a semester have signed up for the course. Beyond Positive Psychology, Achor has taught in four academic departments at Harvard, including courses in Psychology of Leadership, Personality Psychology and Business, and Human Sexuality. After receiving his BA from Harvard in English and earning a Masters from Harvard Divinity School in Christian and Buddhist Ethics, Achor has synthesized his understanding of rhetoric, religion and ethics into the field of psychology, where he is currently finishing his PhD in social psychology at Tufts. Indeed part of Achor’s interest in positive psychology stems from the fact that studies have shown many of Harvard’s undergrads suffer, at one time or another, from depression while at school. As a freshman advisor and proctor on the Harvard campus, Achor has seen this experience firsthand.

I share this information with you for a few reasons. One, when you hear this man speak, it’s impossible NOT to get excited. He’s so authentic and enthusiastic and utterly darling in his passion for helping people understand the power they have to BE happy. And he truly cares. It shines from him like a halo; he is as inspiring as he is informative. The studies they’ve conducted thus far are truly astonishing and the results of those studies will really make you rethink those moments when you’re miserable. The fact is, we CAN control our lives by readjusting how we think. The brain is actually ‘elastic’ and can be rewired! The idea of this just blew me away!

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When you received an energy (heating) bill last winter, were you afraid to open it? Granted that we have a home with a lot of really big windows, but we saw energy bills last winter in the hundreds of dollars. Your bill probably wasn’t that bad but I’m guessing that it was a lot higher than you would have liked.

The good news is that there are some inexpensive things you can do to cut that cost. Here are 10 of them.

1. If you have a fireplace, be sure to keep the damper closed. You can lose up to 5 percent of your heat if your damper is open when the fireplace is not in use.

2. Keep your furnace filter clean. Replace it at least once a month during heating season. This alone can cut your heating costs by as much as 5 percent.

3. Be sure to keep inside doors open to improve heat circulation. This will help the efficiency of your heating system.

4. Lower the setting on your thermostat. If you can reduce your daytime indoor thermostat temperature from 72 to 68 degrees, you should save about 5 per- cent during the heating season.

5. If your hot water pipes and water heater are warm to the touch, insulate them. This will reduce heat loss and water heating costs.

6. Every minute you cut from your shower saves three gallons of water and the energy required to heat it.

7. Install compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. Over the life of just one of these bulbs, you’ll save about $15. Use just a handful of these around your home and you could notice a difference in your energy bill.

8. Motion detectors put light where you want it, when you want it, for brief periods of time. They provide safety and security for you and your property, but require much less energy since they are on only when you need them.

9.Be sure to check for cold air leaks at doors and windows. If you have a question as to whether or not they are leaking cold air, light a match and hold it at the bottom of the window or door. You should be able to see very quickly if there is a draft.

10. Apply weather stripping around any doors that are leaking air, and caulk around all your windows. Weather stripping can be purchased from just about any hardware store, as well as stores like Home Deport and Lowe’s.

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Knowing what solar power is, thats your first step in finding solar energy. Energy from the sun is simply solar energy, it is produced when the sun is out and shining, it sends heat beaming to the earth. Where is solar energy? Its anywhere that the sun shines upon. Millions of people have throughout time saved this energy, to provide warmth in cold weather. Many years ago (thousands of years) people discovered that using thick glass or magnifying glass on certain objects that they could heat it up so hot that it would ignite. People realized the value and power of this natural energy.

One of the difficulties with catching the sun’s energy is that it is spread out, it is not directed to one area. This makes it hard to heat an object using only the suns rays. It is a fact that an object will get hot out in the sun, but there is so much more untapped potential from the sun’s rays.

What is needed is a solar collector, this will very effectively heat your room at night time, and when there is cloud cover. You need to utilize a source which will captivate the suns rays to a particular area, the sun will pass through it and go in the space. Items within the space attract and keep this heat apart from the suns rays, and cannot escape without the assistance from the source. One great collector of solar energy is glass because it lets the sunlight go through it and into the space, the suns heat cannot escape easily causing this space beneath the glass to heat up. There are items within the space to retain heat making the space warmer longer. This area has just been heated utilizing solar energy.

Sun rooms and greenhouses use glass because its a terrific common solar collector, heat is trapped in the interior after the glass attracts the suns rays, Even when the thermometer drops outside the interior stays warm.

Solar Power is everywhere that the sun light falls upon. To keep your house warm in the evening, you need direct sunlight for a great amount of time during the day, not just an hour or two, but who knows what future technology can bring, there is enough power from the sun to heat a home all night from collecting only a few hours of focused light, but we are not able to utilize it yet.

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The issue about global warming rages around us and blankets our lives with its facts and fiction. It is influenced through propaganda from both sides. Why? Each side has an agenda that seems to be backed up by facts. There is some extremely laughable information available on the internet and there is also plausible information. It is up to us to understand what applies to our daily actions and what we can do about global warming.

It is all around us. It is on the weather stations. It faces us when we decide to purchase a new car or even a cleaning product. The real issues come when trying to learn about global warming. There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet and there is not one group that can agree on all aspects of the global warming debate.

Over the past century, with out a doubt, global temperatures have risen. While the rise in temperature has been only a degree or so, the concern is whether the Earth’s temperatures will continue to rise and what impact that will have on the environment. The controversy about the warming of the earth is a result of conflicting evidence.

The fact that global warming also occurred in the prehistoric era is a scientific point. Some think a large meteor hitting the planet caused an big change in the earth’s temperature. Is that what killed the dinosaurs? Science cannot prove this conclusively yet. The political and industrial lobbies further complicate conversations about global warming. The contention of these groups is that, we currently do not know enough about the effects of global warming to limit industrial emissions.

When will we know the full facts about global warming and will the global warming issue be resolved anytime soon? Unfortunately the answer is no. There will continue to be studies performed and there will always be a measure of doubt clouding the minds of citizens around the world. Perhaps, when enough data comes through, we will be able to make a determination based on scientific fact rather than theory. Until then we can continue to monitor the progress of scientists and try to do our part in conserving the environment.

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Concern about our environment is certainly a growing concern. But, hitting home more directly, for many families, is the ever-rising costs of energy. If you live in a cold climate you are probably feeling the pinch of rising fuel oil costs. I lived in New Hampshire for many years and I was acutely aware of this. It seemed that every winter the prices just kept going up. But it is not just cold climates and seasons where rising energy costs are an issue. Cooling your home is more expensive too.

There are ways to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of your home and one of them is with the right types of window blinds and shades. One of the best types of window treatments for insulation is cellular shades, also called cell shades and honeycomb shades. They come in single, double and triple cells. The triple cell shades offer the greatest level of insulation both for hot and cold weather.

There are other choices. Many types of window treatments and coverings now offer significant energy efficiency so you are not stuck with only one choice. For example, may manufacturers of window blinds and shades offer insulated roman shades. This is usually an option that gets added on to the style you choose but, some come this way right from the factory.

Another choice, for those who want the benefits of cellular shades, but the look of drapery-style fabrics, should consider insulating roman panel shades. Panel shades are also called panel track blinds and sliding window panels. Panel shades have overlapping fabric panels on a wheeled track system, something akin to vertical blinds.

Another idea is to maximize the sun’s heat with solar shades, or sheer shades. With these window shades you can make use of the natural light during daylight hours. Most solar shades and sheer shades offer the privacy you desire but still allow the sunlight to warm you room’s interior.

Aside from energy-efficient cellular shades, roman shades or panel shades, you can also insulate your home by using weather-stripping to seal windows and doors. Also try placing foam draft blockers behind electrical cover plates. You may also want to use insulation to wrap your water heater and water pipes, preventing heat loss during transfer.

While I am on the subject of energy efficiency, I would remind you that one of the simplest things you can do to save energy is replace your regular light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs (CFLs). CFLs will last up to ten times longer than regular light bulbs, while using only 1/4 of the energy! Many manufacturers offer CFLs that are warmer in color and look very much like regular bulbs. They can save energy and showcase your interior design style at the same time.

All of these things I have mentioned, especially the window shades and blinds are not exactly cheap. But, they will pay off in the long run. Sometimes, we just don’t have the money to make our homes as energy efficient as we’d like. I certainly understand this dilemma. If you are in this situation, consider purchasing one piece at a time, over many months, even years. That is what I did while living in the Northeast. I lived in one of those old New England homes with like 50 windows. There was no way I could buy cellular shades for the entire house all at once. So, I started slow and purchased shades for the living room, then the bedrooms and so on.

Some great choices for energy efficient blinds are Redi Shade.

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On the front line of the nasty struggle between our immune system and foreign bacteria are neutrophils, the most abundant type of white blood cell. The crucial role that these cells play in destroying invading pathogens has been known for years, but only recently did scientists discover the secret weapon shown to the left - bacteria-trapping NETs - neutrophil extracellular traps - made of enzymes and DNA.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin (try saying that three times fast) have determined that the NETs are catapulted out of dead or dying neutrophils to capture, siarm, and eventually kill bacteria (the dark purple organisms in the photo).

“To mobilize the DNA and extrude it to catch and kill microbes is a very powerful way to fulfill the neutrophils’ protective role, even after their death,” explains Volker Brinkman, a study leader. Call them the body’s kamikaze fighters.

Wikipedia Definition of a Neutrophil

Neutrophil granulocytes, generally referred to as neutrophils, are the most abundant type of white blood cells in humans and form an integral part of the immune system. Their name arrives from staining characteristics on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) histological or cytological preparations. Whereas basophilic cellular components stain dark blue and eosinophilic components stain bright red, neutrophilic components stain a neutral pink. These phagocytes are normally found in the blood stream. However, during the acute phase of inflammation, particularly as a result of bacterial infection, neutrophils leave the vasculature and migrate toward the site of inflammation in a process called chemotaxis. They are the predominant cells in pus, accounting for its whitish/yellowish appearance. Neutrophils react within an hour of tissue injury and are the hallmark of acute inflammation.

sources - Popular Science, and Wikipedia

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