Filed under: Economic
There’s been much turmoil over the past year and I keep reading of extraordinary events that have happened “for the first time ever”.
A quick google news search reveals some interesting results from this – perhaps little signals amid the all the uncertainty of the future direction we’re heading in?
“For the first time ever China bought more new cars in the first half of 2009 than the U.S”
http://blogs.zdnet.com/green/?p=6041
“On July 13th, for the first time ever, a private rocket company has successfully placed a satellite in orbit”
“The US federal deficit topped one trillion US dollars for the first time ever”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hrIHTN_1_szqyV1lZDfVCl6cNKpA
“For the first time ever, Microsoft, the world’s largest PC software company, experienced a drop in sales of its Windows software and carried out large-scale layoffs”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/technology/companies/15chip.html
President Obama stepped up on renewables and passed regulations to “enable, for the first time ever, the nation to tap into our ocean’s vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy_and_environment/
“For the first time ever there are now more pensioners than children in the UK”
Peter Andre has announced that “I honestly believe for the first time ever that I’m going to have an international album”
http://www.itv.com/lifestyle/thismorning/entertainment/peterandre001/default.html
OK, so the last one may be a red herring.
And just because something’s happened for the very first time doesn’t make it significant in the long term.
Is this just erratic ‘noise’ amid the chaos?
I think not. Some of these big shifts of our time that may have appeared insignificant before the crunch are now accelerating with a vengeance.
RICHARD
Filed under: Technology
For those who have been following the HP/Forum for the Future Climate Change Challenge, the Cardboard Oven has won. This simple, yet brilliant, innovation costs next to nothing, and will give people in developing countries dependant on gas or wood-burning stoves a viable alternative.
“The oven is targeted at the three billion people who use firewood to cook in developing countries.
Mr Bøhmer said: ‘We’re saving lives and saving trees. I doubt if there is any other technology that can make so much impact for so little money.’”
This innovation will help engage the developing world without forcing them to make drastic changes in their lives. Since climate chage is a global issue (though caused primarily by developed nations) it will require a global response.
So congratulations to Mr. Bøhmer for his great invention and a well deserved reward. To see all the finalists, please go here.
A new report called Predicting the Present with Google Trends outlines how Google trends, linked with google search, can predict consumer behavior month by month. By combining the information collected with the Google Search function, one could potentially predict what people are going to do. For example, if a certain model of car is searched for, it could be predicted that the purchases of that model will increase in the near future. This type of modeling has huge implications for all industries, and just about anyone wishing to sell something.
Google searches as well as Twitter are just a couple ways all this new information can help researchers understand what people are thinking. the New York Times reported on how businesses and people are using Twitter to know what people are thinking. While the individual ‘tweets’ are seemingly mindless chatter, taken as a whole provides insight into the “global collective brain.”
“By tapping into the world’s collective brain, researchers of all kinds have found that if they make the effort to dig through the mundane comments, the live conversations offer an early glimpse into public sentiment — and even help them shape it. Companies like Starbucks, Whole Foods and Dell can see what their customers are thinking as they use a product, and the companies can adapt their marketing accordingly. Last week in Moldova, protesters used Twitter as a rallying tool while outsiders peered at their tweets to help them understand what was happening in that little-known country.”
You might think transformers, but you’ll be disappointed.
I read about research in the area of cyborg insects a while back, and was recently reminded of it by an article about an actual beetle that has been turned into a cyborg, which you can watch here.
This is an amazing feat of technology, but it also raises all sorts of ethical questions regarding animal rights. Where will this technology stop? Will these insects be used for eco-terrorists as well?
This new form of animal subordination will most suredly receive serious backlash from activists, but they may soon be questioning the integrity of the very animals they are fighting for.
It’s seems to me, quite often one hears about the big tobacco lobby or big oil lobby, and now, climate change lobbying abounds. This article discusses the vast growth of the climate change lobbyists over the last five years.
“Their sheer numbers are noteworthy, topping about 2,340 — a 300 percent increase over the past five years. There are now four climate change lobbyists for every member of Congress.”
Of course, these lobbyists come from all sides promoting all different views and interests. It seems that bringing so much attention to the issue may have the negative effect of clogging the system and preventing any really change (without direct action that is).
http://www.climatebiz.com/news/2009/02/27/seeking-influence-number-climate-change-lobbyists-tripled-five-years
