«Mars-500» project 4th of November 2011 is the finish of the experiment on simulation of a manned flight to Mars (“Mars-500” project). After the exit out of the experimental facility six crewmembers will be in observation regime (without a possibility to communicate with media), during which they will pass a thorough medical examination. Completion of the experiment and the crew exit out of the facility will be transmitted on-line through the satellite. Press-conference with the participation of crewmembers and the project management will be held on 8th of October 2011, at 12.00, in the conference-hall of Russian news and information agency “RIA-Novosti” (Moscow), and we invite media to this event. IBMP Press-service Today is the birthday of Alexander Smoleevskiy. 492th day of the experiment. The distance between the Earth and space vehicle is 72 700 km and the distance between space vehicle and Mars is 399 939 000 km. 485th day of the experiment. 478th day of the experiment. 471th day of the experiment.
Tomorrow's cities: What's it like to live in a smart city? As we head towards a new era of urbanisation - half of the world's population will live in cities by 2050 - the race is on to make our cities fit for purpose. Technology is playing a bigger role in helping to make city life run more smoothly, from networks of sensors that offer information about how traffic is flowing or where water pipes are leaking to apps designed to help citizens get the most out of their city. But what does it actually mean to live in a city overtaken by technology? And is it a future we even want? The BBC asked a range of experts to describe life in their own smart city. Anthony Townsend Image copyright Other Unlike the smart cities popping up in Asia and the Middle East, New York's digital transformation has almost gone without notice. But that doesn't mean you can't see them. To the trained eye, this hidden layer of intelligent infrastructure can be found on any street corner in Manhattan. Prof Carlo Ratti Image copyright Aurore Valade Julia Michaels
Elevated Cycling Structures There’s no doubt about it – cycling in cities is a big deal these days. But, while cycle lanes and bike-sharing schemes are all well and good for our cities, the cycling revolution hasn’t yet brought us many examples of beautifully designed infrastructure to gawp at. This article, originally printed on The Dirt as “Do Elevated Cycletracks Solve Problems or Just Create More?” This year, two designs – one proposed and one built – for elevated cycletracks, which create bicycle highways above street level, have gained considerable media attention. In January, Exterior Architecture and Foster + Partners unveiled their design proposal for the London SkyCycle, a 220 km (136 mile) network of elevated cycletracks following existing rail services with over 200 entry points (see image above). The plan was proposed during a particularly tense time for cycling in London after a spate of traffic accidents in November 2013 resulted in six cyclists killed over a two-week period. Tourists?
WRAP/BIFFA Mixed Plastics Recycling Facility NASA Curiosity Rover To Drill First Martian Sandstone 'Windjana' : Science By Rebekah Marcarelli r.marcarelli@hngn.com | Apr 27, 2014 02:48 PM EDT "NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has driven within robotic-arm's reach of the sandstone slab at the center of this April 23 view from the rover's Mast Camera. The rover team plans to have Curiosity examine a target patch on the rock, called "Windjana," to aid a decision about whether to drill there." (Photo : NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS) NASA's Curiosity rover is set to inspect a slab of sandstone that could be a potential drilling target. The rock could be the first drilling target that is not a mudstone, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory news release reported. The stone was dubbed "Windjana," after a gorge located in Western Australia. The rover will inspect the rock using its camera and X-ray spectrometer and will also brush dust away from a segment of it. If chosen as a drilling site the rover will collect dust samples from deep within the rock and deliver them to onboard laboratory instruments.
The experiences of a young person from an urban area and a young person from a rural area | Society Liam Murphy, 17, Yardley, Birmingham What do you like about your area? Birmingham's really built up; there's a lot of different people and cultures. I love how you can just jump on a bus in two minutes and meet up with friends. What do you dislike? I suppose the crime. What things are there to do for young people? There's always something to do. How do you get around town? Birmingham and Solihull town centres are both about 20 minutes on the bus. What do you do at weekends and in the evenings? I go out with friends. Are binge drinking and drugs a problem in your area? I would never touch drugs and I rarely drink. What do you think it would be like to live in the countryside? I think I would hate living in the countryside. Are you worried about knife crime? You hear about stuff happening, but I haven't come across knife crime. Amie Hibbert, 18, Yeovil, Somerset I like the fact that there is a lot of greenery and grass everywhere. There isn't much to do around the area. I use the bus.
Utopian Hobbit Hole Windowless, sparse, and connected to nature — this is how architecture and urban design firm SeARCH envisions the home of the future. In their new project “Yourtopia,” they challenge stereotypical ideas about what a home should be and demonstrate an awareness about our relationship with our environment. This article originally published on Metropolis Magazine investigates the home’s minimal design and construction process. Our homes shield us from distractions so that we may cultivate our own interests and, in the process, sense of selves. Dutch architecture firm SeARCH has taken this idea to the extreme with “Yourtopia”, a temporary refuge that radically reconsiders what a home can be. More on Yourtopia’s radical living environment after the break Visitors to the studio’s dome-shaped, hobbit-like home (the exterior is covered in grass) at the Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam are immediately confronted by the space’s lack of windows.
The city of 2050 Sensor networks Experts predict that everything, from street furniture to roads to the homes we live in, will be connected to the network. All these objects will produce vast amounts of data and some cities may build Nasa-style control centres to make predictions about city life, including where crimes may be committed. Smart buildings Buildings will have taken on a life of their own, controlling heating, lighting and security with little human intervention. Buildings may be able to store energy in huge batteries, while homes put excess electricity back into the smart grid. Robo-taxis It is likely cars will be self-driving. Traffic lights will no longer be necessary. Farmscrapers Forget the skyscrapers that dominate our city skylines. Shopping Going to the shops may be very different in 2050. 3D printing is likely to be available in many shops allowing people to create bespoke items. Boundaries between the virtual and the real will blur. Urban spaces Pedestrians and vehicles may share space.
Could These Futuristic Buildings Really Change Human Behavior? Some of these buildings looks like something Godzilla stepped on or chewed and spat. But that sea garbage collector is beatiful and an amazing idea. Until it swallows an unsuspecting sea lion. I believe they thought about that. What about plankton? I don't think they gave it much thought at all, frankly. Basically, if so, the idea is great but the execution is shoddy. Plankton always get away through the cracks, the escape artists. Life in the city versus life in the country I have to be honest, life in Vienna is pretty great. Ok that's me being a bit British about it, life here is incredibly fun. Although I am originally a country girl (I come from a small English village), I am loving the city experience. There is so much to see and do and a never ending list of cool restaurants to try and places to explore. But last weekend I decided it was time to venture out of the city and into the Austrian countryside for once, which I had heard was beautiful. So, in search of rolling green fields and snow-capped mountains we hopped on a train to Innsbruck, a small city in the Tyrol area known for skiing. When we arrived in the city, the mountains were even closer, almost on top of us as Innsbruck is nestled in a valley. Even the center of the city is very different, with its narrow cobbled streets and decorated buildings that could have come straight out of a fairytale book. From up there, the views down into the valley were breathtaking.