What the future looks like | Science It would be foolhardy to venture technological predictions for 2050. Even more so to predict social and geopolitical changes. The most important advances, the qualitative leaps, are the least predictable. But there are some trends that we can predict with confidence. If population growth were to continue beyond 2050, one can't be other than exceedingly gloomy about the prospects. The world will be warmer than today in 2050; the patterns of rainfall and drought across the world will be different. CO2 concentration levels will reach twice the pre-industrial level by around 2050. Some technical advances - information technology, for instance - surprise us by their rapidity; others seemingly stagnate. The Apollo programme now seems a remote historical episode: young people all over the world learn that America landed men on the moon, just as they learn that the Egyptians built the pyramids; the motivations seem almost as bizarre in the one case as in the other.
Un gigantesque océan caché sous la Terre ? L'hypothèse se confirme. Il y a un peu plus de deux mois, nous vous avions parlé d’un mystérieux diamant découvert au Brésil en 2008. Celui-ci avait livré quelques secrets à l’équipe du géophysicien Graham Pearson, relançant par la même occasion une rumeur datant de 1959 selon laquelle entre 400 et 600 km de profondeur, le manteau terrestre renfermerait une couche de transition riche en un cristal dérivé de l’olivine et en eau. Nous avions alors appris que la pierre précieuse baptisée JUc29 renfermait bien cette fameuse roche, nommée ringwoodite, et que cette dernière contenait pas moins d’1,5% d’eau. L’étude avait alors démontré qu’une gigantesque réserve d’eau se cachait certainement sous la couche terrestre, une réserve d’eau encore plus importante que celle de tous les océans connus réunis. « Cette eau peut être égale ou plus grande que la quantité d’eau dans les océans. Cela modifie notre conception au sujet de la composition de la terre. Crédits Photos : Richard Siemens / University of Alberta Inactif
Sea Level Rise -- National Geographic Core samples, tide gauge readings, and, most recently, satellite measurements tell us that over the past century, the Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) has risen by 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters). However, the annual rate of rise over the past 20 years has been 0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters) a year, roughly twice the average speed of the preceding 80 years. Over the past century, the burning of fossil fuels and other human and natural activities has released enormous amounts of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. The rise in sea levels is linked to three primary factors, all induced by this ongoing global climate change: Thermal expansion: When water heats up, it expands. Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps: Large ice formations, like glaciers and the polar ice caps, naturally melt back a bit each summer. Consequences When sea levels rise rapidly, as they have been doing, even a small increase can have devastating effects on coastal habitats. How High Will It Go?
Lettuce See the Future: Japanese Farmer Builds High-Tech Indoor Veggie Factory Humans have spent the last 10,000 years mastering agriculture. But a freak summer storm or bad drought can still mar many a well-planted harvest. Not anymore, says Japanese plant physiologist Shigeharu Shimamura, who has moved industrial-scale farming under the roof. Working in Miyagi Prefecture in eastern Japan, which was badly hit by powerful earthquake and tsunamis in 2011, Shimamura turned a former Sony Corporation semiconductor factory into the world’s largest indoor farm illuminated by LEDs. The special LED fixtures were developed by GE and emit light at wavelengths optimal for plant growth. The farm is nearly half the size of a football field (25,000 square feet). The farm uses 17,500 LED lights spread over 18 cultivation racks reaching 15 levels high. The LED lights are a key part of the farm’s magic. Shimamura says that the systems allows him to grow lettuce full of vitamins and minerals two-and-a-half times faster than an outdoor farm. Shigeharu Shimamura shows his produce.
Manmade Weather Installations : Cloudscapes at MOT Cloudscapes at MOT (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo), is an interactive art installation that allows people to enjoy an experience they probably thought they would only be able to daydream about: walking through clouds. It is a manmade weather phenomenon that involves cooled and heated air pumping into the cube in three distinct layers. These layers keep the cloud floating at a pre-determined height. A collaborative effort between Japanese studio Tetsuo Kondo Architects and environmental engineering firm Transsolar, Cloudscapes at MOT is an ethereal experience.
The Most Horrifying (And Awesome) Creepy-Crawlies In The World Just in case you didn't already think that insects were terrifying/awesome enough, here is a delightful collection of bugs that we are lucky enough to live amongst, coupled with some ever so dramatic videos for your viewing pleasure. Botfly Botflies, or members of the Oestridae family, might sometimes look a little bit like a cute bumblebee, but I can guarantee you they’re far from cute. I wouldn’t read this if you’re squeamish. The larvae of botflies parasitize various different mammals and of course there is a human one, Dermatobia hominis, which can be found throughout Central and South America. The female grabs onto a blood-feeding mosquito mid-flight and sticks her eggs onto it, then off it goes on its merry way in search of a delicious human to go and irritate the heck out of. Image credit: Geoff Gallice, via Wikimedia Commons. Fun fact for you all, our editor Elise Andrew was infected by one of these when she was traveling in South America. Japanese Giant Hornet Africanized Honey Bee
Jean Nouvel's Sydney towers boast vertical gardens and a huge sunlight reflector French architect Jean Nouvel teamed up with botanist Patrick Blanc to create this pair of plant-covered Sydney towers that reflect light into their lower levels with a huge cantilevered panel of mirrors. Named One Central Park, the complex is the centrepiece of a AUS$2 billion masterplan in downtown Sydney by developers Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia. Ateliers Jean Nouvel, whose projects include the Les Bains des Docks aquatic centre in Le Havre, collaborated with local firm PTW Architects on the design of the building, which comprises two residential towers positioned atop a five-storey Central shopping centre. The western tower is 84 metres high and accommodates 240 homes, while the 117-metre-high eastern tower contains 383 apartments, including 38 penthouse flats with exclusive access to a 100-metre-high sky garden. This structure cantilevers 42 metres off the side of the east tower and is made up of 320 reflectors.
Experiment Shows Thoughts & Intentions Can Alter The Physical World Dr. Masaru Emoto, a researcher and alternative healer from Japan has given the world a good deal of evidence of the magic of positive thinking. He became famous when his water molecule experiments featured in the 2004 film, What The Bleep Do We Know? The rice experiment is another famous Emoto demonstration of the power of negative thinking (and conversely, the power of positive thinking.) 147 Days of The Rice Experiment Documented – Last Day If you found this article useful, share it with friends and family by clicking the links below. Underwater Transcontinental Trains : underwater train The idea of an underwater train has lived in the realm of science fiction for quite a while now. China is looking to change that with a proposal to create a deep sea train system that will connect China directly to the United States. For those that don't know, China is very far from the USA. Now that this realization is out of the way we can understand why it's bizarre to think up an idea for an underwater train connecting two of the world's super powers. The idea, if it does come to fruition, would be a huge undertaking, but also an incredible achievement. The even stranger part is that the railroad isn't a one-way.
Avaler une pilule pour apprendre l'anglais sera possible dans 30 ans ! - Wikistrike Nous avons consommé beaucoup d'informations par les yeux. C'est peut-être un canal inefficace. Donc ma prédiction c'est que nous allons ingérer des informations Nicholas Negroponte Vous allez avaler une pilule et vous saurez parler anglais. Vous avalez déjà des infos bidonnées chaque jour. Avaler une pilule pour apprendre l'anglais sera possible dans 30 ans ! Ce sera le cas dans 30 ans. Sa prédiction n'a laissé personne indifférent. "Pour apprendre à lire, nous avons consommé beaucoup d'informations par les yeux. "A travers le flux sanguin" Avant de poursuivre: "Vous allez avaler une pilule et vous saurez parler anglais. Une utopie? Source et vidéo: Tag(s) : #Science - technologie - web - recherche
Dynamic Storm Photography : wave photography NY-based photographer Dalton Portella is known for his dark and captivating wave photography. Capturing ocean views during stormy weather, these images are dramatic and visually striking in a gloomy way. Their artful aesthetic is elevated with the use of mood lighting, high contrast filtering techniques and by the raw beauty of nature itself. Nature's unpredictable beauty is captured in this crashing wave photography series by Dalton Protella.