http://gawker.com/000020/rance-is-too-busy-to-know-where-spago-is
Related: Débris spatiaux9 Overlooked Technologies That Could Transform The World What I've noticed is that most people don't really pay attention to "science" news, unless it's something that they can see immediately. I think this is at least partially because of the amount of news that comes out daily - whatever we may think about the quality of news, there is just a flood of it, which makes picking out "interesting" items difficult. When I talk about (just for example) the idea of gene therapy, most people think that it is still complete science fiction, as opposed to a very near-term product that will be available. Of course, CSP has been around for years, so it isn't really "new" to the average person. What they don't realize is the way that efficiencies have improved... And electronic currency is still in the "only oddballs use it" phase - people are aware of it, but mostly because of the issues bitcoin has had in the recent past.
How data, cheap sensors and Android could be a game changer for rural farmers Over the past four years as Jason Aramburu sold kilns, which turn plant waste into bio charcoal, to Kenyan farmers, he became something of an expert on one of the key things that Kenyan farmers lack: data. “There’s very little data anywhere,” says Aramburu, founder and CEO of startup Re:char, over a breakfast interview on Thursday, as Re:char chief technology and resident Maker Luke Iseman nods in agreement. For example, rural Kenyan farmers can easily spend 30 percent of their income on fertilizer, but 80 percent of that fertilizer can be wasted because there is little data collected about the best places and times to use it. The lack of info isn’t just from the farmer’s perspective. Aramburu says when he met the CEO of a major fertilizer company recently, he asked him what he knew about his customers — his response: “very little.” Re:char CTO Luke Iseman (L) and founder/CEO Jason Aramburu (R) showing off an early prototype of SoilIQ
How-To Change Any Habit in 20 Seconds - Bradley Gauthier Newsflash: Turns out we are generally a lazy species. Which you’ll shortly see is good news for those looking to switch out a bad habit for a better habit. I recently finished reading Shawn Achor’s excellent book, The Happiness Advantage and I found a very intriguing concept. A concept that’s only 20 seconds in practice.
Future - Science & Environment - Global resources stock check If we fail to correct current consumption trends, then when will our most valuable natural resources run out? As the world’s population soars, so does its consumption, and as a result we are stretching many of our natural resources to their limits. Of course, the assumption is that human ingenuity and market forces will prevent supplies from running out: we could create better or cheaper extraction methods, recycle materials, find alternatives to non-renewable sources, or reduce consumption. The hope is that talks at the Rio+20 Earth summit will help to steer the world economy on a more sustainable path.
How Biochar Will Help Kenya Go Green And Save Money Re:char is a pioneering company that sells kilns to farmers in Kenya that allow them to convert their farm waste into what's known as biochar, which can then be used for cooking. As an enterprise, Re:char seeks to deliver a "triple bottom line," expanding the uses of sustainable alternatives for energy, providing a cost-effective solution for farmers in an effort to combat poverty, and stemming deforestation in Africa by encouraging use of biochar as cooking fuel instead of cutting down trees for firewood. Jason Aramburu, the CEO of re:char who works in Bungoma, in the Western Province of Kenya, spoke to us about the emerging area of biochar and a grant that re:char just received from the Gates Foundation to develop a system to transform human waste into biochar.
The 20-SECOND RULE! You have to READ this. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE A few years ago I went to a Christian Marriage Conference called “A Weekend to Remember”. It was amazing! There was one thing in particular that I heard that weekend from one of the presenters that literally CHANGED MY LIFE! It’s the 20-Second Rule. He said that when you are in the middle of an argument with your partner, or you are having a “heated” conversation……… before you open your mouth to say something back at your partner, take 20 seconds and THINK! Yes, THINK!
Planetary Alchemy by Alan Smale Let’s fix Mars. Of course, the Red Planet is spectacular just as it is. Images from forty years of Mars missions have revealed its stark beauty and rose-tinted rocky grandeur. In its southern hemisphere Mars has ancient cratered highlands similar to the Moon’s, while much of the north consists of plains lower in altitude and geologically much younger. The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor Principle #6: The 20-Second Rule The 20-Second Rule is based on our natural gravitation to activities which are easy to get started on. It's been proven that we will do something less satisfying than something else solely because it's easier to get going. Just because we know the right thing to do, we don't automatically do it. An example was given that 44% of doctors, who should know better than anybody the importance of exercise and a healthy diet, are overweight.
Who should pay when your robot breaks the law? Since it's inevitable I'll take the bullet and bring up Asimov's three laws of robotics: 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. Kenneth Woods- conductor The concept is an ancient one- even in the Ice Age, bear pelt wearing maestri who conducted with mammoth teeth were instructed to talk little, stop rarely and let the other cave men play their saber tooth flutes in rehearsal. However, it was my friend, bassoonist extraordinaire Chris MacFarlane who gave this practice a name- “The Twenty Second Rule.” The rule is simple- when a conductor stops the orchestra, she or he should be able to say whatever needs saying and have the orchestra playing again in 20 seconds. It’s a noble principle, and when applied, everyone gets more done in rehearsal. It limits you to pretty much one point, which vastly increases the likelihood that said point will be remembered, and it keeps everyone’s focus levels high, rather than giving a minute or two for players to lose energy or forget what they had wanted to adjust in their own playing from the last time. Anyway, I got thinking about the 20 second rule yesterday in a different context.