admin – Page 912 – Impact Lab

Breakthrough Thinking, Education, Internet, Latest News

Get Paid to Teach Anything With New Online Education Platform

March 15, 2011

Name: Learnable

Quick Pitch: Learnable allows anyone to create and charge for online courses.

Genius Idea: Many schools have started to take online education seriously. By 2006, 66% of postsecondary learning institutions included in federal financial aid programs were already reporting that they offered some form of Internet learning, and a 2009 report from the U.S. Department of education found that those students who studied in online learning environments performed modelstly better than peers who were receiving face-to-face instruction.

This is very much along the lines of what Futurist Thomas Frey predicted in his 2007 paper on the Future of Education.

It’s great news for people who are looking to work toward a college degree, but there are few affordable parallels for people who just want to pick up a skill. Where does one go for affordable online lessons on homepage design? Javascript programming? Guitar? the Irish Whistle?

Continue reading… “Get Paid to Teach Anything With New Online Education Platform”

Analysis, Birth, Crazy Stuff, Entertainment, Food, Health & Fitness, Human Behavior

10 Weird Pregnancy Facts No One Tells You About

March 15, 2011

So many things happen when you are pregnant

Strange things happen to your body when you are pregnant. Since new mothers tend to worry, experienced women and medical professionals tend to gloss over the things you shouldn’t worry too much about. Oddee tells you some of the things that might surprise you. For example…

Continue reading… “10 Weird Pregnancy Facts No One Tells You About”

Historical Perspectives, Hot Issues, Latest News, New Viewpoints, Science & Technology News, Space

In Lasers We Trust: NASA Researches 5kW Galactic Trash Disposal System

March 15, 2011

Dealing with space junk.

Space junk is a growing problem — 200,000 pieces and counting — and as the amount of earth’s orbital debris increases, so does the chance some satellite will be involved in a cosmic collision. As this would cause much gnashing of teeth and woe for the affected terrestrial parties, some researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center have pitched the idea of removing said junk with a laser — once again proving that everything’s better with lasers…

Continue reading… “In Lasers We Trust: NASA Researches 5kW Galactic Trash Disposal System”

Alternative Transportation, Breakthrough Thinking, Ecological Products, Great New Product, Green Friendly, Historical Perspectives, New Viewpoints

Pedal Power Meets Photovoltaics via Solarbike

March 15, 2011

Solarbike aims at having electric bikes powered by the sun.

Solarbike specialises in electric conversion kits for bicycles. But the business’s founders, both research scientists at the University of Western Australia, have been working on a way to easily have electric bikes powered by the sun. After some trial and error, which they transparently document, they’ve arrived at reasonably affordable photovoltaic systems that allow electric bike owners to ride like a solar wind…

Continue reading… “Pedal Power Meets Photovoltaics via Solarbike”

Breakthrough Thinking, Business, Entertainment, Historical Perspectives, Latest News, Music

RIP Zune Player, 2006-2011

March 15, 2011

May all your Zunes come true.

Microsoft is not planning on releasing any further Zune devices. Instead, the company plans to focus on Zune software for smartphones.

Microsoft declined to comment on the future of the Zune players, but in a statement to Bloomberg noted that it remains “committed to supporting our devices in North America.”

Zune launched in November 2006 to much fanfare and hopes that it could beat Apple’s iPod. But sales never came close to reaching the levels of Apple’s best-selling and market changing music and media player…

Continue reading… “RIP Zune Player, 2006-2011”

Architecture, Art, Breakthrough Thinking, Great New Product, Historical Perspectives

Translucent Concrete

March 14, 2011

Concrete with a special twist.

This special concrete tile allows light to pass through. The tile contains optical fibers that make up about 5% of its surface area. The fibers are distributed uniformly throughout the surface to allow an outline to be clearly visible on the other side. The tiles have the unique combination of being nearly unbreakable and translucent.

The material is made with a combination of optical fibers and fine concrete…

Continue reading… “Translucent Concrete”

Historical Perspectives, Latest News, New Discoveries, Science & Technology News, Space

The Baikonur Cosmodrome – The World’s Oldest Spaceport

March 14, 2011

A newly “rolled out” Proton-M, carrying the Inmarsat-4F3 spacecraft.

There are, to be frank, not many spaceports on the planet as of 2011. Of the thirty or so only six of them have sent people in to space. Four of those are located in the US, another in China and the sixth and oldest is to be found in Kazakhstan…

Continue reading… “The Baikonur Cosmodrome – The World’s Oldest Spaceport”

Business, Culture, Economy, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Money Talk, New Viewpoints

Is A Million Bucks Enough to Make You Feel Rich?

March 14, 2011

You have some bucks, but is it enough?

A million bucks ain’t what it used to be. Heck, it’s not even enough to make (rich) people feel rich anymore:

Some 42 percent of the more than 1,000 millionaires surveyed by Fidelity said they did not feel wealthy.

Respondents had at least $1 million in investable assets, excluding any real estate or retirement accounts…

Continue reading… “Is A Million Bucks Enough to Make You Feel Rich?”

DIY, Food, Historical Perspectives, New Discoveries, New Inventions

How to Make Pop Rocks

March 14, 2011

Pop Rocks at home!

Chickflix has posted an Instructable that pierces the veil of mystery and describes how to mix your own Pop Rocks at home. The secret ingredient turns out to be pretty mundane, alas — I always assumed that they were filled with some violent, rare substance that ground its way through my guts on the way out. On the other hand, now that the secret is in the open, it paves the way for exotic Pop Rock flavors, such as French mustard, roast beef, and pineapple…

Continue reading… “How to Make Pop Rocks”

Analysis, Business, Internet, Latest Trend

Advertisers Missing Opportunities by Overlooking the Power of Long Tail Websites

March 14, 2011

Ads placed on long-tail sites had a significant lift in clickthrough rate compared with ads on larger web properties.

Many advertisers stick to the top sites on the web when planning an online campaign, but overlooking less-trafficked sites could be a mistake.

Continue reading… “Advertisers Missing Opportunities by Overlooking the Power of Long Tail Websites”

Analysis, Brain, Education, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News

Rethinking Education – The needs of the future are mandating that we produce a faster, smarter, better grade of human being

March 14, 2011

The average person in the U.S. has 100,500 words flowing into their heads on a daily basis.

In 2008, Roger Bohn and James Short, two researchers at the University of California in San Diego, decided to do a study to determine the amount of information people have entering their brains on a daily basis.

Continue reading… “Rethinking Education – The needs of the future are mandating that we produce a faster, smarter, better grade of human being”

Analysis, Internet, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News

Most Socially Networked Cities in the U.S.

March 14, 2011

Washington D.C. is the most socially networked city in America.

A new survey released by Men’s Health magazine names the top socially networked cities in America. The top spot goes to Washington D.C., a city where staying connected can get out the vote, and virtual handshakes help shape our nation. D.C. ranked above Atalnta, Ga., Denver, Colo., and Minneapolis, Minn. Palo Alto, Calif., home to Facebook, did not even make the list of 100 cities.

Continue reading… “Most Socially Networked Cities in the U.S.”