Futurist Thomas Frey: On Sunday, April 17th I had the privilege of being the opening speaker at the TEDx event at the University of Chicago. The lineup of speakers was quite impressive and I felt honored to be presenting on the same stage with them.
A Coating That Heals Itself with Light
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-fka0wfY8w&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
It would be great if you could take your car to the body shop and have it repaired in minutes, before your eyes, without anyone even laying hands on it. There have been several developments in self-healing coatings recently.
Television Broadcasters and Wireless Companies Fight Over Airwaves
Broadcasters may be forced to give up spectrum.
Annoyances like dropped calls, maps that take forever to load and echoing voices on a mobile phone. And, the dreaded “Cannot Open Page” iPhone users have come to know so well. These annoyances are only going to get worse because the airwaves that carry cellphone signals and wireless internet connections are growing more and more crowded.
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Hertz is Going After Zipcar Aggressively
The Car-Sharing Wars Have Begun
Not long after Zipcar had a successful IPO, car rental behemoth Hertz is going for the jugular by expanding its own car-sharing capabilities in New York City, an important market, and by slashing fees and guaranteeing car availability…
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Study: Religious Beliefs Still Influence Voter Decision
Religious beliefs have a high level of influence with voters.
Even though church attendance in western democracies has declined, a new University of Missouri study shows religious beliefs still influence people at the polls.
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Eric Whitacre’s Powerful Virtual Choir – ‘Lux Aurumque’
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs[/youtube]
Via YouTube
Composer Eric Whitacre has put together the Virtual Choir. He combined 185 seperate singers from 12 different countries recorded independently and combined them into a single performance. All were conducted by the composer through a prerecorded conductor track on YouTube.
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Are You Ready For SA Photonics High-Res Digital Night Vision System?
Luke, I am your father…
Given, it might make you look like the love child of Robocop and a cartoon kitten, but SA Photonics’ High Resolution Night Vision System (HRNVS) could mean smoother night flights for the US military. The light weight head mounted display couples high resolution imagery and an impressive 82.5 degree field of vision — previous devices offered a range of only 40 degrees. What’s more, it provides clearer peripheral vision, virtually non-existent halo effects, digital image enhancement, and night vision recording. The headset was designed in collaboration with the US Army and the Air Force Research Laboratory, which means these robo Sanrio helmets might actually get some play. Full PR after the break…
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Smell Like A Nerd: RPG Performance Perfumes
Don’t you wish you could smell like me?
Yesterday we told you about blood type perfumes. Today we have something even wackier. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is selling a line of RPG-inspired perfumes intended to invoke the mythical races of elves, dwarves, half-elves, hobbits and orcs, as well as the distinctive aromas of clerics, fighters, mages, paladins and such. I totally guessed that paladins smelled like vanilla and “evil” smelled of “Smouldering opium tar, tobacco absolute, green tea, black plum, kush, ambergris accord, ambrette seed, and costus root…”
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Curiosity-Driven Education
“If a teacher can be replaced by a machine, they should be.” – Arthur C. Clark
Futurist Thomas Frey: In 1999, Professor Sugata Mitra embedded a computer in a wall in a slum in New Dehli, connected it to high speed internet and left it there. Kids in the area, mesmerized by this technology, learn to use computers by themselves.
Kid Couch Potatoes At Increased Risk of Heart Problems
Children who watched a large amount of television were found to have narrowed arteries behind the eyes.
For children as young as six spending too much time watching TV or playing on computers increases risk of heart problems later life, scientists warn.
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Energy Saving Light Bulbs May Cause Cancer
Energy saving light bulbs should not be left on for long periods or be positioned near a person’s head as they emit poisonous substances.
Energy saving light bulbs are easy on your purse but scientists warn they may be deadly for your health as they emit cancer causing chemicals when switched on.
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Active Twitter Users Have Shorter Relationships
OkTrends has an intriguing post about sex compiled from the data from the bazillion interaction data of members of the OkCupid dating site, but this one is particularly intriguing: active Twitter users have shorter relationships…
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