Better Worlds

This is a video of a bottle coated with LiquiGlide, which makes...

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:01:21 -0400

This is a video of a bottle coated with LiquiGlide, which makes condiments come out more easily. That’s regular ketchup. More on this from fast.coexist.

Better Worlds is very excited to announce a huge discussion...

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:01:00 -0400

Better Worlds is very excited to announce a huge discussion event, about startups and immigration, headlining with Reddit co-founder and Breadpig founder Alexis Ohanian.

The event will take place at General Assembly in New York City, and is described in full at our meetup.com page for Immodest Proposals NYC.

This is a great thing, guys, and a huge step for us as we try to help you make the world a better place. Best of all: It’s FREE. But space is very limited, so sign up as soon as possible if you plan to come.

If you’re not in New York, or can’t come, feel free to invite your friends. There will also be a webcast—details on that to follow.

Poster by Two Thousand.

Well these robots are awesome. advicebyada: Just think of how...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:11:08 -0400

Well these robots are awesome.

advicebyada:

Just think of how creepy robots can find us…

a-skynet-future:

DARPA Robot Masters Stairs

I think DARPA has it wrong. Humanoids don’t make robots easier to relate to. They’re just more creepy!

4/25/12: Immodest Proposals XVI: One Pill Makes You Smarter, the Ethics of Mind Enhancers

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:21:00 -0400

Join John Skylar and Better Worlds for the sixteenth installment in the Immodest Proposals discussion series! This time, we’ll be talking about the ethics of using mind-altering substances to affect the creative process. Is it the same thing as using steroids in sports? Is it different? Are there special rules?

We’ve assembled a panel of creatives from every corner of the Internet, including Nella from The Nostalgia Chick, Elisa of The Nostalgia Chick and Maven of the Eventide, Brentalfloss, and writer Dan Roth (who has worked on Dr. Who, Angel, SyFy’s Blastr and a webcomic collaboration with Brentalfloss).

This event is on April 25th at The Way Station, at 683 Washington in Brooklyn, NY. It’s the bar with a TARDIS! The discussion starts at 7:45 PM, doors at 7:15. $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Happy hour pricing to all attendees during the event.

Human networks can also be safety nets. smarterplanet: How...

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:00:44 -0400

Human networks can also be safety nets.

smarterplanet:

How Social Media Is Changing Disaster Response | Mashable

More than 66% of adult online users are now connected to one or more social media platforms. And it’s not just about keeping in touch with friends or following news or interests. As social media continues to play a pervasive role in the way people think, act and react to the world, it’s also changing one of the most crucial ways of actually helping the world: how people respond to emergencies and disaster.

From government agencies and other organizations, to citizens and social platforms themselves, people across the spectrum of social media are leveraging its use to respond to emergencies. According to a 2011 report of the Congressional Research Service, there are two broad categories in the way that we can conceptualize this use of social media: 1) to “somewhat passively” disseminate information and receive user feedback; and 2) to use social media more systematically as an emergency management tool.

In other good energy news, this laser-fusion reactor is nearing...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:00:05 -0400

In other good energy news, this laser-fusion reactor is nearing the point where it will produce more energy than it takes in, known as the “break even” point. Researchers are apparently optimistic that they could make power-producing laser fusion reactors within a decade.

LIFE director Mike Dunne says that the capital costs for the pilot plant would be about $4 billion, and it could be putting hundreds of megawatts into the grid by the early 2020s — at least a decade earlier than the magnetic-fusion community hopes to deliver a practical power plant. Recalling the first time he presented the LIFE concept to magnetic-fusion researchers at a conference a few years ago, Moses says “The response to it was almost violent: ‘This cannot be.’ They were shocked at the ambition of it for sure. And they still are.”

Think the US is actually undergoing "Moral Decay?" Think Again.

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 15:00:06 -0400

Think the US is actually undergoing "Moral Decay?" Think Again.

This is an ion engine that is being used by Twin Creeks, a solar...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:33:40 -0400

This is an ion engine that is being used by Twin Creeks, a solar power startup, to make super-cheap solar panels.

In fact, cheap enough to compete with more traditional, less sustainable energy sources.

This is freaking amazing. Click through for more.

washingtonpoststyle: This sign is popping up all over our...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:57:06 -0400

washingtonpoststyle:

This sign is popping up all over our neighborhood in Columbia Heights. “Courage” and “Hope” are usually the first to go.

(via NewColumbiaHeights)

This is a picture of Petridish. Petridish is kickstarter, but...

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 18:22:37 -0400

This is a picture of Petridish. Petridish is kickstarter, but for scientific projects. You can fund science the same way you’d fund a kickstarter project, and get rewards for helping advance human knowledge.

It doesn’t have too many projects yet, but that exomoon one sounds pretty cool.

Am I a Mars, or am I a Muppet? journalofajournalist: Meep...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:39:52 -0400

Am I a Mars, or am I a Muppet?

journalofajournalist:

Meep meep.

wnycradiolab:

The space race continues, Muppet-style! This is a letter from Dr. Bunsen Honeydew of Muppet Labs, sent to the fine folks at NASA in 2004:

THE Jim Henson COMPANY

TO: MARS ROVER MISSION TEAM
FR: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker, MUPPET LABS

RE: CONGRATULATIONS!

Dear colleagues,

It is with mixed emotions that Muppet Labs offers you a hearty “congratulations” on the recent success of your Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. While we realize that your remarkable accomplishment is a really nifty thing for the entire scientific community, we at Muppet Labs Mars Exploration Team (MULMET) wanted to get there first! We were so close: a mere three weeks—give or take a 20 year margin of error—from launching our own Mars explorers.

Nonetheless, in the spirit of scientific camaraderie and with a promise that we’ll-beat-you-next-time, Muppet Labs sends you and your team an enthusiastic “Well done, bucko!”

Scientifically yours,

(Signed, ‘DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW PHD ESQ.’)

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW

PS: If you continue to have difficulties with the Spirit Rover, my assistant Beaker is happy to offer free roadside assistance on Mars, utilizing our new, thoroughly untested Interplanetary Coil-Powered Catapult…or as we at MULMET like to call it “The Spring Fling”.

PPS: Meep-meep-meep-meep-MEEP-MEEP-MEEP-MEEP!!!!!! NOT!

(Signed, ‘BEAKER’)

From the always-interesting Letters of Note.

Nice message…for an ad. world-shaker: It’s name is Lego....

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:00:05 -0400

Nice message…for an ad.

world-shaker:

It’s name is Lego. It makes things.

Wow! smarterplanet: Crowdsourced credit card lets members share...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:00:05 -0400

Wow!

smarterplanet:

Crowdsourced credit card lets members share in profits and decisions

It was only a few weeks ago that we covered CivilisedMoney’s crowdsourced banking services, and recently we came across a new effort that brings a similar concept into the realm of credit cards. Earlier this month Barclaycard US introduced the Barclaycard Ring MasterCard, billed as “the first social credit card to be designed and built through the power of community crowdsourcing.” READ MORE…

via springwise:

moderation: Radar Prototype Begins Tracking Down Space...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:58:54 -0500

moderation:

Radar Prototype Begins Tracking Down Space Junk

—

Several times a year, the International Space Station needs to perform Debris Avoidance Maneuvers to dodge the ever-growing amount of space junk hurtling around in Earth orbit. Additionally, our increased dependence on satellites for communications and navigation is threatened by the risk of potential collisions with space debris. The existing system for finding and tracking objects, the Air Force Space Surveillance System, or VHF Fence, has been in service since the early 1960s, and is sorely out of date. But a prototype system called Space Fence has now been tested in a series of demonstrations, and successfully tracked more and smaller pieces of debris than the current system.

“The current system has the ability to track about 20,000 objects,” Lockheed Martin spokesperson Chip Eschenfelder told Universe Today, “but there millions of objects out there, many of which are not being tracked. Space Fence will find and catalog smaller objects than what are not being tracked now.”

(via universetoday)

Pretty neat. realcleverscience: Sooo, you guys know how I’m...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:00:05 -0500

Pretty neat.

realcleverscience:

Sooo, you guys know how I’m fascinated with DARPA, the US’s “fringe science” division? They’ve helped create some amazing stuff, like the internet, which used to be called ARPA-Net. (The “D,” for defense, was added later… then removed… then added back again.) Well, while reading an article the other day I was struck by the name of a conference: “ARPA-E.” Sure enough, the “e” stands for energy and it’s a new branch of the Dept. of Energy which seeks to explore somewhat radical ideas and innovations.

Here’s a youtube (promotional) video they made. Not that exciting, but a good introduction:

The Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) is answering the President’s call to “Win the Future”. By directly funding some of the most groundbreaking discoveries in science and technology, we’re encouraging the development of the most advanced clean tech innovations out there today.

Longer but more interesting (imo) are the keynote addresses by Secretary Chu (about the US’s position vs other countries on the clean energy revolution: Spoiler, we’re quickly falling behind.) & Dr. Majumdar, Director of ARPA-E (about the necessity and future of energy innovations. Btw, “electrofuels”! Awesome!). Oh, and here’s a link to their site.

The about page says that it’s named ARPA-E because it’s modeled after DARPA. And I gotta say that I liked this item on their list of objectives: “To focus on creative ‘out-of-the-box’ transformational energy research that industry by itself cannot or will not support due to its high risk but where success would provide dramatic benefits for the nation.” Very DARPA-esque.

On the other hand, they have a budget 180 million, which is around 1/18th of DARPA’s 3.2 billion. Personally, as much as I love what DARPA does, I wouldn’t mind sharing some of that military research monies with ARPA-E. It’s possible they will, and that because ARPA-E is still young, and DARPA old, that it contributes to the disparity (more connections, more projects in the works, etc.). However, considering the military-industrial complex, I’m skeptical that ARPA-E will grow at the expense of military spending.

Anyways, let’s hope that the name ARPA-E isn’t just for gaining credibility, but actually represents their mentality and success. They’re already funding over 100 energy projects, and with any luck, we’ll soon start to see some amazing energy breakthroughs. (The recent Envia battery breakthrough, one of the arpa-e projects, is itself an encouraging example.)

P.s. Comments.

Bill Nye talks about the kinds of things he would say to...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:00:06 -0500

Bill Nye talks about the kinds of things he would say to intelligent alien life. Notice how carefully he chooses his words, so that they will understand basic human assumptions.

It is important for us as humans to step out of our assumptions about interacting with others. Even if we never meet an alien, this is useful advice.

But it would be pretty cool to meet an alien.

johnskylar: This is awesome. Wedding rings with the waveform of...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:00:05 -0500

johnskylar:

This is awesome.

Wedding rings with the waveform of the couple’s own voices. “I do”.

unconsumption: The repurposing of decommissioned shipping...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:04:05 -0500

unconsumption:

The repurposing of decommissioned shipping containers is a recurring theme here on the Unconsumption blog.

To add to the gallery of container projects we’ve featured, there’s this impressive-looking pop-up installation for Google, set up in Long Beach, California, for the 2012 TED conference. (Fun fact: Unconsumptioneer Brian Jones is currently there.) Seems pretty fitting, given that Long Beach is home to one of the world’s busiest seaports, handling, on average, the equivalent of more than 16,000 containers each day.

Friend of Unconsumption Boxman Studios (mentioned previously here), which creates event venues out of containers, constructed the “Google Garage” from five, 40’-foot-long containers. After the TED conference ends, Boxman will reuse the containers for other clients’ projects.

Boxman tells us to be on the lookout for a shipping container installation in Austin for this year’s South by Southwest events.

More: Boxman Studios | We’re Feeling Lucky With Google (at TED!)

Not enough people know who Alan Turing was, or the amazing...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:00:05 -0500

Not enough people know who Alan Turing was, or the amazing contributions that this man made to the future of humanity. Nor do they know the lesson to be learned from the tragedies of his life, a lesson that there is nothing to be gained from oppression.

Thankfully, Nature has done a great set of features on his centennial. It might be paywalled, though, so sorry in advance if you can’t get through to see it.

Alan Turing, born a century ago this year, is best known for his wartime code-breaking and for inventing the ‘Turing machine’ – the concept at the heart of every computer today. But his legacy extends much further: he founded the field of artificial intelligence, proposed a theory of biological pattern formation and speculated about the limits of computation in physics. In this collection of features and opinion pieces, Nature celebrates the mind that, in a handful of papers over a tragically short lifetime, shaped many of the hottest fields in science today.

Image credit: Andy Potts;Turing family

onlyideal: Kinetic Rings Mimic Bird Wings made by Dukno Yoon...

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:04:06 -0500

onlyideal:

Kinetic Rings Mimic Bird Wings made by Dukno Yoon (gif animation)