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Laurent

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #150 on: January 20, 2015, 04:49:13 PM »
Not a drop of oil during the use...not the rest of the time...
That should be mentionned !

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #151 on: January 21, 2015, 01:41:16 AM »
Forget traditional cemeteries.  Use your ashes to plant a tree.
https://urnabios.com
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #152 on: February 01, 2015, 02:44:10 AM »
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Laurent

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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #154 on: February 06, 2015, 11:23:10 PM »
London's famed Battersea Power Station being transformed into a high-end residential and retail sector.  Video.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-02-05/sting-s-new-london-pad-is-a-converted-coal-station
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #155 on: February 09, 2015, 01:24:11 AM »
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The London Underline, proposed by the San Francisco-based design agency Gensler, would turn London's disused underground spaces into a network of pedestrian and cycle paths. The system would even convert the friction created by footsteps and bike tyres into electricity. So it's sustainable, too.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/plans-for-london-underline-2015-2
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #156 on: February 12, 2015, 05:06:44 PM »
A "walking bike"!  With a treadmill in place of pedals.  And an electric motor.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #157 on: February 17, 2015, 07:51:39 PM »
Boston is looking for designs to help the city deal with sea level rise.  You can vote for your favorite.
http://www.bostonlivingwithwater.org/portfolio/the-hydrokinetic-canal-as-an-urban-generator
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Laurent

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #158 on: February 18, 2015, 06:20:48 PM »

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #159 on: February 19, 2015, 08:00:36 PM »
3-D printers are making functional prosthetic hands for children.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/science/hand-of-a-superhero.html
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Laurent

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« Last Edit: February 19, 2015, 09:40:12 PM by Laurent »

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #161 on: February 28, 2015, 01:42:43 AM »
Google's plans for its new headquarters include re-configurable buildings, retail space, bike paths and a community garden.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-27/check-out-google-s-insane-plans-for-a-new-headquarters
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #162 on: March 01, 2015, 12:25:14 AM »
New York City deals with housing crisis by building tiny, more affordable pre-fabricated apartments of only 250 to 350 square feet.
http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/27/real_estate/microapartments-new-york/index.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #163 on: March 03, 2015, 02:13:32 AM »
And terrifying.  Don't forget terrifying.

@elonmusk: Excellent and funny intro article about Artificial Superintelligence! Highly recommend reading
http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-2.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #164 on: March 05, 2015, 10:04:58 PM »
Google's plans for its new headquarters include re-configurable buildings, retail space, bike paths and a community garden.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-27/check-out-google-s-insane-plans-for-a-new-headquarters
But Peter Gleick says sea level rise might add a new need for those movable buildings.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-h-gleick/flooding-google-googles-n_b_6804300.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #165 on: March 12, 2015, 12:23:19 AM »
Perhaps in the future, flying will be a form of slow-speed (but clean energy) travel, like the Solar Impulse 2.   

"Round the World in Zero Fuel": #RTWIn0Fuel

@solarimpulse: Relive @andreborschberg's flight from #AbuDhabi to #Muscat! #RTWIn0Fuel #Flight1

http://t.co/2vUKSCp2xz http://t.co/q1EtmUJKnC
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #166 on: March 13, 2015, 12:20:35 PM »
What fraction of "chicken nuggets" is really chicken, anyway?   :D

Beyond Burgers: Scientists Try to Grow Chicken Meat in the Lab
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/beyond-burgers-scientists-try-grow-chicken-meat-lab-n322686
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #167 on: March 19, 2015, 03:25:06 PM »
Augmented reality.  Coming soon to a smart helmet near you.

Sensors and displays in smart helmets can provide expert instructions, without bulky instruction manuals, or experts travelling to your location.  They can even warn the worker of pysiological changes in their own body that indicate they should stop work.  A great potential for increasing the safety of workers and the public.

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/virtual-helmets-find-way-factory-floor-n316631
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #168 on: March 19, 2015, 11:03:15 PM »
No need to keep a large inventory of tools if you can 3D print special ones as needed.

Video: Man 3D printed a fingernail-sized working drill
http://boingboing.net/2015/03/19/video-man-3d-printed-a-finger.html
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Anne

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #169 on: March 20, 2015, 04:02:37 PM »
Yes, NASA emailed a spanner to the International Space Station last year.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30549341

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #170 on: March 28, 2015, 05:49:43 PM »
Quote
Hundreds of millions of homes and businesses around the world will go dark Saturday night as part of Earth Hour, an annual event meant to raise awareness about climate change and the environment.

Now in its ninth year, Earth Hour encourages individuals and organizations around the world to turn off all of their non-essential lights for one hour. This year, it’s scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 28.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/earth-hour-4-things-to-know-about-the-annual-environmental-event-1.1331421
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #171 on: March 28, 2015, 07:28:41 PM »
"StarTalk" podcast, Neil DeGrasse Tyson: clips of interview with Elon Musk, discussed with Bill Nye.
Included: Mars, flying cars, climate change and artificial intelligence.

http://www.startalkradio.net/show/the-future-of-humanity-with-elon-musk/
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ghoti

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #172 on: March 28, 2015, 10:01:05 PM »
Is his podcast always like this? I found it really annoying to try to listen to and couldn't make it all the way through. How do such intelligent people manage to sound so stupid?

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #173 on: March 29, 2015, 07:53:58 PM »
Is his podcast always like this? I found it really annoying to try to listen to and couldn't make it all the way through. How do such intelligent people manage to sound so stupid?

Ummm...  I would say yes, this is fairly typical.  Sorry you weren't amused; the show is meant to be fun -- it is hugely popular and will actually be on television starting April 20.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-neil-degrasse-tyson-reveals-first-guests-premiere-date-for-startalk-show-20150318-story.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #174 on: May 19, 2015, 02:22:22 PM »
NASA is building a prototype airplane powered by electric motors.

Quote
Researchers hope to fly a piloted X-plane within the next couple years after removing the wings and engines from an Italian-built Tecnam P2006T and replacing them with an improved version of the LEAPTech wing and motors. Using an existing airframe will allow engineers to easily compare the performance of the X-plane with the original P2006T.
http://climate.nasa.gov/news/2286/
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Laurent

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #175 on: May 19, 2015, 10:13:43 PM »
The Mouse That Roared
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-fedrizzi/the-mouse-that-roared_b_7308868.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green

Quote
That's exactly how Thurgood Marshall eventually helped his people achieve their hard-fought civil rights some 60 years ago in this country. It wasn't riots that brought about such radical social change and helped unravel years of institutional bias, injustice and hated. It wasn't peaceful protests. And it wasn't civil disobedience or impassioned pleas.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #176 on: June 13, 2015, 02:03:04 AM »
California Wants All New Homes to Be Net Zero in 2020
Solar-plus-storage could be the norm for new homes.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/California-Wants-All-New-Homes-to-be-Net-Zero-in-2020
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #177 on: June 16, 2015, 12:26:37 PM »
Gravity-defying 3D printer to print bridge over water in Amsterdam
A 3D printer that can print "cables" of material in any orientation is set to 3D-print a steel bridge over a canal in Amsterdam.
http://www.cnet.com/news/gravity-defying-3d-printer-to-print-bridge-over-water-in-amsterdam/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #178 on: July 18, 2015, 01:48:35 AM »
Net zero-energy houses are so ten-minutes-ago.   :D
Now, there's net-positive-energy houses!

Britain's first 'energy positive' house opens in Wales
Powered by the sun, this low cost three-bedroom house is the first in the country to produce and sell more energy than it uses.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/15/britains-first-energy-positive-house-opens-in-wales
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Neven

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #179 on: July 18, 2015, 03:22:53 PM »
Well done, Great-Britain!  ;D

My wife and I have proven that it's not so difficult to build such a house (producing double the energy we consume on a yearly basis). Lots of work, yes, but not terribly difficult. It could be done even easier and cheaper if you build with non-ecological materials.

In short, net-positive-houses are so two hours ago.   ;)
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Jim Hunt

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #180 on: July 18, 2015, 03:42:45 PM »
Well done, Great-Britain!  ;D

I fear you and Sigmetnow haven't been following my Twitter feed or "professional" blog closely over the last few days? On Friday July 10th our inglorious new Government pulled the plug on Great British zero carbon homes:

http://www.V2G.co.uk/2015/07/an-open-letter-to-mel-stride-george-osborne-david-cameron-et-al/

Let battle commence, led by a Tory Lord of the Realm! Any and all "Retweets" welcome!

https://twitter.com/jim_hunt/status/622329856924229632

Here's the edited highlights of the story so far:

https://storify.com/SEA_Solihull/sea-summer-reception-2015

For some additional context see also:

http://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,256.msg56771.html#msg56771
« Last Edit: July 18, 2015, 04:50:55 PM by Jim Hunt »
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ghoti

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #181 on: July 18, 2015, 05:23:05 PM »
The frustrating aspect of home building by developers in places where land is very expensive is that the driving force behind developer profits is finished home area per land area. This means that although it is extremely easy to build excellent insulation into walls at a very low price builders refuse to do so because it means building thick outer walls. Thick outer walls means fewer square meters of floor space in the house and therefore a lower selling price.

It never gets very hot nor very cold in most of the UK so the insulative values required in the walls is less demanding than for example where I live. The design temperature here is -30C in winter and +30C in the summer. People without space limitations can build homes with straw bales inbedded in the outer walls to provide sufficient insulation to reduce heating/cooling requirements to a minimum. Some use cellulose insulation in very thick walls. For example http://www.ecogenbuild.ca/?p=222 However in the city few people are willing to build 55 cm thick walls given the lot size limitations.

So if we could cure people of their uncontrolled desire for the largest living space possible we might see more net-zero homes built. I'm hoping being net energy neutral becomes the next fashionable craze so builders see profit in energy reduction.


Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #182 on: July 19, 2015, 12:44:56 AM »
...On Friday July 10th our inglorious new Government pulled the plug on Great British zero carbon homes....

Two steps forward, one step back!  I saw that news; a disappointing loss to be sure, but a skirmish lost, not the war.  I'm sure you will keep up the good fight from your side, and government (perhaps local governments, at first) will come around.  Simply showing net-positive-energy houses can be built inspires more innovation the world over.

Soon -- just like the utilities who are contracting for clean energy because businesses want to buy it -- builders will start building net-zero houses because their customers ask for those features, and will pay for them.   
 
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,1006.msg57037.html#msg57037

https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,256.msg56163.html#msg56163
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silkman

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #183 on: July 19, 2015, 10:27:34 AM »
"Soon -- just like the utilities who are contracting for clean energy because businesses want to buy it -- builders will start building net-zero houses because their customers ask for those features, and will pay for them." 
 
You'd think so wouldn't you?

The UK government's recent but badly designed Green Deal scheme has totally failed to stimulate interest in energy efficiency amongst homeowners and has served simply to give the big six utilities another mechanism to maintain their control  of the market.

Having been heavily involved in a Green Deal Pioneer Places scheme I have first hand knowledge of the background to its failure. The controlling hand of the Big Six was no surprise but the most disappointing thing about the whole experience was just how little value the average householder in this country placed on energy efficiency, despite complaints about fuel bills. All the attention is on the supply side.

As a part of our government-funded scheme we retrofitted two buildings to the highest standards to illustrate what was possible. Local estate agents, when offered the chance to learn about the benefits, were uninterested. This was entirely logical from their perspective as they were only reflecting their customers' interests. One of the two properties was sold recently and attracted a higher price than the pre-retrofit valuation - entirely, we understand, based on the improved cosmetics of the state of the art solid wall insulation!

With today's Sunday papers covering Amber Rudd's intentions to push fracking with the self-serving support of Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos, it should be no surprise that the Tories are running away from their prior commitments to tighter building regulations. Their commitments in Paris later this year will be hollow.

The world (or at least the UK) is upside down on this one!

Neven

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #184 on: July 19, 2015, 10:47:25 AM »
It's more or less the same in the Netherlands, which is why we left a couple of years ago. What we've done here in Austria, would've been virtually impossible to do there.
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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #185 on: July 19, 2015, 12:01:37 PM »

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #186 on: July 19, 2015, 06:51:54 PM »
It's good to see some making an effort though

That's the one Sigmetnow linked to above? My (somewhat sarcastic!) take on that same story:

http://www.V2G.co.uk/2015/07/solcer-zero-carbon-house-wins-innovation-in-sustainability-award/

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Do you suppose that George Osborne and David Cameron are qualified to comprehend academic architectural journals?

Here's one of the videos:

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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #187 on: July 19, 2015, 09:03:08 PM »
Tiny apartments are finding a niche in the U.S. --  in places you wouldn't expect.

Micro-Apartments Are Coming to the Midwest
Smaller rental units (think 300 square feet) are popping up in cities with plenty of space.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-16/micro-apartments-are-coming-to-the-midwest
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #188 on: July 28, 2015, 08:04:18 PM »
Margaret Atwood:  "It's not Climate Change, It's Everything Change"
Not all of her future scenarios are "Better Tomorrows" :( , but she describes various paths and futures in this update to her 2009 piece.

https://medium.com/matter/it-s-not-climate-change-it-s-everything-change-8fd9aa671804
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #189 on: August 18, 2015, 06:49:17 PM »
Steps to colonize Mars will start within the next ten years.  Why?  Because given the earth's history of mass extinctions, humans need a backup planet.  SpaceX is making that possible.

Lengthy and detailed article about our space accomplishments so far, why we need to go further, and how close we are to making a Mars trip feasible -- physically and financially.

How (and Why) SpaceX Will Colonize Mars
Quote
Now—if you owned a hard drive with an extraordinarily important Excel doc on it, and you knew that the hard drive pretty reliably tended to crash every month or two, with the last crash happening five weeks ago—what’s the very obvious thing you’d do?

You’d copy the document onto a second hard drive.

That’s why Elon Musk wants to put a million people on Mars.

Why a million people? Because that’s Musk’s rough estimate for the minimum number of people it would take to create a completely self-sustaining population. In this case, self-sustaining has a simple definition—it means that if Earth vanished from existence, the Mars population would still be able to survive and thrive and grow. They wouldn’t be dependent upon Earth for anything. Mining needs to be done? The Mars population needs people who know how to construct a mine and miners to do the work. Need to build a new hospital? A rocket launch to fix a broken internet satellite? Expanded agriculture to deal with a food shortage? Emergency measures because a war has broken out? The Mars population alone needs to have all of that covered. Musk doesn’t think 10,000 or 100,000 people will be sufficient—but that a million people should be enough.

This concept—making human life multi-planetary in a self-sustaining way—is often called “planetary redundancy.” Musk calls it life insurance for the species. I call it backing up the hard drive.

Of course, the Mars hard drive is no more reliable than the Earth hard drive. It would be vulnerable to most of the same catastrophes as Earth and it would also crash every month or two. But in most cases, the hard drive crashes would happen at different times. If one crashed really hard and our Excel doc on that drive was lost, the other would still be around—and it would probably have plenty of time to plan a new backup.

Quote
Before anything with people starts, there will be a preliminary phase where SpaceX sends spacecraft to Mars without any people. The first step, Musk told me, would be to “send an automated spaceship to Mars just to make sure you can send something there and back”—this should happen before 2020. Then, there would be a handful of unmanned cargo missions to bring equipment, habitats, and supplies, so that when the first people start arriving, they’ll be able to not die—they’ll need access to water, a place to live, the tools to convert compounds on Mars to oxygen, fertilizer to grow crops, etc.

Then something big will happen. Someone—probably SpaceX, probably in about ten years—will send the first crew of people to Mars. For anyone under the age of 50 who’s annoyed they weren’t alive and sentient in 1969 to get caught up in the excitement of the moon landing—you’re finally going to have your day. Somewhere out there, right now on this Earth, is the Neil Armstrong of Mars. No one knows who they are—they might not even know who they are—but everyone on Earth will know their name soon.

http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/08/how-and-why-spacex-will-colonize-mars.html
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Laurent

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #190 on: August 20, 2015, 09:35:36 AM »
That techno can bring hope...may be...
Carbon nanofibres made from CO2 in the air
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33998697

Anyway we desperately need something of that kind with the less techno as possible. (off course we have to reduce consumption, people, etc...)

Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #191 on: August 22, 2015, 03:16:00 AM »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #192 on: August 22, 2015, 06:52:13 PM »
Quote
@tcktcktck: VIDEO: Costa Rica has set an ambitious goal for itself: To be entirely carbon neutral by 2021 https://t.co/5UbwQgKwnT
https://twitter.com/tcktcktck/status/635074205545951232
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #193 on: September 01, 2015, 09:48:30 PM »
U.N. draft of Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals is complete.
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Agenda 2030 aims high.  It puts people at the centre of development. It aims to foster human well-being, prosperity, peace and justice on a healthy planet.  It pursues respect for the human rights of all people and gender equality.  It speaks to all people in all countries, and calls for action from everyone everywhere. It aims to inspire and create genuine partnerships among all countries and actors.

This agenda marks a paradigm shift. It completes the unfinished business of the MDGs, lifts the level of ambition and tackles emerging issues and challenges.  It recognizes the close interdependence of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. It breaks new ground in the way it links peace and security to sustainable development, highlighting the centrality of the rule of law, accountable institutions and access to justice.   It presents solutions to deal with root causes of the complex problems in our world today, from migration and conflict to exclusion, violence against women and humanitarian crises.  And it prioritizes the vulnerable and marginalized, vowing to leave no one behind.
http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=8944
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #194 on: September 03, 2015, 02:45:15 AM »
This Preschool Is for Robots
Want machines to learn the way human toddlers do? You need a “classroom” equipped with Lego blocks and plenty of patience
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Unlike most industrial robots, which are programmed to complete specific tasks, the Brett project teaches robots to learn using methods based partly on the ways young children discover the world. They repeatedly try to solve problems and adjust their behavior each time to get closer to the goal.
http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-preschool-for-robots/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #195 on: September 07, 2015, 08:22:29 PM »
United Nations: Sustainable Development Goals -  the document
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Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Preamble
This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.

All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world on to a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which we are announcing today demonstrate the scale and ambition of this new universal Agenda. They seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what they did not achieve. They seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.

The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet.
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N15/253/34/PDF/N1525334.pdf
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #196 on: September 07, 2015, 08:38:21 PM »
Another indication that manufacturing will be undergoing radical changes in the near future.

Royal Navy Could Have Unmanned, 3D-Printed Surface Ships by 2030
   And "Wi-Fi-linked contact lenses."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-07/royal-navy-could-have-unmanned-3d-printed-surface-ships-by-2030
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #197 on: September 14, 2015, 04:01:21 AM »
A new type of shower uses 70% less water.

How Nebia Plans to Change the Shower Experience
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-09-11/how-nebia-plans-to-change-the-shower-experience
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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #198 on: September 27, 2015, 04:25:27 AM »
Convertible furniture for small living spaces.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153538429237280
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Re: Better Tomorrows
« Reply #199 on: October 01, 2015, 01:57:16 AM »
Permeable concrete prevents urban flooding

‘Thirsty’ Concrete Soaks Up 1000 Gallons Of Water A Minute, Will Blow Your Mind
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/30/3706935/permeable-concrete-climate-change-benefits/
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