On Deck for the Week of Dec. 1

December 01, 2008

Monday, Dec. 1: We need to dramatically reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. So, how? Some think we should be burying it in the ground. Others say that's a risky endeavor. We'll have a Double Take, featuring both sides of the controversy.

We'll also have a video from producer Kasey-Dee Gardner about a new endoscope that creates 3-D images. The device provides doctors with a much better (and deeper) image of tissue than conventional endoscopes and that can improve diagnosis.

Tuesday, Dec. 2: Take a break from holiday shopping and do a puzzle. This month, our category is robots inspired by living things. Scientists call them "biomimetic."

Wednesday, Dec. 3: Gene Charleton has his weekly podcast from Engineering Works!

Thursday, Dec. 4: Some ancient buildings are lost and gone forever. But scientists are using virtual reality to rebuild architecture, allowing people to walk along corridors or through courtyards in ways that previously were not possible. Read the IM interview with Jose Kozan.

Friday, Dec. 5: Guest blog from David Alexander Ellis. Does Social Stimuli Expand Time? Recently graduated PhD student, David Ellis, tells us about his area of study and what it's like to be starting down the path of research. Read his guest blog.

Light Has More Intuition Than Some People I Know

January 25, 2008

Have you ever been at a party or in a meeting with a "Me Monster?" This person talks nonstop about himself and shows no awareness of others.  ME ME ME ME ME ME ME

Now there's a lamp that is, literally and figuratively, brighter than him. Made with artificial intelligence, the AI Light made by London-based Complex Matters, a spin-off from University College London, changes shape and varies its intensity based on what's going on around it. How intuitive.

I saw an article in Cubed describing the light and then got in touch with Siavash Mahdavi, the managing director to ask him a couple of questions about the light, which was designed by Assa Ashuach.

The light has several sensors: two motion sensors, two light sensors, one short range and one long range, and eventually a sound sensor.

If someone enters the room, the long range motion sensor is triggered and the light performs a small dance to greet its visitor. The shorter range motion sensor could be directed to react to people  congregating around a breakfast table or sitting area, for example,where activity will cause the light to respond and move.

According to Mahdavi, every AI Light behaves in a different way. "If it continues to get the same inputs, it can get bored and stops reacting.  New behaviors within the room intrigue the AI Light and cause it to react in a more pronounced way."

I'd like invite this light to my next party. 

Greener Buildings for a Better Future

January 08, 2008

It's Boston. It's January 8. And it's 66 degrees F. No wonder my global warming alarm (I didn't even know I had one) was going off inside my head as I headed down Memorial Drive with the car window rolled halfway down. What the hell is going on? And what are we doing about it? As I watch the shorts-clad joggers breezing along the river, I think "a big fat nothing!"

But then to my relief, I opened an email from a friend of mine pointing to a geekabout article that lists 15 of the greenest buildings in the world under construction.

All around the world, from the USA to the UAE, from the Abu Dhabi to Siberia, people are erecting sustainable skyscrapers and even whole environmental communities.

In Antilia, Mumbai, for example, a 70-story tower (left) will have an exterior made partly of organic material. Different floors will be devoted entirely to natural features such as waterfalls and gardens.

In Moscow, a project known as Crystal Island (below),will loom like a giant volcano-city inside the Russia city. It will use solar arrays and wind turbines to regulate air temperatures.

These big projects will themselves not only help reduce carbon emissions but also set a trend for sustainable construction. If you know of other similar projects going on, write me about them.