// what about indoor light pollution from little LEDs on various equipment // that create an ambient glow everywhere. dark skies initiative for indoors! Computers and phones in children's bedrooms 'can cause anxiety and sleep loss' (via drudgereport) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10448123/Computers-and-ph... "The paper’s lead author, psychologist Dr Jennifer Vriend, of Dalhousie University in Canada, said: “One of the biggest culprits for inadequate and disturbed sleep is technology. " Dark-sky movement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-sky_movement // presumably like dams, wave power could also have ecosystem // consequences for marine life, likewise underwater comms, sonar // as potentially related to mass beachings of whales, dolphins, etc. Solar Panels Frying Birds Along Major Migration Path (via drudge) http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/11/12/Oops-Solar-Energy-Plants-... [Birds dying in two ways... crashing into mirage-like 'areas of water' and having feathers torched via reflected sunlight] Accidental discovery dramatically improves electrical conductivity http://phys.org/news/2013-11-accidental-discovery-electrical.html "Quite by accident, Washington State University researchers have achieved a 400-fold increase in the electrical conductivity of a crystal simply by exposing it to light. The effect, which lasted for days after the light was turned off, could dramatically improve the performance of devices like computer chips." ... re: holographic memory, data storage inside crystal vs. on surface [&] Electrons with a "split personality" // anisotropy, metal, & lifetimes http://phys.org/news/2013-11-electrons-personality.html "Conventional or unconventional – depending on momentum" " Up until now, the interaction of the electrons has generally been assumed to be isotropic. " "In terms of electrons, resistivity corresponds to the mean free path of the electrons, i.e. the distance an average electron covers before bumping into something – the shorter the mean free path, the higher the resistivity. Generally, the higher the temperature the higher the resistivity because the particles the electrons can collide with are moving faster at higher temperatures which makes collisions more likely." {what is metal} // amateur astronomy is in need of a massive technological upgrade, // this tied to light pollution, environmental & urban planning issues. How a Superconducting Camera Could Revolutionize Astrophysics http://gizmodo.com/how-a-superconducting-camera-could-revolutionize-astrop-1... film --> semiconductors --> hyperspectral superconductors "Mazin's imaging device... dubbed the ARray Camera for Optical to Near-infrared (IR) Spectrophotometry (ARCONS), sees all of the wavelengths all of the times. It is literally the first imaging device to ever actually see in color. It is also the first imaging device to utilize Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs), a superconducting photon detector used to measure energy across the electromagnetic spectrum." [also waiting for this tech in consumer digital & video cameras, going beyond visual parameters, using IR and UV imaging vs. stylized filters- why not multispectral wavelength options. hell, what if there was an 'electromagnetic signals' setting, to visualize EM signaling in space as if kirlian photography] Evelyn Glennie: How to truly listen (video) http://www.ted.com/talks/evelyn_glennie_shows_how_to_listen.html description: In this soaring demonstration, deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie illustrates how listening to music involves much more than simply letting sound waves hit your eardrums. "... Allow your body is open up, to allow your body to be this resonating chamber..." "... please take note of the life of the sound after the initial strike..." [bio] Evelyn Glennie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Glennie // in approaching music independently i enjoyed this documentary a lot. // her approach is unique, educational, instructive, and inspirational... // about tuning into events, learning to ~listen with all the senses Touch the Sound documentary http://www.touch-the-sound.com/ Battle Cry -- from the album: Shadow Behind The Iron Sun https://myspace.com/variousartists-45950709/music/song/battle-cry-28420027-2... // if only geometry could be taught through these techniques, // including origami tesslations, platonic solids, into music... The Handheld Mathematics of Geometer Ron Resch (video) http://gizmodo.com/the-handheld-mathematics-of-geometer-ron-resch-1463859152 "testing out posed solutions..." [bio] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Resch note: the expandable structures seem ideal both for satellite or spacecraft and also lunar habits or robotic missions, such as a small format expandable base camp tent, etc. likewise, emergency tents or shelters, perhaps even windtunnel testing of the dome to consider if anchored structures could short-circuit hurricane winds via acting more like ground vs walls; for instance, with certain hi-tech fabrics perhaps flexibility and deformity is a strength. also, potential antennas, collapsible or not, or even portable radio telescope/telemetry arrays. how to fix any computer - The Oatmeal http://theoatmeal.com/blog/fix_computer ∰ ≉ ⊊