Sayan's BlogWorld » discovery http://sayanc.net/blog highlighting the future's bizzare as it transforms into the present's mundane Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:16:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Steve Woz on our closed source education system http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/05/14/steve-woz-on-our-closed-source-education-system/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/05/14/steve-woz-on-our-closed-source-education-system/#comments Sat, 14 May 2011 17:33:12 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/?p=1113 A very succinct message from Steve Woz on how our education system(s) kills creativity in its quest for a one size fits all approach to education…

This is so true all over the world… the waste of human potential is the greatest waste

Via EEtimes and DangerousPrototypes

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/05/14/steve-woz-on-our-closed-source-education-system/feed/ 0 Earth Day & Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/04/23/earth-day-carl-sagans-pale-blue-dot/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/04/23/earth-day-carl-sagans-pale-blue-dot/#comments Sun, 24 Apr 2011 02:10:05 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/?p=1104 This gives me goosebumps every time I watch it…. Happy Earth Day !

 

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/04/23/earth-day-carl-sagans-pale-blue-dot/feed/ 0 If neurons talk using RFID…are we zapping our brains with our phone yapping?? !! http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/02/06/if-neurons-talk-using-rfid-are-we-may-be-zapping-our-brains-with-our-phone-yapping/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/02/06/if-neurons-talk-using-rfid-are-we-may-be-zapping-our-brains-with-our-phone-yapping/#comments Sun, 06 Feb 2011 18:38:42 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/?p=1089 I stumbled across this article today about how neurons in brains do not rely just on physical connections to talk to each other. They interact with each other with their version of electro-magnetic coupling similar to Near Field Communication (NFC)or RFID.

NFC or RFID type technologies can be prone to interference from various gadgets or devices. This new discovery about neural communication may bring into focus how electronic devices affect our brains and cognitive abilities. Is it time to think about how our society designs and uses the billions of cell phones ?

Here is the article from Caltech:

Neurobiologists Find that Weak Electrical Fields in the Brain Help Neurons Fire Together – Caltech Media Relations.

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2011/02/06/if-neurons-talk-using-rfid-are-we-may-be-zapping-our-brains-with-our-phone-yapping/feed/ 0 Leave it as it is… http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/10/02/leave_it_as_it_i/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/10/02/leave_it_as_it_i/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:19:13 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/?p=974 Leave it as it is. You cannot improve it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it….

President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt commenting on seeing the Grand Canyon

Read more about the US National Parks and President Teddy Roosevelt at http://www.nps.gov and  http://blogs.nashualibrary.org/reference/2009/09/leave_it_as_it_is_1.html

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/10/02/leave_it_as_it_i/feed/ 0 Forward Osmosis- revoluntionary water treatment? http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/02/05/forward-osmosis-revoluntionary-water-treatment/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/02/05/forward-osmosis-revoluntionary-water-treatment/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:23:07 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/?p=952 Cleantechnica has a post on Forward Osmosis. It is better explained here. The authors description in a gist:

…conventional desalination and reuse technologies use substantial energy. “forward osmosis,” exploits the natural diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane. Their process “draws” pure water from its contaminants to a solution of concentrated salts, which can easily be removed with low heat treatment — effectively desalinating or removing contaminants from water with little energy input.

The concentrated salt solution is probably a mixture of ammonia and/or carbon dioxide dissolved in water. The ammonia and CO2 are later easily boiled off and reused. The energy required for this quite less even low-cost solar heaters may be sufficient.

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/02/05/forward-osmosis-revoluntionary-water-treatment/feed/ 1 Fighting hunger with flood-tolerant rice http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/01/31/fighting-hunger-with-flood-tolerant-rice/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/01/31/fighting-hunger-with-flood-tolerant-rice/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:35:05 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/?p=948 CNN reports that scientists after over 10 years of research have successfully developed a new strain of flood-tolerant rice through precision breeding. Read the article to know more about the inspiring work being done to positively impact the lives of hundreds of millions.

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/01/31/fighting-hunger-with-flood-tolerant-rice/feed/ 0 Knowledge Gap of How We ‘Fit In’ is Greatest Threat to Environment http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/01/30/knowledge-gap-of-how-we-%e2%80%98fit-in%e2%80%99-is-greatest-threat-to-environment/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/01/30/knowledge-gap-of-how-we-%e2%80%98fit-in%e2%80%99-is-greatest-threat-to-environment/#comments Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:29:42 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/?p=936 The article does a much better job of describing one of the great questions facing humanity – ‘How do we fit in?’ Maybe we need to ask native cultures around the world the answer to this mystery. Anyway here is the article from Treehugger.

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2009/01/30/knowledge-gap-of-how-we-%e2%80%98fit-in%e2%80%99-is-greatest-threat-to-environment/feed/ 0 TED | Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight http://sayanc.net/blog/2008/03/14/ted-dr-jill-bolte-taylor-my-stroke-of-insight/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2008/03/14/ted-dr-jill-bolte-taylor-my-stroke-of-insight/#comments Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:57:35 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/2008/03/14/ted-dr-jill-bolte-taylor-my-stroke-of-insight/ This is a spectacular talk… one of the best yet on TED so far.

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2008/03/14/ted-dr-jill-bolte-taylor-my-stroke-of-insight/feed/ 5 TED Talks- Matthieu Ricard: Habits of happiness http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/12/14/ted-talks-matthieu-ricard-habits-of-happiness/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/12/14/ted-talks-matthieu-ricard-habits-of-happiness/#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:12:45 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/12/14/ted-talks-matthieu-ricard-habits-of-happiness/ What is happiness, and how can we all get some? Buddhist monk, photographer and author Matthieu Ricard has devoted his life to these questions, and his answer is influenced by his faith as well as by his scientific turn of mind: We can train our minds in habits of happiness. Interwoven with his talk are stunning photographs of the Himalayas and of his spiritual community.

Another thoughtful (and humorous) TED talk was the one given by Bob Thurman sometime ago. It is one of my favorite TED talks and I have blogged about it previously. But it is probably appropriate to include it once more:

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/12/14/ted-talks-matthieu-ricard-habits-of-happiness/feed/ 0 Rising from the deep: Hydrogen economy http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/09/rising-from-the-deep-hydrogen-economy/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/09/rising-from-the-deep-hydrogen-economy/#comments Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:12:34 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/09/rising-from-the-deep-hydrogen-economy/ All the major petro-companies are pushing for the hydrogen economy as a replacement for fossil fuels….some argue that this would allow them to keep their existing monopoly on transportation fuel.

My gut feeling is this an over-simplification. I came across the concept of ‘deep hydrogen reserves’ sometime ago. Apparently the Kola Superdeep Borehole, the deepest hole drilled by man at 12+ kms (~7.5miles) has been found to be bubbling with hydrogen. So do you think, the petroleum companies will simply shift from petroleum drilling to hydrogen drilling? Or maybe even methane drilling? I would be interested in your thoughts / opinions.

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/09/rising-from-the-deep-hydrogen-economy/feed/ 0 Windbelt, Cheap Generator Alternative, Set to Power Third World http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/windbelt-cheap-generator-alternative-set-to-power-third-world/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/windbelt-cheap-generator-alternative-set-to-power-third-world/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:26:05 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/windbelt-cheap-generator-alternative-set-to-power-third-world/ The article here and its accompanying video describe this invention as, “…a taut membrane fitted with a pair of magnets that oscillate between metal coils. Prototypes have generated 40 milliwatts in 10-mph slivers of wind, making his device 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best microturbines…”

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/windbelt-cheap-generator-alternative-set-to-power-third-world/feed/ 0 Major Source of Atmospheric Methane Identified Near Arctic Lakes http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/major-source-of-atmospheric-methane-identified-near-arctic-lakes/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/major-source-of-atmospheric-methane-identified-near-arctic-lakes/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:22:49 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/major-source-of-atmospheric-methane-identified-near-arctic-lakes/ It seems that global warming maybe hitting the positive feedback loop. Are the skeptics listening??
The article here points out that, “…a source of methane – which likely originated during the last ice age – has surfaced in the Arctic, a likely result of global warming’s thawing effect on the permafrost.” The methane bubbles from thermokarst lakes in the Artic.

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/major-source-of-atmospheric-methane-identified-near-arctic-lakes/feed/ 0 The Boy With The Incredible Brain http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/the-boy-with-the-incredible-brain/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/the-boy-with-the-incredible-brain/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:10:57 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/the-boy-with-the-incredible-brain/ This is the breathtaking story of Daniel Tammet. A twenty-something with extraordinary mental abilities, Daniel is one of the world’s few … all » savants. He can do calculations to 100 decimal places in his head, and learn a language in a week. This documentary follows Daniel as he travels to America to meet the scientists who are convinced he may hold the key to unlocking similar abilities in everyone. He also meets the world’s most famous savant, the man who inspired Dustin Hoffman’s character in the Oscar winning film ‘Rain Man’. (2005)


]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/11/05/the-boy-with-the-incredible-brain/feed/ 0 Terra Preta: Black is the New Green http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/10/18/terra-preta-black-is-the-new-green/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/10/18/terra-preta-black-is-the-new-green/#comments Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:59:38 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/10/18/terra-preta-black-is-the-new-green/ This is an unbelievably eye-opening story on the ancients doing terraforming-type activities on a massive scale. Maybe I am going a little over the top. But read this to find out more about this ‘carbon-negative’ agricultural practice … I think this has a tremendous potential for addressing some really critical global issues.

Here is a small extract from the post at WorldChanging:

Amazonian Dark Earth, or terra preta do indio, has mystified science for the last hundred years. Three times richer in nitrogen and phosphorous, and twenty times the carbon of normal soils, terra preta is the legacy of ancient Amazonians who predate Western civilization. Scientists who long debated the capacity of ‘savages’ to transform the virgin rainforest now agree that indigenous people transformed large regions of the Amazon into amazingly fertile black earth.

]]> http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/10/18/terra-preta-black-is-the-new-green/feed/ 4 Dr. Bussard: low-cost low-radiation fusion pioneer passes away http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/10/13/dr-bussard-low-cost-low-radiation-fusion-pioneer-passes-away/ http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/10/13/dr-bussard-low-cost-low-radiation-fusion-pioneer-passes-away/#comments Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:48:04 +0000 Sayan http://sayanc.net/blog/2007/10/13/dr-bussard-low-cost-low-radiation-fusion-pioneer-passes-away/ I spent some time watching the talk Dr. Bussard gave at Google sometime ago- it was very interesting both from a scientific point of view and a political point of view. It seems all that is required to solve most of the world’s problems is political will and stepping away from narrow egotistical views.

Here is what Slashdot says in a post: Dr Bussard, the man behind the Bussard Collector and inventor of the Polywell fusion device, passed away last Sunday in the morning. He leaves behind him a legacy of EM fusion devices, and a team determined to continue his efforts. The news of funding extension for the construction of his WB-7 fusion devices made it to slashdot months ago (as well as his talk at google). They may be a serious candidate in the run to bring commercial fusion, and may work at lower scales than other projects. Let’s hope the project continues in good shape despite his departure.

Here is a short animation of the basic working of a Polywell design IEC (Inertial Electrostatic Confinement) fusion device studied by Dr. Bussard’s team:

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