Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Translucent sidewalk at NYU lets the light in


Subterranean rooms and hallways are very common in industrial and educational buildings. I've seen a lot of rooms where I would not want to spend my workday. But this translucent floor at NYU in Manhattan is a clever way of allowing light in. This makes a huge difference for people who might otherwise have to work or study in a windowless environment, which would be great for vampires but not the rest of us.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Algae-derived biodiesel is a "drop-in" fuel



My previous post about ethanol might have opened your eyes to the potential of biofuels. But one of the drawbacks of ethanol is that any gasoline / ethanol bend with greater than 10% ethanol requires modifications to a car's fuel system. For instance, some newer cars (like mine) are E85 capable (85% ethanol) because they were built that way at the factory. Not all cars have this capability. But what if you could create a carbon neutral biofuel, in this case derived from algae, that is chemically identical to gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, etc.?

Sounds like another potential win-win.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Making fuel from stuff you weren't going to eat anyway


One of the great things about ethanol is that it is carbon neutral. One of the questionable things is that some of the plants that are used to make ethanol might otherwise be used as food. But what if you could make fuel from the parts of the plants that are not edible? Sounds like a win-win.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Pear in a bottle is frivolous and perplexing


Yes, that's a pear inside a liquor bottle. I pondered this for quite a while and finally had to ask the bartender how it's possible to slip a pear inside a bottle. It turns out to be very simple. You grow it there. Want to know more?

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

From doctor to acute care patient to doctor again

I'm very proud of this story I produced for the Alberta Medical Association and ADIUM Insurance Inc. What makes this clever? Well, Dr. Rigby not only deserves kudos for thinking ahead to protect his family and practice, he also made an inspiring comeback after a serious accident.

You may also be interested in the cover story I co-wrote (with Shelby MacLeod) in Alberta Doctors' Digest. You can read the story here.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

No Tesla Model S for me yet (sadly)


I test drove the Tesla Model S in New York recently. And I want one. It's not just an incredible electric car. It's an incredible car. Period.

So what's the problem?

I looked into the electric grid in my province and found that it's 90 percent coal and natural gas. So yes, I could have paid a $30k premium for this clever car (vs. a gasoline car), but I would have to buy carbon offsets to be neutral in spite of the "green" motor.

I have grid envy for our neighbours next door in British Columbia where 86% of their generation is hydo-electric. It seems to me that greening the grid is the first step to making other things possible.

So I bought an efficient, gasoline car instead, along with carbon offsets to make it neutral. I'm looking forward to a greener grid in the future. In the meantime I have great admiration for Tesla's Elon Musk and consider him to be the Steve Jobs of the auto industry.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Grocery sled to the rescue


Those of us who live in the snow belt understand how difficult it can be to push a shopping cart across a show covered parking lot. Here's a simple, clever solution.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Witness the astounding athletic power of quadcopters



If you liked my post regarding Amazon Prime Air, you're going to love this. This amazing Ted Talks video illustrates an impressive application combining mathematics, physics, aerodynamics, wireless tech and playfulness. Watch it to the end and make note of the young minds behind the project. Just imagine the commercial applications.