Saturday, August 1, 2015

Are you a caregiver for an elderly relative? Then you need to watch this.



Many of us are caregivers for elderly relatives. As patient needs increase, demands on caregivers can rise to extreme levels. But what happens when caregivers burn out? Here's a story about how a clever Alberta doctor recognized caregiver burnout and helped avoid a horrible outcome.

I conducted this interview in my role as Editor in Chief of Alberta Doctors' Digest for the Alberta Medical Association. My guest was blogger and author of The Reluctant Caregiver, Bobbi Junior.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Researchers working on "bionic eye" implants



These researchers are working on retinal implants that will eventually help some people with vision loss regain their sight. Check it out.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Got a bird problem? Here a simple solution, right to the point



Problem: birds land on your stuff and leave their droppings behind, creating a big mess that you need to clean up. Sometimes they even build nests where you don't want them (causing a fire hazard, for instance). Solution: put some pointy things where the birds like to land. As gadgets go, it doesn't get any lower tech, inexpensive and effective as this.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Mossom Creek fish hatchery rises from the ashes


A few weeks ago I mentioned that we were producing a video about the remarkable resurrection of the volunteer-run Mossom Creek fish hatchery after a devastating fire. Thanks to Lafarge, other supporters and numerous volunteers, the hatchery is now back and better than ever.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Lily introduces a selfie-drone



Drones are hot stuff right now. But you have to learn how to fly them. Check out this solution from Lily. It's like a selfie-drone!

Friday, May 29, 2015

Bull's eye! Organic greens and biodegradable plastic packaging.



I don't know about you, but when I buy organic greens (which is all time time), I don't feel good about the plastic packaging. Organic food and traditional packaging is an unfortunate contradiction. So I was pleased to find this organic produce from Kildara Farms that's packaged in biodegradable plastic bags. Also, kudos to Thrifty Foods for carrying this produce and Richmond Plastics for manufacturing the bags.

Yes, recyclable plastic packaging is a good thing. But biodegradable is even better. It makes me want to burry the plastic in my garden and see what happens. I can't say I've ever wanted to try that with normal plastic.

More information: kildarafarms.com

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Niche is a French word. So is fleur de sel.



Problem: you move to Canada from France and can't find locally made fleur de sel that's up to your standards. Solution: learn the craft, start your own business and serve a niche. It can't hurt that the name of the island you live on has the word "salt" in its name. Well done, Philippe. For more information, visit saltspringseasalt.com.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Sauerkraut Geek!



Is it possible to be a sauerkraut geek? Yes, apparently that's a thing. Melanie, Salt Spring Island's self proclaimed geek, makes an amazing array of naturally fermented sauerkraut and kimchi. I bought some at the Salt Spring Island farmers' market and I'll definitely be back for more. What's so great about fermented foods? Check out culturalivefoods for some information about how bacteria can make you healthier. Healthier!? It's all stuff our ancestors knew about (and we forgot about). Except for the geeks.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Reducing the environmental footprint of cement



Lafarge is not only helping to support British Columbia's fish habitat (see my previous post). They are also exploring alternative fuels to help reduce the environmental footprint of their cement plans. Here's a video we produced for Lafarge about their Kamloops plant.

Friday, May 22, 2015

How to build a podium (and a community)



Yesterday I documented the re-opening of the Mossom Creek Fish Hatchery in Port Moody, BC.

I get to attend a lot of events where people are speaking at a podium. The people are usually remarkable, but the podium itself is forgettable. (That's hatchery co-founder Ruth Foster in the photo; she qualifies as remarkable).

Also qualifying as remarkable is Rod MacVicar, another co-founder of the volunteer-run hatchery. Rod designed and built the podium using sustainable materials. Very fitting!

For the backstory on how the community came together and literally made this facility rise from the ashes, visit their website at www.mossomcreek.org

Also, check back here in a few weeks. I'll link to Lafarge's YouTube channel so you can view the video we're producing about Mossom Creek. Lafarge was a major sponsor in the rebuilding of the fish hatchery.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Have a problem with people urinating on your walls?


Okay, so let's say you have a problem with people urinating on the walls in your neighbourhood. No, really... it happens. I've witnessed it myself across the street while I was enjoying New Years Eve dinner at a nice restaurant in London. I could share the photos, but you probably don't need to see that.

These folks in Germany have a solution to the pollution.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

A battery that charges in only one minute



Some very clever people at Stanford University are working on a new battery technology that can charge in one minute. They say it is safe, even when you penetrate it with a drill (other batteries would probably catch on fire). It's still a lab project, but it seems to hold some promise.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Wheels with solar panels can power a bicycle



These people in Denmark are working on a solar powered electric bike where the solar panels are actually embedded into the wheels. The wheels charge the battery when parked, which in turn powers the bike when in motion. But don't expect this invention to directly power the wheels without charging the battery first. At least not yet.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Helping the visually impaired navigate public transit



These people are working on a technology that would help visually impaired people find their way around the London transit system using bluetooth beacons and their smart phones.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Alberta election video makes a good point



As you may know, my province (Alberta) is in the midst of an election campaign right now. I think this TV ad for Elections Alberta (produced by DDB Canada) cleverly makes the point as to why it's important to get out and vote. So vote, for goodness sake!

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Quest carbon capture and storage project to reduce carbon footprint


Although the world is working on alternate energy sources to reduce the threat of climate change, most people acknowledge that fossil fuels will be with us for some time. So Shell is working on a project called Quest that will reduce the amount of CO2 emitted in the production of fossil fuels. The project is scheduled to become operational later this year.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Space-based solar power systems could beam electricity from orbit to Earth


Even the biggest proponents of solar power know there are problems with the technology: most notably, the sun does not always shine. Night time and cloudy days don't generate much, if any, electricity. But what if you could position solar panels in orbit (where the sun always shines) and beam electricity to Earth? Some very clever people are working on the idea!

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Hot Coffee documentary claims to tell the real truth behind the famous McDonald's case


Remember the legal kerfuffle involving the American woman who sued McDonald's and was awarded millions of dollars over a cup of hot coffee that she spilled in her lap? The incident has become an international urban legend and the subject of much ridicule. But what actually happened? This documentary claims to tell the real truth and asks the question: "If we don't want judges and juries to make these kinds of decisions, then who should?"

Click on the link above to watch the trailer. You can also watch the full documentary on YouTube and Netflix.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

nanoFlowcell might beat Tesla at the electric car game




A European company called nanoFlowcell is developing their Quant electric cars without traditional batteries. Instead, they have two fluid reservoirs – one for a negatively charged electrolyte and one for a positively charged electrolyte. A membrane between the two electrolytes generates a current, powering the electric motors.

This would seem to solve the three big issues with battery electric vehicles – recharge time, range and infrastructure. The electrolyte fluids can be filled-up in about the same amount of time as petrol. The first two Quant prototypes have a range of 800 kms (for the large car) and 1,000 kms (for the small car). And you would think that existing gasoline stations could be easily retrofitted to dispense the fluids since they're already in that business.

It will be interesting to see how this technology develops.

Saturday, March 7, 2015

What do Jimmy Kimmel and his doctor-friends think about the anti-vaccine movement?



As some of you know, I do a lot of work in the health care field. Immunization is a hot topic right now, so I think this video is great tongue-in-cheek fun.

And for another perspective, you might want to listen to this podcast from Freakonomics Radio and WNYC.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Microsoft HoloLens concept combines reality with virtual reality.



Interested in what the future might bring with respect to combining reality with virtual reality? Check out this concept from Microsoft.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Nokian studded winter tires are so good it's like cheating


I recently decided to try studded winter tires on my car. When you live in the Canadian snow belt like I do, you need all the help you can get driving in the winter. These amazing diamond-tipped Nokian tires are exceeding my expectations for braking and acceleration on ice and packed snow, plus they're a lot quieter than I expected on clear pavement. The technology is quite new, so it looks like Nokian has worked out the traditional issues with studded tires.

Cost? About the same as any high quality winter tire. So what's not to love?

A grateful shout out to the people at Kal Tire for suggesting I give these a try.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Waste not. Drink lots.


Here's a story that crosses over between the topics of health and energy. This process takes human waste and converts it into pure drinking water, heat and electricity. Watch one of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates, drink water that was converted from sewerage.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Wheat Belly: are grain proteins making you sick?


While we're on the topic of food and health, you might want to watch this lecture from the best-selling author of Wheat Belly, Dr. William Davis. He says the proteins in grains should not be consumed by humans.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Dr. Lustig reveals the bitter truth behind sugar


If you watched the Fifth Estate documentary in my previous post, you were introduced to Dr. Lustig. Here's a full-length lecture on the subject of sugar. How many 1.5 hour lectures do you know of that have more than 5 million views on YouTube? This is definitely worth your time!

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Is sugar killing you slowly?


More about how our western diet may be the cause of many chronic diseases. This Fifth Estate documentary points the finger at sugar.