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12/09/2010

Good News #108 - #111 - Health, Transportation, Amazing Discoveries, Energy

Hello...

In these turbulent times some GOOD NEWS! Below you'll find four GOOD NEWS ideas to inform and inspire you, including...

  • A simple, effective way to purify WATER
  • A "straddle" bus that beats the traffic  
  • A new paradigm on "long life" and access to ancient DNA
  • Better batteries for electric cars

Also a few LINKS to share...
I want to personally invite you to check out the links below --- the latest editions of our newsletter and our next ONLINE professional development class:

Scroll down to see my good news ideas #108 through #111.

-- Joel

Jab-square-sm Joel Barker
futurist, filmmaker, author

www.innovationattheverge.com

 Joel Barker COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center

HEALTH

HEALTH photo #108 - Silver Filter cleans Water Fast
Everyone knows how important clean water is to good health. And yet billions of people around the world do not have access to this precious resource.

Now, thanks to Yi Cui of Stanford University, there may be a simple, effective way to purify water. His process starts with an assumption that filtering out bacteria from polluted water is not enough. So his team added two elements to the filter design:  the first is silver nano wires because silver is known to kill bacteria; second is a small electrical current running through carbon nanotubes which are part of the filter design.

The energy used is 80% less than is typically used by filtration systems and it can process a much larger amount of water in the same time. Key to commercializing the process will be the development of low-cost silver wire which will be driven by demand. A couple of big government orders could create just such a demand.

The Economist magazine: Oct 23, 2010, page 98

Google: "Water filter with silver threads"

PHOTO: Cotton fibers dipped in silver nanowires.
Credit: Yi Cui, Stanford University.

URL:
http://www.technewsdaily.com/-headline-nanotech-infused-cotton-provides-fast-cheap-water-filtration--1165/

TRANSPORTATION

ChinaBUSInnovation #109 - China Invents the "Straddle" Bus
How many times have you been stuck in traffic and said to yourself, "If I could just elevate my car and float over this mess!"  Someone in China had the same idea and acted on it.

The idea is simple: the bus is elevated on side walls with wheels inside them so that it rides above the traffic. These vertical extensions are wider than the cars it straddles. While the cars stay in their lanes, the bus passes over them. Now, I see a couple of problems, like drivers wanting to change lanes as the straddle bus passes over them. But that can probably be dealt with by special lighting and sound signals from the bus.

What is important here is that the Chinese are creating another "lane" of traffic for buses on the already existing roadway. And, because they are just building their new highways, they can plan for this technology.

The Utne Reader, Nov-Dec, 2010, page 19

Google: "Straddle bus", "Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co."

URL: To photos and VIDEO source at this link:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1185605


AMAZING DISCOVERIES

ArticBacteria #110 - Really Long-lived Bacteria

Bacteria on the Artic sea floor have been discovered that have been hibernating for up to 100 million years! They were found as part of a study of biological activity in sea sediment by the Norweigans. Their discover changes the paradigm on "long life" and access to ancient DNA.

New Scientist, Sept. 2, 2010, page 16

http://io9.com/5643521/arctic-microbes-spend-100-million-years-in-frozen-sleep-before-waking-up-again


ENERGY

SEEO-batteries #111 - Better Batteries for Electric Cars
Batteries are so important to moving from fossil fuel to electricity because our major transportation modes of cars and buses and trucks will need better batteries to make the change. A researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab has figured out a better way to make lithium batteries, so that they are safer, longer lasting and easier to manufacture.

The researcher, Hany Eitouni, has formed a company, Seeo, and is building a pilot factory to produce his new battery design. This could have positive effects for both transportation and energy storage of electricity produced by wind generators.

Technology Review, Sept/Oct 2010, page 56

URL: http://www.seeo.com/technology.html

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Comments

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Well-formatted and composed composed composed composed articles content articles or reviews explicitly which consists through the impressed me. Your views reflect my man or women with amid the possibly more than likely essentially the most elementary and therefore existing to suit your needs likewise in addition have composed this genuinely is apparent terms.

Nice information, many thanks to the author. It is incomprehensible to me now, but in general, the usefulness and significance is overwhelming.

This new invention for better batteries for the cars is a really good idea. I hope that this will resolve various problems related to using car batteries. More electric charge, longer battery life.

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