This Week's News: Dark Matter, Microhousing, And Tesla Apps

The Connected Urban Centers Of The Future

Designated bike lanes in Europe are almost underway. To be more precise, a London project is just months away from beginning construction of protected biking areas adjacent to the roadway. This will hopefully ensure the safety of commuters as they move across the city, and as of late, their numbers have only been growing. Peter Walker, a popular blogger, said it will make the city "immediately more appealing", and I agree. The high price investment of 1 billion dollars in this construction project is aimed at accommodating robust lifestyles, boosting the biker population, and creating a healthy atmosphere with less traffic. I feel it's a good indicator of the positive change we're about to face across the world, as urban centers increasingly find ways to connect individuals with its landscape while reducing fossil fuel emissions.

One of Manhattan's piers is about to undergo major renovations. A popular site for recreation, Pier 54 has had to rely on philanthropy to keep its facilities running ever since its inception in the 80's. To keep the support structure from rotting, park managers knew a big donation was necessary, so they turned to Barry Diller, chairman of IAC. With his 9-figure offering, Diller plans to completely redesign the park layout, adding new features including performances areas, tons of trees, and a beautiful walkway for pedestrians and bikers. The best part? It will be its own island.

This latest project calls attention to a recent movement that's seen the rich taking control of the urban landscape and recreating it to their liking, so all can benefit. Some refer to them as "independent managers", and they've done some serious work in reconstructing our town attractions. Places like NY, Dallas and Washington D.C. have seen the most of it. However there is a downside, as poor neighborhoods aren't given enough attention by wealthy donors, hence the widening and ever so palpable class division. Needless to say, the type of change brought about by these extreme alterations to city environments is amazing to behold. As these areas continue to pop up around the country, I believe it will have a positive effect on the city atmosphere, despite the negatives sure to arrive with them.

Another significant shift I feel is going to affect the majority of us is a radical redesign of urban housing to meet the needs of the many: all the people who've now abandoned their 50's-esque dream of a nice, large household, now in favor of compact quarters. This might seem far off but the news for this week is that nonprofit visionary team Urban Land Institute (ULI) has released its groundbreaking cityscape blueprint for the coming years, with an initial goal of impacting NYC and later the rest of the country. Here is a summary below:

Dubbed "microunits", the housing apartments are slimming to a size that is not too uncomfortable, but small enough to cramp everyone together- about 300 feet. The name will also change over time, they're hoping. They won't have any conventional ovens, but based on a survey, residents said they'd be fine with just a fridge and a microwave. In order to save additional space, ULI will promise nearby spots to socialize outside the home cube, such as gyms and roof decks. Lastly, the apartments will be built in a way that's easy to combine adjacent units together, so people can enjoy them more in case they lose favor with the crowd.

^ micro-unit development, promotional video

All About Fossil Fuels...Emphasis On Fossil

Through a recently generated color graph, we are able to tell that some renewable energies are becoming more efficient and dropping slowly in price. The two kinds of energies facing the biggest price decline are wind and solar, and as the graph shows, their ratios of price-of-construction to electricity generated has dropped. This metric is called the "levelized cost" and is often used to show the productivity of energy generators, and also how quickly they're progressing. Unfortunately, not many others have noticed improvement, but the good news is that there is a noticeable dent in the fossil fuel market thanks to the energies that represent the movement forward.

In other news, a group of international experts on renewable energy are contacting national governments so an agreement can be made to work towards sustainable living. As in, complete 100% global reliance. Collectively called the IEAC, they've successfully advised over two dozen counties to consider changing energy use and management. Another think tank, Rocky Mountain Institute, predicts it can "add another 60GW of solar and wind capacity to the US grid by 2035", at the latest. What I admire most about both their efforts is that it's all for a single purpose that is clearly recognized but not easily achieved. We'll certainly be hearing more from them, I'm sure.

Saving Lives With Genetics And Bots

You've probably all heard this already, but for the sake of consistency, I'll include it in my post. It's just that amazing.

So, that thing about 3 parents giving birth to one child has just become legal in a landslide 3:1 voting victory. It can still be revoked, however. The recent voting only took place in the House of Commons, with the next step being in the House of Lords. It's called mitochondrial donation, and in case you only read the headlines on a Thursday morning, the purpose of these procedures will be to eliminate mitochondria-related diseases which are passed on to offspring, and can't be cured. A Dr. Samuel Pang working for the Reproductive Science Center said that the mitochondrial DNA added would not represent more than a "fraction of one percent" of the child's genome, so it's not like the child's true identity will be split into exact thirds. The procedure will only eliminate the need for concern by implementing some mitochondrial DNA that won't pose a threat to the child's health. The ethics involved are hard to assess, but as many as 150 infant lives could be saved every year if this goes into effect without major opposition. For me, that is enough to continue the practice. I am interested what others will have to say.

A Navy EXPO showcased a firefighting robot this week, as it completed a series of tasks critical in dangerous situations where large fires could compromise the safety of a crew aboard U.S. vessels. Apparently, it performed well at maneuvering uneven surfaces, seeing objects through smoke, and using equipment to water down blazing infernos in its path. "SAFFiR", or so scientists have called it, is a research project put to life, and although much progress has yet to be achieved, it's a shining example of what's being done to put humans out of harms way. Future revisions will focus on allowing SAFFiR to work longer, move faster and think more clearly, while also accomplishing a range of other tasks.

At the University or Manchester, a collection of computers hooked up to existing technology can now access a database of medical info, create hypotheses out of thin air, and then perform the experiment entirely on its own, with minimal human input required. "Eve" the robot was apparently designed to screen compounds at a rate vastly superior to human labor. For example, when it was shown an anti-cancer drug (TNP 470) the machine repurposed it and found another potential use, based on a list of functions accumulated after careful analysis.

Tesla's Got A Remote, And Uber Has Plans

A Tesla app for the Apple Watch could be arriving this year. Seen originally as a prototype during an event where the goal to to show the Watch's capabilities, it is now being considered for full development after the crowd was more than pleased. Limitations like the microphone being disabled during use are minor, developers said, when compared to its many functions including locking car doors, turning on headlights and monitoring battery life. Eleks, the producer, hopes to continue progress on the wearables feature, despite concern for hacks. Check out their video to the right:

A partnership will form between Carnegie Mellon, from which a few dozen techies have been borrowed, and Uber, the company planning to build its very own driverless vehicles. For anyone that's unaware, Uber is a ride-sharing service; that has mostly been its goal since day one. And now it wants to lead the charge for the future of automobiles. But that makes sense, if you think about it. I just hadn't thought the initiative would start this soon. CEO Travis Kalanick said their company always intended to make the slow but meaningful transition at some point. The reason is that Uber always wants to make a profit, just like any other corporation, but it has to pay the drivers a hefty sum. By removing the need for humans operating taxis, Uber can make some serious cash -up to 80% more than before- however that would only exacerbate the criticism that it's gotten for lacking an interest in their driver's well-being. Taking place at the Uber Advanced Technologies Center, the scientists have already begun work, but it's anyone guess when they might finish.

Dark Matter, Ceres, And Space Elevators

There is little known about dark matter, and as far as we know, there is a chance it doesn't even exist. As it might compose nearly 4/5 of our universe, there is every reason to understand it as best we can, so why wait? Researchers at the University of Southampton are asking the same question; proposing the existence of a particle that could help explain dark matter, the goal of demystifying this elusive substance just got a tad closer to completion. In a new experiment, they'll try to send a nanoparticle into a wave of dark matter, track its position, and notice any behavior that could point to some answers. With the failure of the Large Hadron Collider to discover any new physics, the results of their study could prove immensely helpful in our understanding of a material that makes up the majority of reality as we know it. Think about that for a second.

Next topic. Space elevators. Many are saying they might be crucial in the near future, as we can't rely on rockets to constantly transport millions of humans and tons of supplies between planetary bodies. The long term investment would be just too damn high, and there needs to be another solution. Luckily, this idea is being considered quite a lot these days. Construction could begin in the next decade, but I have my doubts. NASA will offer over a million dollars to any team capable of providing a list of the necessary building materials. In the 90's, a mane by the name of Bradley Edward already compiled his master plan for how it would happen: a ground-based laser beam for power, cable made from ultra strong nanotubes, and an elevator car reaching 100,000 kilometers into the sky, with stations lining it for passengers to exit and travel to their favorite vacation spot.

But it's not all fun and games quite yet. Can you imagine how much damage a meteorite collision could cause? Also, who should own the structure? These are just some of the concerns people are addressing as they tackle this huge issue. By the way, that ten year prediction from before is so optimistic that I almost didn't mention it, because the most pressing issue seems to be the inability for carbon nanotubes acting as the cable to quickly dodge incoming space rock and other debris. A working plan may be decades away. Ultimately, though, I think the takeaway will be worth all the effort. If you're curious about more kinks NASA and others will have to work out, this is the go-to place.

A 2007 mission by NASA sent a probe, Dawn, to observe dwarf planets and asteroids in our solar system. Recently, it took shots of Ceres that are some of the most detailed to date. Future images will be sharper, and might reveal what that media-hyped "white blob" really is. In the coming weeks, we can expect to learn more about this icy little world as Dawn enters its orbit in March. Seen as an important tool in gathering data about planetary formation, Dawn will be used by astronomers to explore the asteroid belt and maybe explain why Earth got to be the way it is. For a better overview, and a little history, refer here.
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I was honestly impressed by how much there was to cover for this week. So much to write...do you think it was too much? Feel free to let me know, and stay tuned! Another short post coming later today