Mayoral Election Issue #7: Health

Here's an interesting article about improving healthcare in London for only (!) £60m. This point struck me as particularly unexpected but concentrating specialist services makes a lot of sense even if it requires hospitals to change or close:

London for his­tor­i­cal rea­sons has got the wrong kind of hos­pi­tals – pos­si­bly too many of them – and cer­tain­ly in the wrong place.

As the article points out, closing hospitals or redefining their services is politically difficult even when the medical case for change is overwhelming but that doesn't mean it can't, or shouldn't, be done. 

Mayoral Election Issue #7: Health
http://londonist.com/2012/03/mayoral-election-issue-7-health.php

Posted via email from James's posterous

New dirigibles are power plants in the sky

This is very cool:

...this gen­er­a­tor is meant to fly at an alti­tude of 2000 feet.

New dirigibles are power plants in the sky
http://hackaday.com/2012/03/30/new-dirigibles-are-power-plants-in-the-sky/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Cycling delivers huge economic benefits in Copenhagen

Interesting report about the economic benefits of cycling in Copenhagen. The summary is arresting (hit the link below and have a look at the calculations), especially if you live in car-clogged, bicycle-unfriendly London:

Copenhagen, a city of 1.2 million people, saves $357 million a year on health costs because something like 80 percent of its population commutes by bicycle, even in winter. That’s $300 per person per year. Clearly, the reason the new Danish minister of the interior said she’d “rather invest in cycle tracks than freeways,” is that only one of those has a positive return.

Source: http://grist.org/list/one-mile-on-a-bike-is-a-42-economic-gain-to-society-one-mile-driving-is-a-20-loss/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Google Drive may offer 5GB free storage

5Gb is attractive but would you trust Google with your files and would you be happy for them to serve you adverts based on those files? I predict Dropbox will respond with an improved offering as soon as Google go live.

Google Drive leaked screenshots show up to 5GB free storage
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2012/03/google-drive-leaked-screenshots-show-up-to-5gb-free-storage.ars

Posted via email from James's posterous

Big Canal Turbine Takes The Plunge In Washington

Generating power from irrigation canals sounds like a neat idea.

In an Earth­Tech­ling fea­ture story last Decem­ber, Hydro­volts CEO Burt Ham­n­er said that when prop­er­ly sited, the com­pa­ny’s tur­bine is priced to pay for itself with­in five years. 

Big Canal Turbine Takes The Plunge In Washington
http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/03/big-canal-turbine-takes-the-plunge-in-washington/

Posted via email from James's posterous

US Petrol Price v Domestic Production

Interesting stuff. If I'd been asked, I would have expected increasing domestic production to have a minor impact on prices. Looks like I would have been wrong, as shown in this article' which found:

No sta­tis­ti­cal cor­re­la­tion between how much oil comes out of U.S. wells and the price at the pump.

Debunking American Petroleum Institute Claims About Oil Issues

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/03/28/453894/debunking-american-petroleum-institute-claims-about-oil-issues/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Mad MPs and their campaign against reason

I was going to write something about the idiotic MPs who complained to the Advertising Standards Agency about the recent judgement against Healing on The Streets (a Christian "healing" movement in Bath) but Martin Robbins has already done the job:

If you live in South Luton, South-West Devon, or the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in Southern Cumbria, then congratulations; your neighbours have elected MPs who believe that prayer can heal the sick, and that any quack with a Bible should be able to pimp God's services to the masses, free of pesky regulation.

I think the ASA did exactly what we would want them to do, ending an advertising campaign that was misleading and exploitative; the MPs are clearly in the wrong.

You can get the full story here.

Posted via email from James's posterous

The Devastating Cost of Not Switching to Clean Energy

Interesting stuff:

But there are two gigantic reasons why clean energy is anything but too expensive, despite the fact that we may pay less for coal-fired power on our electric bills.

The Devastating Cost of Not Switching to Clean Energy
http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/devastating-cost-not-switching-clean-energy.html

Posted via email from James's posterous

A Watch That Operates On ‘Indian Timing’

Fun stuff.

Mumbai-based designer Prasanna Sankhe of Indian Creative StudioHyphen has come up with a watch that operates on ‘Indian timing’. 

Source: http://designtaxi.com/news/351960/A-Watch-That-Operates-On-Indian-Timing/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Anglican Communion to Collapse

The BBC has a very dull story about the apparently imminent end of the Anglican communion. It seems they can't agree how much discrimination to allow within their loving, caring church. Strange days.

> The Church of England cannot sign up to a plan aimed at preventing the global Anglican Church from splitting up after half its dioceses voted against it.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17500144

Posted via email from James's posterous

The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design

And their coffee shop is also worth seeing (although I don't recommend their scones).

The Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington, London is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design
http://www.inlondonguide.co.uk/london-art-and-culture/london-museum/victoria-and-albert-museum-kensington-london.html

Posted via email from James's posterous

Interesting interview with the Mayor of LA

Against all odds, L.A.’s mayor stays green

http://grist.org/cities/mayor-mas-awesome-against-all-odds-l-a-s-mayor-stays-green/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Slow news day

Lift goes up and down while carrying Queen. End of story.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17450366

Posted via email from James's posterous

Heavily vegetated offices

I quite like the idea of an office with a garden on the top.

Source: http://www.fletcherpriest.com/6-Bevis-Marks/architecture/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Solar power station in Spain works at night

A solar power plant that works through the night? > “It is the first station in the world that works 24 hours a day, a solar power station that works day and night!” said Santago Arias, technical director of Torresol Energy, which runs the station.

Now is the time to start building these things in North Africa, Arabia, India and China. They're not cheap but neither are the alternatives.

Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/18/solar-power-station-in-spain-works-at-n....T2adtQ5h7_c.twitter

Posted via email from James's posterous

Citadel Skyscraper

Amazing idea:

> The “Citadel Skyscraper” project is imagined for Japan because of the numerous natural and manmade disasters that have struck the region in recent years. The project proposes a three-part implementation of new structures with an end result of protecting the island with a fortress-like defense shield.

Source: http://www.evolo.us/competition/citadel-skyscraper/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Researchers use Lego to help build artificial bones

Another cool way to use the Lego Mindstorms robotics kit.

Source: http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/3/16/2876589/lego-mindstorms-artificial-bone-...

Posted via email from James's posterous

Will Apple merge the MacBook Pro and Air lineups?

Interesting question:

It’s been rumored before, but on Wednesday a new report is saying that not only will Apple introduce a 15-inch Air, it will replace the 15-inch Pro, or as Electricpig’s source put it, “effectively killing the Pro for the average consumer.”

My guess is "yes", although I wouldn't like to put a date on it.

I expect to see both the 13" and 15" Pro models replaced by Airs, whose power is increasingly rendering the smaller Pros redundant. 

Reducing model variety is attractive. It cuts Apple's inventory and increases per-model turnover, since everyone buying a 13" laptop buys the same basic product, rather than one of two. This reduces stock-holding thoughout the supply chain, cutting costs and allowing margins to grow (or prices to fall). It may even encourage faster innovation by allowing development effort to be concentrated on a small range of products.

Source: http://gigaom.com/apple/will-apple-merge-the-macbook-pro-and-air-lineups/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Renovation King's Cross Station is Complete

King's Cross station has been due a little light refurbishment for decades. Instead, it's had a huge £500m renovation and, if the photos (link below) are anything to go by, it'll be fantastic:

A five-year renovation of London's King's Cross Station is now complete and the glorious new hub will formally open to the public on March 19th.

The renocation of St. Pancras Station was completed a couple of years ago and is a triumph. The renovation to King's Cross is completely different but, like the work done to St. Pancras, it makes the station a destination rather than a simple travel hub. Next, Waterloo, please.

Source: http://inhabitat.com/photos-incredible-renovation-of-londons-historic-kings-cross-station-is-complete/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Ultra-thin Silicon Wafers

It doesn't sound like a big deal but creating a silicon wafer that is a tenth of the thickness of a normal wafer is a big deal for high-volume producers. Silicon isn't rare but growing the crystal isn't cheap so anything that reduces raw material consumption is potentially disruptive.

> Twin Creeks Technologies develops manufacturing equipment that dramatically reduces the cost of solar modules, sensors, LEDs and other solid-state devices. The key is thinness: wafers produced on Twin Creeks’ Hyperion manufacturing system are less than one-tenth as thick as conventional wafers.

My favourite part, though, is that they're done it by using a particle accelerator, rather than a conventional saw, to slice the wafers. Very cool.

Source: http://www.twincreekstechnologies.com/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Future Forest Plants Trees in the Mongolian Desert

Explanation:

Kwon Byong Hyon founded Future Forest, an organization devoted to planting trees throughout the Mongolian and Chinese Deserts in an effort to slow desertification and reduce the widespread negative health impacts the dust storms cause throughout the region.

I like the idea, I really do, but I can't help thinking they'll need to plant an awful lot of trees to make a meaningful difference. That said, China isn't short of people or money, so maybe this cold be made to work.

Source: http://inhabitat.com/future-forest-plants-trees-in-the-mongolian-desert-to-reduce-korean-dust-storms/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Arsenal Firearms Double Barrel Pistol

Mad. 

...this new pistol — given the model number AF2011-A1 — shoots two .45 caliber rounds at a time...

Arsenal Firearms Double Barrel Pistol
http://uncrate.com/stuff/arsenal-firearms-double-barrel-pistol/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Cyclists in the City: Southwark Council swings in to gear on cycling

Encouraging post by Cyclists in the City (link below):

Southwark Council had already issued a press release in conjunction with Southwark Cyclists committing to the development of 'safe, cycle routes free of intimidatory traffic for those who travel across the borough by bike'.And that is exactly spot-on. Heavy, fast motor traffic is intimidating. It is the number one reason people think that cycling isn't a normal thing to do.

I'd really like to be able to cycle safely through Southwark from home (East Dulwich) to work (Aldwych). There are lots of parks and quiet roads between here and there but they're often linked by larger roads with lots of heavy traffic. Old Kent Road, with four lanes of fast-moving (well, occasionally fast-moving) traffic is a prime example of a cycle unfriendly road and there are just too many dangerous, unpleasant stretches of road for me to contemplate cycling in the rush hour at the moment.

If the safe bits were better linked and the larger roads had dedicated cycle infrastructure, I'd ride to work most days rather than take the bus.

Source: http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/2012/03/southwark-council-swings-in-to-gear-on.html

Posted via email from James's posterous

A really short guide to Twitter

Twitter's fun. Not only is a useful source of breaking news (a bit like RSS but faster and easier to use) it's also a great way to communicate with random people you've never met. If you're new to Twitter, or you haven't yet taken the plunge, here's a brief guide by Sree Sreenivasan:

Hat-tip: http://news.cnet.com/8301-33619_3-57394010-275/a-really-short-guide-to-twitter/

Posted via email from James's posterous

How Nazi laws stymied German nuclear dreams

Interesting stuff. I wonder if America's Republican politicians have considered that their anti-science policies might eventually achieve a similar effect? 

FOR leg­isla­tive acts of nation­al intel­lec­tu­al sui­cide, the "Law for the restora­tion of the pro­fes­sion­al civil ser­vice", passed by the Nazis short­ly after their acces­sion to power in Ger­many in 1933, stands with­out com­par­i­son. Ger­man sci­ence, then the envy of the world, was decap­i­tat­ed as those of non-Aryan descent or sus­pect polit­i­cal views were forced from the nation's uni­ver­si­ties.

It's something we need to watch out for here in the UK, although recent increases in the number of undergraduates studying science suggest we're in reasonably good shape at the moment.

How Nazi laws stymied German nuclear dreams
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2012/03/how-nazi-laws-stymied-german-nuclear-dreams.html

Posted via email from James's posterous

Oldest chordate spawned everything with backbones

This is cool, if you're into fossils and stuff (and who isn't?).

This strange eel-like crea­ture from half a bil­lion years ago is a fore­run­ner of all mod­ern ani­mals with back­bones, from fish to rep­tiles and humans. Some 505 mil­lion years old, it is the old­est known chor­date.

Oldest chordate spawned everything with backbones
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/03/oldest-chordate-spawned-everyt.html

Posted via email from James's posterous

Apple's new iPad: Hands-on

Time to upgrade. 

Apple's new iPad: Hands-on
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57390836-37/apples-new-ipad-hands-on/

Posted via email from James's posterous

Fujitsu Lifebook 2013 Concept Incorporates a Tablet for a Keyboard, Phone and Digital Camera

via tablet-news.com

It's a nice idea but I don't think it'll catch on (or even be made), partly because of the ergonomics and practicalities of the hardware (I'm not convinced that typing on glass is fast or accurate enough for most people) but mostly because it requires you to synchronise the upgrade cycles of four indpendent gadgets.

Posted via email from James's posterous

Crossrail unearths 4,000 skeletons at Liverpool Street station site

Not disgruntled season ticket holders, it appears, but former residents of Bethlehem Royal Hospital. Source: http://www.london24.com/news/crossrail_unearths_4_000_skeletons_at_liverpool_...

Posted via email from James's posterous

Catholic cardinal criticises gay marriages plan

Keith O'Brien joins a long list of religious "leaders" who have publicly advocated continued discrimination and a senseless restriction of human rights based solely on sexuality. 

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, said the plans were a "grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right". He said the idea of redefining marriage, which David Cameron has said he supports, would "shame the United Kingdom in the eyes of the world".

It's time to stop listening to these old men with their limited understanding of the world and narrow definitions of "universally accepted human right". Any religion that actively works to restrict the rights of minorities within our community has no place in our public life; Keith O'Brien should keep his weird ideas to himself.

BBC story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17249099#

Posted via email from James's posterous

14-Year-Old Constructs A LEGO Printer

via designtaxi.com

This is very cool. Is there some way we can encourage interest in science and engineering in our schools using Lego and projects like this? There ought to be.

Posted via email from James's posterous

US researchers build 'waste water generator'

The main application right now is in waste water treatment where you could effectively treat the water, but also gain some extra energy from waste heat. Instead of having a net drain, we have a net gain.

via bbc.co.uk

The headline's a little misleading (they've built a prototype rather than a commercial generator) but the technology looks promising.

Posted via email from James's posterous

That’s One Hard Maze

A glass maze. Nice idea, if slightly mad.

Each of the nine levels represents the complexity of an equivalent single level maze. Stairs and ramp ways may offer assurance but sometimes you will have to go back down a floor or two to reach the higher levels!

Source: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669157/thats-one-hard-maze-nine-floors-and-made-of-glass

Posted via email from James's posterous

Speaker Bercow 'horrified' at MPs' £30,000 plant bill

Commons Speaker John Bercow has said he was "horrified" to learn the taxpayer is paying £30,000 a year to rent 12 fig trees in a building used by MPs.

via bbc.co.uk

He's not the only one.

Posted via email from James's posterous