Rough Nano-Wires Hold the Secret to Efficient Heat to Electricity Conversion

Gizmodo does a great job outlining an article from Nature magazine about a discovery which will lead to the ability to convert heat energy into electricity.  So many effective uses for this, I can imagine our vehicles, plants and buildings will be covered in nanofibers, and whatever offspring further research creates, to pull waste heat from every possible source.  Using attic heat to power AC would be a wonderful change if it means both cooling the attic air and increasing the efficiency of home energy use.

Polar Cities for Day After Tomorrow Survivors Will Save Us All from Horrible Deaths

There should be consideration for the idea that, due to population expansion and, hopefully, an interest in maintaining regions of the planet for wildlife, humans will need to build habitats in a wider variety of regions.  There seems to have been some success with providing underwater habitat and reef regrowth areas by sinking old ocean vessels.  Perhaps an underwater habitat for humans would give us a place to live, plus have a secondary effect beneficial to ocean life.

Providing we don’t completely destroy the region when it is built…

“Take a Set” a Chair that Follows You

The video is worth more than any words I can set down.  Makes me wish I was a better 3D animator.  Would be fascinating to create an environment in which an avatar could move through the terrain and the terrain would respond automatically.  Imagine a living room where, as more people arrive for a party, the seating automatically expands/rearranges to allow for adequate space and comfort for everyone to remain engaged as part of the group.

South Korea to build city dedicated to robots

I wish there was more detail provided, but searches only show a post from 2007.  Looks like a campus/city dedicated to robotic development.  Yet, I get the impression robots will be implemented into every aspect of the city.  A large-scale roll out of technologies into a real-world scenario.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/clever_kitchen.php

Treehugger has an article on an interesting design in which an entire kitchen becomes a circular pod which rotates to offer access to all of the functions and storage.  We already have tools designed to help figure our carbon footprint and every one of these includes the size of the domicile we occupy.  Being able to compress a kitchen into a small circular footprint will reduce home size.

While this isn’t all that futuristic, I do believe we may see further adaptations of this over time.  Specifically, the ability to transform a single room for different purposes.  A room that changes from formal living room to family room to rec room to exercise room. Maybe each room’s features are built into the walls and expand into the center.  This would mean the owner might step into the closet or restroom and switch it to the next phase.

Now, if that kitchen center includes a robot chef, I’ll buy one.

Green Century Institute

The discussion of developing the “perfect city” has probably been around since the Greeks. Top down control and forethought, specifically considering sustainable growth, using technology is something WE MUST do in the future. The question for now is, “Are we ready for this?”

Califia is a new project set in San Fransisco to build an eco-city capable of sustaining a population of 10,000 citizens.

Califia is a proposed 10,000-person ecocity to be built in the San
Francisco metropolitan region over the next ten to fifteen years. The
Green Century Institute is developing the general proposal for the
project and seeking partners for this world class sustainable
development.

My question is, who will partner to provide this opportunity? Currently, I live in a townhouse complex with controls over how I can change the exterior of my building (and the color and patterns of my drapes), and that is more control than I ever wanted to give up. If not for the hot market in Toronto summer of 2007, we would be in a free-standing home. Still, what little I have given up is not tangible to me and probably won’t color my life experience in the short term.

That does, however, make me wonder what the inhabitants of Califia might be willing to give up in terms of infrastructure choice and control of the lives. If the nature of the project is to create a new experience, one which allows people to live a completely eco-neutral (or even eco-positive) lifestyle, it may require some severe and extremely defined limitations on those who purchase into the project.

Great idea, excellent concept. Yet, what happens when someone moves in and decides the rules shouldn’t apply for them? I’m hoping this will develop and we can track the success of the project. If this works, it could help define a positive track for redeveloping urban centers and existing suburbs.

A few side notes – “Califia is the name of a legendary Black Amazon warrior queen…” (Wikipedia)
- the site quotes two other experimental cities, both linked to their Wikipedia pages: Auroville in India and Arcosanti near Phoenix, Arizona.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/download_and_pr.php

Order up smurf village and a robot can come build nice little mushrooms for you to live in. Exponentially larger than the modern 3D fabricators used to rapid prototype, but along the same principles.

Pretty amazing idea. Especially in a few decades when someone begins a site for downloading open source architectural diagrams. This could allow people in lower income brackets to build homes with more distinction than are currently available for low-income housing.

I also wonder about the extra value in climates where more extreme climates require more efficient habitats. Assuming you can vary the wall and roof thickness and substance, this could be used to “print” homes which could increase efficiency. The ecological impact could be positive.

Though that does bring up the question of what happens to a house after it burns or outlives the life-expectancy of the core substances. How do you patch it? Can you upgrade the home? Will this limit the number of skilled carpenters? Will be interesting to track the progress of this model over the next few decades.