Key test for re-healable concrete – “Experimental concrete that patches up cracks by itself is to undergo outdoor testing.” BBC Science post about concrete being developed at Delft Technical University that “contains limestone-producing bacteria, which are activated by corrosive rainwater working its way into the structure.” “In the lab we …
5 Ideas That Could Have Prevented Flooding in New York – the post has details, but here are the five ideas: Sea Gates and Surge Barriers Elevated infrastructure Wave Attenuators Oysters and Sand [“Beach nourishment”] Different development patterns
Just out – Booz & Co’s Global Innovation 1000: Making Ideas Work. There are interactive features as well as great charts showing change in R&D spending over time, what industries and regions are spending the most, and many more. Here’s the full 16-p PDF. [Note: Booz & Co is now strategy&. …
If you’re in New York anytime through Jan 7 check out the MOMA exhibition Quay Brothers: On Deciphering the Pharmacist’s Prescription for Lip-Reading Puppets. The exhibit features sets from the brothers’ stop-action animated films, along with posters, book art, and other works on paper. It’s in the film work, though, …
Tall building specialists reveal concept for 1.3 sq km satellite city outside Chengdu – WAN post about “dense vertical city that acknowledges and in fact embraces the surrounding landscape” just outside of the Chinese city of Chengdu. Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture envision it as very pedestrian-friendly, with …
A person’s safety and health while working is important not only for the worker but also for the business or organization, on the principle that a happy and healthy worker works better. Here are two resources that list tools to assess a variety of ergonomic factors at the work place: …
Mumbai’s Models of Service Excellence – Interesting article suggesting that Mumbai’s dabbawalas, the people who deliver lunches six days a week, serve as an example to managers of a well-designed delivery system. The dabbawala service is legendary for its reliability. Since it was founded, in 1890, it has endured famines, …
Please Bring This to America: Heated Bike Lanes – It wasn’t until I saw the photo that I understood why this would be desirable. In the Netherlands they’re trying to figure out how to keep people using bikes year-round. The man behind the proposal, Marcel Boerefijn, said there would be savings …
Do Your Slides Pass the Glance Test? – 5 design points that will make your slide presentation more effective. This is part three of a five-part series; links to previous two posts at the bottom.
Winners 2012 – World Architecture Festival – categories are Award winners (includes World Building of the Year: Cooled Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore – shown here), Completed projects, and Future projects. Worth a look.
Creating a City-Wide Energy Internet – A joint report from Philips and Cisco for “an intelligent, networked public lighting infrastructure” involves moving from fluorescent city lighting to an interconnected system based on LED technology. “An independent, global trial of LED technology in 12 of the world’s largest cities found …
Post on the Blog of the Long now, India’s Living Bridges, is about traditional bridges grown from roots in Northeast India. Check out the 4:30-min clip and the link to more images on Atlas Obscura’s website (a site that’s definitely worth a look). The root bridges, some of which are …
Wood pulp extract stronger than carbon fiber or Kevlar – Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) made from wood pulp are not only strong, they’re far less costly to make than either Kevlar or carbon fiber. These qualities have attracted the interest of the military for use in lightweight armor and …
If you’re like me, you’ve always wondered how all that data gets to your screen. Now we get to see what Google’s eight data centers look like on their Google Data centers page. Here’s an overview with a selection of Connie Zhou’s great photos, Peek inside Google’s data centers …
Next time you need a break, take a look at APOD, NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day. Most of the images are of objects in space – stars, planets, galaxies – but some, like yesterday’s Mammatus Clouds Over Saskatchewan, focus on ‘the heavens’ in a more general way. All …
Fascinating article from The New York Times, True Blue Stands Out in an Earthy Crowd, with observations of interest to designers: In healthcare: Sick children like their caretakers in blue: A recent study at the Cleveland Clinic found that young patients preferred nurses wearing blue uniforms to those …
How Lasers Inspired the Inventor of the LED – Wired interview with Nick Holonyak Jr., the inventor of the LED 50 years ago. There are a number of additional links on the LED’s history at the bottom of the post.
What if Your Footsteps Could Power Your City Sustainably? – Post on UrbanTimes about Pavegen Tiles, made from recycled rubber, that generate electricity when you walk on them. Here’s a quote from Pavegen‘s CEO: “When you stand on a tile it flexes just 5mm in the centre, which is actually imperceptible …