Gleanings of the Week Ending June 30, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article:

Karen Bass: Unseen footage, untamed nature - TED Talk

Put a Cork in It: Research Details Quiet Composite Material - positive results using cork instead of synthetic foam in sandwich structures…250% improvement in dampening performance with no sacrifice of mechanical properties

A Virtual Telescope Turns Back toward Earth - a blog about the WorldWide Telescope software and virtual tour

A smart-phone add-on enables at-home diagnosis of ear infections - remote diagnostics still have a doctor in the loop but no trip to the office

Louie Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude. - TED Talk (time lapse photography)

Researchers Catalog Your Microbial Zoo - microbial cells outnumber human cells 10 to 1 in our bodies. An NIH study seeks to increase our understanding of them.

The Scientific Case For A Return To The Moon

First fledge from Cornell Great Blue Heron Nest - 6/26/2012 at 9:18 AM EDT…and then the next two about 30 minutes later. A summary slide show up to mid-June has also been posted by Cornell. I made a donation to support the cameras in celebration.

Waterproof butterflies mobile - made with recycled paper and coated with wax. These could work for Christmas ornaments too (or would they be too messy with the potential of wax rubbing off)!

A game that heals: Jane McGonigal at TEDGlobal 2012 - psyching yourself to emotional (and physical) health

Gleanings of the Week Ending March 3, 2012

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week: 

• 3 ways to paint with bubbles - You don’t have to be a child to enjoy this activity…and produce some beautiful results
• “Drill, Baby Drill” is a bumper sticker, not a strategy - We need more than drilling to be energy secure
• Windows that double as solar panels - I like the idea of solar panels that can do the job without being a ‘new look’ in the neighborhood
• Discover our shared heritage travel itinerary series - from the National Park Service
• National Cherry Blossom Festival - Washington DC is celebrating 100 years of the gift of trees this year. (picture is from last year)
• An introverted call to action: Susan Cain at TED2012
• Thickest Parts of Arctic Ice Cap Melting Faster - new study from NASA
• New device heralds potential to turn sewage plants into power stations - a proof of concept at this point but a step toward technology helping us to a more sustainable future. It is interesting that this item is from a UK source but the research is from Penn State.
• Creating the Next Conservation Movement…Or Do We Even Need One? - A panel discussion around changing social norms and innovation...innovation may be the faster path toward sustainability.
• Drugs: 'New' Does Not Always Mean 'Better' - The results of a German study...confirms what many of suspected. Now what actions need to be taken since this runs counter to profit motivations?