The most common criticism of the fantasy genre is that it can lead to unhealthy escapism. Why settle for the boring, drab world in which you live, when you could immerse yourself in a world full of flying beasts, floating cities, and big baddies that need to be taken down? For me, fantasy stories are … Continue reading Our Magical World
Category: Nature
Changing Nature to Protect Nature
What we used to call Nature is no more. Almost every part of the world has been changed due to human activity, whether by direct action, or by the indirect change of the global climate. The mark of humanity is distinctly imprinted upon the Earth, for better and for worse. As stewards of the planet … Continue reading Changing Nature to Protect Nature
Loading Program…Earth.System
Arthur C. Clarke’s third law states, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Rachel Armstrong, the Living Architect, expanded on this idea, saying, “Any sufficiently advanced civilization is indistinguishable from nature.” These ideas remind us that technology (and civilization) is advancing at rapid rates, and before we know it, it will become unrecognizable when … Continue reading Loading Program…Earth.System
Interview with the Biobulb Team
Still can’t decide whether or not to support the Biobulb Team? Well, I had the chance to ask two of the members of the team some questions about their project and their thoughts on Synthetic Biology. Alexandra Cohn (Referred in the interview as AC) is a Junior at the University of Wisconsin – Madison studying … Continue reading Interview with the Biobulb Team
Support Biobulb!
One of the greatest things about being a young adult is seeing friends and acquaintances start to realize their dreams. Often, in the midst of reading about all these great achievements by incredibly intelligent entrepreneurs, inventors and researchers, I forget that where I am in life, right now, is the time where people start becoming … Continue reading Support Biobulb!
A Little Help From Nature
A while ago, I wrote a blog post on Engineered Ecologies - a particular interest of mine. I have struggled to put into words why I find the concept so interesting, but I think I’ve come to some sort of explanation. Engineered Ecologies allow natural processes to continue to function while utilizing them for some … Continue reading A Little Help From Nature
Kickstarting Glowing Plants
In an earlier post, I had posited the question of whether it was more “sustainable” to have traditional street lamps or genetically engineered bioluminescent trees. It appears that this idea has been in the mind of many researchers and is finally reaching the public in the most public way possible: kickstarter. A team of researchers … Continue reading Kickstarting Glowing Plants
Rethinking Infrastructure
Recently, the American Society of Civil Engineers released their 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. On the plus side, the overall grade for the U.S.’s infrastructure rose from four years ago. On the down side, the rise was from a D to a D+. The Report Card covers the status of the U.S.’s Airports, Bridges, … Continue reading Rethinking Infrastructure
Engineered Ecologies
Hurricane Sandy has come and gone, yet those who experienced its intense water and winds are still feeling the effects. Since I attend University on the East Coast, I have heard many stories of friends and family affects by the hurricane, with only some families having basic services such as hot water, heat and electricity … Continue reading Engineered Ecologies
Shifting from Sustainable to Symbiotic
Royal Philips Electronics is a healthcare, lifestyle and lighting company located in the Netherlands. While working in the above industries, Philips also delves into sustainable design concepts, such as the Microbial Home Probe, the winning concept at the Red Dot Design Award 2011. The Microbial Home Probe features a collection of home appliances that … Continue reading Shifting from Sustainable to Symbiotic
Ethan Yen 