I've tried my luck again. This time an essay on the way Technology and Engineering drive change in a country of my choice... It shall not be published in the Independent newspaper this time, but did not fall short of the shortlist, and even fetched a Highly Commended prize. I lay it here before you, a cheeky review of the redemption of a land many love to hate, in case you wish to read it:
"Speak of the devil
Harsh foreign policy, unhealthy relationship with science, bastion of the death penalty in the developed world, second worst polluter per capita and, never fear, greatest polluter overall! Can you hazard a guess as to the country in question?
In recent years the USA hasn't been a country one readily thinks of in relation to the word "change" (except perhaps "climate change") as it congeals into strict conservatism in almost all senses of the word. Almost. A citadel of change remains its saving grace, the 'balm in Gilead' that can clear away the black Raven upon our threshold, and help metamorphose our dying world into the zestful butterfly it deserves to be. A host of technological advances grown in the USA will be pivotal on the Eastern Front of our battle for a sustainable world.
One revolution borne out of these lands will change the pages of history, rather literally. In Massachusetts, the E Ink corporation has developed "e-paper", an electrophoretic display that works by shifting pigment particles, changing its reflective properties, and hence its colour. Crucially, electronic paper, unlike typical computer displays, emits no light nor needs any electricity to show the image, only to change it. Eye fatigue and energy use are thus reduced, crowning e-paper as paper's perfect replacement. Think of the interminable piles of paper we come across every day: newspapers, magazines, books, briefs, documents, instruction manuals, most of which we have only time to glance at before chucking away - the lifelines of our work and leisure are tautly bound to the death of countless trees. Yet readers based on e-paper, such as the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader, forecast the liberation from our arboreal shackles forever more.
But as we make the electronic switch, we must beware of our carbon footprint. Thankfully, today we see the edges of a flipping change in our IT mindset. For years we've felt in our flesh the undying urge toward ever more powerful machines, but today, the simplest of computers easily serve most of our needs. A host of Californian companies have taken the initiative to popularize computers on an unprecedented scale. Everex has introduced the gPC desktop and laptops like the gBook the Cloudbook, which are affordable and efficient by virtue of low wattage VIA processors and the less power-hungry Linux OS Ubuntu. Zonbu offers a similar deal, but in addition does away with a local hard drive, instead using a small flash memory device while storing most of the users' data online. NComputing goes a step further by marketing single computers that can power multiple users (up to 30 per unit), making public terminals far more efficient. The bottom line here is that a focus on efficiency and centralization can make technology available to anyone, whilst landing smoother rather than rougher on our environment.
But, you ask, how are you to power all this change? Bitter black gold, for all your green credentials? No, we need not get our hands dirty, as there's more than enough renewable energy to get by. Indeed, thanks to a number of US firms there has not been a better time for solar power, which is quickly striding forward in efficiency, availability, economy and, vitally, versatility. For instance, at the University of Delaware, Christina Honsberg and Allan Barnett have broken a record in solar efficiency, with 42.8% of solar energy transformed into electricity, by splitting light into different colour spectra and directing them to different materials that best absorb them. Peter Jiang at the University of Florida has used divine (or, rather, natural) inspiration by creating bumpy, moth eye-like solar panels that, unlike traditional silicon panels, reflect very little of the light projected onto them, making better use of its energy. Jin Zhang at UC Santa Cruz wants to use metal oxide nanoparticles and nanocrystals, “quantum dots”, to increase conversion efficiency through having electrical energy move more easily by hopping between quantum dots.
Easing the production of solar panels, Massachusetts firm Konarka is developing technology allowing us to print them on an inkjet printer, while in the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Somenath Mitra uses nanotechnology to design a solar panel material that can be painted onto any surface. Another company, Ausra, plans to place solar plants in direct contest with coal plants, by patching up the solar Achilles heel, inconstant availability, through storage of energy in the shape of hot steam, ready to be used instantly to create electricity. All this brings solar efficiency ever closer to the fated 1$/Watt, the magic number making solar power cheaper than coal.
Thus, technology can heal the ecological sins we have perpetrated - let's keep our faith and humbly embrace this saviour, harbinger of change, let her wash our oily hands."
Harsh foreign policy, unhealthy relationship with science, bastion of the death penalty in the developed world, second worst polluter per capita and, never fear, greatest polluter overall! Can you hazard a guess as to the country in question?
In recent years the USA hasn't been a country one readily thinks of in relation to the word "change" (except perhaps "climate change") as it congeals into strict conservatism in almost all senses of the word. Almost. A citadel of change remains its saving grace, the 'balm in Gilead' that can clear away the black Raven upon our threshold, and help metamorphose our dying world into the zestful butterfly it deserves to be. A host of technological advances grown in the USA will be pivotal on the Eastern Front of our battle for a sustainable world.
One revolution borne out of these lands will change the pages of history, rather literally. In Massachusetts, the E Ink corporation has developed "e-paper", an electrophoretic display that works by shifting pigment particles, changing its reflective properties, and hence its colour. Crucially, electronic paper, unlike typical computer displays, emits no light nor needs any electricity to show the image, only to change it. Eye fatigue and energy use are thus reduced, crowning e-paper as paper's perfect replacement. Think of the interminable piles of paper we come across every day: newspapers, magazines, books, briefs, documents, instruction manuals, most of which we have only time to glance at before chucking away - the lifelines of our work and leisure are tautly bound to the death of countless trees. Yet readers based on e-paper, such as the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader, forecast the liberation from our arboreal shackles forever more.
But as we make the electronic switch, we must beware of our carbon footprint. Thankfully, today we see the edges of a flipping change in our IT mindset. For years we've felt in our flesh the undying urge toward ever more powerful machines, but today, the simplest of computers easily serve most of our needs. A host of Californian companies have taken the initiative to popularize computers on an unprecedented scale. Everex has introduced the gPC desktop and laptops like the gBook the Cloudbook, which are affordable and efficient by virtue of low wattage VIA processors and the less power-hungry Linux OS Ubuntu. Zonbu offers a similar deal, but in addition does away with a local hard drive, instead using a small flash memory device while storing most of the users' data online. NComputing goes a step further by marketing single computers that can power multiple users (up to 30 per unit), making public terminals far more efficient. The bottom line here is that a focus on efficiency and centralization can make technology available to anyone, whilst landing smoother rather than rougher on our environment.
But, you ask, how are you to power all this change? Bitter black gold, for all your green credentials? No, we need not get our hands dirty, as there's more than enough renewable energy to get by. Indeed, thanks to a number of US firms there has not been a better time for solar power, which is quickly striding forward in efficiency, availability, economy and, vitally, versatility. For instance, at the University of Delaware, Christina Honsberg and Allan Barnett have broken a record in solar efficiency, with 42.8% of solar energy transformed into electricity, by splitting light into different colour spectra and directing them to different materials that best absorb them. Peter Jiang at the University of Florida has used divine (or, rather, natural) inspiration by creating bumpy, moth eye-like solar panels that, unlike traditional silicon panels, reflect very little of the light projected onto them, making better use of its energy. Jin Zhang at UC Santa Cruz wants to use metal oxide nanoparticles and nanocrystals, “quantum dots”, to increase conversion efficiency through having electrical energy move more easily by hopping between quantum dots.
Easing the production of solar panels, Massachusetts firm Konarka is developing technology allowing us to print them on an inkjet printer, while in the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Somenath Mitra uses nanotechnology to design a solar panel material that can be painted onto any surface. Another company, Ausra, plans to place solar plants in direct contest with coal plants, by patching up the solar Achilles heel, inconstant availability, through storage of energy in the shape of hot steam, ready to be used instantly to create electricity. All this brings solar efficiency ever closer to the fated 1$/Watt, the magic number making solar power cheaper than coal.
Thus, technology can heal the ecological sins we have perpetrated - let's keep our faith and humbly embrace this saviour, harbinger of change, let her wash our oily hands."
did you look into cherrypal as well? 2W power consumption, $249
ReplyDeleteI have done since, it does sound great! But at the time of writing (March) I had little idea of its existence. And of course, I missed out on the horde of intel Atom and VIA Nano powered netbooks and nettops... :-)
ReplyDelete