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ANNOUNCING THE 2ND ANNUAL "ZEITGEIST MEDIA FESTIVAL" GLOBAL AWARENESS EVENT, 2012!
Apr 01, 2012
Beginning the weekend of August 3rd 2012, The 2nd Annual Zeitgeist Media Festival Global will commence! Read More >
ANNOUNCING THE 4TH ANNUAL "ZEITGEIST DAY" GLOBAL AWARENESS EVENT, 2012
Mar 01, 2012
Beginning the weekend of March 9th 2012, The Zeitgeist Movement's 4th Annual Global Awareness Project, known as "Zeitgeist Day" ["ZDAY"], will commence. Read More >
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Zeitgeist Movement: Live from Israel
Feb 01, 2012
PETER JOSEPH AND THE ZEITGEIST MOVEMENT ISRAEL TO CONDUCT "ZFEST" WORLD PEACE AND SUSTAINABILITY EVENT- Feb 2012 Read More >
TZM Response to "Occupy Wall Street"
Sep 27, 2011
On Sept 17th 2011, a grassroots expression of contempt was launched in the heart of the world's financial center in lower Manhattan of New York City, also commonly known to the world as the institution of "Wall Street". As of Sept 26th, there have been o Read More >
Zeitgeist Media Festival 2011 - 12,000 Meals raised via 40 Events in 20 Countries
Sep 23, 2011
The Inaugural 2011 Zeitgeist Media Festival Global Event set, which enabled a socially conscience Arts and Media platform across 20 countries, accessing about 10,000 people in person and almost 200,000 through free live Webcasts, was a notable success. Read More >

More Press Releases >

Apr 18, 2012 Host: Ben McLeish

TZM Global Radio Show Apr 18 '12. Host: McLeash Ben McLeish, of the UK TZM Lecture Team gives updates on feedback from Z-Day 2012 London, the US Prison system and ALEC, the films Owned & Operated by Crackin Studios, and "I lost My Job" by New Future Media, gives details on upcoming events, followed by a second interview with the Molecularist Movement. Free TZM Global Show Archives: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/radio_shows About : Started in 2009, TZM Global Radio is a weekly radio show presented by various coordinators/lecturers of The Zeitgeist Movement in a rotational fashion.
Apr 11, 2012 Host: Jason Lord

TZM Global Radio Show April 11th '12 | Host: Jason Lord Jason Lord, the California Coordinator continues the conversation of activism in the Movement. This show will cover public engagement, how to distinguish what's relevant, self directed learning and a call out for new chapters. Free TZM Global Show Archives: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/radio_shows
Apr 04, 2012 Host: Peter Joseph & Cliff Faber

Topics: Peter Joseph will cover the success of Zeitgeist Day 2012 along with coming chapter changes, the 2012 Zeitgeist Media Festival, along new shifts in movement activism and awareness actions; the release up new educational/administrative materials. Cliff Faber, in the second half, with cover some new Chapter Projects [ "One Planet Project"]and ideas for increasing exposure through more effective street activism.
Feb 01, 2012 Host: Neil Kiernan

Neil (A.K.A VTV) and Aaron (A.K.A StormCloudsGathering) to discuss strategies for reaching people in various activist groups; How to concentrate on what we all have in common, and how to avoid alienating these groups when spreading your message; And the necessity of the various groups (Occupy, Tea Party, etc.) to join forces against common foes to affect real change. About : Started in 2009, TZM Global Radio is a weekly radio show presented by various coordinators/lecturers of The Zeitgeist Movement in a rotational fashion.
Jan 25, 2012 Host: Ben McLeish

3rd in a short series of lectures begun in December 2011. This talk outlines the traditional understandings of social control, reinforcement, coercion and human behavior within present society, and in a society organized around scientific principles and mutuality. Host: Ben McLeish Prior talks Talk 1: What is Corruption: http://bit.ly/WhatIsCorruption Talk 2: Art in a Resource Based Economy: http://bit.ly/ArtInRBE About : Started in 2009, TZM Global Radio is a weekly radio show presented by various coordinators/lecturers of The Zeitgeist Movement in a rotational fashion.
More

- The Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement Interview with RGVPride.com
  
  The Rio Grande Valley Zeitgeist Movement, formed in August of 2010, is the local chapter of the global Zeitgeist Movement (www.thezeitgeistmovement.com). We are an open membership organization that promotes and advocates for radical changes in society that would allow for our scientific understanding, technical capability and an enlightened social consciousness to provide for every human need for every person on our planet.
  
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- Designing Food Systems
  
  When we think of food production today, most people imagine large fields of monocrops or grassland for grazing. We think of agriculture. Many people believe that agriculture (10,000 years ago) is inextricably tied with the human species. But when considering that modern humans have existed for over 200,000 years, this agricultural preoccupation does not seem so integral to our humanity.
  
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- When the communications revolution meets the energy revolution meets the social revolution
  
  We're already in the communications revolution, and when that really hits the upcoming energy revolution, i.e., green tech, renewables, etc.; it will merge together and manifest as a social revolution. The social revolution will likely make governance and business more free-distribution-oriented, and will largely be driven by automation.
  
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- How Can You Change the World Yourself?
  
  People often feel helpless regarding how to truly effect change in the world. Here are a few concrete examples you can incorporate in your day-to-day lives. If millions of people around the world would utilize these basic ideas we could shift into a new paradigm.
  
  What can you do now to change the world? (Hint: you want to stop supporting the current system - erode it from within really. Sorry, there’s no quick fix.)
  
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- How Will a RBE Resolve Health Problems?
  
  Recently on TZM Blog, some attention has been paid to health and medicine. A resource-based economy would provide humans with education, clean air, water, food and a cleaner socio-psychological environment, solving many of our health problems. However, if we want to remedy the many health problems that still linger, then our model of modern medicine will require some examination and contemplation.
  
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- The Human Health Matrix: How and Why our Industrial Complex is Approaching the Critical Mass to Kill Us All
  
  Matrix: an environment in which something develops; a surrounding medium.
  
  In the context of our health, the word "matrix" refers to the totality of your environment - everything but your genetic makeup. Barring a few exceptions (such as rickets and hemophilia), it is what elicits the manifestation of every health disorder.
  
  To paint a slightly clearer picture, your health matrix (environment) includes:
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- In Otherwise Grim State, Zday 2012 Provides Optimism
  
  It is not hard to understand why some people take solace in blissful ignorance. The amount of accessible doom-ridden information on oppressed human rights and freedoms throughout history is disheartening, to say the least. Mind you, any truth seeker has surely come to realize that going back to a sheltered, dependent state of mind is futile once a certain threshold of consciousness is transcended.
  
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- US wins right to extradite any European citizen it deems a terrorist.
  
  "Trend: Tyranny"
  EU Court of Human Rights grants US Extradition Claims, Ignores Human Rights Act
  Ryan Jones – April 11th 2012.
  
  Yesterday the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg ruled that the USA has the legal right to extradite Abu Hamza and 4 other suspected of terrorism. Upon first glance at this recent breaking news, the casual observer may think ‘well, the terrorists are being brought to justice for their crimes'.
  
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- Fictional Dictator
  
  When I think about the developments of culture, the agents of creation and destruction, I can't help but ponder the fundamental instincts we have to create new technologies and products. The Zeitgeist movement offers lots to say about our motivations to make cheap, convenient and disposable products for the market.
  
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- TZM Together: A Support Group and my experience in the Socio-Economic system
  
  Since finding about the Zeitgeist Movement in December 2010, I have undergone some significant changes in my life, especially the worldview aspect and to a lesser extent, lifestyle changes as well. I told my family and friends about TZM and what we advocate, and my friends tended to accept it more than my parents.
  
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- Realise And Empathise | Z-Day 2012 | Myles Dyer
  
  Myles Dyer shares his YouTube experiences and how the Universal Solutions Project can unite the world. PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO! More USP info on Facebook @ http://on.fb.me/universalsolutionsproject Music: Residual Presence by Ascension of The Watchers The talk was the final day of Myles Dyer's 'Realise and Empathise' UK Lecture Tour at Friends House, London for Z-Day 2012. Myles Dyer (25) uses YouTube as a vehicle for social change, obtaining 7+ million views (and over 6m live broadcast views) since 2006. Video blogging has been his method of challenging traditional establishments in an attempt to help them evolve with the new emergent cyber technology. His talk will commence with how YouTube changed his life. Whilst telling this story, he discuss his involvement with various establishments in society. These include: Charity -- Founder of Stickaid: World's biggest 24hr live charity broadcast Education -- Spoke at global blended learning conference Politics -- Received video response from Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and was invited by the Foreign office to talk with Digital Diplomacy. Entertainment -- Constructed a team which went on to win the BBC Reality TV show 'Upstaged'. Health -- Developed a theory for curing various forms of depression. Activism -- Founder of the Universal Solutions Project (USP) This leads onto how USP can unite the world through education and open source. The goal is to create an empathic global society. Myles has lived & breathed online community since YouTube began, and spends every possible moment helping people realize their potential to change society regardless of their geographical location, experiences or passions. This UK tour provides an extraordinary opportunity to inspire people who already wish to make a difference, but perhaps do not yet realize the methods in which they could achieve their goals. The world is becoming an increasingly scary place, and with the tools for social change already there in front of us, we must act in unity before it's too late. My personal Facebook profile @ http://www.facebook.com/Myles376 Follow me on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/Blade376
- Chilean television channel anounces showing of Zeitgeist: Moving Forward
  
  http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com
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- Catastroika - Greek Documentary (English subs)
  
  Note to viewers: This is an indipendant, third party documentary and only posted as informational. It has no direct connection to the movement or shares necessarily the same views. It was at the beginning of 1989 when the French academic Jacques Rupnik sat at his desk, in order to prepare a report on the state of the economic reforms in Mikhail Gorbatsov's Soviet Union. The term that he used in describing the death rattle of the empire was "Catastroika". In Yeltsin's time, when Russia instituted maybe the biggest and least successful privatization experiment in the history of humanity, a group of Guardian reports assigned a different meaning to Rupnik's term. "Catastroika" became synonym of the country's complete destruction by market forces; the sell off of public property; and the steep deterioration of citizens' living standards. Now, Catastroika's unit of measurement was unemployment, social impoverishment, declining life expectancy, as well as the creation of a new cast of oligarchs, who took over the country's reins. A few years later, a similar effort to massively privatize public property in unified Germany (which is presented as a model for Greece) created millions of unemployed and some of the biggest scandals in European history. It is this "Catastroika" that is coming soon to Greece; to "Europe's last Soviet Republic" as the MPs and the ministers of its former "socialist" government liked to call it. Catastroika is the logical aftermath and continuation of "Debtocracy". Therefore, the logical sequence of our first documentary, which examined the causes of the debt crisis in Greece and the European periphery as a whole. For more info visit the website: http://www.catastroika.gr/detailsen.php?id=135&type=s
- Los Angeles The Zeitgeist Movement Townhall April 2012 - Q&A
  
  Q&A Session from the April 2012 Townhall meeting hosted by the Los Angeles Chapter at the University of Southern California.
- Los Angeles Townhall April 2012 - "Social Awareness" [By Brandon Kristy]
  
  This short talk was part of a Townhall meeting at USC. Brandon Kristy expands upon the need for the 'social interest' to become 'self interest' in order to solve ongoing human problems and how environment impacts human relationships.
- Los Angeles Townhall April 2012 - "The Ripple Effect" [By Philip Richlin]
  
  LA member Philip Richlin speaks about the impact people have on other in the spreading of ideas and how they "ripple" outwards from one person to another.
- Los Angeles Townhall April 2012 - "Navigating TZM" [By Jason Lord]
  
  A short orientation on how to navigate some of the main Zeitgeist Movement websites that exist around the internet and where to start when coming into this information for the first time. Jason does a visual tour of the global site, radio, video, blog, chapters & more.
- TZM Global Radio Show Apr 18 '12. Host: McLeish [The Zeitgeist Movement]
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * TZM Global Radio Show Apr 18 '12. Host: McLeash Ben McLeish, of the UK TZM Lecture Team gives updates on feedback from Z-Day 2012 London, the US Prison system and ALEC, the films Owned & Operated by Crackin Studios, and "I lost My Job" by New Future Media, gives details on upcoming events, followed by a second interview with the Molecularist Movement. Free TZM Global Show Archives: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/radio_shows About : Started in 2009, TZM Global Radio is a weekly radio show presented by various coordinators/lecturers of The Zeitgeist Movement in a rotational fashion.
- Ben McLeish - Prison, Punishment and Profit | Z-Day 2012 [ The Zeitgeist Movement ]
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * "Visibility is a Trap." - Michel Foucault The modern incarnation of the prison system is evaluated at its root value set, and core functions. Discussed are the origins of prison in torture and public spectacle, its inversion into modern incarceration models, and the morphing of the carceral model into one which reflects the dominant economic value system - profit before intended function, and its resulting violent social costs. Additionally, prison's effects upon non-criminals (including guards) are detailed in order to demonstrate the system's wholly undermining effects upon social integrity, regardless of criminality. The solution to crime is not more prisons, but the wholesale reorientation of society to a supportive, human-centered global citizenry, where the causes of crime are dealt with by the removal of stresses on the individual level, and the replacement of a competitive, divisive economic-social model with one of support, collaboration and rational, humane global village. Main Sources: Books: Discipline & Punish - Michel Foucault Violence - James Gilligan Preventing Violence - James Gilligan The Lucifer Effect - Dr Phillip Zimbardo The Show of Violence - Dr Frederic Wertham Zero Degrees of Empathy - Simon Baron-Cohen The Spirit Level - Wilkinson and Pickett Value Wars - John McMurtry (esp. Part II - Unlocking the Invisible Prison, pp 70-78) Journal Articles: Private Prison Management - Panacaea or Pretense? - Sarah Vallance Prison's Dilemma: Do Education and Jobs Programmes Affect Recidivism? - Sedgley, Scott et al The Psychopharmacologic Treatment of Violent Youth - Gilligan and Lee The Last mental Hospital - Gilligan Other: Site Visit to Leoben Correctional Center, Austria
- TZM Global Radio Show Apr 11 '12. Host: Jason Lord [The Zeitgeist Movement]
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * TZM Global Radio Show April 11th '12 | Host: Jason Lord Jason Lord, the California Coordinator continues the conversation of activism in the Movement. This show will cover public engagement, how to distinguish what's relevant, self directed learning and a call out for new chapters. Free TZM Global Show Archives: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/radio_shows About : Started in 2009, TZM Global Radio is a weekly radio show presented by various coordinators/lecturers of The Zeitgeist Movement in a rotational fashion.
- Peter Joseph Radio Lecture "A Profile of Collapse" [ The Zeitgeist Movement ]
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * From his Oct 2010 Radio Broadcast. This Lecture discusses the different component of social collapse based on the trends noted at the time. www.thezeitgeistmovement.com
- The Zeitgeist Movement Global Radio - April 4th - Hosts: Peter J & Cliff F
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * Topics: Peter Joseph will cover the success of Zeitgeist Day 2012 along with coming chapter changes, the 2012 Zeitgeist Media Festival, along new shifts in movement activism and awareness actions; the release up new educational/administrative materials. Cliff Faber, in the second half, with cover some new Chapter Projects [ "One Planet Project"]and ideas for increasing exposure through more effective street activism. Free TZM Global Show Archives: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/radio_shows About : Started in 2009, TZM Global Radio is a weekly radio show presented by various coordinators/lecturers of The Zeitgeist Movement in a rotational fashion.
- Zeitgeist Day 2012 - Wales, UK - Part 3 - Vivak Shori - Deflation
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * Z-Day 2012 @ Full Moon, Cardiff (Wales, UK) Presentation no.3 - Deflation by Vivak Shori from Zeitgeist Cardiff
- Zeitgeist Day 2012 - Wales, UK - Adam Buick - World Socialist Movement
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * Z-Day 2012 @ Full Moon, Cardiff (Wales, UK) Presentation no.2 by Adam Buick from World Socialist Movement
- Zeitgeist Day 2012 - Wales, UK - Part 1 - Justin Liley - Positive Money
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * Z-Day 2012 @ Full Moon, Cardiff (Wales, UK) Presentation no.1 by Justin Lilley from Positive Money
- Zeitgeist Day 2012 San Diego, CA, USA - Discussion (The Zeitgeist Movement)
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * http://zeitgeistsd.groupsite.com/main/summary Great work.
- Ben McLeish-The Zeitgeist Movement "Potential of a Resource Based Economy"
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * EBTV on http://evolvingbeings.com presents host Evita Ochel wish special guest Ben McLeish - lecturer and activist for the Zeitgeist Movement. Ben shares how he got started with the Zeitgeist Movement, what the Movement is all about, what is a resource based economy, and how it can help our current economic, political, social and environmental problems. Ben also talks about how people can get involved, including Global Z Day - March 10, 2012
- Zeitgeist Day 2012 - Toronto, Canada
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * The Zeitgeist Toronto chapter started in January 2009 with the first meeting at the Toronto public library planning the local event as part of the first global one call : Z-Day (zeitgeist day) since then the chapter has had many events, public meetings, invitations by universities,screenings, town hall, awareness campaigns , radio and internet media ; as well had been involved in social activities as such food collection and donation and also in connection or partnership with another mind like groups . Please join the chapter http://zeitgeist-toronto.com/index.php Thanks EBTV for the video http://evolvingbeings.com
- [2] Zeitgeist Day New York City Hans Roy : "Our responsibility in a world.."
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * Hans Roy conducted an interactive talk at Z Day NYC 03 18 12 More: http://www.youtube.com/user/Pertemba40?feature=watch Support NYC TZM: http://zeitgeist-ny.com/
- [1] Zeitgeist Day New York City 2012 : Bakari Pace: Intro to a Resource Based Economy.mp4
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * Bakari Pace gave a brief lecture on Introduction to a Resource Based Economy. Z Day NYC 03 18 12 More: http://www.youtube.com/user/Pertemba40?feature=watch Support NYC TZM: http://zeitgeist-ny.com/
- Zeitgeist Day 2012 Intro - Tri-City Michigan, USA
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * More: http://www.youtube.com/user/tricityzeitgeist?feature=watch http://tricityzeitgeist.groupsite.com/main/summary
- Z-Day 2012 Slovakia Promo - 0Upútavka
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * Z-Day je každoročne usporadúvané celosvetové osvetové podujatie hnutia Zeitgeist. V roku 2011 sa konalo viac ako 330 podujatí v 60 krajinách sveta. Cieľom Z-Dayu je informovať širokú verejnosť o problémoch súčasného ekonomického, politického a kultúrneho systému a predostrieť koncept zdrojovej ekonomiky ako alternatívny socioekonomický systém. Tento rok, 17. marca 2012, sa v Bratislave uskutoční prvý Česko-Slovenský Z-Day, ktorý sa bude vyznačovať predovšetkým väčším dôrazom na odborné prednášky a diskusiu.
- Zeitgeist Day, New Jersey 2012 ( The Zeitgeist Movement )
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * Zeitgeist Day event taken place at the USS Ling Naval Museum in Hackensack, NJ on March 10th 2012. http://www.tzmnj.com/
- Zeitgeist Day - North Carolina, USA 2012.
  
  *Please sign up for our main Mailing List: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ * North Carolina ZDay 2012 was held in Statesville on March 10th. We came together for an afternoon of sharing and education about The Zeitgeist Movement. Through social activism, our hope is to spread the understandings necessary to bring about the value shift that will allow all humanity to live a life of peace and abundance. If you would like to know more, please visit: http://www.TheZeitgeistMovement.com http://www.Zeitgeist-NC.com .

- Babies' brains benefit from music lessons, researchers find
  
  After completing the first study of its kind, researchers at McMaster University have discovered that very early musical training benefits children even before they can walk or talk. They found that one-year-old babies who participate in interactive music classes with their parents smile more, communicate better and show earlier and more sophisticated brain responses to music. The findings were published recently in the scientific journals Developmental Science and Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. "Many past studies of musical training have focused on older children," says Laurel Trainor, director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind. "Our results suggest that the infant brain might be particularly plastic with regard to musical exposure." Trainor, together with David Gerry, a music educator and graduate student, received an award from the Grammy Foundation in 2008 to study the effects of musical training in infancy. In the recent study, groups of babies and their parents spent six months participating in one of two types of weekly music instruction. One music class involved interactive music-making and learning a small set of lullabies, nursery rhymes and songs with actions. Parents and infants worked together to
- A supernova cocoon breakthrough
  
  This composite image shows the galaxy UGC 5189A in X-ray data from Chandra (purple) and optical data from Hubble (red, green and blue.) The very bright source near the top of the galaxy is SN 2010jl, a recently discovered supernova. Data from Chandra have provided the first X-ray evidence of a supernova shock wave breaking through a cocoon of gas surrounding the star that exploded in SN 2010jl. This discovery may help astronomers understand why some supernovas are much more powerful than others. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Royal Military College of Canada/P.Chandra et al); Optical: NASA/STScI Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have provided the first X-ray evidence of a supernova shock wave breaking through a cocoon of gas surrounding the star that exploded. This discovery may help astronomers understand why some supernovas are much more powerful than others. On November 3, 2010, a supernova was discovered in the galaxy UGC 5189A, located about 160 million light years away. Using data from the All Sky Automated Survey telescope in Hawaii taken earlier, astronomers determined this supernova exploded in early October 2010 (in Earth's time-frame). This composite image of UGC
- Lunar boom: Why we'll soon be mining the moon
  
  An artist's depiction of a lunar mining operation (credit: NASA) As history has repeatedly shown, where there are valuable minerals to be unearthed, adventurous humans will arrive in droves – even if it means battling extreme conditions and risking life and limb. So what will happen when the next great “gold rush” in our history is quite literally out of this world? And what kind of technology would be needed for the mining? After many years of trying, I believe I have a workable answer to the second of these questions – but what about the first? Business analysts may poke fun at the “impossibly” expensive cost of mining nearby celestial bodies such as asteroids, or even the moon, but these pursuits are not beyond the realm of possibility. Returning to the moon for the purposes of mining will require new technologies and new ways of thinking, and this extends to the conventional business model. We cannot write these pursuits off based on high cost alone, especially given the hidden treasures to be found. Demand for “rare-earth” minerals (which are used in a range of technologies) is rising
- New finding may hold key to Gaia hypothesis of Earth as living organism
  
  Artists impression Is Earth really a sort of giant living organism as the Gaia hypothesis predicts? A new discovery made at the University of Maryland may provide a key to answering this question. This key of sulfur could allow scientists to unlock heretofore hidden interactions between ocean organisms, atmosphere, and land interactions that might provide evidence supporting this famous theory. The Gaia hypothesis first articulated by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the 1970s holds that Earth's physical and biological processes are inextricably connected to form a self-regulating, essentially sentient, system. One of the early predictions of this hypothesis was that there should be a sulfur compound made by organisms in the oceans that was stable enough against oxidation in water to allow its transfer to the air. Either the sulfur compound itself, or its atmospheric oxidation product, would have to return sulfur from the sea to the land surfaces. The most likely candidate for this role was deemed to be dimethyl sulfide. Newly published work done at the University of Maryland by first author Harry Oduro, together with UMD geochemist James Farquhar and marine
- Cutting-edge Photovoltaic Pavement
  
  Onyx Solar has collaborated with Butech a subsidiary of Porcelanosa in the creation of the first PV pavement which is expected to be in the market by the end of the year. This innovative product was introduced at Porcelanosa’s annual show in February and turned out to be one of the main attractions of the show. Porcelanosa is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-end ceramic tiles and kitchen-and-bath products. Onyx Solar specializes in the integration of solar photovoltaic solutions in buildings. This cutting edge system, which is still in an early development stage by Onyx and Butech engineers, is made by a solar PV glass integrated over elevated ceramic and it´s completely walkable. One of its main atractions is the versatility and the fact that it is posible to place furnishing on it without losing space. The pavement combines passive elements (avoiding CO2 emissions) with active elements (power generation) reducing to a remarkable degree the impact of
- FDA approves 20 minute take-home HIV test
  
  One of the biggest problems in fighting the spread of AIDS has always been convincing people to have themselves tested regularly. Unfortunately, getting someone to take a trip to a clinic isn't always easy, particularly in areas where there aren't many options for discrete testing. In a development that could leap right over this privacy hurdle, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just unanimously approved an over-the-counter HIV test that enables people to test themselves in their own home and receive results in just 20 minutes. The company behind the test, Orasure, has been distributing its OraQuick HIV test to doctors and medical facilities since 2004. With the stamp of approval from the FDA though, the same test could be as easy for consumers to obtain and use as a pregnancy test. There have been take-home HIV tests before, but those have involved mailing a blood sample off to a lab and then waiting several days for results. By approving the test which uses an easier and faster testing method the FDA hopes to appeal to a much broader range of potential customers and help people determine whether they are HIV-positive much
- Nanotech coating keeps out the water, but not the air
  
  Keeping porous building materials free from stains and water damage has gotten a little easier in the past few years. Thanks to advances in technology, we’ve seen the advent of things such as spray-on glass and anti-graffiti coatings. Now, Spanish nanotech company TECNAN is offering a nanoparticle-based coating that repels liquid, yet still allows the underlying material to breathe. The hydrophobic coating, known as TECNADIS, is made by suspending nanoparticles in a liquid carrier – the identity of those particles is a trade secret, although by altering their concentration, the properties of the coating can be fine-tuned for different applications. When applied to materials such as concrete, ceramic, brick, stone or wood, TECNADIS causes any liquid subsequently applied to them to bead up and roll off instead of soaking in. It doesn’t completely seal their pores, however, so air can still pass in and out of them, minimizing moisture retention-related problems such as mold. The coating is completely transparent, and reportedly won’t change the color or surface texture of materials. It stands up to regular cleaning methods, along with UV light exposure, and is said to remain effective for over ten years. A demo video can be seen below.
- Sulphur and iron compounds common in old shipwrecks
  
  Sulphur and iron compounds have now been found in shipwrecks both in the Baltic and off the west coast of Sweden. The group behind the results, presented in the Journal of Archaeological Science, includes scientists from the University of Gothenburg and Stockholm University. Sulphur and iron compounds have now been found in shipwrecks both in the Baltic and off the west coast of Sweden. The group behind the results, presented in the Journal of Archaeological Science, includes scientists from the University of Gothenburg and Stockholm University. A few years ago scientists reported large quantities of sulphur and iron compounds in the salvaged 17th century warship Vasa, resulting in the development of sulphuric acid and acidic salt precipitates on the surface of the hull and loose wooden objects. Other vessels also affected Similar sulphur compounds have now been discovered also in other shipwrecks both from the Baltic and off the west coast of Sweden, including fellow 17th century warships Kronan, Riksnyckeln and Stora Sofia, the 17th century merchant vessel in Gothenburg known as the Göta wreck, and the Viking ships excavated at Skuldelev in Denmark. "This is a result of natural biological and chemical processes that occur
- Mercury's magnetic field measured by MESSENGER orbiter
  
  Mercury. Photo courtesy of NASA Researchers working with NASA's Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft report the frequent detections of Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) waves at the edge of the innermost planet's magnetosphere. In six different sets of magnetic field measurements made by the orbiter as it passed through Mercury's magnetopause, the boundary that separates the planet's magnetosphere from the solar wind plasma in the magnetosheath, Sundberg et al. detect the magnetic field oscillations characteristic of fully developed KH waves. Kelvin-Helmholtz waves form when fluids of different speeds travel alongside each other-in this case, the magnetosphere and magnetosheath plasmas-and promote mixing of the plasmas on larger spatial scales, and shorter time scales, than diffusive transport. The observations, which span the first 88 days of MESSENGER's time in orbit, bring Mercury alongside Earth, Saturn, and Venus as planets for which such Kelvin-Helmholtz waves are of importance. The waves seen at Mercury's magnetopause, however, differ markedly from those at Earth's. The authors' KH wave observations were all made in the postnoon and duskside region of Mercury's magnetosphere, whereas at Earth, KH waves are seen farther toward the
- New research may improve the efficiency of the biofuel production cycle
  
  Different bacterial responses to ionic liquid. In (A), a fermentative bacterium is exposed to sugars for biofuel synthesis along with an ionic liquid (IL) used during the production process. The ionic liquid exerts a toxic effect soon after it enters the cell (B). In contrast, the rainforest isolate E. lignolyticus in (C) can tolerate relatively high levels of the ionic liquid, even as it secretes enzymes (D) that degrade plant cellulosic material to glucose and other sugars. A mechanistic model for bacterial resistance to ionic liquid includes: reducing membrane permeability to ionic liquid by remodeling the phopholipid bilayer (introduction of kinked fatty acids in lower left inset); removing intracellular ionic liquid through membrane transport proteins (efflux pumps shown as purple cones in lower middle inset); and, slowing the influx of ionic liquid by decreasing the number of porins (transmembrane cylinders in lower right inset). Green objects: glucose (rings) and cellulosic materials (sheets); red objects: ionic liquid; purple objects: enzymes. Using new experimental methods and computational analysis, a team of scientists from the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led by Lawrence Livermore's Michael Thelen, discovered how
- Beyond the high-speed hard drive: Topological insulators open a path to room-temperature spintronics
  
  Electrons on the surface of a topological insulator can flow with little resistance. Their spin and direction are intimately related; the direction of the electron determines its spin and in turn is determined by it. Strange new materials experimentally identified just a few years ago are now driving research in condensed-matter physics around the world. First theorized and then discovered by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and their colleagues in other institutions, these “strong 3-D topological insulators” – TIs for short – are seemingly mundane semiconductors with startling properties. For starters, picture a good insulator on the inside that’s a good conductor on its surface – something like a copper-coated bowling ball. A topological insulator’s surface is not an ordinary metal, however. The direction and spin of the surface electrons are locked together and change in concert. And perhaps the most surprising prediction is that the surface electrons cannot be scattered by defects or other perturbations and thus meet little or no resistance as they travel. In the jargon, the surface states remain “topologically protected” – they can’t scatter without breaking the
- Watching an electron being born
  
  Markus Kitzler (left) und Xinhua Xie Atomic processes take place on extremely short time scales. Measurements at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna) can now visualize these processes. A strong laser beam can remove an electron from an atom – a process which takes place almost instantly. At the Vienna University of Technology, this phenomenon could now be studied with a time resolution of less than ten attoseconds (ten billionths of a billionth of a second). Scientists succeeded in watching an atom being ionized and a free electron being “born”. These measurements yield valuable information about the electrons in the atom, which up until now hasn't been experimentally accessible, such as the time evolution of the electron’s quantum phase – the beat to which the quantum waves oscillate. Wave-like Quantum Interference In the experiment, short laser pulses are fired at atoms. Each laser pulse can be described as a light wave the wave sweeps over the atom, and therefore, the electric field around the atom changes. The electric field rips an electron away from the atom – but the precise moment at which this happens
- Viruses used to power tiny device
  
  Scientists in the US have developed a way to generate electricity using viruses. The researchers built a generator with a postage stamp-sized electrode and based on a small film of specially engineered viruses. When a finger tapped the electrode, the viruses converted the mechanical energy into electricity. The research by a team in California has been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Materials that can convert mechanical energy into electricity are known as "piezoelectric". "More research is needed, but our work is a promising first step toward the development of personal power generators, actuators for use in nano-devices, and other devices based on viral electronics," said Dr Seung-Wuk Lee at the University of California, Berkeley. The virus used in the research was an M13 bacteriophage, which attacks bacteria but is benign to humans. The Berkeley team used genetic engineering techniques to add four negatively charged molecules to one end of the corkscrew-shaped proteins that coat the virus. These additional molecules increased the charge difference between the proteins' positive and negative ends, boosting the voltage of the virus. Another advantage of using viruses for such tasks is that they arrange themselves into an orderly film that enables the generator to work. This attribute, known
- Lotus leaf inspires new diagnostic technology
  
  Lately we’re hearing more and more about tiny medical and environmental diagnostic devices, that can perform a variety of tests using very small fluid samples. Working with such small samples does present a challenge, however – how do you thoroughly mix tiny amounts of different fluids, or wrangle individual drops for analysis? According to a team of scientists from the University of Washington, the answer lies in the lotus leaf. The leaves of the lotus plant have a unique microstructure, consisting of tiny bumps that are topped with even tinier projecting hairs. When a drop of liquid lands on one of the leaves, the hairs support its weight, leaving an air pocket underneath. This makes the drop bead up, at which point the slightest disturbance or slope will cause it to roll off. In recent years, this effect has been mimicked in things such as self-cleaning plastic, more efficient solar cells, and dust shields for spacecraft. The U Washington researchers roughly copied this structure, by using “nanotechnology manufacturing techniques” to create a silicon surface that consisted of many tiny posts, varying in spacing and height. As with the lotus, drops that were added to this surface sat
- A Computer Interface that Takes a Load Off Your Mind
  
  Conversations between people include a lot more than just words. All sorts of visual and aural cues indicate each party's state of mind and make for a productive interaction. But a furrowed brow, a gesticulating hand, and a beaming smile are all lost on computers. Now, researchers at MIT and Tufts are experimenting with a way for computers to gain a little insight into our inner world. Their system, called Brainput, is designed to recognize when a person's workload is excessive and then automatically modify a computer interface to make it easier. The researchers used a lightweight, portable brain monitoring technology, called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), that determines when a person is multitasking. Analysis of the brain scan data was then fed into a system that adjusted the user's workload at those times. A computing system with Brainput could, in other words, learn to give you a break. There are other ways that a computer could detect when a person's mental workload is becoming overwhelming. It could, for example, log errors in typing or speed of keystrokes. It could also use computer vision to detect facial expressions. "Brainput tries to get to closer to the source,
- New research may improve the efficiency of the biofuel production cycle
  
  Using new experimental methods and computational analysis, a team of scientists from the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led by Lawrence Livermore's Michael Thelen, discovered how certain bacteria can tolerate manmade toxic chemicals used in making biofuels. By deciphering the makeup of a bacterium found in the soil of a tropical rain forest, scientists may have a better understanding of how to more efficiently produce biofuels. The production of liquid fuels derived from plant biomass offers a promising technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. While sugars stored within the plant cell wall, known as lignocellulose, are plentiful enough to supply most energy needs on the planet, their extraction is difficult and requires chemical pretreatment followed by enzymatic digestion using micro-organisms. However, while ionic liquids – salty solvents – improve the digestibility of lignocellulose, they also are toxic to bacteria used in subsequent conversion steps. Using new experimental methods and computational analysis, a team of scientists from the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led by Lawrence Livermore's Michael Thelen, discovered how certain bacteria can tolerate manmade toxic chemicals used in making biofuels. "Discovering microbes naturally tolerant to salty liquids and understanding their mechanisms of tolerance should
- Charge your phone while walking in this shoe
  
  Love walking and texting? Still haven't done a faceplant on a streetlight? Well, this sneaker from Kenya can power your phone so you'll never have to look up from that screen again. Inventor Anthony Mutua, 24, has been showing off his recharging sneaker at the first-ever Kenyan Science Technology and Innovation Week, held in Nairobi. It's another way of using your body's own energy to fuel electronics. The shoe apparently has a very thin "crystal chip," perhaps a piezoelectric device, that generates power when the sole bends. It can charge phones via a long cable to a pocket while the user walks, or store power for later charging. "This charger works using pressure, as you walk you generate pressure that in turn generates energy, once you have arrived where you were going you can now sit down and charge your mobile phone," Mutua told CNC World. The technology apparently works with any shoe except bathroom slippers, and can
- Web tool determines best energy storage options
  
  Sandia National Laboratories and the Department of Energy have released a new tool to help utilities, developers and regulators identify the energy storage options that best meet their needs. Partnering with DNV KEMA, a global testing and consulting firm, Sandia is releasing Energy Storage Select, or ES-Select, software under a public license to the company. The tool makes it easier to conduct a quick, high-level analysis of energy storage options and determine the value of energy storage technologies for a specified application, which developers say will increase the adoption of energy storage technologies. “ES-Select is the first of a suite of easily accessible web tools to help potential users and regulators to make decisions on energy storage options in specific applications,” said Imre Gyuk, program manager of DOE’s Energy Storage program. The application is available for free download on Sandia’s Energy Storage website. “This tool is designed to help users to understand at a basic level what storage can do. If it looks beneficial from a cost standpoint, they can explore the
- Smart gives production nod to all-electric escooter
  
  Alongside the smart fortwo electric drive coupé and convertible that appeared at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, smart also unveiled a couple of two-wheeled electric vehicle concepts, the smart ebike and smart escooter. With the ebike having already having received the production nod in 2011 and now nearing its scheduled mid-2012 release, smart has announced plans to bring its smart escooter to market with a planned 2014 launch.While we can expect the production escooter to share a lot in common with the concept vehicle that was shown in Paris in 2010, smart says it is continuing to further develop and refine the escooter’s design. Whether that means we can expect improvements on the concept’s 45 km/h (28 mph) top speed and 100 km (62 mile) range remains to be seen. But like the smart ebike, smart says the escooter won’t require a license to drive.Features that are likely to survive the move from concept to production vehicle include an integrated airbag, ABS brakes, and a blind-spot monitoring system. The concept also featured a dock in the center of the handlebars that allows a smartphone to replace the usual instrument cluster and
- A rooftop fish farm for every family?
  
  It may look nothing more than an oddly shaped greenhouse, but the 'Globe (hedron)' is a concept for a rooftop aquaponics dome that Urban Farmers hopes will help address global food securityIt may look nothing more than an oddly shaped greenhouse, but the "Globe (hedron)", a collaboration by food futurists Urban Farmers AG and and designer Antonio Scarponi of Conceptual Devices, is a concept for a self-contained rooftop aquaponics dome that its designers hope will help address global food security. The company is seeking funding to turn the concept into a prototype.Aquaponics is a marriage of aquaculture (farming aquatic animals, like fish or prawns) and hydroponics (growing plants in water). Effluents from fish (and their food) accumulate in the water. When channeled to plants these are consumed as nutrients, purifying the water in the process before it becomes toxic to the fish. In the Fishy Farm, we saw the principle applied to fish tanks, and though obviously not aquaponic, the veggie-roof chicken coop works on a similar symbiotic idea.Urban Farmers has set up a crowd funding page on Kickstarter-alike IndieGoGo, seeking US$15,000 to turn the idea into a prototype.