:discomedusa:

vela creations

another great link from treehugger.com

vela creations 'is an in-depth resource for off grid living.' 

their website includes a blog about their life and sustainable homestead projects, (free) plans to make your own Chispito wind generator out of scrap and readily available materials, and a store selling off grid/ homesteading reference books.

as i am slowly working towards creating a homestead of my own, i find  vela creations work to be extremely inspiring!

their amazon shop is a great resource- in my home, we joke (but not really!) that we have all this post apocalyptic survival information bookmarked, but it will be inaccessible should we ever need it in a pinch!

seed magazine

photo: neri oxman (materialecologist), by noah kalina

if you're looking for some brain food, check out my new favorite magazine, Seed magazine.

Seed is a smart and stylish modern magazine with 'a passion for science and ...(the) advocacy of science literacy around the world.' 

apparently, they've been around since october 2005 (order back issues here), but they caught my attention a few months ago (thank you anne!) with the headline: 'the future of science...is art?'

the current issue, 'the  design issue', continues to explore the developments in art and design as it relates to the advancement of modern science.  (hooray!)

my own interest has always been split between art and science
(i plan to go back to school for something bio-chem-related when the bean enters kindergarten...)
expect many more science geek posts here as i renew my interest in reading up on modern science. 
thank you, seed!!

plasma converter

that last post (plastic ocean) was such a downer, it's time to report on something more hopeful! 
this article was published in Popular Science a few issues back:

The Prophet of Garbage
Joseph Longo's Plasma Converter turns our most vile and toxic trash into clean energy—and promises to make a relic of the landfill

basically, this fellow invented a machine that uses plasma (intensely hot, ionized gas)to break trash down into its molecular components.  supposedly this machine can process anything except for nuclear waste.  the by-products: steam, syn-gas (a hydrogen &carbon monoxide mix which can be used for fuel), and a glassy slag can all be utilized (i.e. sold for profit).

truly, the only way the paradigm will shift from environmentally toxic to friendly will be if there is financial incentive to do so.  this technology is particularly exciting not only because it offers a much cleaner way to dispose of our waste, but because it creates enough energy to power itself, plus all the marketable by-products.  St. Lucie County in Florida is building a 100,000 sq ft facilty which will soon test the plasma converter technology on a grander scale.

one criticism of the plasma converter is that the glassy slag, which can supposedly be used in construction, home tiles, etc, may contain heavy metals.  which could come into contact with ground water and so on.   so nothing's perfect, but maybe we're on the right track at last?

my two cents?  that someone should build a fleet of plasma converter barges to float out into the plastic ocean and start processing all the crap there.  seriously!  think about it- the plasma converters would generate enough power to support their own operation, plus amenities for the crew.  plastics are hydrocarbons, so there wouldn't be a problem with heavy metals in the slag.....  hopefully some combination of rich people and scientists will come upon this same idea!

 

virtual / tangible v2.0

san francisco:

until march 4th, virtual / tangible v2.0 will be the current exhibition at velvet da vinci- (my favorite) contemporary craft gallery specializing in art jewelry. 
this show features a number of familiar names/faces:  two of my professors (joe wood and deb todd wheeler), a former classmate (adam grinovich), and (my favorite, as you know) bathsheba grossman, along with a host of other talented folks.

the exhibition explores the use of digital media as applied to traditional concepts of jewelry making and metalworking.   the virtual concepts and models are shown along with tangible objects.  in some of the photos, it is difficult to tell wheher i'm looking at a rendering or the 'real' thing!

CAD/CAM (computer aided design, computer aided manufacturing) techniques used include:  3d scanning and virtual manipulation of an obhect; rapid prototyping processes ('printing' in wax, cornstarch, or metal); laser cutting parts from a file; etching metal flat and fabricating a 3d piece; milling an object out of solid wax or metal, plus others of which i'm not aware.

 as the title suggests, this is the second virtual / tangible exhibition curated by douglas bucci and matthew hollern.  images and artist statements from the original show are available at virtualtangible.com.  images of the current show can be seen at velvetdavinci.com.

shown here:

a brooch by joe wood (top).  joe, thank you for all that you shared, your help and your patience!

'unfold' by deb todd wheeler (middle) a sculpture based on tweaking the form of an acorn.  deb, i miss and adore you!

'sprout' by adam grinovich (bottom).  adam, i am, as ever, terribly impressed!
though i wish you had a webpage so we could see more.
 

bathsheba grossman

bathsheba grossman's sculptures make me insanely happy. they are- as she describes them- " visions of order in the universe." 

the image on the left is a 3-d (computer) model of the popular 'quintrino' design, which is then 'printed' in metal (below) 
                                          <sigh!>

as if that weren't enough to qualify her as one of my absolute favorite artists, she also designs 'science crystals'- 3-d laser etched glass models that illustrate molecules,  astronomical phenomena, and more!  (seriously, take a look at this link!)

bathsheba sells (exclusively?) through her website, which enables her to keep her prices down.  good, because i must have all of them!  but for now i will settle for the occasional art postcard.

                           

one laptop per child

i've been superexcited about this project since i heard about it last year:
a non-profit organization that has initiated the development of a sturdy basic laptop that will be distributed to children of underdeveloped countries ($100 each!)

this is really happening!

 

'Any nation's most precious and valuable natural resource is its children. We believe the emerging world must leverage its children, tap their innate capacities to learn and share and create on their own. Our answer to that challenge is the XO laptop, a children's machine designed for "learning learning."'

-OLPC website

 

nervous system

design team: "nervous system"

jessica (an architecture student at harvard) and jesse (an MIT mathematics student) have teamed up to create these delicate (covetable) accessories. 

complex patterns inspired by nature are laser cut from sheets of plastic and cloth. 

and so affordably priced! 

let's hear it for science-becoming-art-through-technology !

you know i love it!

visit their etsy shop