The third smallest sovereign nation in the world has just made an enormous contribution to relieving the world’s debt to the environment. Singapore researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) have discovered how to turn carbon dioxide into methanol…. Double take: They have found a way to make greenhouse gas green. Triple take: They took the biggest contributor to the world’s carbon footprint and converted it into a source of clean energy for the world.
Astounding.

In case you’re not jumping out of your skin yet, the IBN research was immediately sent to Angewandte Chemie, published by the German Chemical Society, and the prestigious journal called it a “hot paper,” and “very important.”
In layman’s terms, what IBN researchers discovered is that if they used N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), an organic catalyst, as opposed to heavy metal catalysts, carbon dioxide is activated, a state which it must be in to transform it into something useful.

Then, hydrosilane, a combination of silica and hydrogen, is added to the NHC-activated carbon dioxide and, by adding water into the solution through hydrolysis, the carbon dioxide transforms into methanol.

IBN principal research scientist, Dr. Yugen Zhang, explained: “Hydrosilane provides hydrogen, which bonds with carbon dioxide in a reduction reaction. This carbon dioxide reduction is efficiently catalyzed by NHCs even at room temperature.
Methanol can be easily obtained from the product of the carbon dioxide reaction. Our previous research on NHCs has demonstrated their multiple applications as powerful antioxidants to fight degenerative diseases, and as effective catalysts to transform sugars into an alternative energy source. We have now shown that NHCs can also be applied successfully to the conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol, helping to unleash the potential of this highly abundant gas.”

I wonder when this will become front page news….?

Creative Curved River Sinks Flow through Countertops by Elkay.

Elkay
has created a number of creative sinks for virtually any style or
occasions, coming in a variety of shapes, styles and sizes for both
residential and commercial use. The Mystic flowing sink, however, has
to be their best yet.

As shown above, this sink design curves and winds its way through a
chosen surface. It can be set into something that is shaped like it is
or can be set against the more standard rectangular surfaces found in
most kitchens. It can be filled with ice, fruit and/or beverages for
parties.

Other sinks by Elkay come in all kinds of innovative forms with
various purposes. Some are borderline kitch, shaped like things such as
martini glasses which are great for parties but hard to envision in
most homes. Others have creative drying surfaces or other additional
functions.

Source: www.dornob.com

Funny video from collegehumor.com

Details: made from a BIC ballpoint pens these little vases are hand blow-molded.
As the plastic becomes flexible it stretches allowing the vase to sit naturally.

Created by designers Jess Giffin and Jim Termeer and available at DesignBoom.com

A BALD, child-like creature dangles its legs from a chair as its shoulders rise and fall with rythmic breathing and its black eyes follow movements across the room. It’s not human – but it is paying attention.

Below the soft silicon skin of one of Japan’s most sophisticated robots, processors record and evaluate information. The 130cm humanoid is designed to learn just like a human infant.
The creators of the Child-robot with Biomimetic Body, or CB2, say it is slowly developing social skills by interacting with humans and watching their facial expressions, mimicking a mother-baby relationship.

“Babies and infants have very, very limited programs. But they have room to learn more,” said Osaka University professor Minoru Asada, as his team’s 33kg invention kept its eyes glued to him.

The team is trying to teach the pint-sized android to think like a baby who evaluates its mother’s countless facial expressions and “clusters” them into basic categories, such as happiness and sadness. 
With 197 film-like pressure sensors under its light grey rubbery skin, CB2 can also recognise human touch, such as stroking of its head.
The robot can record emotional expressions using eye-cameras, then memorise and match them with physical sensations, and cluster them on its circuit boards, Prof Asada said.

Since CB2 was first presented to the world in 2007, it has taught itself how to walk with the aid of a human and can now move its body through a room quite smoothly, using 51 “muscles” driven by air pressure, he said.
In coming decades, Prof Asada expects science will come up with a “robo species” that has learning abilities somewhere between those of a human and other primate species such as the chimpanzee.
And he hopes that his little CB2 may lead the way, with the goal to have the robo-kid speaking in basic sentences within about two years, matching the intelligence of a two-year-old child.

By 2050, Prof Asada wants a robotic team of football players to be able take on the human World Cup champions – and win. Welcome to the cutting edge of robotics and artificial intelligence.
More than a decade since automaker Honda stunned the world with a walking humanoid P2, a forerunner to the popular ASIMO, robotics has come a long way.
Researchers across Japan have unveiled increasingly sophisticated robots with different functions – including a talking office receptionist, a security guard and even a primary school teacher.

Electronics giant Toshiba is developing a new model of domestic helper, AppriAttenda, which moves on wheels and can fetch containers from a refrigerator with its two arms.
Last month also saw the debut of Japan’s first robotic fashion model, cybernetic human HRP-4C, which can strut a catwalk, smile and pout thanks to 42 motion motors programmed to mimic flesh-and-blood models.

A Tokyo subsidiary of Hello Kitty maker Sanrio, Kokoro – which means heart or mind in Japanese – has also produced advanced talking, life-size humanoids. “Robots have hearts,” said Kokoro planning department manager Yuko Yokota.

“They don’t look human unless we put souls in them. When manufacturing a robot, there comes a moment when light flickers in its eyes. That’s when we know our work is done.”

TV Ratio Calculator - Ever tried to work out which aspect ratio was best when buy a new monitor….well check out this site.
Add in the inches, select your aspect ratio, pixels wide & pixels high. Walah

http://tvcalculator.com