Monthly Archives: September 2009
Tar Sands
The extraction of oil out of tar sands, for example in Canada (Alberta) is hotly debated. A posting in Science Blogs followed by a debate between advocates and opponents gives a quick introduction to the issues at hand. Apparently there … Continue reading
Public debate
The Internet has given us the power to express ourself. And boy, are we using it in creative ways. Just look at this video about the health care system debate in the USA. (Listen to the last line..” I want … Continue reading
Powerful incentive
It has been difficult to bring the potential effects of climate change close to home. But researchers have found the achilles heel of most men: beer. The Guardian reports. Czech scientist have found that their famous hop is very sensitive … Continue reading
The definition of Internet
We all use the word “Internet” quite often as a sort of container for everything “online”. To my surprise a very concise and good definition was adopted in 1995 by the Federal Networking Council (USA) and later adopted by Congress. Even … Continue reading
Rijksbegroting 2.0
[ A rant about old thinking: why can't we get a downloadable spreadsheet with our government budget so we can analyze it ourselves?] Onze regering laat indirect zien dat ze nog “oud” denken. Waar is de online toegankelijke rijksbegroting in … Continue reading
Design for imperfection
My geeky self always gets excited when you meet someone who really understands the how and why of architectural choices in technology. Recently someone explained to me that they had found the reason why some networks (backhaul for mobile, cable … Continue reading
The definition of wealth
The summer is a good time to digest food for thought. The book “The Origin of Wealth” by Eric Beinhocker has proven to be a fertile breeding ground for my mind. Beinhocker poses the question: what is the origin of … Continue reading
The impact of demographics on GHG emissions
Deutsche Shell has a tradition of publishing a solid and highly respected bi-annual report on the mobility trends and future scenarios for Germany. Their latest report has a hidden twist which only becomes apparent when you start to read the German … Continue reading
The blatently obvious
Sometimes you read something that for a few seconds you think is interesting. E.g. a studyscrutinizing 360-degree feedback data on over 11,000 leaders to find out what are the ten characteristics of the worst leaders. Then you think about it … Continue reading