Your Lifestyle Has Already Been Designed

“All of America’s well-publicized problems, including obesity, depression, pollution and corruption are what it costs to create and sustain a trillion-dollar economy. For the economy to be “healthy”, America has to remain unhealthy. Healthy, happy people don’t feel like they need much they don’t already have, and that means they don’t buy a lot of junk, don’t need to be entertained as much, and they don’t end up watching a lot of commercials.”

Read more: Your Lifestyle Has Already Been Designed. Thanks to Bori.

Rail Energy Storage

“ARES is a rail-based technology that stores energy by raising the elevation of mass against the force of gravity and recovering the stored energy as the mass is returned to its original location. Specifically, ARES energy storage technology employs a fleet of electric traction drive shuttle-trains, operating on a closed low-friction automated steel rail network to transport a field of heavy masses between two storage yards at different elevations.”

ares-energy-storage-3

[Read more…]

Why so Fast?

“Some of the most indebted nations in Europe now host the most modern infrastructures on the continent… While Spain’s high-speed AVE trains cost almost €6 billion to build, they only transport about 1% as many passengers a year as the nation’s commuter trains”. Read more at ejolt: Why so fast?

Fully Enclosed Showers

bad_showerenergy saving shower

“The design features of a conventional shower minimize thermal comfort, maximize energy use and water consumption while exacerbating moisture problems. Most of these negative effects are caused by evaporation. There is a simple solution to this; preventing airflow to and from the showing area is the key, in other words sealing the shower stall. Additional benefits can be obtained by the incorporation of insulated low thermal mass walls that heat up rapidly.”

“The result is a shower stall where air currents are minimized, humidity is increased and the air is warmer. All these effects will increase thermal comfort and reduce energy and water consumption. Another benefit is that with the air in the shower warmed, the water vapor present will not be condensing in the air, eliminating steamy conditions.”

“This energy efficient shower combines effectively with solar heating, since it allows for a fairly comfortable shower when water temperatures dip to 90ºF (Typical water temperature for a shower is 105ºF).”

Read more. Via Ask the Renewable Engineer. See also: The Shower Dome (and the DIY-version).

Kremlin Replaces Computers by Typewriters

“Russia’s Federal Protection Service (FSO), the Kremlin agency that protects state officials like the president and the prime minister, has ordered 20 typewriters in an apparent bid to avoid leaks and surveillance like those revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.” Read more. Via Slashdot.

Floating Grain Mill in Old China

floating grain mill

A Floating Grain Mill on the Hwei River in China (19th/20th century). Source. Previously: “Boat mills: water powered, floating factories“.