Category Archives: Technology
Health & Design: The New “Touchless Products” To Limit Spread Of Germs
The importance of touchless bathroom and kitchen products during the coronavirus pandemic is highlighted in this video interview with Patrick Speck from Grohe, as part of the brands takeover of Virtual Design Festival Today.
Speck is the the vice president of design consumer experience for the EMENA region of Japanese water technology brand Lixil, which is the parent company of bathroom and kitchen brand Grohe. Speck told Dezeen that following the coronavirus pandemic, the brand has seen an increased demand for products that limit the spread of germs and diseases.
“With the increased demand for hygiene we’re having right now, we know that to minimise the risk of spreading germs and also cross contamination, we need to reduce contact with any surface as much as we can,” Speck explained in the video. According to Speck, the solution could be touchless products such as faucets and toilets that rely on sensor technology.
Read more on Dezeen: http://www.dezeen.com/vdf
Top New Books: “The Idea Of The Brain” By Matthew Cobb – “A Supercomputer”
Although it might seem to be a story of ever-increasing knowledge of biology, Cobb shows how our ideas about the brain have been shaped by each era’s most significant technologies. Today we might think the brain is like a supercomputer. In the past, it has been compared to a telegraph, a telephone exchange, or some kind of hydraulic system. What will we think the brain is like tomorrow, when new technology arises?
For thousands of years, thinkers and scientists have tried to understand what the brain does. Yet, despite the astonishing discoveries of science, we still have only the vaguest idea of how the brain works. In The Idea of the Brain, scientist and historian Matthew Cobb traces how our conception of the brain has evolved over the centuries.
READ EXCERPT OF FIRST 30 PAGES
The result is an essential read for anyone interested in the complex processes that drive science and the forces that have shaped our marvelous brains.
Matthew Cobb is Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester. His previous books include Life’s Greatest Secret:The Race to Discover the Genetic Code, which was shortlisted for the the Royal Society Winton Book Prize, and the acclaimed histories The Resistance and Eleven Days in August. He is also the award-winning translator of books on the history of molecular biology, on Darwin’s ideas and on the nature of life.
Virtual Tours: “Sir John Soane’s Museum – London” – “Spectacular Imagery”
TAKE A 3D “DIGITAL TOUR” OF “THE SOANE”
The story of the restoration of Sir John Soane’s Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Filmed over a period of 6 years, it traces the research, the discoveries and the skills that made transforming this magical place possible. This third episode reveals the painstaking work that went into restoring artworks within the Museum, and the legacy of the project.
Future Of Pet Care: “My Virtual Veterinarian” – Smartphone Video And Chat Appointments App
My Virtual Veterinarian connects pet parents with veterinarians for video and chat appointments. Through our platform, pet parents can access their primary veterinarian, or find a different veterinarian who is available for virtual veterinary appointments.
Astronomy: Hubble Space Telescope Celebrates 30th Anniversary April 24
On April 24, 2020, the Hubble Space Telescope celebrates its 30th year in orbit by premiering a never-before-seen view of two beautiful nebulas named NGC 2020 and NGC 2014.
Hubble’s senior project scientist, Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, takes us on a tour of this stunning new image, describes the telescope’s current health, and summarizes some of Hubble’s contributions to astronomy during its 30-year career.
Environment: “NASA Looks Back At 50 Years Of Earth Day” – April 22, 2020 (Video)
It’s been five decades since Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders photographed Earth peaking over the Moon’s horizon. The iconic image, dubbed Earthrise, inspired a new appreciation of the fragility of our place in the universe. Two years later, Earth Day was born to honor our home planet. As the world prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, NASA reflects on how the continued growth of its fleet of Earth-observing satellites has sharpened our view of the planet’s climate, atmosphere, land, polar regions and oceans.
Virtual Travel: “Tour West Coast National Parks” (Google Earth Video)
Visit some of the West Coast’s most popular National Parks with Google Earth! Travel from the peaks of Washington’s Mount Rainier to Joshua Tree’s cholla cactus gardens in California.
Space Exploration: Saturn – “The Sacrifice Of Cassini” (National Geographic)
Explore the creation of planetary rings with Neil deGrasse Tyson and discover the fate of the Cassini space probe.
Health: Testing, Approving And Fairly Distributing A New Coronavirus Vaccine
SCIENTISTS ARE working at an unprecedented pace to find a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19. The stakes are high. Natasha Loder, The Economist’s health policy editor, explains how an effective vaccine might be developed.
Dr Trevor Drew of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness speaks to host Kenneth Cukier about two trials which have reached the animal-testing stage. Plus, once a vaccine is discovered, what can be done to make sure it is distributed fairly? Dr Seth Berkely, chief executive of GAVI, the vaccine alliance, explains the importance of global cooperation. Runtime: 26 min
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