Lets start by saying that this isn't cold fusion, and it's not even producing more energy than is going into it. But...the Chinese did build a fusion reactor, and apparently no one knew about it. The reactor is a smaller version of the 10 billion Euro International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) just begun in France (and not scheduled for completion for 10 years). China and the United States are both partners in the ITER project, having contributed 10% of the cost of construction. So this Chinese thing is quite a surprise, though, given their desire to usher a billion people into the middle class, we probably should have expected that they'd be working on something like this. It's not like they're afraid of large projects (see Three Gorges Dam).
{mosimage} The reactor, somewhat ominously called the “EAST” (experimental advanced superconducting Tokamak) was built using technical specifications from the ITER project. The system should go online later this year with a goal of producing electricity for 1000 consecutive seconds. If this turns out to be a viable fusion technology, the world might become a significantly better place. I mean, coal is evil, oil is evil, nuclear is evil. Fusion is what we've been waiting for, that is, if the Chinese agree to share the technology with us. Spotted at Hugg - via PhysOrg
{mosimage}OK, there are an awful lot of cathode ray tube monitors headed towards landfills, and though this doodlepost article on how to turn a CRT into a trashcan doesn't really solve the problem of all the heavy metals inside the tube itself, it does elegantly turn trash into a receptacle for trash. And, in general, is very humorous. What better way to display your EcoGeekyness than by turning that monitor collecting dust in your basement into a dustbin for your office. Plus, it's a perfect size for a plastic grocery bag to line it. But be careful, this definitely falls into the category of an extreme activity. You will, for example, be asked to decompress a vacuum tube with a shovel. Via: DoodlePost
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There is one thing, and only one thing, that a true geek needs. I'm not talking about just computer geeks, or just academic nerds. I'm talking about any of us that are passionate about one subject to spend way too many hours on it. {mosimage} We drink energy drinks. We're not proud of it, but we do. Myself, I've tried Red Bull, Monster and Rock Star. I've tried low-carb versions and sugar-free versions. Now if you're an environmental geek you're about to get the best of all worlds -- Syzmo Energy Drink is the first 100% organic energy drink. That's right, not one artificial flavor, color, and not one teeny little preservative have made it into this can. Syzmo touts on its Web site that it not only has less calories than the other leading energy drinks, it also has more vitamins and uses organic blue agave nectar as a sweetener. Syzmo gets its buzz-enhancing ingredients from guarana, yerba mate and caffeine, which is naturally derived from coffee. You can get the drink at Whole Foods, Exxon or order it from Amazon .
If you're an artist and an Ecogeek, well, you're just going to have to come to my neck of the woods to check out Ecoarts , a 10-day presentation in July bringing together arts and sciences in the Boulder and Denver area. {mosimage} This is a brand-new event that aims to create a collaboration between scientists, environmentalists, and artists, and it will also feature religious leaders, educators, and politicians. The performances and panels last from July 6-16th, and you can expect exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver, a collaboration with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, guided tours of a coal-fired energy plant, and a performance by the Kronos quartet of "Sun Rings" with images of the solar system presented as they play. The best thing is that many of the lectures and walks are free, and the artistic performances usually come with a free pre-performance lecture. Visit the tickets Web site for more information.
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