Juggling Dynamite

Very exciting time in human evolution…

A new epoch, characterized by ecological, environmental integrity and economic balance might be possible through a decentralized carbon-neutral energy system. Daniel Nocera describes his incredible discovery: how to emulate photosynthesis, to store energy in water splitting and meet future global energy needs. Here is a direct video link.

Daniel G. Nocera is the Patterson Rockwood Professor of Energy at Harvard University. Before joining Harvard, Nocera was on the faculty of MIT where he was the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy. He is widely recognized in the world as a leading researcher in renewable energy at the molecular level. He has recently accomplished a solar fuels process that captures many of the elements of photosynthesis and he has now translated this science to produce the artificial leaf (Innovation of the Year for 2011, Time Magazine). He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Indian Academy of Sciences. He was named as 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine.

Gold and other commodities ran the normal speculative course from under-loved and ignored in 2001 to over-loved and hoarded by 2011. Today millions of misplaced bets are continuing to unwind as would-be investors exit the space in losses and disgust. With supply gluts in most materials and global demand weakening, the sector has further consolidation and mean reversion to run in order to cleanse itself from the madness that was. After the last secular peak in commodities in 1980, it took 20 years for the next boom cycle to rise from the ashes once more. We could see a similarly long languish period this time.  Still few of the previous cheerleaders will admit they were painfully wrong.

The rout in commodities deepened with prices touching the lowest since 2002 as the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates sent gold tumbling.  Here is a direct video link.

Note that smart technology automatically calibrates lighting, heating/cooling to the needs of individual occupants.

Robots welcome guests at the check-in counter, carry baggage and operate a locker room at a Japanese amusement park hotel. Here is a direct video link.