{"id":26382,"date":"2005-11-28T13:09:25","date_gmt":"2005-11-28T18:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/?p=26382"},"modified":"2021-11-12T20:36:14","modified_gmt":"2021-11-13T01:36:14","slug":"volume-8-number-17-11-28-2005","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/volume-8-number-17-11-28-2005\/","title":{"rendered":"Volume 8, Number 17 &#8211; 11\/28\/2005"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"headertext2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/futuredition.org\/sites\/all\/assets\/wbp\/images\/header_fe.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Volume 8, Number 17<br \/>\n11\/28\/2005<br \/>\nEdited by John L. Petersen<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:johnp@arlingtoninstitute.org\">johnp@arlingtoninstitute.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/futuredition.org\/tai\/fearchive\">See past issues in the Archives<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">In This Issue:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/futuredition.org\/futuredition\/fe_archive\/fe_08_17archive_05.asp#futurefacts\"><span class=\"headertext2\">Future Facts<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;&#8211; from Think Links<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/futuredition.org\/futuredition\/fe_archive\/fe_08_17archive_05.asp#thinklinks\"><span class=\"headertext2\">Think Links<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;&#8211; The Future in the News\u2026Today<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/futuredition.org\/futuredition\/fe_archive\/fe_08_17archive_05.asp#finalquote\"><span class=\"headertext2\">A Final Quote<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At The Arlington Institute, we believe that to understand the future, you need to have an open mind and cast a very wide net. To that end, FUTUREdition explores a cross-disciplinary palette of issues, from the frontiers of science and technology to major developments in mass media, geopolitics, the environment, and social perspectives.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"futurefacts\"><\/a><span class=\"headertext2\">FUTURE FACTS &#8211; FROM THINK LINKS<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"headertext3\">DID YOU KNOW THAT&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A research team has designed the first microscope sensitive enough to track the real-time motion of a single protein down to the level of its individual atoms.<\/li>\n<li>Deactivating a specific gene transforms meek mice into daredevils, researchers have found. The team believes the research might one day enable people suffering from fear, in the form of phobias or anxiety disorders, for example, to be clinically treated.<\/li>\n<li>A company is developing a way to use ultra wideband wireless signals to transmit data at broadband speeds through natural-gas pipes.<\/li>\n<li>A 15-year old boy whose mother used an anonymous sperm donor was able to track down his biological father by submitting a DNA sample to a commercial genetic database service designed to help people draw their family tree.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\"><a title=\"thinklinks\"><\/a>THINK LINKS \u2013 THE FUTURE IN THE NEWS&#8230;TODAY<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Archaeologists Go Digital<br \/>\n&#8216;Literary&#8217; Texts No More?<br \/>\nFound on the Web, With DNA: a Boy&#8217;s Father<br \/>\nGeocoding Used to Locate Katrina Survivors<br \/>\nUN Summit Aims for a Fairer Web<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Archaeologists Go Digital &#8212; (Live Science &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.livescience.com\/history\/051110_modern_archaeology.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.livescience.com\/history\/051110_modern_archaeology.html<\/a><br \/>\nResearchers are beginning to excavate with the help of new technologies for streamlining the archaeological process. The innovations, collectively known as e-science, threaten to shrug off archeology&#8217;s antiquated image. Not only do the techniques make recording data faster and easier, the creation of the Virtual Research Environment (VRE) also allows for widespread participation in the project by researchers across the world.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">&#8216;Literary&#8217; Texts No More? &#8212; (CNN &#8212; November 17, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/EDUCATION\/11\/17\/literature.text.ap\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/EDUCATION\/11\/17\/literature.text.ap\/index.html<\/a><br \/>\nIt could be the future of Shakespeare. A British mobile phone service aimed at students, says it plans to condense classic works of literature into SMS text messages. The company claims the service will be a valuable resource for studying for exams. Most academic purists will be horrified, but one professor who consulted on the project said they could act as a useful memory aid.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Found on the Web, With DNA: a Boy&#8217;s Father &#8212; (Washington Post &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2005\/11\/12\/AR2005111200958.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2005\/11\/12\/AR2005111200958.html<\/a><br \/>\nLike many children whose mothers used an anonymous sperm donor, the 15-year-old boy longed for any shred of information about his biological father. But, uniquely, this resourceful teenager decided to try exploiting the latest in genetic technology and the sleuthing powers of the Internet in his quest. By submitting a DNA sample to a commercial genetic database service designed to help people draw their family tree, the youth was able to achieve his goal.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Geocoding Used to Locate Katrina Survivors &#8212; (CNN &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/TECH\/11\/10\/gis.technology\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/TECH\/11\/10\/gis.technology\/index.html<\/a><br \/>\nPolice, firefighters, and Coast Guard crews may be the first to come to mind when naming the lifesavers during disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. It might be time to add geographers to that list, as one of the most valuable tools was a process called &#8220;geocoding,&#8221; the conversion of street addresses into global positioning system (GPS) coordinates.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">UN Summit Aims for a Fairer Web &#8212; (BBC &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/technology\/4425802.stm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/technology\/4425802.stm<\/a><br \/>\nWorld leaders, technology leaders, and campaigners are in Tunisia for a UN summit intended to help poorer nations benefit from the digital revolution. About 10,000 participants are at expected at a three-day World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The event is being eclipsed by a row over how the net is run and fears over freedom of expression in Tunisia. Many developing nations say it is time control moved from the incumbent US body to a more accountable global one.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">NEW REALITIES<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Astronomers Zoom In on Galaxy&#8217;s Glittering Heart<br \/>\nVirtual Property Yields $100,000<br \/>\nTwo More Moons Discovered Orbiting Pluto<br \/>\nEarliest Starlight of The Universe Is Revealed<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Astronomers Zoom In on Galaxy&#8217;s Glittering Heart &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientistspace.com\/article.ns?id=dn8258\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientistspace.com\/article.ns?id=dn8258<\/a><br \/>\nAstronomers have obtained the closest glimpse yet of the supermassive black hole thought to lurk at the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way. They focused on radio emissions around the black hole over an area equal in width to the distance between the Earth and the Sun (1 astronomical unit).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Virtual Property Yields $100,000 &#8212; (CNN &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/TECH\/biztech\/11\/10\/virtual.real.estate.ap\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/TECH\/biztech\/11\/10\/virtual.real.estate.ap\/index.html<\/a><br \/>\nA Miami resident has bought a virtual space station for $100,000 and wants to turn it into a cross between Jurassic Park and a disco. The buyer plans to call the space resort, in the science-fiction themed game Project Entropia, &#8220;Club Neverdie.&#8221; Like other land areas in the game that has been visited by 300,000 players, the resort grounds will spawn dinosaur-like monsters, which visitors can kill.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Two More Moons Discovered Orbiting Pluto &#8212; (Space &#8212; November 17, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.space.com\/scienceastronomy\/051031_pluto_moons.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.space.com\/scienceastronomy\/051031_pluto_moons.html<\/a><br \/>\nTwo small moons have been discovered orbiting Pluto, bringing the planet&#8217;s retinue of known satellites to three and leaving scientist to wonder how it could be. The newfound moons orbit about 27,000 miles (44,000 kilometers) from Pluto, more than twice as far as Charon, Pluto&#8217;s other satellite. They are 5,000 times dimmer than Charon. Preliminary observations suggest they are in circular orbits around Pluto and in the same plane as Charon.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Earliest Starlight of The Universe Is Revealed &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 8, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientistspace.com\/article\/dn8255.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientistspace.com\/article\/dn8255.html<\/a><br \/>\nNASA&#8217;s Spitzer Space Telescope may have detected the infrared glow from the very first generation of stars, a new study reports. If confirmed, the work would reveal the structure of the universe a few hundred million years after the big bang, when the galaxies that exist today were just beginning to take shape.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">GENTICS\/HEALTH TECHNOLOGY<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Heart Risk Gene Hits African Americans Hardest<br \/>\nAspirin Cuts Stroke Risk in Women, Not Men<br \/>\nMalaria Jab&#8217;s Long-Term Promise<br \/>\nGene Turn-Off Makes Meek Mice Fearless<br \/>\nFirst Proof of Living Memory Trace Found<br \/>\nNew Microscope Allows Scientists To Track a Functioning Protein with Atomic-Level Precision<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Heart Risk Gene Hits African Americans Hardest &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/channel\/health\/dn8300.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/channel\/health\/dn8300.html<\/a><br \/>\nA gene commonly found in Americans of European descent can be deadly when carried by African Americans, a new study has revealed. The gene variant more than triples the risk of heart attack in African American populations. African Americans are known to be more prone to heart attacks. Researchers suggest this may partly due because unlike European Americans, they have not had thousands of years to adjust to the genes presence in their genome<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Aspirin Cuts Stroke Risk in Women, Not Men &#8212; (News Daily &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newsdaily.com\/Science\/UPI-1-20051115-16025700-bc-us-aspirin.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newsdaily.com\/Science\/UPI-1-20051115-16025700-bc-us-aspirin.xml<\/a><br \/>\nDuke University scientists have found aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of stroke in women, but has little protective effect in men. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of more than 95,000 patients and also found aspirin increases the risk of bleeding, or hemorrhagic, strokes in men with no similar effect on women.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Malaria Jab&#8217;s Long-Term Promise &#8212; (BBC &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/health\/4440116.stm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/health\/4440116.stm<\/a><br \/>\nA malaria vaccine has been found to protect children in Africa from serious disease for at least 18 months. Researchers working in Mozambique found the jab cut the risk of clinical malaria by 35% and nearly halved the risk of serious malaria. Malaria kills over a million people world-wide each year, and one African child every 30 seconds.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Gene Turn-Off Makes Meek Mice Fearless &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 17, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn8337\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn8337<\/a><br \/>\nDeactivating a specific gene transforms meek mice into daredevils, researchers have found. The team believes the research might one day enable people suffering from fear, for example in the form of phobias or anxiety disorders, for example, to be clinically treated. The research found that mice are not only more courageous, but are also slower to learn fear responses to pain-associated stimuli.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">First Proof of Living Memory Trace Found &#8212; (News Daily &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newsdaily.com\/Science\/UPI-1-20051114-15091200-bc-us-memory.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newsdaily.com\/Science\/UPI-1-20051114-15091200-bc-us-memory.xml<\/a><br \/>\nA Pittsburgh scientist says researchers have detected a memory trace in an animal after it has encountered a single, new stimulus. &#8220;Our findings show an odor produces a memory trace of synchronized neural activity that lasts several minutes after a bee initially senses it,&#8221; said the researcher. &#8220;This is the first time anyone has revealed a short-term, stimulus-specific neural pulse within the living brain that occurs after exposure to a previously unknown stimulus.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">New Microscope Allows Scientists To Track a Functioning Protein with Atomic-Level Precision &#8212; (Science Daily &#8212; November 17, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2005\/11\/051114111031.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2005\/11\/051114111031.htm<\/a><br \/>\nA research team has designed the first microscope sensitive enough to track the real-time motion of a single protein down to the level of its individual atoms. The microscope uses an advanced version of the &#8220;optical trap,&#8221; which uses infrared light to trap and control the forces on a functional protein, allowing researchers to monitor the molecule&#8217;s every move in real time.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">NANOTECHNOLOGY<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Graphite Found to Exhibit Surprising Quantum Effects<br \/>\nMIT Tackles Nanotechnogy Research<br \/>\nMarathon of Nano-Sprinters<br \/>\nNew Look for Optical Microscopy<br \/>\nNanotechnology May Help Treat Cancer<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Graphite Found to Exhibit Surprising Quantum Effects &#8212; (Scientific American &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&amp;articleID=00033D41-7354-1372-B35483414B7F0000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&amp;articleID=00033D41-7354-1372-B35483414B7F0000<\/a><br \/>\nLast year, reserchers used adhesive tape to strip graphite down to a layer just one atom thick; they called this superthin layer of graphite &#8220;graphene.&#8221; Experiments on graphene have revealed some strange phenomena. The two-dimensional material remains capable of conducting electricity, but these electrons display some unusual properties. The findings may lead to new applications in carbon-based electronic and magneto-electronic devices.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">MIT Tackles Nanotechnogy Research &#8212; (MIT &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www-tech.mit.edu\/V125\/N54\/54nanotech.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www-tech.mit.edu\/V125\/N54\/54nanotech.html<\/a><br \/>\nIn 2002, the U.S. Army established the Institute for Soldier Technologies (ISN) through a 5 year, $50 million contract with MIT devoted to research in nanomaterials and nanotechnology. Other research projects through the ISN now include energy absorbing materials, chemical and biological weapons sensing and counteraction, remote systems monitoring, and innovative materials for soldier systems. One current long-term project, implementation of carbon nanotubes, has elicited much excitement from the scientific community.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Marathon of Nano-Sprinters &#8212; (Eureka Alert &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/pub_releases\/2005-11\/m-mon111005.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/pub_releases\/2005-11\/m-mon111005.php<\/a><br \/>\nTo achieve transport over larger distances, several motor molecules have to cooperate. Scientists have now developed a new theory that only seven or eight motor molecules are sufficient for directed transport over centimeters or even meters. They also show that an applied load force, which is shared by the pulling motors, strongly reduces the cargo velocity and leads to a highly nonlinear force-velocity relationship.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">New Look for Optical Microscopy &#8212; (NanotechWeb &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nanotechweb.org\/articles\/news\/4\/11\/10\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.nanotechweb.org\/articles\/news\/4\/11\/10\/1<\/a><br \/>\nPhysicists in Switzerland and Germany have made a new type of optical microscope that can produce images without capturing light from the sample. The new device relies on measuring changes in the properties of a gold nanoparticle placed next to the sample. The &#8220;nanoantenna&#8221; could have applications in sensing devices<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Nanotechnology May Help Treat Cancer &#8212; (ABC &#8212; November 8, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Health\/wireStory?id=1270435\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Health\/wireStory?id=1270435<\/a><br \/>\nExperiments on mice have shown promise for the future of nanotechnology in treating cancer. Research is bringing doctors a step closer to using the technology to release cancer-killing drugs inside tumors while leaving the rest of the body unscathed. After seeing how some mice were cured of human prostate cancer with the technology, cancer specialists have high hopes for its future application.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">GLOBAL EPIDEMIC<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">40 million Now Have AIDS Virus<br \/>\nVietnam Begins Bird Purge<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">40 million Now Have AIDS Virus &#8212; (CNN &#8212; November 22, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/HEALTH\/conditions\/11\/21\/un.aids.ap\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/HEALTH\/conditions\/11\/21\/un.aids.ap\/index.html<\/a><br \/>\nThe global HIV epidemic continues to expand, with more than 40 million people now estimated to have the AIDS virus, but in some countries prevention efforts are finally starting to pay off, the United Nations says. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in history.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Vietnam Begins Bird Purge &#8212; (CNN &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/HEALTH\/11\/15\/birdflu.vietnam.reut\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/HEALTH\/11\/15\/birdflu.vietnam.reut\/index.html<\/a><br \/>\nVietnam recently slaughtered thousands of birds in its two largest cities, while other Asian nations boosted efforts to halt the spread of deadly avian flu. China vowed to vaccinate its entire stock of 14 billion poultry against bird flu, with the government promising to help pay for the process. The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu is endemic in poultry in parts of Asia and has killed more than 60 people in the region.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Silicon Chip Works on The Speed of Light<br \/>\nWhat Lurks in Its Soul?<br \/>\nNarrowing the Digital Divide<br \/>\nFinger-Vein Reader to Foil Car Thieves<br \/>\nTop Supercomputer Reaches New Record Speeds<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Silicon Chip Works on The Speed of Light &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 8, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/channel\/info-tech\/dn8257.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/channel\/info-tech\/dn8257.html<\/a><br \/>\nA silicon chip that can carry light and even slow it down has been unveiled by IBM researchers. The chip demonstrates some of the essential techniques for creating high-speed photonic memory, which many researchers believe will one day make electronic memory obsolete in optical communications networks.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">What Lurks in Its Soul? &#8212; (Washington Post &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2005\/11\/11\/AR2005111101644.html?referrer=email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2005\/11\/11\/AR2005111101644.html?referrer=email<\/a><br \/>\nGoogle&#8217;s disdain for the status quo and its voracious appetite for aggressively pursuing initiatives to bring about radical change seems endless. Google is testing the boundaries in so many ways, and so purposefully, it&#8217;s likely to wind up at the center of a variety of legal battles with landmark significance.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Narrowing the Digital Divide &#8212; (Wired &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/culture\/0,1284,69561,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/culture\/0,1284,69561,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_5<\/a><br \/>\nAn African-led initiative that will use high-speed internet connections to treat AIDS patients in Burundi and Burkina Faso offers inspiration for those working to bridge the world&#8217;s digital divide. Its great promise lies in its linking of technology spending with existing campaigns to extinguish poverty, diseases and illiteracy, averting the need to choose one over the other.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Finger-Vein Reader to Foil Car Thieves &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 8, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/channel\/mech-tech\/dn8249.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/channel\/mech-tech\/dn8249.html<\/a><br \/>\nCar thieves could be foiled by a car security system that recognises the unique pattern of veins on a driver&#8217;s fingers as they pull the door handle. The system would stop a thief even if he had stolen the keys to the car, says Japanese company Hitachi, which has developed the technology.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Top Supercomputer Reaches New Record Speeds &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn8313\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn8313<\/a><br \/>\nThe most powerful supercomputer on the planet has reached a scorching new processing speed, confirming its reputation as the world&#8217;s top number-cruncher by some margin.The BlueGene\/L System ranks number one on the latest world rankings, a list of the 500 fastest supercomputers known as the Top500. BlueGene\/L was jointly developed by IBM and the US National Nuclear Security Administration and is installed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The machine is used to simulate nuclear weapon explosions and model molecular dynamics. The behemoth has now reached a peak speed of 280.6 teraflops (1 teraflop is one trillion calculations in 1 second).<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Sunscreen Sexually Alters Fish on West Coast<br \/>\nDeadly Effects of Future U.S. Heat Waves Predicted<br \/>\nVolcanic Eruptions Mask Effect of Global Warming<br \/>\nDeforestation Slowing &#8211; UN<br \/>\nTsunami Warning System Under Way<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Sunscreen Sexually Alters Fish on West Coast &#8212; (News Daily &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newsdaily.com\/Science\/UPI-1-20051115-12462700-bc-us-fish.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newsdaily.com\/Science\/UPI-1-20051115-12462700-bc-us-fish.xml<\/a><br \/>\nSunscreen residue washed off in showers and sinks is reportedly sexually altering some male fish off the Southern California coast. A University of California-Riverside scientist sasys a chemical used in sunscreen products is causing some male fish to develop ovary tissue and female egg proteins.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Deadly Effects of Future U.S. Heat Waves Predicted &#8212; (Live Science &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.livescience.com\/environment\/051114_heat_waves.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.livescience.com\/environment\/051114_heat_waves.html<\/a><br \/>\nIn 2003, a summer heat wave killed between 22,000 and 35,000 people in five European countries. Temperatures soared to 104 degrees Fahrenheit in Paris, and London recorded its first triple-digit Fahrenheit temperature in history. If a similar heat wave struck the United States, the results would be disastrous, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at what would happen if a comparable extreme-heat event settled on five major U.S. cities, learning that not only would the country experience massive blackouts, but thousands of people could die.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Volcanic Eruptions Mask Effect of Global Warming &#8212; (The Sydney Morning Herald &#8212; November 8, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/articles\/2005\/11\/03\/1130823343430.html?oneclick=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/articles\/2005\/11\/03\/1130823343430.html?oneclick=true<\/a><br \/>\nA key indicator of climate change &#8211; rising global sea levels &#8211; has been masked by a string of volcanic eruptions, Australian research has found. If it had not been for the eruptions sea levels today would be six or seven millimetres higher according to one expert.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Deforestation Slowing &#8211; UN &#8212; (BBC &#8212; November 15, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4436116.stm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4436116.stm<\/a><br \/>\nThe speed of global deforestation is showing signs of slowing down because of new planting and natural forest extension, according to new figures. But the world&#8217;s forests are still being destroyed at an alarming rate, says the UN. Deforestation was most extensive in South America, where an average of 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) were lost annually over the last five years, followed by Africa with 4 million hectares (9.8 million acres).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Tsunami Warning System Under Way &#8212; (BBC &#8212; November 17, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4442942.stm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4442942.stm<\/a><br \/>\nThe first stage in the installation of a tsunami early-warning system has got under way off the coast of Indonesia. After eight months of designing, testing and surveying, the first two early-warning buoys are ready. In a joint project with the Indonesian government, a German research vessel is sailing towards the coastal waters of Sumatra where they will be deployed.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">TERRORISM AND THE FUTURE OF WARFARE<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Landmine Arrows<br \/>\nThe Bioweapon Is in the Post<br \/>\nUS Military Sets Laser PHASRs to Stun<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Landmine Arrows &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 28, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn8355&amp;feedId=online-news_rss20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn8355&amp;feedId=online-news_rss20<\/a><br \/>\nA company has developed a shell containing hundreds of steel arrows that can trigger landmines with a single shot. Each rod has a flared rear end, like the feathers of an arrow, and hundreds can be packed into a single cylindrical shell. This shell can be lobbed into a mined area and just before impact a charge behind the arrows will fire them downwards. The metal flights will keep the arrows on a straight course so that they pepper the area at high velocity and at regular spaces.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">The Bioweapon Is in the Post &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/channel\/opinion\/mg18825252.900.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/channel\/opinion\/mg18825252.900.html<\/a><br \/>\nYou might think it would be difficult for a terrorist to obtain genes from the smallpox virus, or a similarly vicious pathogen; unfortunately its not. Armed with a fake email address, a would-be bioterrorist could probably order the building blocks of a deadly biological weapon online, and receive them by post within weeks. That&#8217;s the sobering reality uncovered by an investigation into the bioterror risks posed by the booming business of gene synthesis.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">US Military Sets Laser PHASRs to Stun &#8212; (New Scientist &#8212; November 8, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn8275\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn8275<\/a><br \/>\nThe US government has unveiled a &#8220;non-lethal&#8221; laser rifle designed to dazzle enemy personnel without causing them permanent harm. But the device will require close scrutiny to ensure compliance with a United Nations protocol on blinding laser weapons. The US Department of Defense believes the weapon could be used, for example, to temporarily blind suspects who drive through a roadblock.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">AUGMENTED INTELLIGENCE<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Japan Developing Remote Control for Humans<br \/>\nMachines and Objects to Overtake Humans on the Internet<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Japan Developing Remote Control for Humans &#8212; (CNN &#8212; November 8, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/TECH\/10\/25\/human.remote.control.ap\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/TECH\/10\/25\/human.remote.control.ap\/index.html<\/a><br \/>\nJapans top telephone company, says it is developing the technology to perhaps make video games more realistic. A special headset is placed on the cranium that sends a very low voltage electric current from the back of your ears through your head. The technology is called galvanic vestibular stimulation &#8212; essentially, electricity messes with the delicate nerves inside the ear that help maintain balance. The phenomenon is painless but dramatic, as your feet start to move before you know it.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Machines and Objects to Overtake Humans on the Internet &#8212; (PhysicsOrg &#8212; November 17, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.physorg.com\/news8250.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.physorg.com\/news8250.html<\/a><br \/>\nMachines will overtake humans to become the biggest users of the Internet in a brave new world of electronic sensors, smart homes, and tags that track users&#8217; movements and habits, the UN&#8217;s telecommunications agency predicted. Currently there are about 875 million Internet users worldwide, a number that may simply double if humans remain the primary users of the future. But experts are counting on tens of billions of human and inanimate &#8220;users&#8221; in future decades.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">ENERGY REVOLUTION<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\">Energy Gap: The Cultural Roots<br \/>\nHow Soon Will World&#8217;s Oil Supplies Peak?<br \/>\nGas Pipe Broadband?<br \/>\nBiodiesel Keeps Home Fire Burning<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Energy Gap: The Cultural Roots &#8212; (BBC &#8212; November 17, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4425030.stm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4425030.stm<\/a><br \/>\nWhy is Britain facing an enormous shortfall in electricity provision while neighboring nations are not? This is the unspoken question behind a report compiled from the contributions of 150 academics, entrepreneurs and business people drawn from across the energy sector under the aegis of the Geological Society of London (GSL). Its headline conclusion is that within a decade, Britain will be producing only about 80% of the electricity it needs unless big decisions are taken &#8211; and taken soon.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">How Soon Will World&#8217;s Oil Supplies Peak? &#8212; (CS Monitor &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.csmonitor.com\/2005\/1109\/p03s01-usec.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.csmonitor.com\/2005\/1109\/p03s01-usec.html<\/a><br \/>\nIf world crude-oil production hits its peak and then falls within the next five to 10 years, would America be ready? The answer is, almost certainly not. A debate unlike anything seen since the oil embargoes of the 1970s has erupted over the future of world petroleum supplies.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Gas Pipe Broadband? &#8212; (CNET &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/news.com.com\/Gas+pipe+broadband\/2100-1034_3-5945204.html?tag=nefd.lede\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/news.com.com\/Gas+pipe+broadband\/2100-1034_3-5945204.html?tag=nefd.lede<\/a><br \/>\nImagine accessing the Internet over the same pipe that provides you with natural gas for cooking. It may sound nuts today, but a San Diego company called Nethercomm is developing a way to use ultra wideband wireless signals to transmit data at broadband speeds through natural-gas pipes. The company claims its technology will be able to offer 100 megabits per second to every home, which is more than enough to provide voice, video and high-speed Internet access.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"headertext3\">Biodiesel Keeps Home Fire Burning &#8212; (Wired &#8212; November 14, 2005)<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/planet\/0,2782,69524,00.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/planet\/0,2782,69524,00.html<\/a><br \/>\nBiodiesel, the vegetable-oil alternative to diesel that sparked a small, grass-roots movement, is exploding onto the commercial marketplace and rapidly gaining widespread acceptance. But not as an alternative to gasoline, as many had envisioned. This clean-burning, renewable fuel is making its way into a growing number of American homes as a substitute for residential heating oil.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"headertext2\"><a title=\"finalquote\"><\/a>A FINAL QUOTE&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created&#8211;created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. &#8212;<span class=\"headertext3\">John Schaar<\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A special thanks to Bernard Calil, Humera Khan, Deanna Korda, KurzweilAI, Sher Patterson-Black, Diane Petersen, John C. Petersen, the Schwartzreport, Joel Snell, Ken Dabkowski, Jin Zhu, and Richard May, our contributors to this issue. If you see something we should know about, do send it along &#8211; thanks.<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:johnp@arlingtoninstitute.org\">johnp@arlingtoninstitute.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volume 8, Number 17 11\/28\/2005 Edited by John L. Petersen johnp@arlingtoninstitute.org See past issues in the Archives In This Issue: Future Facts&nbsp;&#8211; from Think Links Think Links&nbsp;&#8211; The Future in the News\u2026Today A Final Quote At The Arlington Institute, we believe that to understand the future, you need to have an open mind and cast [&hellip;] <a class=\"g1-link g1-link-more\" href=\"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/volume-8-number-17-11-28-2005\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[46],"class_list":{"0":"post-26382","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-futuredition","7":"tag-newsletter"},"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26382"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69843,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26382\/revisions\/69843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}