Open Source Civilization Kit

With the current political debacle threatening to undermine our economy, we should, once again, be concerned with going it "on our own." I don't mean running into the woods with a gun and tent and a gallon jug of water.  I mean that we should figure just what it takes to maintain a civilized standard of living and then do something substantive about insuring that those things get done. Leave the squabbling to those better suited to do it in Washington. That's why they go there, not to help us.

Marcin Jakubowski has a Ph. D. in fusion physics and is a TED 2011 Fellow. He is in the process of developing a toolkit of "50 different Industrial Machines that it takes to build a small civilization with modern comforts," called the Global Village Construction Set. It includes everything from a tractor to a 3-D printer, pieced together with interchangeable parts, motors and power units as if it were a "life-sized lego set." They currently have eight prototypes available on their Wiki, complete with designs, how-to videos for assembly, and budgets. His group, Open Source Ecology, wants the kit to lower "the barriers to entry into farming, building, and manufacturing" for the DIY community, and even extend their ideas for use in the developing world.

Here's a video of his group's project.



Here's a link to Jakubowski's four minute TED talk from 2011.

Is This Where We're Headed?

What with all the apocalyptic talk about the debt ceiling and political gridlock, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at what happens when you can't pay your bills. This article highlights Detroit's lack of grocery stores and how folks are coping. Have a look. It's called Forget Urban Farms. We Need a Wal-Mart.

Alright, Time To Get Back On The Horse

A whole year has gone by and I haven't posted once, but now I'm back and going to start posting regularly again. No excuses and no explanations. I've just been too busy.

I'm going to start off by posting this interesting company near Seattle that creates tree-houses. What with economic calamity staring at us in the face and many of us not blinking (or even looking up from our media-saturated stupor), I think that it would be fun (read essential) to consider the options that a breakdown in the social/economic/governance fabric could enable.

With that pretentiousness over, I present......

TreeHouse Point  

When we were kids, the coolest kid had a tree-house and everyone wanted to hang out there. We seldom grow out of our childhood dreams. Those of us that do lose something important about being human. Having said that, check out this website . The houses are quite beautiful and the interiors even more so. As the site says, "TreeHouse Point is an intimate alternative for individuals and groups who seek comfort and style in friendly and natural surroundings. All accommodations are well designed and artfully decorated, with touches like handmade beds, original art and charming vintage furnishings." I couldn't agree more. They also will build a tree-house for you.

Oh, and if you have four minutes to spare and you'd like to see more, watch this............

There Should Be A Law.....

Have you ever wondered how the mechanism of law making works in Congress? This chart shows you how.

See how easy it is?

Gardening Makes You Smarter

I love Scientific American. This article reports on a study that shows that exposure to certain bacteria in the soil actually increases memory, intelligence and serotonin levels while decreasing anxiety. Maybe that's why I like to garden so much.

Economics 801

Yeah, that's right. True post-graduate level stuff here. When are we going to learn that things don't necessarily scale? This 10+ minute cartoon explains research that points out that more $ doesn't necessarily equal better performance. This certainly gives weight to the notion that we should de-incentivize greed, because it's not performing as promised. Money IS NOT what people ALWAYS want.

Watch.

We Won't Find Aliens Because They're Playing XBox

This opinion piece in Seed Magazine serves up a provocative theory on civilization's progress as being a self-limiting proposition. The basic idea is that once a civilization develops technology, it inevitably uses it to seek ever more self-absorbed and narcissistic pastimes, eventually effectively abandoning real life for virtual existences. All you have to do is imagine the visors from the SyFY show "Caprica" to see the dangers of addiction inherent in such pursuits.

Do Children Pick Your Vegetables? (part two)

I applaud the efforts of anyone involved with teaching our children where food comes from and what is needed to make it grow. This effort sponsored by GOOD, LAUSD, The USDA People’s Garden Initiative, The Environmental Media Association, The National Gardening Association, The Urban & Environmental Policy Institute, The California School Garden Network, and Mia Lehrer & Associates, teaches lessons that only nature can provide.

As the article states, "A school ... garden not only helps children understand where their food comes from, it teaches ecological literacy and teamwork, nutrition and problem-solving."

We should be doing this in EVERY school.

Do Children Pick Your Vegetables?

Well, do they?