From Water to Space

Thanks to Will for this one:

In this lecture, engineer and cave explorer Bill Stone discusses some of the technology used in the mapping of deep under water caves and its use in the future of space exploration. Stone examines 3D mapping technology of completely autonomous probes and examines how this could impact the exploration of Jupiter's moon Europa. In concluding his talk, Stone explores the possibility of mining the moon for space fuel. This project would make the industry much more economical and revolutionize space travel.

What a STEM background could mean for you

STEM (short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)areas of study are going to be the growth areas for jobs in the future. Check out this video, which starts of with Steven Chu, Nobel winning physicist and Secretary of Energy, and other industrial CEOs, as they make mention that STEM backgrounds are key to just about any type of job and career a present student may wish for in the next decade. Check it out!

Evolution of Information

I will give the direct link to Zenpundit's post on this topic. It is a really interesting, non-technical, 8-minute history of the evolution of information since humans first began writing down information. Of particular interest is where information gathering and acessibility is headed in the next couple decades. I agree with the analysis presented in the video, and one can already see hints of things to come. We are in a 'pull' era, where individuals are expecting and demanding that they be able to gather information from all media resources, whenever and wherever they happen to be (this is a large part of the fate of traditional newspapers that cannot compete with online news sources, for instance; traditional newspapers are part of the 'push' era that we have been exiting over the last 5-10 years). This is also why 'smart phones' are becoming the tool of choice for millions, if not billions, of individuals worldwide, and they will take the lead in the 'pull' era.

An aside: It would be wise for educators to note this trend, accept it, and begin to allow students to use personal communications devices more frequently in the education process.