Building every possible energy alternative and China will still use coal for over 50% of its energy in 2030

Under the most aggressive assumptions China will still be using coal for over 50% of its power needs in 2030 At the same time as China renewables grow, the absolute amount of China coal fired generation will continue to skyrocket. According to Bloomberg, 343-450 Gigawatts of new coal generation will be built in China over …

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Proposal for widespread monitoring and tracking of biomarkers and environmental factors for medical understanding

Andy Grove has criticized how the pharmaceutical industry operates and performs research. What I would really like to do is to contact Andy Grove and suggest that he use his semiconductor knowledge to help a company release a lot of inexpensive and capable lab on a chip testing systems to track biomarkers. Labs on a …

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Another look at Military Nanotechnology

I had written in 2006 about the Military Nanotechnology book by Altmann The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology has reviewed the book. Some consideration should be given to 1. What are the non-nanotech ways that production could greatly increase ? Breakthroughs that allow expanded reel to reel production. ECD Ovonics quantum control devices made from polymers …

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Quantum Dots made brighter by a 108 to 550 times factor

By placing quantum dots on a specially designed photonic crystal, researchers at the University of Illinois have demonstrated enhanced fluorescence intensity by a factor of up to 108. Potential applications include high-brightness light-emitting diodes, optical switches and personalized, high-sensitivity biosensors. A quantum dot is a tiny piece of semiconductor material 2 to 10 nanometers in …

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McKinsey Global Institute analyzes the US dollar and yuan

The US current account deficit was a record $857 billion in 2006 A 45% depreciation of the dollar against the yuan would not result in balanced U.S. bilateral trade with China. The cost advantage of most Chinese exports is simply too great to be eliminated by currency movements alone. Moreover, many of the goods that …

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tax breaks for renewables

$16 billion in taxes on oil to be used for billions in tax breaks and incentives for renewables This would be a good thing if it passes into law. A long pdf with the text of the bill Brian WangBrian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers …

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Applications for aligned nanowires

To demonstrate the usefulness of the technique [aligned nanowires using bubbles], the researchers transferred the films to silicon wafers, then used conventional techniques to deposit electronic contacts on the films. The nanowires bridged the contacts, serving as semiconducting channels for working transistors. Lieber says that early applications could include accurate home tests for illnesses such …

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Comparing the added energy from non-fossil fuel sources

Nnadir at dailykos has another great observation which compares the increased power per year from 1993 to 2005 of non-fossil fuel sources in the United States The rate of increase in units of energy, delivered as electrical power per year in the period between 1993 and 2005 (12 years). The units of this calculation will …

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