Subject: Viridian Note 00348: Viridian Potpourri

Key concepts

ubicomp, physical computing, NASA, West Nile Virus, Pluto, Exxon tattoos, weblogging, etc etc

Attention Conservation Notice:

Pope-Emperor empties the vats. These data morsels bear almost no relation to one another. A great way to waste time websurfing, though. Heaven knows I did. etc etc

Links:

Pope-Emperor ranting about ubicomp at a Core77 event.
http://www.core77.com/offsite/brucesterling.html

Core77 is getting very into "physical computing" lately.

Smart Environments - By Lisa Sundbeck
http://www.core77.com/reactor/spaderdam.html

The Zoology of Physical Computing - by Joey Stein
http://www.core77.com/reactor/stein_physicalcomp.html

Designing Systems for Human Interaction,
Not Human-Computer Interaction == by Camille Utterback http://www.core77.com/reactor/utterback.html

Swell Metropolis piece on office design.
http://www.metropolismag.com/html/content_1102/wrk/

Exxon inscribed into one's flesh. Nothing much compared to what their evil exhalations do to your lungs, though.
http://www.aeroplastics.net/buetti/1_gf/buetti_gf_04.html

Forbes magazine goes nuts over ubicomp. Then again, Forbes is owned by Steve Forbes, who is bonkers.
http://www.forbes.com/global/2002/1028/076_print.html

All-Seeing Ubicomp Eye in the Sky Dept.:

NASA Researches Developing Tools To Help Track and Predict West Nile Virus
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020828phap.html

"NASA researchers are conducting Earth Science research that may one day allow public health officials to better track and predict the spread of West Nile Virus. NASA's goal is to provide people on the front lines of public health with innovative technologies." ((("So, the more global warming, the more tropical diseases I have to fight." "No no, doctor, you don't get it == we're NASA, we want to launch you some satellites.")))

Mosquito satellites! "The four species represented here have tested positive for West Nile Virus in each of the past four years. They are: Culex salinarius, Culex pipiens, Culex restuans, and Aedes vexans."
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/earth/pictures/20020828phap/vexans.jpg
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/earth/pictures/20020828phap/pippens.jpg
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/earth/pictures/20020828phap/restuans.jpg http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/earth/pictures/20020828phap/Salinarius.jpg

NASA to Develop Biohazard 'Smoke' Detector
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2002/release_2002_195.cfm

"Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., have demonstrated a prototype device that automatically and continuously monitors the air for the presence of bacterial spores. The result is a novel alarm capability reminiscent of smoke detectors." (((Imagine actually seeing the bacteria in your air. Or in your gut. Or on your skin.)))

(((Here's the gizmo in question. Needs massive redesign:)))
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/technology/sporedetector_340_226.jpg

Pluto Is Undergoing Global Warming
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/2002/pluto.html "Pluto is undergoing global warming, as evidenced by a three-fold increase in the planet's atmospheric pressure during the past 14 years. The warming trend may be a completely normal 'seasonality' (Pluto's year is 250 Earth years), but this is the first time we have had the technology to observe it."

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/MSD-full-spectrum-solar-cell.html
While researching LEDs, lab guys in Berkeley accidentally invent a better solar cell.

http://www.solarcat.com/sfsolar/main.htm
Foggy San Francisco is now the world capital of solar power as an act of political resentment.