Herman Miller and his vision of the office of the future

https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/reaction-offices-and-the-future-of-work/

Fill in the blanks Eurovan post - funny!

Hello all.  Although I am a relatively new owner of a '97 Eurovan and member of this group, it has not taken me long to get the gist of many of the posts here.  Since we want to spend more time with our vans and less time on Facebook, I have taken the liberty of developing an efficient "do-it-yourself" post that allows you to fill in the blanks and be on your way!  

I am hoping that one of you can help me.  We have a (19__/20__) Eurovan with __________ (200,000 miles / 500,000 miles / a broken odometer) and we are planning a trip across ___________________ (State Parks / Canada / our lawn).  The concern is that lately, whenever we ___________________ (go up a steep hill / go down a shallow hill / look at it the wrong way), the _________________ (check engine / check ego / check wallet) light comes on.  As well, there is a noise coming from under the floorboards that sounds like a _______________ (squeal / rattle / the cries of the souls of a thousand VW assembly line workers).  My suspicion is that it has something to do with the ____________________ (transmission / torque converter / flux capacitor).

We would hate to break down in the middle of the __________________ (Serengeti / Rocky Mountains / 7-11 parking lot), so I am wondering if any of you know a __________________ (reliable VW mechanic / therapist / classmate who studied German in high school) who would be able to ___________________ (repair it / put us up for a few nights / convince us to abandon it on the side of the road).  Also, I am looking for advice on installing an aftermarket ________________ (transmission cooler / solar panel / hot tub).

Looking forward to years of worry-free travel with our precious ______________ (Minnie / Gertie / Rutger). Thanks everyone!

Incredible Grape Cultivation, Harvesting and Processing Process - Modern Agriculture

https://youtu.be/7AVNY_oeyFQ

Mark Havran and his Solar Ebike

https://youtu.be/a-4JPYHcfxQ

Such DIY ingenuity! 

Plastic Pollution Guatemala | The Ocean Cleanup

https://youtu.be/DZ32lSQjWU0

The tons of plastic in this river really demonstrates the scale of the problem to clean up plastic that ends up in the ocean. 

Torticollis associated with increased intelligence

There are very few conditions associated with increased intelligence, but torticollis is one. 

And possibly hyperuricemia, through its role as a cortical stimulant. 

 

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1638942/?page=1

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1638942/?page=2

Stress mindset

At 36 minutes 5 seconds, We found that the mindset of candidates about whether stress is debilitating or invigorating could predict which 20% of Navy seals would make it through the grueling hell week of training

In part 2, giving a false test result suggesting that subjects were genetically predisposed to poor exercise and appetite control led to changes in their repeated treadmill test, their blood glucose, and their blood pressure. Merely the mindset change that they were genetically different changed their internal chemistry.

https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/reframing-your-reality-part-1/

https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/reframing-your-reality-part-2/

Sand Made From Crushed Glass Rebuilds Louisiana’s Shrinking Coast | World Wide Waste

https://youtu.be/dIOTsBhFF7M

Just a couple of college kids with an idea, and it's blossomed into a huge project to help restore New Orleans' coastline. 

Nylon Stockings Mass Production Process

https://youtu.be/shztBmkVhWA

I had no idea the machines were so complicated to make stockings, nor how many steps after involved. 

Considering how complicated the machines are, I'm also surprised how many steps are still done by hand. Maybe because stockings are so delicate and easily ripped? 

What chemical properties of clay make it perform well?

Clay is composed of flat, almost hexagonal plates with water in between. The plates can slide over each other but also stick together, so that the clay is plastic when wet. This means it can be formed easily but also holds its shape. This is not the same as an elastic material, which returns to its original shape when the force deforming it is removed... 

The smaller the particles, the more plastic the clay will be. Clays have much smaller particles than sand or silt, and are only a few thousandths of a millimeter wide (0.002 mm =2 µm)...

Illite* (like mica) has three repeating layers: silica, alumina, then an inverted layer of silica, with potassium ions bonding together each group of three layers. The layers in illite are therefore bonded together more strongly than in kaolinite, which only has weak hydroxyl bonds between its layers.

https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/ceramics-monthly/ceramics-monthly-article/Techno-File-Clay-Structure

*illite: a clay mineral of the muscovite mica group, with a lattice structure that does not expand on absorption of water.

NYTimes: He Fought Boston’s Blue Wall of Silence. Now He’s the Commissioner.

"Officer Cox, who is Black and was in plainclothes, had been mistaken for a homicide suspect after a high-speed chase, and a group of his fellow officers had beaten him viciously, kicking him in the face and bashing his head ." 

"We are not going to be defined by our past, but we are not going to ignore our past, either. Because it is inextricably bound to who we are."

"One thing I know about police departments, not just here in Boston, but everywhere — they're just not readily susceptible to change," Mr. Ellison said. "But change is here."

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/us/michael-cox-boston-police-commissioner.html

Better cinnamon rolls

This sounds so decadent - adding heavy cream to Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.

"one tube of rolls and a half-cup heavy cream... I feared that the underside of the rolls would be soggy, but the rolls soaked up most of the cream. The resulting rolls were plush, soft, and rich, just like Cinnabon's! ...The next morning the rolls were still soft.

"a Few Tips: 1) Use Grands cinnamon rolls. 2) Do not underbake. The heavy cream can slow the bake time... shoot for the middle of the recommended baking time. 3) Wait before icing. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for two minutes before adding the icing.

https://www.thekitchn.com/viral-cinnamon-roll-hack-23408087

Advanced Wheelchair! - (It Climbs Stairs)

https://youtu.be/hxf-fIubkMs

Nice! Segway type wheelchair has very up to date technology

A climate solution you might not think of.

https://youtu.be/Vr4A7PKCHAw

Crushed basalt rock from mining operations spread on agricultural soils could improve soil, and transfer calcium carbonate into oceans that shellfish would generate limestone from, licking away huge amounts of carbon dioxide. 

He Was the N.R.A.’s ‘Pointman.’ An Unlikely Friendship Made Him Think Twice. | NYT Opinion

https://youtu.be/mX80JIl6vFs

6:00 "When he met someone who had different views, very different from his own, he wanted to talk to that person more, to find out why there were such big differences. If you can put some of your preconceived bias aside, and recognize the values the other person has, you may understand that you share a lot more than you differ."

Artificial intelligence creates images from text

These artificial intelligence sites create a painting from your text prompt. 

https://huggingface.co/spaces/dalle-mini/dalle-mini

From 

https://www.makeuseof.com/ai-text-to-art-generators/

Arcing power grid switches

https://youtu.be/9GeXkussHfw

Grid power storage systems need to switch on and off very rapidly to accommodate grid needs. How is this accomplished without arcing? 

See "undesired arcing" at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_arc 

Vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) - advantages in offshore locations

https://youtu.be/Qc0rF58pP3c

The system is a moored deep-sea turbine that hoists a weight up from the sea floor, and when power is needed, it drops the weight which generates power on demand. 

He points out: 

7:03 although vertical axis wind turbines have slightly lower efficiency, they can operate in a wider range of wind speeds - 10:34 from 8 to 80 mph (vs 30-55mph for traditional horizontal axis turbines.) 8:01 It doesn't have delicate electronics connected to the blades, just a winch - allowing it to hoist the weight across a wider range of windspeeds. 

7:25 They can be installed closer to each other because there's less turbulence downstream. 

11:00 they can generate 4 times as much energy per area of sea surface. 

11:13 power output can match demand without battery storage because they're able to produce energy regardless of the wind speed

This video makes some good points about the advantages of vertical axis turbines, which can be small, and with this design they can produce energy on demand.

 7:43 Hydro Omni doesn't produce electricity directly from the wind. Instead it uses the wind to lift a heavy mass [up from the sea floor] - then when energy is needed the weight can be dropped powering a generator. This has some really interesting benefits 1) the Omni can operate in a much wider range of wind speeds because they don't have delicate electronics and generators attached to the turbines and 2) they can lift the weight faster or slower through a much wider range of wind speeds also unlike traditional wind turbines and 3) [produce energy on demand]

https://hw.energy/energy/

Vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) - advantages in offshore locations

The system is a moored deep-sea turbine that hoists a weight up from the sea floor, and when power is needed, it drops the weight which generates power on demand. 

He points out: 

7:06 although vertical axis wind turbines have slightly lower efficiency, they can operate in a wider range of wind speeds - 10:34 from 8 to 80 mph (vs 30-55mph for traditional horizontal axis turbines.) 8:01 It doesn't have delicate electronics connected to the blades, just a winch - allowing it to hoist the weight across a wider range of windspeeds. 

7:25 They can be installed closer to each other because there's less turbulence downstream. 

11:04 they can generate 4 times as much energy per area of sea surface. 

11:13 power output can match demand without battery storage because they're able to produce energy regardless of the wind speed

laying pipeline

https://youtu.be/d_l3SdqlQ68?t=235

3:16 constructed 1.5 km pipeline per day

Philippines; Sugarloaf mountains not Thailand

https://youtu.be/rVvK6Fba02E

World's largest reciprocating engine

https://youtu.be/k0u2lhV4K6E

Incredibly massive 

Sand storage for municipal heat

https://youtu.be/Azaf9tKJNoA

Municipal plant stores 500-degree heat, generated by renewable energy, in sand for months.

Chili Crunch oil on...ice cream!

https://youtu.be/D8BXYIZ_7sE?t=1340

Dan and Kenji Use MSG to Make Fried Rice, Chili Crisp, and a Dirty Martini | What's Eating Dan? You've probably heard a lot about umami by now, but you might not realize just how many ingredients are packed with this distinctive taste and why they're so... youtu.be

20:47 "Seattle has grown by 80% since the 1950's, and yet we have not increased our water usage since then. 

Nightbirde quotation

You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy."

Nightbirde, on America's Got Talent

US consumer sentiment index

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UMCSENT

Approaching an all-time low

Best to buy organic

Here are the produce items that Consumer Reports feels are best to buy organic to avoid pesticide exposure. 

Apples, strawberries, potatoes, pears, and Romaine lettuce. 

Travel advisor

Find a recommended local travel adviser at

https://www.travelsense.org/advanced-search/

Salmonella in chicken

"The USDA allows chicken processing plants to have salmonella in up to 9.8% of whole birds, 15.4% of chicken parts, and 25% of ground chicken. And if they exceed those levels, they are only given what amounts to a warning..."

Congress has allowed such kennels because people don't typically eat undercooked chicken, as they do with rare beef, so it's considered adequately safe to have salmonella in chicken. 

This "puts the onus on people to handle chicken with extreme care in their kitchens." 

Consumer Reports, August 2022, p. 34

CBD and Joint Disease

Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

"We found neither clinically nor statistically significant effects of CBD for pain intensity in patients with hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis when compared with placebo."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34510141/

Cannabidiol: A Brief Review of Its Therapeutic and Pharmacologic Efficacy in the Management of Joint Disease.

CBD "has shown promise in mouse model studies by attenuating pro-inflammatory immune responses. Additionally, recent research has demonstrated the efficacy of CBD in decreasing the endogenous pain response in mice subjected to acute arthritic conditions, as well as improved fracture healing" 

"...patients undergoing primary, unilateral THA/TKA...they note that between CBD/THC users and non-users, there was no significant difference in the length of narcotic use, narcotic pills consumed, average postoperative pain scores, the percentage of patients requiring a refill of narcotics, or length of stay..."

"... it is challenging to propose a recommendation for CBD use in perioperative pain management."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7176325/

Going Days Without Sleep : NPR

"daylight saving time: in the spring when we lose an hour of sleep, we see a subsequent 24 percent increase in heart attacks. In the fall when we gain an hour of sleep opportunity, there is a 21 percent decrease in heart attacks." 

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/27/573739653/the-haunting-effects-of-going-days-without-sleep

"In the brains of mice, sleep deprivation led to cell death after a few days of sleep restriction — a much lower threshold for brain damage than previously thought. It also caused inflammation in the prefrontal cortex and increased levels of tau and amyloid proteins, which have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, in the locus coeruleus and hippocampus. After a full year of regular sleep, the mice that previously had been sleep-deprived still suffered from neural damage and brain inflammation."

"studies published over the past 15 years have relied on behavioral changes and self-reported sleep data to link chronic bad sleep to dementia, depression, metabolic issues, cardiovascular disease, insufficient immune response and even lower grade-point averages. These experiments can be difficult to confirm, but, taken together with findings in animal models, they hint that there is some sort of long-term relationship between a lack of sleep and physical and cognitive damage."