Latest blog:

Twit Twat

1 year, 1 month ago

It seems, for now, I'm not so good at keeping this blog up to date. Perhaps twitter suits better my attention span... I'll put a feed here when i find time, for now, have a look at this page

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Latest music:

Songs before Sunrise

3 years, 9 months ago

My stream of unconsciousness:

2010-07-28 | John Delaney: Wiring an interactive ocean - John Delaney (2010)
Oceanographer John Delaney is leading the team that is building an underwater network of high-def cameras and sensors that will turn our ocean into a global interactive lab -- sparking an explosion of rich data about the world below.
2010-07-06 | Zoom into your Roof: Checking the Thermal Performance of Homes

zoom_into_roof.jpg
Might this be the best example of a truly persuasive visualization for the masses?

In this age of impending climate change, encouraging the thermal insulation of buildings has become an important factor in reducing energy costs and minimizing carbon emissions. Out of most existing buildings, a significant amount of heat escapes unnecessarily, and at least 30% is typically emitted through the roof construction. Many governments throughout the world attempt to tackle this problem by supporting the insulation of roofs through rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives.

But how can individual citizens determine whether such a costly renovation is worthwhile for their own house? The online project "Zoom into Your Roof" [antwerpen.be] tries to help solve this question through a relatively simple visualization. During the winter of 2009, a small airplane with an infrared scanner made a wide sweeping thermal scan of a large part of Belgium, which resulted in the largest thermographic map currently available online. Inhabitants living within this area are able to select their home address and answer a few questions (such as the angle of the roof). in order to determine for themselves how their own roofs actually perform.

2010-07-03 | 2010-07-04 Prosperity without growth?
So much of the analysis of how we respond to climate change assumes that economic growth and emissions reduction are compatible goals. But is this wishful thinking? To question maximising economic growth as an organising principle of society seems close to economic heresy. But is there any evidence that we can de-link consumption and economic growth from emissions growth? Must we re-think the very notion of growth and what it means to be genuinely prosperous? This is a 2010 Deakin Lecture.
2010-06-29 | Gillard won't play religion card
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she has no intention of pretending to believe in God to attract religiously-inclined voters.
2010-06-28 | Why does the Sun shine? The scientific vs the religious view.