IBM into Sustainable Environment
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
IBM research goes beyond computers and chips into environmental issues. IBM Research and Sanford University scientists has achieved a breakthrough into green plastics. Biodegradable plastics can reduce the accumulation of indestructible garbage on our planet.
Smarter recycling methods can make use of plastic waste and further reduce the accumulation. Developments in green polymer chemistry is also said to open new ways to deliver medicine, in addition to creating environmentally sustainable plastics.
IBM is using its chip, materials and nanotech expertise in other areas too, including DNA sequencing and water filtration. Discoveries made by the company during the development of photoresists for advanced microelectronics is finding new applications.
Essentially the new developments involve the application of organocatalysis to industries such as biodegradable plastics, plastic recycling and healthcare. Use of organic catalysts (instead of metal) can also lead to biodegradable materials made from renewable resources.
The paper on ‘Organocatalysis: Opportunities and Challenges for Polymer Synthesis’ is available at acs.org.
Tags: environment, green plastics, organocatalysis, polymer chemistry, sustainability
Posted in environment, nanotechnology | No Comments »
The Kindle Reader instead of a bulky Schoolbag
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
The Kindle e-Reader is an electronic device that can store 3500 books, articles and documents downloaded from Amazon website. Tim Wilson, director of Student Activities at College of Education, Seattle University is planning to store study materials in e-book format into Kindle Readers for students of his class.
Upto five graduate student volunteers from Wilson’s class will test the device during the entire quarter. The university, faculty and students hope to learn from the trial and determine whether future courses can be offered with electronic readers.
The Kindle readers, available from Amazon, cost $489 each and are not exactly cheap. However, if enough text books are available in e-book format, students can save money in the long term as e-books cost significantly less than paper text books. Then, of course, there is the prospect of replacing the heavy school bag with a compact device.
On the other hand, students will have to learn new skills for using the device. Taking notes, for example, is more complicated than adding them to the margin of a book using a pen.
Seattle U has been trying out modern technology in teaching. Classes are offered both on-line over the Web and in classrooms. Wilson corrects his students’ papers electronically via e-mail and uses podcasts in a project.
Read the story at su-spectator.
Tags: electronic learning, electronic reader, kindle e-reader
Posted in education, education delivery, information technology | No Comments »
