Blackfriars solar panels

I was reading the Independent today and saw this.

The numbers sound impressive 900'000 kWh per year! but goes on to say it will only produce enough power for 350 UK households...I take issue with even this small number.

900'000 kWh per year is about 2500 kWh per day, according to David Mckay an average person in the UK uses about 125 kWh per day (~5000 watts). This means the solar panel produce enough power for roughly 20 people. 

It may produce enough electricity for 350 UK households (and 7kWh/day seems a bit frugal) but most of the energy we use is in heating and transport.

Simple Geogebra Orrery

Very basic, hopefully I got Keplers third law correct.

This is a Java Applet created using GeoGebra from www.geogebra.org - it looks like you don't have Java installed, please go to www.java.com

Projectile Motion

I was reading this post on Dan Meyer's amazing blog a while ago and thought it was great.

Then a while later I saw these amazing light paintings from the exploratorium and had an idea!

By throwing my bicycle light and taking a long exposure photograph I was able to get this image of a beautiful parabola.

After importing it into geogebra and looking at the projectile motion wiki, I made this:

This is a Java Applet created using GeoGebra from www.geogebra.org - it looks like you don't have Java installed, please go to www.java.com

If I had marked distance it would have been interesting to try and find the velocity I threw it.

This was also inspired by Radiolabs parabolas video.

Geogebra physics tips

Made some quick tutorial videos for making some simple physics models in geogebra (amazing opensource dynamics maths program).

I need to work on my radio voice but might be helpful.

Microscopic Laser Shadow Imaging

Great new demo from the naked scientists. See the shadows of tiny animals with a laser pen.

The technique can been used to turn a mobile phone into a microscope which could greatly help medicine in poorer parts of the world.

Epigentics

Great program into the complexity of the feedback back loops between not only genes and the environment but the environment and genes.

The First 1000 Days: A Legacy for Life - Part 3: Future Generations
Download podcast

There are some beautiful epigentics resources from the University of Utah.

David Shrenk did an interesting TED talk about how we should view intelligence with this new knowledge.



I first heard him speak on the Big Picture Science Podcast.

How do we triple energy production..

(from 15 TW to 45 TW)..and reduce CO2 emissions to zero over the next few decades?

2 great videos looking at how science might be able to help.

Wade Adams - Nanotechnology and Energy


Jonathan Trent - Can We Cultivate Energy?