Subliminal Frequencies

More Biomimacry

Speaking of geckos, it appears the Pentagon has found applications for imitating the gecko’s vertical wall climbing capabilities.  The Pentagon’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, has developed a  “Stickybot” which looks and climbs exactly like a gecko, using friction to adhere to smooth surfaces. The six-legged devices developed by the RiSE project, which is presided over by Professor Mark Cutkosky of Stanford University, are  based on insects and reptiles. The aim is to develop machines capable of walking both along the ground and up walls and other surfaces. They also have a “DynoClimber”, which scuttles up walls like a cockroach, at speeds of 66cm a second (or 1.5 times its body length every second).

With these lizardbots go,you can get up close and personal against an enemy in a building, without risking any of your soldiers. Who knows what other applications they can have. For more information see http://robotbling.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php?action=viewblog&id=326110.

Nature Does It Better

When I was young I went to the back rooms of the Field Museum in Chicago and talked with a researcher studying the ridges on a gecko’s foot. They were looking for new methods of adhesion, of course, as a gecko can climb vertical walls with ease. That was my first encounter with biomimicry, a facinating and growing field. After all, who creates better design than God?

A Whale’s Tail Tale

The following biomimicry story is from the Telegraph, a british paper.  ( http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/5479418/Biomimicry-why-the-world-is-full-of-intelligent-design.html )                     

“Dr Frank Fish, an expert on how animals move, based at the University of West Chesterfield in Pennsylvania, was looking at a sculpture of a humpback whale, when he realised that the artist had put bumps on the whale’s flippers. That made no sense: everyone knew that the leading edge of a wing had to be smooth and streamlined.

The gallery owner, however, assured Dr Fish that the bumps were in the right place. Intrigued, the doctor made a thorough investigation. What he discovered was that the mysterious bumps were precisely the right shape, and located in precisely the right places, to make even an animal as cumbersome as a whale extremely agile, as the bumps produce vortices that generate more lift and reduce drag.

Dr Fish has set up a firm called WhalePower, which uses this concept – which he refers to as “tubercle technology” – to design wind turbines, pumps and fans. The bumpy blades, he says, are quieter and more reliable – and produce 20 per cent more electricity a year.”

 The Whale Power website sums up their new development saying, “Everything from ceiling fans to HVAC fans to large scale ventilation fans will need less power and will be quieter as well.” For more information see www.whalepower.com.

Greywater Recycling Systems

One picture is worth a thousand words. Examine this and you can see the beauty of a greywater system. As you can see, greywater is the wastewater from kitchen, bathroom, (but not toilet, only shower), and washing machine water. It is a system of small tanks to be held inside or outside, until you want to use it for plants, inside and/or outside.  They can be constructed for as little as thirty dollars.

 Whats not to love?

 Unfortunately some places do not allow greywater systems, remarkably, even here in the desert where it could be most easily used,  due to safety conscerns. Most confusingly it is allowed to be used, with success for hotels and golf courses.

For more information see www.greywater.com.

Michelin’s Revolutionary New Tweel

Instead of the conventional rubber inflatable tire, Michelin has developed this “tire/wheel.” It should be an answer to under-inflated tires, of which it is estimated that one third of all cars on American roads are guilty of. This is both dangerous and wastes gas. The tweel would over come this.

What It Is

Michelin describes it as, “Michelin TWEEL is a single non-pneumatic solution instead of the traditional tire and wheel combination, made up of a rubber tread bonded to the hub by flexible spokes. The flexible spokes are fused with a deformable wheel that absorbs shocks and rebounds with unimaginable ease. Without the air needed in conventional tires, Michelin TWEEL still delivers pneumatic-like load-carrying capacity, ride comfort and resistance to road hazards.” The only drawback appears to be excessive noise and vibration. Hopefully this can be worked out for cars, (they are already being used for slower vehicles like segways). They should be available for wide spread use 2010. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqRJ9GfIJtI.

Amazing Cork

Recycling Corks

The Many Uses for Vinegar

When I was young the only time we used vinegar was to color easter eggs. Many people use vinegar for washing windows as a green alternative, but the uses for vinegar are so many I will not list them here but refer you to two great links.

Real Vinegar

This website, http://www.heinzvinegar.com/tips, from Heinz Vinegar emphasizes using their product ensures you their product is natural and not made from petroleum of all things. It lists countless home use tips for their vinegars.

More Vinegar Uses

More uses for vinegar can be found many places. Check out http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/vinegar-uses-460409, and many other links for this remarkably versatial liquid.

Chicken Stew

This recipe serves six and has delicious cornmeal dumplings, again, all with only one breast of chicken.
Serves: 6

Skinless chicken is the basis of this delicious stew; cornmeal dumplings are made with low-fat milk.

INGREDIENTS
Stew

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken meat, cut into 1″ cubes
1/2 cup onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1 pinch ground cloves
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 package frozen peas

Dumplings

1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sifted whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Stew
1. Place chicken, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, and water in a large saucepan. Heat to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 1/2 hour or until chicken is tender.
2. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Strain broth.
3. Skim fat from broth; measure and, if necessary, add water to make 3 cups liquid.
4. Mix cornstarch with 1 cup cooled broth by shaking vigorously in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. 5. Pour into saucepan with remaining broth; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened.
6. Add basil, peas, and reserved vegetables to sauce; stir to combine.
7. Add chicken and heat slowly to boiling while preparing cornmeal dumplings.

Dumplings
1. Sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix together milk and oil. Add milk mixture all at once to dry ingredients; stir just enough to moisten flour and evenly distribute liquid. Dough will be soft.
3. Drop full tablespoons of dough on top of braised meat or stew. Cover tightly; heat to boiling. Reduce heat (do not lift cover) to simmering and steam about 20 minutes.

NUTRITION INFO (per 1.25-cups stew & 2-dumpling serving)
Calories: 299.9
Fat: 4.5 g
Carbohydrates: 41.3 g
Protein: 23.6 g

Altuse.com

Everyone knows there is a thousand uses for duct tape, but did you know instant mashed potatoes can be used as rat poison as it expands and explodes their stomachs?  These and many other alternate uses for everyday products can be found on www.altuse.com.

Seattle Bag Wars

Seattle wants to charge twenty cents for each plastic bag used. Big buisness who create the bags are waging all out war on the initiative.for more information see;

 http://reusablebags.typepad.com/newsroom/2009/05/our-scoop-seattle-bag-fee-vote-set-for-aug-18-we-need-your-help.html

You gotta see this

I found a green thrift link I want everyone to see.

http://www.greenamericatoday.org/emails/canews/20090519

It has great tips for all type of green ways and saving money.

Take a look.

“It’s the best barbecue in the world.”

In the 1960’s airline pilot Richard Johnson flew to Japan and saw Mushikamados or steam rice cookers being used to make superb rice. He took the idea and developed the Kamado, a large ceramic barbeque outdoor cooker. He promises “it’s the best barbecue in the world.” It also appears to be the most beautiful.

World Wide Ceramic Cooking

Most countries in the world use some kind of ceramic cooking, and ceramic cooked food is universally more delicious. Hawaii and Oceania have luau pits; we have Dutch ovens, Crock pots, Pizza ovens, and Southwest Indian Beehive ovens. India has tandoori ovens and they are common in the Mideast and many parts of Europe as well.

Reasons why ceramic cooking is superior are many. There is moisture retention, leading to juicier foods as with other cooking methods. There is a natural flavor as opposed to metal, petroleum or gas taste imparted to foods. Heat by convection and radiation, and the exterior tile is safe to touch as ceramic insulates. All these are qualities shown by the Kamado.

Prices start at $400.00 for a thirteen inch round grill diameter, at twenty nine inches tall, eighteen inches wide and one hundred one pounds. They can be reached at www.kamado.com.