Business has had a ” measurable impact” on the world directed however by Capitalism a relationship system driving the outcome of technologies for the short and not the long term to a man-made set of interests, not values. The fossil fuel, tobacco and arms manufacturers all knew the long-term effects of their “new technologies”. Effects that weren’t going to deliver the best outcomes for the planet or the human race.
Innovation needs to be cultural, economic and social as well as technological to address global issues, so businesses must start producing technology that has a “measurable impact” on the world, writes Paul Budde.
Source: Hi-tech new is not enough, we must create a better future
So, if technology is not a problem, why are so many people feeling lost? On the material side, we could argue that we have never had it better. Especially if you compare this with our grandparents and the generations before them. In my opinion, the problem is emotional and not physical. Physically, we are better off but mentally, we seem to have problems with the way society functions. The complexity of our lives and our world is simply too big to fathom for most people in the Western world. I think the rest of the world is still too busy with the “physical” side. The mental problem – at least at this level – is mainly a Western problem. This lack of mental strength is also very clear in our leadership — they also don’t seem to be able to lead the people in a better direction. Instead, they are constantly reverting to political polarisation and populism. This adds to the confusion and anxiousness, people feel lost and become easy targets for fake news, conspiracies and so on.
Source: Technology isn’t ruining lives, that’s the Government’s job
A new Netflix film, The Social Dilemma, would have us believe that increasing social division and polarized political rhetoric is the product of Facebook and Twitter, and not the fact that income inequality has returned to pre–Great Depression levels.
Don’t Blame Social Media. Blame Capitalism.
One of Europe’s largest railway manufacturers Alstom has launched the first CO2-emission-free train powered by hydrogen. Dubbed ‘hydrail,’ the Coradia iLint train began operating in Germany.
Although there is some overlap in design features, Solar Roadways’ panels are perhaps more innovative than SolaRoad’s. The US couple’s hexagonal panels are studded with LED lights to make road lines and signs, and also feature heating elements to melt ice and snow.
For the next three years, SolaRoad will test out the path in order to gauge how much energy it is capable of producing and assess safety under different weather conditions. Because it can’t be adjusted to the position of the sun, the panels will generate approximately 30% less energy than those placed on roofs. However, the team anticipates that eventually it should be sufficient to power traffic lights, road lights, houses and electric cars. TNO’s Sten de Wit had a chat with the Guardian about the project, and he believes that up to 20% of the Netherlands’ 140,000 kilometers of road is suitable for conversion into solar roads, which could rake in a lot of energy.
As it’s still early days, production costs are unfortunately rather hefty. The pilot cycle path came with a $3.75 million (€3 million) price tag, which was mostly put up by the local authority. However, as the technology develops and production gets scaled-up, the price should drop.
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