cesarharada.com pearls

Noah Shelter : Japan's answer to next tsunami

2011-10-01T18:58:00.003+01:00

Via Nick Kaufmann
http://www.smh.com.au/world/japans-answer-to-next-tsunami-miniark-20111001-1l276.html

October 1, 2011 - 7:01AM

Japanese company markets tsunami escape pod

A small factory in Japan has introduced a tsunami survival shelter, a capsule which floats on water and is able to hold four adults inside.

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A small Japanese company has developed a modern, miniature version of Noah's Ark in case Japan is hit by another massive earthquake and tsunami: a floating capsule that looks like a huge tennis ball.

Japan's Cosmo Power says its "Noah" shelter is made of enhanced fibreglass that can save users from disasters like the one on March 11 that devasted Japan's northern coast, leaving nearly 20,000 people dead or missing.

Company president Shoji Tanaka says the 300,000 yen ($A4000) capsule can hold four adults, and has survived many crash tests. It has a small lookout window and breathing holes on top. It can also be used as a toy house for children.

Cosmo Power Co. President Shoji Tanaka inside the spherical earthquake and tsunami shelter "Noah" made of fibre enforced plastic. Photo: AP

The company has already delivered two capsules and has orders for 600 more.

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Noah Shelter : Japan's answer to next tsunami

2011-10-01T18:58:00.001+01:00

Via Nick Kaufmann
http://www.smh.com.au/world/japans-answer-to-next-tsunami-miniark-20111001-1l276.html

October 1, 2011 - 7:01AM

Click to play video

Japanese company markets tsunami escape pod

A small factory in Japan has introduced a tsunami survival shelter, a capsule which floats on water and is able to hold four adults inside.

Video feedback
Video settings

A small Japanese company has developed a modern, miniature version of Noah's Ark in case Japan is hit by another massive earthquake and tsunami: a floating capsule that looks like a huge tennis ball.

Cosmo Power Co. President Shoji Tanaka inside the spherical earthquake and tsunami shelter "Noah" made of fibre enforced plastic. Photo: AP

The company has already delivered two capsules and has orders for 600 more.

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Recycled Rigs: Abandoned Oil Platforms as Ocean Mini-Cities?

2011-04-24T09:23:00.001+01:00

via Felix Compere.

http://dornob.com/recycled-rigs-abandoned-oil-platforms-as-ocean-mini-cities/

It is hard to believe that there are companies capable of creating (relatively) robust structures far out at sea, (usually) capable of withstanding extreme weather and lasting for decades or longer. But their use in harvesting ‘black gold’ from the ocean floor is limited, as alternatives are (hopefully) developed and spill risks increasingly recognized. Here is one vision for how one turn such relics into semi-submerged habitats and give them a new architectural lease on life.

A competition entry by Ku Yee Kee and Hor Sue-Wern of Malaysia forEvolo, this idea is speculative, creative and additive – it is more about exploring various possibilities than creating a resolved design. Still, the latter seems to result from the former, with many metaphorical as well as physical levels spanning from lofted surface layers to submarine science and observation stations.

Much like a skyscraper or other self-contained mega-structure, the program works from the inside out; core service, conveyance and community functions exist in the structural core, while residents of each modular village are arrayed in dwellings plugged in around the outer rim, affording ideal vistas of the surrounding seascapes.

As intriguing as the final renderings are, the process models, sketches and diagrams are at least equally fascinating – they show a series of related and independent thought processes, three-dimensional experiments and sources of inspiration leading up to finished drawings and perspective money shots.

The standard solar and wind power generators are present, but tidal energy is also available given the relatively unique placement of these would-be water towns. Each atoll would, in theory, be at least largely self-sufficient, assuming some space were provided in the final design for growing fruits, vegetables and perhaps selectively raising a little supplemental livestock

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Listening to the Deep Ocean environment, LIDO

2011-04-19T20:36:00.003+01:00

Thanks to Nicolas Huber for link.

http://lido.epsevg.upc.es

http://youtu.be/z-ItgpELavg

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Listening to the Deep Ocean environment, LIDO

2011-04-19T20:36:00.001+01:00

Thanks to Nicolas Huber for link.

http://lido.epsevg.upc.es

http://youtu.be/z-ItgpELavg

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

4 Days left to support Protei, the Oil Spill cleaning sailing robot.

2011-04-07T13:13:00.001+01:00

Dear fellows,

Some of you may already know about Protei, the project I coordinate.
We managed to raise already more than $20'000 but we only 4 days left to collect the $7500 missing.

Please have a look at this short video and you will understand it all :D

So, to help us you can :
- back us on kickstarter, every $ counts :)

- Share our short URL http://kck.st/hUv68A on your facebook, by email to your friends.

- And if you know journalists, bloggers (who like robots / ocean / environment) etc, give them our media page : http://media.protei.org

Last week we did some tests in Rotterdam, and we are very proud to be presenting Protei at the World Port Day this summer (400'000 visitors!).

Thanks for your help !

Posted via email from TED Fellows

On the Water, Nils Ferber

2011-03-13T02:11:00.001Z

http://www.nilsferber.de/landannahme.html

The platform a few days after its first erection in June 2010 in Hamburg.
It was assembled from 13 modules with a diameter of 3m and a 220l-barrel as floating body each.
The main structure was supplemented by floating patches, a six-person-tent and a roof-like net structure.

The platform could carry up to 20 people (if the weight was evenly spread).

Helium-filled registering balloons were used for illumination at night. A 12V bulb inside each balloon was powered by a car batterie in the barrel below.

The patches were kept afloat by PET bottles. Ducks were amongst their biggest fans but gave the plants a hard time.

Connecting the spiral-shaped modules created a rhombic structure in between the barrels. The rhombes were filled out with different materials like truck tarpaulins, nets and scrap wood.
Different material features proposed varying uses: The nets were often used as hammocks while the wooden rhombes provided a more secure base for standing up straight and more serious tasks.

A small rope ferry was installed to grant access to the island at all times and transport goods to and from the island.

At the first night on the water a band gave a concert. Providing electricity was a challenge, though.

Even though the platform was located very central, the actual place was rather quiet and sheltered (you can see the platform under the bridge, on the left side).

Everyday life right in the city.

The floating patches suggested the possibility to grow vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries around and under the platform. In this way the potential habitans could cover their basic needs self-sufficiently. In addition to the patches we used some barrels as planters for small trees.

The barrels can be accesed from the platform and make spacious, waterproof storage containers.
With 13 barrels there is enough room for drinking water, groceries, cooking equipment and whatever else is needed on the platform.

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

On the Water, Nils Ferber

2011-03-13T02:10:00.001Z

http://www.nilsferber.de/landannahme.html

The platform could carry up to 20 people (if the weight was evenly spread).

Helium-filled registering balloons were used for illumination at night. A 12V bulb inside each balloon was powered by a car batterie in the barrel below.

The patches were kept afloat by PET bottles. Ducks were amongst their biggest fans but gave the plants a hard time.

A small rope ferry was installed to grant access to the island at all times and transport goods to and from the island.

At the first night on the water a band gave a concert. Providing electricity was a challenge, though.

Even though the platform was located very central, the actual place was rather quiet and sheltered (you can see the platform under the bridge, on the left side).

Everyday life right in the city.

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Launch of Protei, oil spill cleaning open hardware sailing robot.

2011-03-01T16:44:00.001Z

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cesarminoru/protei-open-hardware-oil-spill-cleaning-sailing-ro

Dear fellows. We just launch yesterday Protei on Kickstarter.

Please share the link to our Kickstarter on your facebook, or if you know people in
- environmental justice

- sailing world

- DIY

- open-source

- engineering

Protei is a fleet of Sailing Drones, developed primarily to collect Oil Spills under Open Hardware licensing. An oil spill drifts down the wind, Protei sails upwind to collect the oil. Everyone is welcome to join, contribute, modify, produce, distribute the design and share their findings.

You can watch the 3 minutes video under to understand the detail of how it works :

The technology is really exciting beyond the fact that it could help for ocean study and cleaning.
Have a lovely TED2011!

Posted via email from TED Fellows

Launch of Protei, oil spill cleaning open hardware sailing robot.

2011-03-01T16:29:00.001Z

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cesarminoru/protei-open-hardware-oil-spill-cleaning-sailing-ro

Dear fellows. We just launch yesterday Protei on Kickstarter.

Please share the link to our Kickstarter on your facebook, or if you know people in
- environmental justice

- sailing world

- DIY

- open-source

- engineering

You can watch the 3 minutes video under to understand the detail of how it works :

The technology is really exciting beyond the fact that it could help for ocean study and cleaning.
Have a lovely TED2011!

Posted via email from TED Fellows

One Prize

2011-02-25T23:49:00.001Z

http://www.oneprize.org/1dates.html

ONE PRIZE INVITES THE WORLD MOST TALENTED AND ENTERPRISING:architects, landscape architects, urban designers, planners, engineers, scientists, cleantech entrepreneurs, economists, artists, students and individuals of all backgrounds:

To propose the NYC BLUE NETWORK by expanding waterborne transportation and linking the five boroughs with a series of green transit hubs incorporating ferries, water taxis, bike shares, electric car-share and electric shuttle buses as well as providing in-water recreation, water-oriented educational and cultural activities and climate resilience.

To further propose for New York City a design for the WORLD LARGEST CLEAN TECH EXPO in 2014, and by doing so to create the world largest urban clean tech corridor along the water, and establish NYC as the ultimate green capital of the world.

ONE PRIZE is an Annual Design and Science Award to Promote Green Design in Cities.
January 10, 2011: Registration opens; Question period opens

April 30, 2011: Registration closes

May 31, 2011 by midnight EST: Submission Due

July 15, 2011: Finalists announced

July 28, 2011: Award Ceremony; Exhibition launched

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Chemical Weapon Munitions Dumped at Sea: An Interactive Map

2011-01-31T05:33:00.001Z

http://cns.miis.edu/multimedia/interactive_files/cw_dumping.htm

Between 1918 and 1970, the U.S. alone dumped CW agents in waters worldwide on at least 74 occasions. These disposals were no small undertaking, taking one fair example from this tour, in 1945 the U.S. military dumped 1,154 55ga drums of arsenic trichloride, 375T of adamsite smoke candles, 75,852 4.2in distilled mustard shells, ~56,000 smoke canisters, and ~23,000 smoke projectiles. This represents only one of dozens of dumpings conducted off the U.S. coast. While some dumping operations were carefully undertaken, including the keeping of detailed records; other dumping operations were done haphazardly with no or minimal written accounts of the disposal locations, quantities disposed or depths.

So far the staff at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (http://cns.miis.edu) have located and chronicled 127 locations where either human exposure to or disposal of chemical weapons agents and/or munitions has occurred. We are virtually certain there are more disposal sites requiring attention hence we present this material in hopes of garnering further interest into this subject.

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Unmanned drones track Arctic ice and seals simultaneously

2010-12-15T19:09:00.003Z

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/15/arctic-drones

By Mark Brown | 15 December 10 _ Via Ollie Palmer

The icy seas of the Arctic are not the most inviting location for scientific researchers. These remote, frosty areas are extremely dangerous places for observers and manned vehicles, meaning very little data is collected in this area.

So two groups of researchers have got together for a joint observation project.

Environmental scientists interested in declining sea ice levels and biologists studying seals realised how closely their two fields are interlinked. Fluctuating ice levels -- dictated by global warming, weather patterns and pollution -- have a direct knock-on effect on bearded, ringed, spotted, and ribbon seals, who rely on the sea ice for breeding, resting and hiding from predators.

So the two groups of researchers teamed up to launch an unmanned drone, hooked up with cameras, to survey the areas without risking pilots or observers. The aircraft, owned and operated by the University of Alaska, has a 10-foot wingspan and flies three- to five-mile-long stretches at altitudes ranging from 100-350 metres.

But while clumps of ice are shown in immaculate detail, the seals are little more than ambiguous dots and smudges on the photos. For any human analyst, it would be a laborious process to pick out every animal in the snaps -- in fact, you can try for yourself at the University of Colorado's Where's Wally-esque " Find the Seals" page.

So the team went to Boulder Labs Inc, in Colorado, after hearing about their successes in facial recognition. "If they're able to tell faces out of the crowd and identify who is who, I thought they might be able to use that expertise with our problem up in the Arctic," said Elizabeth Weatherhead of the University of Colorado.

The newly developed software is a huge success, and was used throughout 2009 and 2010 to automate the identificaton of seals in 27,000 images. "We can send an unmanned craft out from a ship, collect 4,000 images, and have them analyzed before dinner," said Weatherhead.

This new data is giving scientists more insight into problems plaguing the Arctic, and is changing the way that biologists monitor seal populations. Just this month, NOAA proposed that ringed and bearded seals be put on the endangered species list.

Next, both teams have further ambitions for the drones. They hope to answer questions about how the ice is moving, and how polar bears are affected by the changes in ice levels.

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Unmanned drones track Arctic ice and seals simultaneously

2010-12-15T19:09:00.001Z

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/15/arctic-drones

By Mark Brown | 15 December 10 _ Via Ollie Palmer

So two groups of researchers have got together for a joint observation project.

Next, both teams have further ambitions for the drones. They hope to answer questions about how the ice is moving, and how polar bears are affected by the changes in ice levels.

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Unmanned drones track Arctic ice and seals simultaneously

2010-12-15T19:04:00.001Z

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/15/arctic-drones

By Mark Brown | 15 December 10

So two groups of researchers have got together for a joint observation project.

Next, both teams have further ambitions for the drones. They hope to answer questions about how the ice is moving, and how polar bears are affected by the changes in ice levels.

Posted via email from Open_Sailing

Protei, Oil Spill Collecting Sailing Drones @ TEDxMidAtlantic

2010-11-11T05:04:00.001Z

A few days ago, I was lucky to be on stage of TEDxMidAtlantic to present Protei, a technology in development I am working on with a bunch of brilliant people (Open_Sailing, randomwalks and V2_ folks).
Protei would be a Fleet of Oil Spill Collecting Sailing Drones. I just made this 7 minutes video that explains how it would work (also on youtube if you want to share / embed / rate). I am now working on the collaborative website and the documentation to meet Open Hardware standards - long way to go :) The video of the talk may come up sometimes, meanwhile you have my explanation here :) Sorry for my terrible french accent, hehehe

We are currently looking for ways to fund this project, if you have ideas of grants, competitions, Institutions or companies that would be interested in working on this, please comment, thanks !

Posted via email from TED Fellows

Protei, Oil Spill collecting drone @ TEDxMidAtlantic

2010-11-11T04:58:00.001Z

We are currently looking for ways to fund this project, if you have ideas of grants, competitions, Institutions or companies that would be interested in working on this, please comment, thanks !

Posted via email from TED Fellows

Grassroots mapping

2010-07-27T18:35:00.001+01:00

A couple of days ago, we went with the folks of LA Bucket Brigade (again!) to do some grassroots mapping in the Bay Jimmy & Wilkinson Bayou (29.45193, -89.89812), and it was superb ~ and dystopic :/

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Seen from up there is so different from what you see from the ground :

We went in those super cool (noisy though) boats :

Boat seen from the balloon (!!!) :

I took a chance to try to enhance the "photography cabin" with Sue Stoessel, Bennie Gregory and Hunter Daniel (in a previous mapping trip though):

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I'm in love with this technique Gonzo Earth and Grassrootsmapping keep on improving, also because I really need it to assess the efficiency of the oil spill collecting robot I am working on : protei.org. Here we were testing the long tail, to see how well we can sail upwind with a long tail :

that's the robot I am prototyping this week :

If you want to help on the making of the protei robot, or do some aerial photography of the oil spill, get involved at LA Bucket Brigade, contact Shannon Dosemagen <shannon@labucketbrigade.org>, or Hunter Daniel <hunterdaniel@gmail.com> 901-550-7667 directly by phone to arrange a trip in the sun :)

Posted via email from cesarharada.com/blog

TEDxBoston : the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

2010-07-26T22:03:00.001+01:00

This is NOT an Official TED video, it is simply an archive of the TEDxBoston Adventure.

What academic light can two Boston College professors shed on the nation’s largest environmental disaster?
What lessons for oil extraction, transport, crisis prevention, and response can be drawn from this present calamity? Meanwhile, can a 2010 TED Fellow on the frontline in the Gulf contribute to the design of autonomous robots that collect oil?
Join Boston College Professors Noah Snyder of the Geology and Geophysics department and Zygmunt Plater of the Law School for an interactive briefing on the situation in the Gulf. Professor Snyder is the Director of BC's interdisciplinary Environmental Studies program. Professor Plater served on the State of Alaska Oil Spill Commission during the Exxon Valdez crisis; he has been involved with Alaskan efforts to assist Gulf communities in the aftermath of the BP Gulf blowout and attempts to draw systemic lessons for the future from the Exxon Valdez and the BP blowout. We also will be joined via Skype by Cesar Harada, a former MIT researcher in New Orleans. Ask critical questions about environmental science and law, as well as some of Harada’s other ambitions, from creating the International Ocean Station as an open-source architecture project to crowdsourcing environmental data on the web.

Thanks to John Werner and Grier Tumas.

Devlin Hall, Room 201, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467

DATE: Thursday, July 22nd, late morning

TEDxBoston : http://tedxboston.org/
John Werner : http://www.citizenschools.org
Zygmunt Plater : http://bc.edu/schools/law/fac-staff/deans-faculty/platerz.html
Noah Snyder : http://www2.bc.edu/~snyderno/
Shannon Dosemagem : http://labucketbrigade.org/
Cesar Harada : http://cesarharada.com/
Oil collecting Robot : http://protei.org

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Energy_Animal, concept for renewable hybrid generator

2010-04-12T08:51:00.001+01:00

Dear Fellows, straight after TED Long Beach, I went on to playing in the water, and that's what I have been doing :

Read the full report here if you're curious : https://sites.google.com/a/opensailing.net/www/labs/energy_animal/Energy_Animal001

A longer 15 minutes technical video will come up when I have more time.

We need a green energy revolution now.

Hybrid renewable energy
Recycled materials
Probiotic Impact
Distributed Intelligence
Lightweight & Reconfigurable
Open-Source & Evolutionary

energyanimal.org

Posted via email from TED Fellows

TEDxNASA - Dennis Hong - superb robots, superb method

2010-04-07T15:26:00.001+01:00

Via Ollie Palmer.

Good method:
1. Sparkle idea -> database
2. Brainstorm (no criticism, refinement)
3. Education
4. Work smart, work hard, have fun!

Posted via email from cesarharada.com/blog

Batass origami

2010-03-20T21:53:00.001Z

Just made this little origami improvisation of a bat this morning for my dear friend Ada Zanditon, my little giant friend, the marvelously talented Ada! Where is Robin?

Posted via web from cesarharada.com/blog

Boston

2010-02-26T14:44:00.001Z

Boston!
slide show : http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldworldworld/sets/72157623512664002/show/

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TED 2010 Opening

2010-02-12T14:34:00.001Z

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Ant computer

2010-02-07T03:51:00.001Z

Schematics for making a computer with ants. By Cesar Harada for Ollie Palmer. Wellcome trust, London, UK.

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3.5m latex articulated Anaconda in the lab, 50m composite Anaconda at sea

2010-02-02T13:05:00.001Z

http://impact-art.ning.com/profiles/blogs/35m-latex-articulated-anaconda

We just made 2 series of experiments :

1. 3.5m Latex Anaconda in the Southampton University Towing
Tank.

2. 50m Composite Anaconda at sea in Selsey.

3.5m Energy_Animal Anaconda, wave + wind + sun powered mesh
communication device.

Coming early march.

There will soon be a short video explaining the experiments and a
PDF with the measurments and how to's here : https://sites.google.com/a/opensailing.net/www/labs/energy_animal

Special thanks to Soumik Sengupta, Antonia Nottebohm (photos and videos)

((tag: Open_Sailing))

Posted via email from cesarharada.com/blog

Le Bateau-usine de Takiji Kobayashi

2010-02-02T12:33:00.000Z

http://www.mcjp.fr/francais/cinema/le-bateau-usine-de-takiji-107/le-bateau-usine-de-takiji
Le Bateau-usine de Takiji Kobayashi : témoin de l’histoire, symbole d’aujourd’hui
Table ronde cinéma
プロレタリア文学の名作『蟹工船』の現代性

Samedi 30 janvier de 14h à 18h
Présentation et projection du film
Table ronde consacrée au roman

Le Bateau-usine (Kanikôsen, 1929) roman de Takiji Kobayashi (1903-1933) raconte l’épopée de trois cents hommes envoyés en mer d’Okhotsk pour pêcher le crabe et en faire des conserves. A travers le microcosme de leur bateau-usine, l’auteur dénonce le capitalisme en tant que système. Ce chef-d’œuvre de la littérature prolétarienne connaît aujourd’hui un fort regain d’intérêt, contemporain d’une prise de conscience des nouvelles inégalités sociales au Japon.

Présentation et projection du film
14h 14h30 : pré sen ta tion du film par Teru Shimamura (spé cia liste de la lit té ra ture pro lé ta rienne japonaise, uni ver sité Ferris, Tôkyô)
14h30 16h30 : pro jec tion du film
Le Bateau-usine「蟹工船」
1953 / 109’ / N&B / vo/stf

Un film de Sô Yamamura / D’après le roman de Takiji Kobayashi / Avec Sô Yamamura, Masayuki Mori, Sumiko Hidaka, Sanae Nakahara / Prix spé cial au Festival de Karlovy-Vary en 1954

Table ronde consacrée au roman
16h30 18h : Table ronde

Intervenants : Cécile Sakai (Professeur à l’Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7, mem bre de l’UMR CRCAO Centre de Recherches sur les Civilisations de l’Asie Orientale),
Jean-Jacques Tschudin (Professeur émérite à l’Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7, mem bre de l’UMR CRCAO),

Evelyne Lesigne-Audoly (doc to rante à l’Inalco, tra duc trice en fran çais du roman Le Bateau-usine).
Autres pro jec tions du film : jeudi 4 février et samedi 6 février à 20h (petite salle, entrée libre)

© Hokusei

Date
samedi 30 janvier
Table ronde - cinéma : Le Bateau-usine de 15h00 à 18h00

Robert Ballard on exploring the oceans

2010-01-26T00:15:00.003Z

Fabulous TED talk

ok, we need to get in touch. Admirable.

Posted via email from cesarharada.com/blog

Robert Ballard on exploring the oceans

2010-01-26T00:15:00.001Z

Fabulous TED talk

ok, we need to get in touch. Admirable.

Posted via email from cesarharada.com/blog

I will miss you Xavier

2010-01-23T09:31:00.001Z

At The Grave Of Richard Wagner by Kronos Quartet
Download now or listen on posterous

01 At The Grave Of Richard Wagner.mp3 (4151 KB)

"At the grave of Richard Wagner", Interpreted by the Kronos Quartet, Composed by Franz Liszt, Recorded in 1993.

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I will miss you Xavier

2010-01-23T09:27:00.001Z

At The Grave Of Richard Wagner by Kronos Quartet
Download now or listen on posterous

01 At The Grave Of Richard Wagner.mp3 (4151 KB)

"At the grave of Richard Wagner", Interpreted by the Kronos Quartet, Composed by Franz Liszt, Recorded in 1993.

Posted via email from cesarharada.com/blog

Dreaming of type 1 civilization?

2010-01-20T01:43:00.001Z

Thanks to Will Moller for the link.

As defined by Michio Kaku :
- Type-1 civilization : is capable of harnessing the entire power of a planet, and dominate its processes, including its weather, geothermal energy, etc. It should be able to construct facilities anywhere it wants to on the planet.
- Type-2 civilization : is capable of harnessing the power of its local star, and subsidiary planets.
- Type-3 civilization can become inter-stellar/multi-stellar, capable of expanding across multiple star systems, and eventually the entire galaxy. (Star Trek is one exemple of Type-III Civilization)
We are currently at the zero-point-something mark on this scale.

As a 2010 TED fellow, we are collectively required to adress the question "what the world needs now?".

The world leaders had the same requirements at the COP15 Copenhagen summit.
Each of us has the opportunity everyday in each of our most insignificant actions - they are significant.

What a humbling question.

The first thing that pops to my mind is how difficult it is to link that different scales of actions : the global political decision and the everyday individual behavior changes in little gestures. Maybe we need to proceed the other way round this time?

Would it be possible? A peaceful working global interoperability?

- Knowledge : People need to know about it.

- Desire : the proposed world need to desirable, ethical social model.

- Capacity : everyone needs to be able to participate in their own ways within earth limits.

I am working on this with this nascent project : the World Environment Organization and I am looking for programmers and lawyers for that (the website is very very bad for now, lots of work to do, contact me).

But the real question is : is a Type 1 civilzation even desirable?

The type 1 civilization Michio Kaku describes has :

- a type 1 language : english (an everyone speaks another native land language).

- a type 1 monetary system (a global currency + capitalism).

- a type 1 political system (democracry + republic).

hummmm...... I think only americans agree with themselves on this. What does a chinese, an indian, a brazilian, cuban, french, arabic, persian, african person think about supremacy? Portuguese, English, French, Japanese have attempted it not long ago, Americans are doing it now... I think this "type 1 thinking" contradicts with the values of tolerance and cohesive forces necessary for the making a durable type 1 civilization.Haven't all empires collapsed? Diversity is the driving force for competition, evolution and civilizational progress, we can't wish for ONE dominant system, there wouldn't be any more progress, just an unstoppable normative force. Myself being a japanese descent I am very surprised Kaku advocates a totalitarian type 1 civilization, as if plurality wasn't thinkable, only American domination... How sad...

As Michio Kaku describes it, the type 1 civilization is a civilization of absolute control : control over the planet, processes, including its weather, geothermal energy. So it is human domination over "nature". Which is also a questionnable desire. And Kaku suggests that's only achievable with a type 1 language, 1 monetary and 1 political system. I think this way of thinking is dangerous. Think about linguistics : why do we have so many words, so many languages, so many dialects... Why do Eskimos have so many different words to describe "snow"? Why do we have every week new artificial computer and artificial languages? Diversity is a fact, and is necessary. Kaku suggests each will have his/her own local language + english, but the fact is that local languages tend to disappear on the long term.

Kaku interestingly simplified the options for accessing the type 1 civilization conditional to :

- positive "integration forces" with tolerance, multi-cultural fabric on one hand ;

- and on the other hand "disintegration forces" : "weapons of mass destruction, germ weapons, terrorism..."

I think it is a good simplification, it does help : we need to concentrate on minimizing the disintegration forces, and maximizing integration forces. On this we can all agree, but it only is valid if no country has a domination desire... and he himself clearly declares he has!

Kaku also takes the example of the European Union, and falsely explains its inception as a counter-measure to the North American Free Trade Agreement. It is not true! Europe was born after the war as a space of political cooperation, to ensure peace - and later only - to improve economic condition. Thanks to American help on this, by the way.

The US is very different, it is a very recent rich colonized land, from which the natives have largely been subject to what many qualify a genocide. Europe is a land of a much higher diversity of languages, economies and political systems than the US today, and according to the recent economic crisis, Europe happens to be more stable and resilient. Still the US is now a dominant economic, political, military and cultural entity.

The US alone wont make the entire world access this type 1 civilization by forcing its normative military power, economy, language and values. There will be no global acceptance of the US type 1 civilization project. That would create too much friction. I like to think civilization type 0 transitioning to a civilization type 1 as the moment a plane breaks the sound barrier, or brakes itself. (video explaining sonic boom).

If our "civilization type 0" tries to transition to "civilization type 1" without enough velocity and cohesion it will fail like the early supersonic flights dramatic attempts. And we got only one chance!!!

We wont transition to type 1 civilization by forcing the entire world to speak the same language, use the same currency, have the same political ideas.

We wont transition to type 1 civilization by dominating the nature.

We wont transition to type 1 civilization with our actual political democratic system inability to change efficiently individual everyday little gestures.

We wont transition to type 1 civilization if each of us doesn't have the knowledge, desire and capacity to be on that flight.

Today, "I have a dream" has been published on http://www.ted.com :

http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_luther_king_jr_i_have_a_dream.html

Today the American president is a black man.
The dream is becoming a reality. Maybe.

I have a dream that we will all enter type 1 civilization with cohesion in our diversity of languages, currencies, political ideas.

I have a dream that we will enter type 1 civilization in harmony with nature, not dominating it.

I have a dream that each of our everyday gestures would reflect our many better political systems.

I have a dream that, not only a rich minority, but all of us will enter type 1 civilization with the capacity, knowledge and desire to, in their own ways.

Posted via email from TED Fellows

Dreaming of type 1 civilization?

2010-01-20T01:33:00.001Z

Thanks to Will Moller for the link.

As a 2010 TED fellow, we are collectively required to adress the question "what the world needs now?".

The world leaders had the same requirements at the COP15 Copenhagen summit.
Each of us has the opportunity everyday in each of our most insignificant actions - they are significant.

What a humbling question.

Would it be possible? A peaceful working global interoperability?

- Knowledge : People need to know about it.

- Desire : the proposed world need to desirable, ethical social model.

- Capacity : everyone needs to be able to participate in their own ways within earth limits.

But the real question is : is a Type 1 civilzation even desirable?

The type 1 civilization Michio Kaku describes has :

- a type 1 language : english (an everyone speaks another native land language).

- a type 1 monetary system (a global currency + capitalism).

- a type 1 political system (democracry + republic).

hummmm...... I think only americans agree with themselves on this. What does a chinese, an indian, a brazilian, cuban, french, arabic, persian, african person think about supremacy? Portuguese, English, French, Japanese have attempted it not long ago, Americans are doing it now... I think this "type 1 thinking" contradicts with the values of tolerance and cohesive forces necessary for the making a durable type 1 civilization. Haven't all empires collapsed? Diversity is the driving force for competition, evolution and civilizational progress, we can't wish for ONE dominant system, there wouldn't be any more progress, just an unstoppable normative force. Myself being a japanese descent I am very surprised Kaku advocates a totalitarian type 1 civilization, as if plurality wasn't thinkable, only American domination... How sad...