I shamelessly "borrowed" this blog's title from the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. After months of studying and "living" the book it seems justifiable. That's my excuse anyway:-)
This blog is about online and offline business ventures, joint ventures (JV), news, technology, science, IT, mastermind with like minded friends and associates in harmonious alliances.
The Royal British Legion believes that "Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday in November, is the day traditionally put aside to remember all those who have given their lives for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. On this day people across the nation pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave Service men and women."
In remembering the sacrifices of the service men and women:
For The Fallen (1914)- Fourth stanza They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. - Laurence Binyon (1869-1943). Poet and art critic
War and tragedy
We often forget the tragedy that is, war. The torn and broken lives of those that are left behind.
It is some of those left behind after the "Great War (World War I), forced to continue the sacrifices - mothers, sisters, widows (many with young children), and sweethearts, who in 1933, created the White Poppies - a symbol for peace. The white poppy is now a symbol for "peace without violence."
Filmmaker and founder of Peace One Day, Jeremy Gilley fostered a United Nations level agreement for a designated day for Peace One Day (21st September - "an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence day)
World at War
Despite the many wars, many sacrifices and the many blood already shed, our world is till at war.
War amongst neighbours (near and far neighbours), war between brothers and sisters.
The white poppy and its symbolism is more needed than ever in the current climate of hatred and intolerance. It is for this that this blog beseeched: Dona Nobis Pacem. Grant us Peace.
Copenhagen will host the final gathering of world leaders for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The struggle to agree to global, effective, sustainable and practical solutions to stop, slow the pace or reverse climate change due to global warming and save Planet Earth, from an untimely demise (due to our self indulgent, unseeing, selective hearing lifestyles) continues unabated - despite national, economics and political differences.
The Greenhouse Effect
The effect of global warming (also called the greenhouse effect), is sapping the life out of our planet.
Researchers have linked the greenhouse effect to a range and concentration of different gases in the earth’s atmosphere.
While water vapour is reported to be the most significant contribution to the greenhouse effect, it is followed by carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the atmosphere.
The increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide in particular, and the adverse consequences for the global climate are raising concerns.
The atmospheric content of these gases in the environment has risen rapidly over the latest 250 years, and especially in the last 50 years.
The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is currently about 385 parts per million (ppm). Prior to the Industrial revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide was an estimated 280 ppm.
Analyses of air contained in ice from the Antarctic ice cap implies that current atmospheric carbon dioxide is at its highest level (in comparison to the previous 650,000 years).
The implication is that the greenhouse effect is becoming stronger - consequently the earth is becoming warmer. Despite the raw visual evidence of climate change (extinction of plants and animals, more frequent extreme weather), some people continue to question the causal link and dispute the degree of change in the earth's temperature.
The 2007 assessment, the most current assessment available from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), concluded that the earth’s average temperature rose by 0.74 degrees between 1906 to 2005.
The earth temperature rise is reported to be stronger over land areas than over the sea, hence it is strongest in the northern hemisphere. Concurrently the occurrences of heat waves and violent downpours have also increased, ocean levels have risen, and ice at the world’s poles and on its mountains are melting.
Scientific researchers maintain that these events and conditions are directly linked to the Earth's greenhouse effect and global warming.
The Thames Barrier was designed to protect London from flooding, up to the year 2070. The estimated defence level, made in 1970, included long term changes in sea and land level as understood around 1970. After 2070 the protection afforded by The Thames Barrier was expected to decrease, but remain within acceptable safety limits. Since then, sea level rise due to global warming has been identified. Currently, the Thames Barrier is expected to be able to cope with projected sea level rises until around 2060–2070. In 2005, a replacement for The Thames Barrier was publicly discussed and is currently being investigated, estimated cost is astronomical.
In its most recent report, the IPCC's assessment report concluded that the average temperature will continue to rise. However, the assessment implies that the extent and the duration of this rise, and the severity of its consequences will depend on how quickly and how effectively greenhouse gases emissions can be restricted and reduced.
The Met Office (the UK's national weather service) have released a map of the expected global catastrophe if an agreement is not reached in Copenhagen to ensure that the earth temperature increases by no more than 2 degree Celsius by the end of the century.
Global catastrophe if world leaders cannot agree a solution to global warming in Copenhagen include:
rise in sea level
,
crop failure
food shortage
shortage of clean drinking water
Impact of a global temperature rise of 4 degree Celsius (7 degree Fahrenheit).
The Head of Climate Change Advice at the Met Office (UK's national weather service), Vicky Pope concluded that, "If emissions continue at the current rate the global average temperature are likely to rise by 4 degrees Celsius by the end of this century or even substantially earlier. The science tells us that this will have severe and widespread impacts in all parts of the world, so we need to take action now to reduce emissions to avoid water and food shortages in the future."
Director of the Science Museum and Professor of Climate Science at University College London, Professor Chris Rapley CBE, added "The map provides graphic evidence of the dramatic transformation of our world that a 4 degree (Celsius) global temperature rise would trigger. It leaves no doubt of the paramount importance of a successful outcome of the Copenhagen negotiations."
Looking for solutions
The Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) (chaired by Ed Millibank, UK Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change) highlighted "solutions", such as:
Carbon sequestration - a geoengineering technique for long-term storage of carbon dioxide (and other forms of carbon).
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
However, USA Secretary of Energy, Dr Stephen Chu pointed out that these "solutions" would only account for 20 - 25 per cent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Additionally the technologies are untested, need to be disseminated and their capacities and capabilities monitored and measured in situ. The New York City Parks Department considers London Plane Tree a good contender for carbon capture and storage in their city.
The South Africa Minister of Energy, Elizabeth Dipuo Peters concluded that while evolving African States may not be able to contribute financially towards these new technologies, their focus remains on:
promoting efficient use of energy
promoting renewable energy sources
Bringing together appropriate representatives of the "developed", "developing" and evolving nations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a good way forward... it brings a global, economically and environmentally sustainable and viable agreement to the interpreted analyses, ongoing causes and possible solutions to Climate Change that much closer to becoming a reality.
While the Kyoto agreement was an important first stage implementation of workable solutions in decreasing the rate of greenhouse gas emissions and the adverse effect of climate change...more needs to be done and is being demanded by those whose homes and livelihood are in immediate danger of been swallowed by the rising sea level.
It is to be hoped that common sense will prevail and override political differences at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen, 7th - 18th December 2009.
"Unleashing my inner nosey neighbour" instincts at this year's Open House London weekend was restricted to just the Saturday.
Visited:
Alexandra Palace: the old BBC studio (where the first high definition TV was transmitted) and the Alexandra Palace Theatre (from a distance, due to health and safety issues).
Royal Academy of Arts (unplanned, but glad to have made it to the last tour on the day).
Alexandra Palace, BBC TV studio The Open House London official book implies that 35 people at a time would be allowed into the old BBC tv studio.
To comply with health and safety regulations, firemen inspected the tv studio a few days before the event and decided that only 10 people at a time would be allowed into the studio.
Unsurprisingly, the queue for the BBC TV studio was already fairly long by 10:45 hrs; the queue was already beyond the "expect a 1 hour wait from this point" sign, taped on the low railings positioned to help aligned the queue.
The documentary "BBC Television at Alexandra Palace" in the Londesborough Room seemed more inviting than a long wait in the queue (in bright and burning sunlight).
The queue had grown longer by the time I rejoined it after watching the documentary. An hour and a half after rejoining the queue, ten of us were counted into the BBC Tower 9the building housing the transmitter and the tv studio).
Two short flight of stairs later, we gazed in amazement and delight at the studio reconstruction - the "result of many hours of voluntary work by the Alexandra Palace Television Society, the Ferguson Group and the Test Card Circle".
Many thanks to the members of the Alexandra Palace Television Society, the Ferguson Group and the Test Card Circle who were there to explain and answer questions on the exhibits.
We were promised that next year, we will be able to have our photographs taken, standing or sitting amongst the TV studio waxwork. Madame Tussauds could have a competitor...
Royal Academy of Arts Deciding to go to an Open House London guided tour at the Royal Academy of Arts at Burlington House was a spur of the moment decision.
Best decision of the day - we were treated to a jam-packed two hours of knowledgeable and insightful talk and descriptions by Richard Kirwan, a Senior Tutor at the Royal Academy Schools.
Our Royal Academy of Arts' tour included:
the history of Burlington House (the Royal Academy of Arts have been based in Burlington House since 1867).
the ongoing work in The John Madejski Fine Rooms.
brief historical background on some of the founder Academicians - Sir Joshua Reynolds, Benjamin West (an American), Thomas Gainsborough...
we were taken to the Royal Academy Research Library (despite having overstayed our welcome by this stage! We thankfully had some knowledgeable people in our group who kept asking questions, the rest of us just listened raptly to the questions and the answers!).
We were welcomed by "John" in the Library (sorry, didn't catch the surname). John mentioned that they refer to the nameless Roman statue in the Research Library as "wounded knee":-)
The Royal Academy Research Library is described as the "oldest Institutional fine Arts Library in the United Kingdom", it is an amazing room.
we were shown around the Royal Academy Schools Understandably we weren't allowed near the students' ongoing work. Various sculptors and masterpieces doted around the Schools were pointed out to us.
Outside in the Annenberg Courtyard, Anish Kapoor's new sculpture, "Tall Tree and the Eye" (which was being installed in the Courtyard) took on a more fascinating meaning and understanding).
We walked out onto Piccadilly to hear the Fortnum & Mason clock chime six o'clock. We watched as the two figures popped out of the clock case, stood still to be admired, pirouette once, returned to their original position then moved back inside the clock case...
The world of freerunning and freerunners came to Trafalgar Square on Saturday, 15th August and consigned Anthony Gormley One & Other project to the sideline.
The phrase freerunning (free running) was introduced to the English speaking population during the filming of the documentary Jump London, by means of presenting parkour to the English-speaking world.
Jump London was a 2003 Channel 4 feature documentary about parkour and free running (directed by Mike Christie and produced by Optomen Television; its sequel also directed by Christie, Jump Britain was televised in January 2005).
Jump London filmed three French traceurs, Sébastien Foucan, Jerome Ben Aoues, and Johann Vigroux, as they free run around some of London's most famous landmarks, including Royal Albert Hall, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, HMS Belfast.
While movements associated with parkour seem disciplined, calculated, controlled and described as a philosophy; freerunning seems acrobatic, showmanship oriented, very much a street discipline and requires spectators.
The World Freerun Championship packed Tralfalgar Square to the brim. 8,000 tickets were issued. The rest of us without a ticket had to queue up for 3 - 4 hours before we could get in.
Incredibly on a sunny day with so much going on in London (including the ITU Triathlon in Hyde Park), we all queued patiently.
Children peered through the tiny narrow gaps between the barriers; people stood on the bus stop seat to look over the barriers; policemen, security people and the National Portrait Gallery staffs came out onto the already condoned off steps of the Gallery pleading "keep moving" as we gathered on the steps, camera trained at the freerunners on the stage intent on getting a good shot, any shot to be honest...:-)
We briefly looked towards the fourth plinth when someone shouted "Oh, look, he's pogo jumping", we glanced at the Plinther, only to see him pogo-jumping and watching the freerunners on the stage...:-)
Had assumed that the heavy rain would have scared off most of the fans and my late arrival at around 5:30 would not be too much of a disaster for getting a good position to take photographs...fat chance:-)
Leicester Square was jam-packed. The heavy rain had not made a difference - if you ignore the running mascaras on some women, rain matted hair and very wet clothes, Leicester Square was just like any other premiere.
Oh, okay, there's another difference, most of the fans at the premiere were girls, young girls with good lungs and not afraid to use them - my eardrums are still recovering...The boys and men (wisely) stood at the back - not wishing to get in the way.
Worldwide fans at the World Premiere
Actually, there was another difference, I suspect some fans had travelled to London to be at the World premiere...I recognized at least two languages (Spanish and German) spoken urgently and rapidly into mobile phones, followed by relieved laughter (it's easy to lose a friend or relative at these crowded London events).
The fans clamoured with outstretched hands for the large damp cardboard posters depicting scenes from Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.
It was a good night...
Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and the rest of the stars...
We were told that Emma Watson (who played Hermione Granger) and Daniel Radcliffe (who played Harry Potter) were already inside the cinema...
Some of the fans demanded that the "star guest greeters" (no idea what their official title is) should go into the cinema and bring Watson out... no joy there.
Richard St John's TED talk on the 8 secrets of success was funny, concise (delivered in 3.30 minutes) and relevant.
Worth listening to, ("an idea worth spreading"): [NOTE: At the time of writing, there's some sort of interaction issues between Google Chrome and TED talk videos, you may need to watch using another browser. I watched the video using Internet Explorer (IE) 8. It's been pointed out to me that Firefox would be a better choice of browser. You may also prefer Opera or Safari to the IE].
Best secret to success?
At a guess, it would have to be a toss up between passion or persistence.
Persistence implies continuous action (passion doesn't necessarily involve action - it's an intensity of emotion, though crucial to success as well...)
So, the best secret to success from St John's TED talk presentation was "Persist through failure... Persist through CRAP [Criticism, Rejection, Assholes and Pressure = CRAP]
Thank you TED. Thank you Richard St John. Here's to success.
The robotic industry is a fast growing market in Japan and Korea.
An acceptance of robots as more than moderately intelligent machines built for domestic, manufacturing and industrial servitude is filtering from Japan to the rest of the world - examples include:-
PARO - the "healing" seal pup. PARO learns ways of making itself more acceptable and likeable to its owner - by learns from its owner. PARO is now sold in the USA as well as in Japan.
Asimo - car maker, Honda Motor Co. developed Asimo. While Asimo is not exactly human like, it is described as a "humanoid" robot. Asimo can walk, talk, run and follow instructions given to it.
Saya - Professor Hiroshi Kobayashi (Tokyo University of Science) developed Saya (one of his many robotic creations). Humanoid Saya with sophisticated hardware and software voice recognition is multilingual. Saya has been deployed as receptionist, a secretary and is now capable of taking roll call and set school children tasks from a text book. After a successful trial at a Tokyo primary school, Saya is scheduled to start teaching at a Tokyo school.
Saya's latex face was modelled on a university student. Motors wired to Saya's latex face enables the face to be "expressive". Saya's latex facial expression include surprise, sadness, happiness, fear, disgust and anger.
Repliee Q2 and Geminoid HI-1 were developed by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro at Osaka University Intelligent Robotics Laboratory. Ishiguro's actroid - humanoid robot with lifelike appearances and visible behaviour (such as facial movements) are a testament to his claim that one day robots could fool humankind into believing that they are human.
The growing robotic industry and trends can be divided into:
Academics and research robots - the military is expected to be one of the biggest buyers of robots.
The cost of war in terms of loss of human lives is increasingly seen as unacceptable. Besides, autonomous robots,unmanned ground vehicles, robot planes and mini drones can gather intelligence, transmit the data to base for analyses and fight wars more efficiently than humankind
Design and development robots - Duke University and the University of Mexico engineers are developing a system based on the pursuit-evasion game "Marco Polo" that will allow robots to detect a moving target and intercept it.
Practical applications are expected to vary from security systems (for tracking intruders such as enemy ships, burglars or endangered species) to hazard detecting systems (for radiation or environmental hazards)
The researchers main challenge is in developing the artificial intelligence to control the robots and their sensors without direct human input.
Industrial robots - covers industrial automation robot such as the mobile “ROPTALMU” (the International Strategic Manufacturing Award 2008 winner).
ROPTALMU is a light portable robot. It's function is to drill holes with a high degree of precision in large aeronautical components - such as aircraft wing spans, during the assembly stage.
Normally designed for specific set of functions, industrial robots are unable to detect obstacles, such as a humankind standing within the swing radius of its reach - industrial robots are therefore considered dangerous to approach while in operation (fatalities have been reported in Japan, Korea, and Europe).
Most industrial robot manufacturers specify a blocked off safety area around the robot to prevent anyone approaching the robot while the robot is in operation.
Reported accidents tend to occur while a robot is being programmed, repaired, or walked through the process of learning a new procedure - when engineers and technicians are more likely to be within the danger zone and the robot’s actions are less predictable than under normal conditions.
Personal robotics- the Japanese designed PARO robot is designed to look like an harp seal pup.
Covered in pure white synthetic fur, PARO's built-in intelligence provides psychological, physiological, and social effects through physical interaction with human beings.
PARO imitates animal behaviour - responding to light, sound, temperature, touch and posture, and eventually develops its own character.
The goal is to turn the robot into a “living” cherished pet that provides companionship, entertainment and relaxation to the owner.
PARO is described as perfect for those who cannot take care of real animals and those who live in places where live animals are prohibited, including hospitals, elder care centers and nursing homes. PARO went on sale in Japan in March 2005. It went on sale in the USA in January 2009.
Service robots - South Korea's robotic industry is one of the fastest-growing area in the country's successful electronics and high-tech manufacturing sectors.
South Korea sees its robotic industry a major contributor to the country’s growth in the next five years.
With plans to have at least 10 per cent share of the world's robotic industry market by 2018, South Korea is investing 1 trillion won (741 million USD) into the industry for development, research, marketing and joint-ventures).
South Korean's and the world's first robot-themed park, Robert Land in Incheon is scheduled for completion in 2014.
Security and Defence robots Military worldwide are in need of autonomous robots for their defence operations and for warfare.
The USA military for example has used unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) such as iRobot’s PackBot successfully for explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) - the UGV simply roll up and set off the explosive.
Robot roles in the military are evolving, PackBot and other UGVs have been used for varied tasks from EOD to route clearance, reconnaisance, observation, and, in combat situation replacing (point position) an infantry squad clearing buildings, caves and other enclosed spaces.
While most robots are currently used for reconnaissance duties, military history (predator UAV) suggests that robots could soon take on strike roles as well as logistic roles such as automated supply convoys.
In 2009, the Australian Government initiated Next Generation Military Robot competition, MAGIC (Multi-Autonomous Ground-Robotic International Challenge) should produce some innovative ideas and implementations of next generation warfare robots.
The Warfare Conference 2010 promises to be a "must go to" event.
Update Meet Zeno...character robots are a fascinating development area - some of the latest developments are summarised here.
This blog aims to search, report and summarize in bite-sized form the latest news and issues on business, health, technology success and wealth. Here's to your good health , success and wealth.
Seeking answers to life and the rest...
I am "magnetize" on twitter and twitpic. Some of my photographs (that is, photographs I've taken) are stored in twitpic.com, http://www.twitpic.com/photos/magnetize
I'm "stepwise" in plurk...:-)
I think I've used my real name everywhere else... facebook, friendfeed..
Oh, bother, I'm "optimist1" on squidoo...:-)
I think that's it...:-)
Symbolic Garden of Peace
The Thames Barrier
Alexandra Palace, Open House London, direction
Alexandra Palace, Londesborough Room - Open House London
Poster: "Television Comes To London"
BBC TV Studio Museum
Reconstructed BBC TV control room
The Royal Academy of Arts Research Library and the sculpture, "Wounded Knee"
Fortnum & Mason clock 
Watching a Plinther in Trafalgar Square - evening, 10th July
Trafalgar Square:Freerun - stage set-up
Trafalgar Square: Freerun stage and Nelson's Column
Trafalgar Square: Stage, Freerunner and Spectators
Freerunner, Tim "Livewire" Shieff (UK)
A Plinther on the plinth, looking away from the workmen setting up the stage for the Freerun championship
Poster: Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince
Helena Bonham Carter (who played Bellatrix Lestrange in the film)
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