Technological progress and innovation are by no doubt important issues for the success of the humanization of outer space. Hence we need to consider the role patents will have to play in the society and economy of future space settlements. Continue reading On Patent Reform
Category Archives: technology
Recycled water
In orbital space settlements water recycling is essential. So it is quite worrisome when we read the following article on ScienceDaily:
Get over it? When it comes to recycled water, consumers won’t
To cite from this article (my emphasis):
If people are educated on recycled water, they may come to agree it’s perfectly safe and tastes as good — or better — than their drinking water. They may even agree it’s an answer to the critical water imbalance in California. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to use recycled water — and it sure doesn’t mean they’ll drink it.
The problem is that educated people are disgusted to use a perfectly safe product that is necessary for staying alive. Perhaps people should not think too much about the origin of their tap water – if education is apparently not sufficient in this case.
Plastic recylcing
On ScienceDaily we found an interesting study:
All plastic waste could become new, high-quality plastic through advanced steam cracking Continue reading Plastic recylcing
Artificial wombs progress
The Guardian reports that Dutch researchers have been awarded a €2.9 million grant to develop a prototype artificial uterus. Though artificial uteri have several benefits, they also raise a multitude of ethical questions.
Organ cultivation
Last week Japan announced it would allow experiments to grow human organs in animals. These experiments are controversial, not in the least place because of animal welfare concerns and the possibility of cross-species diseases. However, xenotransplantation is not the only line of research pursued to solve the shortage of donor organs. Continue reading Organ cultivation
Future Fuel
Not directly related to space settlement, but still interesting to think about.
The age of (cheap) oil is doomed in the long run, even if we do not care about climate change, as petroleum is a finite resource which would eventually be depleted. However, our modern industrialized society requires a lot of energy and without it our planet cannot sustain a ten billion population.
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Electric vehicles and public health
Our regular reader will know that we are quite hawkish when it comes to air quality and public health. One of the measure we have proposed is for space habitats to ban the use of internal combustion engines. A study by researchers from Cornell University provides a solid scientific base for a complete ban on internal combustion engines. Continue reading Electric vehicles and public health
Polymer waste and recycling
Plastic waste is a major environmental and social problem. The fact that plastics or polymers hardly decompose naturally is one of the contributing factors to the issue of this type of waste. Though polymers could be recycled only a tiny portion of separately collected plastic waste is actually recycled. Continue reading Polymer waste and recycling
Energy storage
When it comes to the world’s future energy supply both fusion power and renewable energy are experiencing a steady pace of progress. However, regardless of the particular choice of technology, there is an ever increasing need for a reliable method of storing energy. Continue reading Energy storage
Organs on demand
Researchers at Tel Aviv university have managed to print a fully functional human heart. Though currently the size of a rabbit’s heart, 3D printing of (human) organs seems to be feasible in the near future. Continue reading Organs on demand
