Reach for the sky: Could flying wind farms help beat global warming?
Let's just file this under "freaking awesome." The idea is to loft flying wind farms that sit in the high-altitude jet streams (which are far stronger and constant then winds generated at surface level) and then send the power back to folks on earth. Power would be sent back to the ground through a tethering cable. Sounds crazy, but now's the time for crazy ideas. A test wind farm will be lofted sometime in the next few years.
Joystiq: Gaming while driving laws coming soon
ok, I may be old fashioned in this, but why the hell can't we have just one law that applies to all forms of reckless driving, and leave it at that? Do we really need to outlaw each and every new device that comes down the pike? If you're doing something stupid, and cause and accident ... you get busted. Simple as that.
Lego Star Wars was a blast, the sort of game that restores your faith in gaming in general and Star Wars in particular. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with Indiana Jones, but it looks like I'll have a wait: the game isn't set to be released until Summer 2008.
CNET: Ron Paul: The Internet's favorite candidate
Even now he doesn't show up in many large-scale public polls, but libertarian-conservative Republican (yes, there really is still one of those around) Ron Paul has picked up a huge amount of support online, and is accruing a sizable war chest of cash.
The Independent: No more school as council opens 'learning centres'
I read this and couldn't help but think "YES! This is learning in the 21st Century!"
Knowsley Council in Merseyside, which - for years - has languished near or at the bottom of exam league tables, has abolished the use of the word to describe secondary education in the borough.
It is taking the dramatic step of closing all of its eleven existing secondary schools by 2009. As part of a £150m government-backed rebuilding programme, they will reopen as seven state-of-the-art, round-the-clock, learning centres with the aid of Microsoft - which has already developed links with one school in the borough, Bowring.
The style of learning will be completely different. The new centres will open from 7am until 10pm in both term-time and what used to be known as the school holidays. At weekends, they will open from 9am to 8pm. Youngsters will not be taught in formal classes, nor will they stick to a rigid timetable; instead they will work online at their own speeds on programmes that are tailor-made to match their interests.
Learning today shouldn't be about factory-style, one-size-fits-all (or three-sizes fits all) academic programs. It should be about getting kids excited about education, tailoring programs to their learning styles and the technology available, and above all thrashing the beaucracy.
The Political Game: The Mod Squad
Which is a better use of Homeland Security resources: tracking down people making chips to let gamers mod their Xbox 360s and Nintendo Wiis ... or trying to find people who, you know, actually want to kill Americans?