Matt's Favorites: Kettering Students Network At The Grill, TC 'Coworking' Space And More
So what's the latest on the wild, wide world of high technology? I'm ever so glad you asked. Here we go, kids...
* The stereotype is that the science and math types who make up most of the student body at Kettering University would be introverts who have a hard time networking. But in this USA Today story, Kettering students have figured out a way to encourage interaction over something that unites college students -- food. Every week about 34 science, math and engineering students armed with marinades, steaks, seafood and even pancake batter gather on campus around a customized grill that an engineering student built and designed. The grilling attracts students of all types, as you'd expect.
* Interesting article in The Ticker (a really fine local news site for the Traverse City area, by the way) on new work spaces in downtown Traverse City intended for 'co-working' remote employees, solo entrepreneurs and free agents, many in IT and the creative industries. Saaaaay... you don't suppose I could do the Tech Report from there, do you? Traverse City here I come -- back -- at long last? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm....
Now, the national and global stuff...
* Burger King gets hacked and posts as McDonald's. Wow.
* No less an organization than the United Nations is studying the potential of Earth-impacting asteroids after a couple of close calls of late.
* Here's a wonderful advance in prosthetics -- an artificial hand that can transmit a sensation of touch to the user.
* They're now testing self-driving cars in the United Kingdom, too. I want to own one -- soon.
*China now tops the United States as the world's largest smart device market.
* Scientists say that under climate change, there will be less snow -- but when it comes, there will be more 'knockout punches' of the type the Eastern seaboard just experienced.
*Really interesting study of preserved ancient oral bacteria shows there was a price to pay for first agriculture and later industrialization -- worse oral and tooth disease. See, we're supposed to be hunter-gatherers...
* Big news in the search for dark matter may be coming in about two weeks, the leader of a space-based particle physics experiment said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
* The increasing power and accessibility of genetic technology may one day give parents the option of modifying their unborn children. Should we want to? Should we allow it?
* Oh, lovely. Experts say the recent Facebook hack may be just the tip of the iceberg of a much bigger set of problems.
* Bill Gates says he's not satisfied with the company's recent innovations. All righty then, Mr. Ballmer.
* And here, behold, the next generation of massively multiplayer shoot-'em-ups set in a post-apocalyptic world. (I never criticize people who play such games. After all, I never tire of reading post-apocalyptic science fiction provided it's done well.)
