Category: Misc.

Playing futurologist: small consequences of technological changes

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Although some great books [1 and 2] have been written about the huge changes being wrought on society and culture by the digital revolution, it’s just as interesting to speculate about the smaller consequences of the adoption of new technology. Here are some of the ones I’ve noticed, but perhaps you will have your own to add. Please jump in and comment!

Item: Records have given way to CD’s which have given way to digital music streaming and downloads

  • The 70 minute CD-length album format has no real reason to exist anymore. There is no longer a reason to group unrelated tracks together in any particular way. We could even go back to the lengthy psychedelic and progressive rock tracks, if anyone wanted to hear them. Tracks can be sold grouped with hundreds of others or individually.
  • You can’t really give CD’s as wrapped gifts anymore, at least not to people under 60. Who wants that junk cluttering up their house?
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Progress in the fight against Hospital Acquired Infections

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The problem:

Over the last few years, public attention has been focused increasingly on the problem of nosocomial or hospital acquired infections (HAI’s). Why is there so much concern? A study by the CDC published in the March/April 2007 issue of the journal Public Health Reports, estimated that 1.7 million hospital patients per year ― 4.5 of every 100 admissions ― become infected, causing or contributing to the deaths of nearly 100,000 people per year. (IHI.org) 100,000 people per year is about 1/5 of the total deaths from cancer per year in the US, or about the same as the total stroke or accidental deaths. Or, another way to understand the size of this number, picture the population of South Bend Indiana, dying every year of mostly preventable causes. This is an epidemic.

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Virtual tour: Interesting places to visit in Google Earth

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To use the KML files, right click the “Download KML file” link and select “Save Target As”. Windows may try to add an “XML” extension onto the end of the file name. Change the extension back to “KML” if it does.

You must have Google Earth installed to use these files. Double click the KML file and it should open in Google Earth to the correct spot.

St. Peters, Rome

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Virtual Colorado Tour – Part II: South to Black Canyon of the Gunnison

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Continuing with our travels in Colorado last September

After leaving Grand Junction we drove south on 50 toward Montrose on our way to Ouray, but decided to take a detour to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

The Canyon out to be one of the most dramatic sights on the whole trip. The Black Canyon is a massive gorge cut through PreCambrian rocks by the Gunnison River. It is vast enough so the far side is slightly hazy, contributing to the astonishing sense of depth from the edge.

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Take a virtual world tour down the Canyon in Google Earth! Download this KML file
Double click to open in Google Earth, then click Play as shown:
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Virtual Colorado Tour – Part I: West to Grand Junction

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Last fall we took a trip around Colorado which took us through nearly every type of landscape Colorado has to offer, including the town of Ouray, nestled in the Mountains, fantastic fall colors of the Kebler Pass area and the dry, dramatic Mesa Verde region in the Southwest.

The map below is an interactive Google map, showing all the main points of interest we hit, and photos along the way.


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