Foresight Michigan - Thinking, Dreaming and Acting for Michigan's Future

WIRED review: Throwback Mustang Muscle Car Is One Boss Ride

2011-06-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

Review by Sam Smith

Let’s get one thing out of the way: This is the best Mustang ever built. Which makes it one of the best muscle cars ever built. Which makes it one of the best cars ever built, period. Which means you should probably go out and buy one, even though it costs $41,000 — a big chunk of change for a Mustang.

For a normal person, the ordinary, 412-hp Mustang GT has absolutely nothing wrong with it. It’s a $30,500 brawler that handles better than anything with a live rear axle has a right to. Best of all, it recalls that awesome time your dad hit up the ‘74 U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and got lost in the track’s world-famous Bog before drinking his weight in Schlitz and helping a rowdy mob set a Greyhound bus on fire.

Read the full review.

Federal Government to add electric vehicles to fleet

2010-10-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

BY KEN THOMAS
ASSOCIATED PRESS via FREEP.COM

The government is adding some electric cars to its fleet. For the first time, the General Services Administration has asked automakers to submit bids to supply about 100 electric cars.

The request was part of an Obama administration plan outlined earlier this year to boost the number of green vehicles used by federal workers on the job.

Government fleet operators say it will let them learn how federal agencies can best use the vehicles. The bulk buying is happening as automakers release mass-produced plug-in electric hybrid vehicles and electric cars later this year.

Several automakers are expected to submit bids and the vehicles could begin appearing in the fleet next spring.

Read more: Government to add electric vehicles to fleet | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

MLive.com - Granholm: Film incentives are about jobs, not tax revenue

2010-10-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

Published on MLive.com : Friday, October 08, 2010, 2:11 PM

by: Jackie Headapohl

Today is the two-and-a-half year anniversary of the Michigan film incentives and to mark the occasion, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholmattended the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council (MFOAC) meeting today to discuss the economic impact the film incentives have had on the state.

“We are watching an entire new industry emerge in Michigan,” Granholm said. “The number of productions being filmed in Michigan is increasing, we are creating jobs and attracting production facilities, and we are keeping our young people here in Michigan. The incentives have provided important economic benefits for the state, while also helping to diversify our economy.”

The film incentives have come under fire as a recent Senate Fiscal Agency report said the incentives costs the state more money than it takes in from tax revenue generated by the film industry.

After the council meeting, the Free Press reports that Granholm said the film incentives weren't intended to create revenue for the state.

“The point of this was to add a whole new sector to our economy and create jobs,” Granholm said, after her farewell address to the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council at Michigan State University. “The point of it wasn’t to make revenue for the state. That’s the question – do people want to see new sectors in Michigan that will keep young people here, because truly, that is priceless."

Several people spoke at the council meeting about their experiences in the film industry including, Kurt Peters of Chow Catering in Clarkston, Michigan, which found its niche catering to the industry. The company is expecting it will put $400,000 back into the economy by the end of this year, purchasing propane, supplies and groceries from local businesses and has hired up to 25 workers during busy periods.

John James from Livonia, Michigan, a Teamster driver and transportation captain, also spoke to the council. He lost his job in March 2008 and was on the verge of losing his home before finding work as a driver on nine films. Without the work in the film industry, John says he would have been forced to leave the state to look for work.

“These incentives are more than numbers on a page; they are helping real people find jobs, keep their business running and stay in Michigan,” said Carrie Jones, director of the Michigan Film Office.

Source- MLive.com

Wired - William Gibson Talks Zero History, Paranoia and the Awesome Power of Twitter

2010-09-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

William Gibson

From recession-proof military contractors cool-hunting secret, weaponized brands to “gear queers,” viral iPhones and Twitter darknets, William Gibson’s new novel Zero History examines the 21st century’s techno-cultural fetishes with a deceptively simple directive: The future is now.

Gone is the sci-fi pretense of an imagined future, and for good reason.

“All we really have when we pretend to write about the future is the moment in which we are writing,” the 62-year-old godfather of cyberspace told Wired.com by phone. “That’s why every imagined future obsoletes like an ice cream melting on the way back from the corner store.”

Bay City Times - Dow Corning hopes to shine at European solar conference

2010-09-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Dow Corning Solar Panels

(Via) - Michael Wayland | The Bay City Times

WILLIAMS TWP. — Dow Corning Corp. continues its global solar energy push and will highlight two new products at a conference in Europe this week.

More than 20 officials from the Bay County-based corporation will gather in Feria Valencia, Spain, for the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition and the fifth World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion.

“We consider this to be one of the most global shows,” said Don Buchalski, senior market specialist for Dow Corning’s Solar Solutions Group, who is attending the conference. “We have people that will be there from Asia, the U.S. and Europe.”

The conferences occur simultaneously from Monday-Friday with exhibits through Thursday. More than 40,000 people from 100 countries are expected to attend, according to the conference’s website.

Read the FULL ARTICLE on MLive.com

Who's fighting for Main Street? Rick Snyder and Virg Bernero both say they will as next governor - AnnArbor.com

2010-09-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder borrowed a page from the playbook of Democratic opponent Virg Bernero today, issuing a message to supporters in which he said he'll be a fighter for Main Street.

"I'm proud to announce that 'Main Street' continues to support our campaign," Snyder said in a statement. "The Michigan Retailers Association and the Associated Builders and Contractors have endorsed my candidacy. They join the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Association of Michigan and the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce."

Rick Snyder, left, said today he'll fight for Main Street, a message Virg Bernero, right, is spreading on his Fighting for Main Street Tour.

"These organizations represent thousands of small businesses, standing together to support our vision of a revived, vibrant Main Street," Snyder said, adding he looks forward to working with them to revitalize Michigan's economy.

Read the whole article : Who's fighting for Main Street? Rick Snyder and Virg Bernero both say they will as next governor - AnnArbor.com

German research team develops printable batteries

2009-07-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

A research team at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) in Chemnitz, Germany, led by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Baumann, have developed a 1.5V battery that weighs less than a gram, is less than 1mm thick, and can be printed using a process similar to that used in silk screening.

The new type of battery is made of of different layers: a zinc anode and a manganese cathode, among others. Zinc and manganese react with one another and produce electricity. However, the anode and the cathode layer dissipate gradually during this chemical process. Therefore, the battery is suitable for applications that have a limited life span or a limited power requirement, for instance greeting cards. The battery contains no mercury.

The team hopes to have products using the method available by the end of the year.

More background on college affordability hurdles

2009-07-30T09:53:00.001-07:00

By Judy Putnam via Center for Michigan

Michigan's economic woes have hit state support for higher education hard this decade. The state sliced per-pupil support by more than 16 percent between 2000-01 and 2007-08, dropping from an average of $6,853 to $5,719, according to the House Fiscal Agency, a nonpartisan legislative budget analysis group.

During the same time period, per pupil tuition revenue (including out-of-state and graduate-level tuition) jumped 78 percent, from $6,367 to $11,339.

Overall, total revenue generated by tuition and state funding grew by 3.7 percent a year. That’s less than 3.9 percent inflation for the period as measured by Higher Education Price Index, an alternative measure of inflation geared to higher education, according to the House Fiscal Agency. But students shouldered all of the increase plus more to make up for the loss in state support.

National studies rank Michigan below average in affordability.

Eight projects investing $349.5m in Michigan announced, creating or retaining over 14,900 jobs across the state

2009-07-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is helping seven companies grow in Michigan and is backing one alternative energy brownfield redevelopment project. Combined, the eight projects are expected to create 6,372 new jobs (2,720 direct), retain 8,586 jobs (3,359 direct) and generate over $349.5 million in new investment in the state.

“Our aggressive economic strategy – combined with our competitive business climate and outstanding workforce – continues to generate new corporate investment and new expansion projects in Michigan despite a national recession,” Granholm said. “The projects announced today are the types of projects that will transform our economy and create good-paying jobs for our workers.”

The Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) board today approved state tax credits to win the following projects for Michigan over competing states and countries:

Magna Seating – The automotive supplier of complete seat solutions and seat mechanisms plans to invest $18 million in a multi-product facility in Highland Park. The project will create 1,414 new jobs, including 420 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 994 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $4.5 million over seven years to help convince the company to locate in Michigan. The city of Highland Park is considering an abatement valued at $1.5 million in support of the project. http://www.magnasteyr.com/xchg/complete_vehicle/XSL/standard.xsl/-/content/903_905.html
Attwood Corporation – The marine parts and accessories supplier plans to consolidate the MotorGuide operations based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to its headquarters in Lowell. Both companies are divisions of Mercury Marine. This will be the second business consolidation in as many years for Attwood, with the previous consolidation of its Lancaster, Texas, operations to Lowell after the company received a MEGA credit in July 2008. The company plans to invest $2 million in the project, which will create 92 new jobs, including 51 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 41 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $483,026 over seven years to help convince the company to expand in Michigan over competing sites in Georgia, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Mexico. The city of Lowell is considering a 12-year abatement to support the project. http://www.attwoodmarine.com/
AVL Powertrain Engineering Inc. – The powertrain research and development company plans to invest $2.6 million to create a hybrid and alternative fuel development center in Ann Arbor to develop powertrains for electric vehicles. The project will create 76 total jobs, including 40 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 36 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $298,559 over five years to encourage the company to expand in Michigan over a competing site in California. The city of Ann Arbor is considering an abatement to support the project. http://www.avl.com/wo/webobsession.servlet.go?app=bcms&page=view&nodeid=400012976
Molded Materials Inc. – The 40-year-old Michigan company that designs and manufactures tooling and molded composite components for the automotive, life sciences, defense and heavy truck industries plans to invest $2.9 million to consolidate its Plymouth operations to a new facility in Saline. The project is expected to create 69 new jobs, including 29 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project could also create an additional 40 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $420,388 over seven years to help convince the company to expand in Michigan over a competing site in Ohio. A tax abatement is also expected from the city of Saline to help this industry grow in Michigan. http://moldedmaterials.com/home.html
Ventra Ionia – The producer of plastics, metals and mechanical assemblies for the automotive industry plans to invest $42 million to acquire four former Meridian Automotive facilities located in Ionia, Fowlerville and two in Kentwood. The project is expected to retain 3,126 jobs, including 934 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will retain an additional 2,192 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $4.6 million over six years. The cities of Ionia, Fowlerville and Kentwood plan to support the project. http://www.flex-n-gate.com/
Quicken Loans Inc. –The nation’s largest online lender and fifth largest retail mortgage lender in the United States plans to relocate its headquarters to Detroit, consolidating its executive, management, loan production, title production and administrative functions. The company plans to invest $240 million in the project, which will create 4,019 jobs, including 1,800 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 2,219 indirect jobs. The project also is expected to retain 4,967 jobs, including 2,200 directly at the company and an additional 2,767 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at $18.1 million over 12 years to help win the project for Michigan over a competing site in Ohio. The MEGA board also approved a $29.1 million retention credit over 12 years to keep jobs in Michigan. The city of Detroit is considering local incentives to support the project. https://www.quickenloans.com/
Continental Automotive Systems Holding US Inc. – State incentives have been approved to encourage the company to expandoperations in Auburn Hills. The proposed $26.9 million project, pending company approval, is expected to createup to 230 new direct jobs. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 322 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a 10-year state tax credit valued at $14.1 million to help convince the company to create new jobs in Michigan. In addition, the MEGA board approved a 10-year state tax credit valued at $10.3 million to encourage the company to retain approximately 225 Continental jobs and 268 indirect jobs in Michigan. The city of Auburn Hills is considering an abatement to support the project. http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/cas/cas/general/home/index_en.html
Whitehall Township– State and local tax capture valued at $491,767 will support the redevelopment of the former Muskegon County Whitehall-Montague wastewater treatment plant. The developer will incorporate a number of activities, ranging from agriculture feedstock to cellulosic ethanol production to a recycling center and recreation areas. The energy produced at the site will be used to power the ethanol operations and other facilities on the property. The project will generate $13.3 million in new capital investment and is expected to create up to 150 new jobs.

“These job-creating and job-retaining projects are the result of successful collaboration and teamwork with our outstanding economic development partners around the state to bring these projects to Michigan against some very stiff national and international competition,” MEDC President and CEO Greg Main said.

The Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA), the state’s response to interstate competition for company expansions and relocations, may provide a refundable tax credit against the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) to companies expanding or relocating their operations in Michigan. Since January 2009, more than 47,900 new and retained jobs have been announced as a result of the MEGA program.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), a partnership between the state and local communities, promotes smart economic growth by developing strategies and providing services to create and retain good jobs and a high quality of life. For more information on the MEDC’s initiatives and programs, visit the Web site at www.TheMEDC.org.

National Geographic: "Space Internet" to Link Worlds by 2011?

2009-07-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

by Brian Handwerk

For all its might, the World Wide Web is still limited to, well, our world.

But that's quickly changing with the advent of an "interplanetary internet" that planners say will revolutionize space communication.

The Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) system, which entered another phase of testing this week, will allow astronauts to Google from the moon or tweet their observations from space.

But DTN provides far more than a connection to check your email. It's also essential for simplifying space command and control functions—such as power production or life-support systems—crucial for future space initiatives.

"You need an automated communications technology … to sustain planetary exploration on the scale that NASA and others want to perform over the next decade," said Kevin Gifford, a senior research associate at BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

"DTN enables the transition from a simple point-to-point network, like a walkie-talkie, to a true multimode network like the Internet."

After a decade of development DTN has advanced quickly over the past year, and NASA missions are planning to adopt the network by 2011. In November 2008 NASA test-drove the network by sending space images to and from the EPOXI spacecraft, some 20 million miles (32 million kilometers) from Earth.

DTN protocols were also installed on the International Space Station in May, and summer testing began the first week of July.

Houston, We're Fixing a Problem

Though tweeting astronauts have gotten a lot of press, "the reality is that they [don't really] tweet or have browsing capability on the International Space Station," explained Gifford, who is part of a large, cooperative DTN effort that has also included NASA and Internet veterans.

"Right now they actually voice down a simple blurb, and the tweet is operated manually from Houston," he said. In fact most current space communication involves humans manually scheduling each and every link, sometimes weeks or even months in advance for distant spacecraft, and dictating exactly which data are sent and when.

Read Full Story >>

Granholm Announces 10 Promise Zone Designations in Communities Across Michigan

2009-07-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today named the 10 Promise Zones, which are being established to expand opportunities for students to attend college and help transform communities in the process. Granholm proposed the Promise Zone concept in her 2007 State of the State address as a component of her comprehensive plan to grow and diversify Michigan's economy and create jobs. The governor signed the enabling legislation into law on January 13, 2009.

"We must ensure that every Michigan citizen has access to an affordable, first-class education beyond high school," Granholm said. "The best-paying jobs of the 21st century will require a high level of education and training. Each of these communities is interested in giving students access to education after high school that will allow them to compete for those jobs."

Promise Zone designations have been awarded to Baldwin Community Schools, Battle Creek Public Schools, Benton Harbor Area Schools, the City of Detroit, the School District of the City of Hazel Park, Jackson Public Schools, the Lansing School District, the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, the School District of the City of Pontiac, and the Saginaw School District. Promise Zones are located in communities that meet or exceed the state's average poverty level for families with children under age 18.

"The promise of a college education for all has the power to transform communities across our state, replacing poverty and despair with opportunity and hope," said Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr., who chaired the Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth. "In addition to higher educational attainment levels, Promise Zones can spur investment, economic development and home ownership."

Under the enabling legislation qualifying applicants were awarded Promise Zone designations by the Michigan Department of Treasury on a first come, first serve basis. To apply for a designation, an eligible city, township, county, or school district had to approve, by resolution, the creation of a Promise Zone following a public hearing on the matter. The community also had to meet or exceed the state average poverty level for families with children under age 18 to be considered for a Promise Zone. In all, 14 communities submitted applications to the Department of Treasury.

"This initiative is one of the most creative ways to give children in these areas of higher than normal poverty a new lease on life and will change the dynamic from "if" they are going to college to "where" they are going to college, and that psychological impact cannot be matched," said State Representative Tim Melton, a key sponsor of the Promise Zone legislation.

Under the legislation, the governing body of each Promise Zone must create, by resolution, a Promise Zone Authority consisting of no less than 11 members. The authority must outline the intended educational promise, which at a minimum, must include funding for an associate's degree, and the methods through which resources will be raised to fund the promise. Promise Zones may capture one-half of the growth in the state education tax (SET) to support the promise. However, before the Department of Treasury approves the SET capture, a Promise Zone Authority must show it has the financial means to fund the first two years of the promise.

"Promise Zones help Michigan achieve our two most important goals - diversifying our economy and doubling the number of college graduates in our state," Governor Granholm added. "Now, more than ever, communities need this powerful new tool to take charge of their economic futures."

Governor Granholm has led several efforts to make college and technical training more accessible to Michigan citizens, including the Michigan Promise scholarship, which provides high school graduates an opportunity to earn up to $4,000 toward a college degree or technical certification.

A2 Business review: Former Gateway Computers CEO Rick Snyder to announce Republican gubernatorial bid

2009-07-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

by Nathan Bomey
Monday July 20, 2009, 3:24 PM

Rick Snyder, a prominent Ann Arbor business leader and former president and interim CEO of Gateway Computers, is expected to announce Tuesday morning that he will launch a campaign for Michigan's gubernatorial office in 2010, sources confirmed.

Snyder, a longtime venture capitalist and founder of Ann Arbor SPARK, is likely to champion major tax reform and a focus on transforming Michigan's distressed economy.

"Literally I think we need to start the innovation era in Michigan," Snyder said in May.

Snyder has heretofore released few details about his political viewpoints, but he has called for the elimination of the much-maligned Michigan Business Tax and indicated that his primary focus would be revitalizing Michigan's economy. He has been critical of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's leadership as the state's unemployment rate has ticked up to a nation-worst 15.2 percent.

"In the midst of this crisis, you have failed to provide a clear vision or long-term plan for how Michigan can overcome today's challenges and emerge from this devastating economic period," Snyder wrote in a letter to Granholm released by his campaign. "I hope that you'll realize that in order for this state to move past this era of complacency, fear and frustration we need to abandon politics as usual and embrace new ideas that promote innovation and long-term growth."

Read the Full Article on MLive

Jack Lessenberry -Essay: Community Colleges and Our Future

2009-07-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

President Obama came to Michigan yesterday to announce a major new initiative aimed at strengthening America’s community colleges. Michigan Radio’s Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry has been thinking about their real importance...

Hear Audio Story
Four years ago, Lt. Gov. John Cherry presided over a high-powered commission that took a hard look at higher education in Michigan. Not surprisingly, it concluded that we needed a lot more of it. The Cherry Commission called on this state to double the number of students who get bachelor’s degrees within the next decade.

That’s a fine idea. But the Cherry Commission’s report gave essentially short shift to community colleges, and virtually ignored the need for vocational training and retraining.

That‘s a big part of the mission community colleges have in this nation and perhaps especially in Michigan, where there are nearly a quarter of a million community college students.

Yesterday, President Obama took a major step to give community colleges new respect, and shift the focus of higher education thinking in this country. He did that at Macomb County Community College, which has been a leader in this field for many years, and has gotten too little notice. If you thought this was some place that offered welding courses and taught remedial reading, you couldn’t be more wrong. This spring, Macomb presented an intellectual and cultural series examining the 1960s in America. It attracted the likes of Ted Sorensen and Andrew Young, and compared favorably to something Harvard might have done.

Read the full essay...

Or listen to it ...

A2 News Editorial: Plans for GE facility point to state's future

2009-07-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

by The Ann Arbor News
Sunday July 19, 2009, 10:46 AM

Casual observers of the state's troubled economic scene may feel they'd have to search a long time for tangible evidence that provides a glimmer of hope - and a significant potential for future jobs.

Actually, they won't need to look far - if General Electric's recent decision to establish a center in Wayne County's Van Buren Township becomes a full-scale reality. As reported in the Ann Arbor Business Review, GE's Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center will perform research and engineering operations for renewable energy technology and wind turbine manufacturing.

We're talking about the often-stated visions for an alternative energy industry that affirms the skills and knowledge of manufacturing and engineering workers - many now unemployed - at a time when Michigan has been taking blow after blow to its economic base and suffers with the nation's worst unemployment rate.

GE spokesman Peter O'Toole offered the Business Review some compliments for the state's technological brainpower when he reviewed goals of the $100 million center.

"We want to get started quickly - and if you're looking at an area that has a broad expanse of very talented people with advanced expertise and advanced degrees, it's there in abundance in Michigan," O'Toole said.

Read the full article on MLive.com

The larger intentions of this blog and a request for help

2009-02-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

This website is about exploring ideas about the future of Michigan. So far I'm the only one working on the site. As far as futurists go, I'm merely a serious hobbyist. I don't have a degree in foresight studies. I do have a long history in the news industry and I lecture on foresight subjects alongside more serious professionals at science fiction conventions. That's hardly an academic setting, but it has been a good introduction for me.

I am still learning how to formally think about the future as I ask you who read this blog to take what I post seriously. So why not learn first and then come back and start a blog about the future you say? That's a fair question.

My answer comes from a basic tenent of futures studies: you can't predict the future. All you can do is forecast scenarios based on the facts at hand as they develop. So pro futurists have an edge over the hobbyist by understanding the right formalized methodologies and having skills in the right kind of math. That's no minor thing. A great deal can be pulled from proper analysis of detailed histories. But the disciplines of futures studies go beyond mining statistics. It's a much broader endeavor.

Many people who are recognized as futurists come from a diversity of fields including science fiction writers like Vernor Vinge, Karl Schroeder, Bruce Sterling and the late Arthur C. Clarke, artists such as Syd Mead and Natasha More or brainy ecclectics like Ray Kurzweil or Buckminster Fuller.

When it comes to forecasting future scenarios, the best techniques come from a balance of analysis and imagination.

So far, this blog has mostly been an effort to parse the events that will become catalysts for our state's future. My larger intent has always been to establish a flow of inputs (current events and historical analysis) and then find and reach out to a community of thinkers and stakeholders (both readers and specialists) to develop a deeper dialogue about how the decisions we are collectively making in this state (and outside of it) might shape out tomorrow.

These decisions won't just come from technological innovation or the policy we erect to meet it. It will also come from within our imaginations. The imaginary images we develop of our future are one of the main resources used in the field of Futures Studies, both as a subject of analysis and as a starting point for the active development and pursuit of preferred scenarios. Jim Dator, Professor of Political Science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa explains the value of imagining the future:

"One of the things futures studies tries to do is to help people examine and clarify their images of the future--their ideas, fears, hopes, beliefs, concerns about the future--so that they might improve the quality of their decisions which impact it."

What I want for this website is to explore the various visions that already exist for our state in the future - be they in the arts, in the minds of regular citizens or articulated by our policy-makers. I would also like to look at those visions in contrast to real events as they develop "in the field" and find out how they jibe with that public view of where we think we'll end up. And perhaps, as the patterns emerge we can all discuss how we might alter course in a direction that we might prefer.

To underscore why I think all of this is important, I'd like you to consider the following presentation given at this year's TED conference.

With that in mind, I believe that the next step is to discuss the tools of futures studies and find ways to apply them. If this gains any momentum, it will require a transformation from a blog written by me into some kind of community. If any of you reading this actually know any futurists that live in Michigan feel free to contact me at:
futuremichigan (at) yahoo (dot) com

I've already begun the process of moving this website from a blog to a more community based platform. That new platform will be at www.foresightmichigan.com. At this point there is still no legal organization to this effort. For now, it's all just a self-funded website. But maybe a non-profit model is in its future. Feel free to e-mail me with thoughts and ideas on that as well.

Obama signs stimulus bill, could create 109,000 Michigan jobs

2009-02-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

President Barack Obama signed into law his hard-fought economic stimulus plan in Denver today. Obama used the ceremony surrounding the stimulus bill at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, to underscore investments the spending plan will make in the "green" energy-related jobs.

Specifically for Michigan the bill could lead to 109,000 new jobs. According to an Associated Press report, Council of Economic Advisers Chairwoman Christina Romer and Obama's chief economist, Jared Bernstein, estimated the number of jobs for Michigan by studying the stimulus package's effect on working age population, employment and industrial composition in each state.

Michigan's two Democratic senators and eight Democratic U.S. House members voted for the package. But none of the state's seven Republican congressional members did. They say it creates too much debt and not enough jobs.

Plans for the bills money and tracking of it's spending can be followed at www.recovery.gov

Wayne County, Tech Town To Launch Stem Cell Commercialization Center

2009-02-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

According to various sources, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced Thursday that the county will partner with Tech Town and Wayne State University to create the first "stem cell commercialization lab" in Michigan. I am assuming that a commercialization lab is a facility that focuses on turning basic science into salable products - something that the field of stem cell science has yet to see in any significant way.

"Wayne State and its University Research Corridor partners, the University of Michigan and Michigan State, are the greatest medical research assets we have in Michigan, and now we have a chance to share that brainpower with the rest of the world," Ficano told WWJ radio. "TechTown's Stem Cell Commercialization Center will be a place where researchers collaboratively accelerate the development of life-saving drugs, and create high-tech companies that bring those treatments to the global marketplace."

The lab already has a two-year, $2.9 million financial commitment from Wayne County for laboratory construction, equipment and management, and $1.5 million from Wayne State has challenged TechTown to raise matching funds as well.

For those of you who aren't aware of it's existence, Tech Town is a mini Nerd City within Detroit. The research and technology park, was established in 2000 by Wayne County with Wayne State University, General Motors and the Henry Ford Health System. The idea was to stimulate job growth and small-business creation by developing companies in emerging high-technology industries including advanced engineering, life sciences and alternative energy. Thirty-nine businesses currently operate within the twelve-block district. At least four of them specialize in in the biotech sector (one is a law firm).

For more information on Tech Town visit www.techtownwsu.org

Green energy industry sees growth

2009-02-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

Rochester Hills-based Energy Conversion Devices Inc. has announced that revenue in its second fiscal quarter nearly doubled since the same quarter last year. To be precise, revenue rose to $103.1 million from $56.4 million the same quarter a year earlier. First quarter revenue was $95.8 million.

ECD manufactures and sells thin, flexible solar cells laminated on rolls of steel that can be mounted on the rooftops of commercial or (I assume) residential buildings.

Their Ovonic Materials Division makes a number of really cool products from hydrogen fuel cells to bioreformation devices (corn, switchgrass, etc. to hydrogen).

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Novi-based ITC Holdings Corp. announced on Monday plans to build "The Green Power Express", a modernized grid of electric transmission lines to carry power from wind rich regions of the Midwest to population centers. According to the project's website, this does not yet include delivering power to Michigan. However, the website also stated that an application to participate in the Midwest ISO MTEP process. For those not familiar (I wasn't), it's a regional plan for upgrading power infrastructure in the Midwest that has been ongoing for a while now. Several (if not all) Michigan based utility and transmission companies are currently a part of this project.

More idle speculation on superhero films in Michigan

2009-02-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

This is not a news item. It's just me connecting imaginary dots because I'm a nerd. A few days ago I posted a quote about Sam Raimi trying to do secondary shooting for Spider-Man 4 in Michigan. Today I came across a Metromode story about the new film studio going up in an old auto plant in Pontiac. The studio will be run by Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. These guys have been around so long, their first production was with Mary Pickford.
What hasn't been noticed by the Michigan press outlets is that Raleigh has signed a long term contract with Marvel Studios to work on their next four superhero titles. Specifically "Iron Man 2," "Thor," "The First Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers."
I consider myself an amateur futurist in training, so it's pretty hard for me not to speculate on a scenario where Raimi sees all this action from Raleigh happening and gives them a call about breaking in some of the Pontiac people with his Spidey project. Maybe he gets the idea from this post. Maybe a few people that I know are reading this e-mail it to him or his brother Ted...
Just speculating. A junior foresight scientist has to practice his craft from time to time.

Stardock to open second games studio in Michigan

2009-02-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

Stardock Corporation announced today that it is expanding its current games division and will open a second games studio in Michigan.
The new studio will create up to 50 much-needed jobs in the state of Michigan and will be responsible for an as-of-yet unannounced RPG title developed and published by independent developer Stardock Entertainment.

When evaluating where to open the second studio, Stardock considered several other states in which to open it due to the relatively high costs of recruiting game developers and artists to Michigan as well as some of the technology infrastructure challenges Michigan faces.

However, Wayne County in conjunction with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation as well as Plymouth Township coordinated to provide tax incentives and access to better communication infrastructure in order to make Michigan a more competitive choice to open the new studio.

Stardock President and CEO Brad Wardell said, "We're very pleased with the support we've received from Wayne County and the state of Michigan. We think Michigan is well placed to become a hub for technology companies thanks to new programs from the state to make Michigan more competitive to do business in. We look forward to continuing our strong growth with additional development projects over the next couple of years."

Singularity University could be a model for Michigan Higher Ed. programs

2009-02-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Somewhere between NASA's Ames center and the Google campus in California is the new Singularity University. Headed by inventor and futurist Ray Kurzwiel, the new interdiscliplinary university offers short graduate programs and executive seminars. I'm assuming that as they grow full degree programs will be offered, but it's the interdicipliary nature of the programs that fascinates me. Graduates from one kind of field are plugged into a different kind of field (like robotics with medicine) and a curriculum is built from there. The promo video explains it more visually.

Here in Michigan we have some pretty top flight universities and colleges. I wonder how many of them have similar programs geared towards the matching of cutting edge fields to generate innovation.

Woody Norris at TED: Inventing the next amazing thing

2009-02-07T23:12:00.000-08:00

Sam Raimi to shoot Spider-Man 4 in Michigan?

2009-02-06T23:22:00.000-08:00

Via The Oakland Press

According to a Oakland Press report, Spider-Man director Sam Raimi, a Michigan native, may be bringing a proposed fourth installment of the franchise back to his home state.

"I'll be looking at Michigan for our second-unit photography on the new Spider-Man film," Raimi told the newspaper.
Raimi's producing partner Rob Tapert, also a native of Michigan, elaborated: "We look at the bottom line on every single project in determining where we ultimately end up shooting. Given that most of the projects we make we can shoot almost anywhere, we can look at whether it's in Romania, New Zealand, Australia, New Mexico or Canada. Film incentives are an incredibly important part of the equation."

Raimi will also reportedly shoot a small-budget supernatural thriller film, Room 205, in Michigan, the newspaper reported. Based on Danish director Martin Barnewitz's 2007 film, "Room 205 is about a haunted dorm room," Raimi told the paper. "It's a neat screenplay that will become a lovely, bright Midwestern university and tell about how kids become adjusted to their new surroundings. In the midst of that, the supernatural will rear its terrifying head." Screenwriter Stephen Susco (The Grudge) will help Raimi adapt the original.

“I love Michigan,” said Raimi, who is married to Gillian Greene, daughter of the late “Bonanza” star Lorne Greene. “I would be in Michigan except that my business literally is out here (in Los Angeles). I’m forced to live here because this is where the industry is.”

Raimi is slated to begin production on Spider-Man 4 in 2010.

Granholm announces Great Lakes Wind Council

2009-02-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

Via michigan.gov
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today signed Executive Order 2009-1, creating the Great Lakes Wind Council, an advisory body within the Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth that will provide citizens with a public forum to begin to identify where, in the Great Lakes, wind energy systems may be prudently sited.

"The Great Lakes are Michigan's most precious natural resource, and they provide tremendous economic value to the citizens of Michigan," Granholm said. "The availability, consistency, and velocity of wind in the Great Lakes make their waters uniquely attractive to wind energy developers seeking to build offshore wind energy systems - but we want to make sure we are prudent in this process of approval."

In addition to looking at ways to best engage the people of Michigan in a public dialogue about offshore wind so that statewide interests are considered, the council will identify criteria that can be used to review applications for offshore wind development. The council will also identify criteria for mapping areas that should be excluded from offshore wind development and those areas that are most favorable for such development, providing a full report to the governor by September 1, 2009.

The governor announced the following appointments to the Great Lakes Wind Council:

Adesoji O. Adelaja, Ph.D. of Okemos, director and founder of the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute and John A. Hannah distinguished professor in land policy, is appointed to represent other residents of this state for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

James P. Clift of Lansing, policy director of the Michigan Environmental Council, is appointed to represent statewide environmental organizations for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Frank D. Ettawageshik of Harbor Springs, chair of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, is appointed to represent Native American tribal governments for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Dennis L. Grinold of Lansing, member of the Michigan Charter Boat Association, is appointed to represent the charter fishing industry for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Curtis A. Hertel, Sr. of Grosse Pointe Woods, executive director of the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority, is appointed to represent the commercial shipping industry for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Thomas L. Hickner of Bay City, Bay County executive, is appointed to represent local government officials for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

M. Jack Knowles, III of Ann Arbor, vice president of Dietrich, Bailey and Associates, P.C., is appointed to represent other residents of this state for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Steven E. Kurmas of Shelby Township, president and chief operating officer of Detroit Edison, one of three major business units of DTE, is appointed to represent electric utilities for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Marty G. Lagina of Traverse City, chief executive officer of Heritage Sustainable Energy, LLC, is appointed to represent the wind energy development industry for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

James D. MacInnes of Beulah, chief executive officer and co-owner of Crystal Mountain Resort and Spa, is appointed to represent the tourism industry for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

John G. Russell of East Lansing, president and chief operating officer of Consumers Energy, is appointed to represent electric utilities for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Richard F. Vander Veen, III of Lowell, president of Mackinaw Power, is appointed to represent other residents of this state for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Joseph L. Welch of Monroe, chairman, president and chief executive officer of ITC Holdings Corp., is appointed to represent independent electric transmission companies for a term expiring September 1, 2009.

Web site seeks reader votes to set priorities on potential Michigan stimulus projects

2009-02-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

Via MLive.com and the Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- City residents who want to help President Barack Obama set priorities for his recovery plan can register their opinions about local projects online.

Stimuluswatch.org has posted a list of "shovel-ready" projects from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The site allows visitors to vote for or against projects on the list.

The Grand Rapids list includes $254.5 million worth of possible projects, ranging from $22.5 million to roto-mill city streets to a $45,000 replacement of the Garfield Sewer.

Though Obama's stimulus package will meet needs in other cities, the list compiled by Stimuluswatch.org only lists the projects collected by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Projects throughout Michigan can be viewed here.

Detroit Science Center launches Star Trek Exhibit

2009-02-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

Via detroitsciencecenter.org

Set you Phasers for romance! This Valentine's Day the Detroit Science Center will launch a limited engagement of "STAR TREK THE EXHIBITION."

Highlights of STAR TREK THE EXHIBITION include:
• A detailed recreation of the bridge from the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 as featured in the original Star Trek television series. Visitors can stand on the bridge and have their photo taken superimposed with images of the original cast – including Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and Mr. Scott – to look as if the Enterprise crew is standing right next to them.

• Re-creations of original sets from Star Trek: The Next Generation, including Captain Picard’s quarters and command chair.

• A chance to ride through a Star Trek adventure in two full-motion flight simulators.

• A full-scale recreation of the Transporter Room from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The Exhibit will run until September 17th, 2009.

For more info CLICK HERE.

Granholm Outlines Stimulus Package expectations for Michigan

2009-02-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

From MLive.com and The Grand Rapids Press

Center for Michigan: "What are YOUR reform ideas?"

2009-02-05T09:50:00.001-08:00

From The Center for Michigan. Click for original article.

From an article by John Bebow
Recently, the Center published a list of more than $1.5 billion in possible ways to reform state government and the public purse. The emails -- both complimentary and irate -- began flowing moments later.

Now, it's your turn.

The Center published their initial list as a conversation starter in what is likely to be a painful year of negotiation in Lansing. Add your voice to the discussion! Send them your approaches on how to change the way Michigan does the public's business and they'll publish your ideas in an upcoming Fresh Thoughts newsletter. To participate, simply post your ideas here or email the Center at info@thecenterformichigan.net.

Engineering Society of Detroit Launches New Institute to help Mich. Businesses

2009-02-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Engineering Society of Detroit has launched the ESD Institute, a forum for communication and initiative-creation to promote innovation and in the State.

“The mission of the ESD Institute is to examine and assess the root causes and barriers to the implementation of innovation with unity, focus and choice,” said Christopher J. Webb, ESD Institute co-director. “There is no other institute in the region taking this on.”

The Institute is currently pursuing three technical initiatives related to the fields of water, transportation, and energy and two business initiatives related to the Michigan Green Enterprise Zone and Best Practices for Innovation Attributes.

For more on the ESD Institute click here.

K. Eric Drexler: Advice To Aspiring Nanotechnologists

2009-01-30T22:33:00.000-08:00

Via - kurzweilai.net

Originally published in Engines of Creation 2.0 by K. Eric Drexler

Studying Nanotechnology

Many students have asked what they should study to prepare for careers in nanotechnology. Giving a decent answer requires outlining the different fields of research that fall under the nanotechnology umbrella and describing the background knowledge required to work in them. It also seems wise to say something about the different levels of knowledge and modes of learning that are relevant to such a broad, interdisciplinary area. The following is a personal view, based on what I have learned (and wished I had learned), and on how learning in these areas seems to work best. One can't master everything relevant to so broad a field.

Fields of Research

Nanotechnology will mean complete control of the structure of matter, building complex objects with molecular precision. It doesn't exist yet, because we don't have molecular assemblers yet. Work related to nanotechnology accordingly falls into two broad areas: the study of nanotechnology itself (which must remain theoretical, for the time being) and research on enabling technologies leading toward assemblers and nanotechnology (which can be theoretical in part, but which also has an experimental, developmental component).

The theoretical study of nanotechnology involves exploratory engineering work in any of several of areas. It includes basic studies in nanomechanical engineering (the study of molecular machines) and nanoelectrical engineering (the study of molecular and atomically-precise nanometer scale electronic systems). It also includes studies of complex systems, such as assemblers, replicators, and nanocomputers. More broadly, it includes studies of non-nanoscale applications, such as large systems built by teams of assemblers.

Because we lack the tools to do real nanotechnology today, these theoretical studies amount to building castles in the air. Accordingly, there is little funding for such efforts and frequent skepticism about their value. Nonetheless, such studies can be pursued with intellectual discipline, yielding firm results and a better understanding of our choices as a society. They have been my main focus and have spawned the current interest in nanotechnology—including the interest in giving these theoretical castles hardware foundations.

Studying what can be done with assemblers yields more foresight than it does progress; working to develop assemblers yields more progress than it does foresight. Inevitably, more resources will go into development than into theory, because technology development will yield practical, short-term results on the way to long-term objectives. It makes no practical sense to try to build an assembler today, but it does make sense to build tools today that will make it easier to build assemblers tomorrow. These tools are termed "enabling technologies."

Promising enabling technologies fall into several familiar categories. These include:

protein engineering (involving efforts to develop techniques for designing molecular devices made of protein)
general macromolecular engineering (involving efforts to develop techniques for designing and synthesizing molecular devices made of more tractable materials)
micromanipulation techniques (involving efforts to extend the technology of scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy to chemical synthesis, and then to the construction of molecular devices)
These approaches have differing strengths and weaknesses. Protein engineering can draw on a host of examples and prototypes from nature, and can exploit existing self-replicating machines (bacteria) to make products cheaply—a major consideration, where short-term payoffs are concerned. General macromolecular engineering avoids the major problem with protein engineering (proteins, not having been designed for designability, are hard to design), but at the cost of moving away from natural prototypes and requiring more expensive chemical synthesis techniques for making near-term products (thus reducing the potential market). Micromanipulation techniques promise to ease design problems by allowing direct construction of molecular objects, but they suffer from higher costs: a chemical reaction typically makes many trillions of molecules at once, while a manipulator would make but one, hence manipulator-made products can be expected to cost trillions of times more, dramatically reducing the potential market. Also, as of this writing [2007], micromanipulation has not achieved even a single chemically-specific step in molecular synthesis, while chemists have built specific molecules containing thousands of atoms.

All the above areas bear watching, and all will be pursued to some extent, regardless of which ultimately proves to have the biggest payoff. Hybrid approaches, combining techniques from several of these areas (e.g., micromanipulation of molecular tools), seem promising. Finally, improved computational modeling of molecular systems is a generic enabling technology, relevant to all these approaches.

Nanotechnology is fundamentally a branch of engineering.

Background Fields: Molecular Science and Technology

There are, as yet, no college curricula aimed specifically at preparing students for work in nanotechnology, although there are numerous new programs that have been created in particular subfields. My own course at Stanford many years ago provided at best an overview of the field. Rather than seeking courses (and books, and journals) in nanotechnology, one should seek courses (etc.) in the broad field of molecular science and technology.

Unfortunately, there are, as yet, few (if any) schools that treat molecular science and technology as a unified field. (A note to curriculum reformers: developing a program having this focus makes sense in terms of current science and technology, and would provide a natural home for early studies in nanotechnology.) Students aiming to gain a solid background in areas important to nanotechnology should be prepared to shop around from department to department. The following section lists some of the important topics and some of the departments in which they are frequently taught.

To study science and technology in a serious way, one must have an adequate background in mathematics. Basic calculus is essential, and differential equations and linear algebra are widely used. Problems in nanotechnology vary widely in the mathematical sophistication required for their solution.

The study of physical systems is founded on physics. A knowledge of basic classical mechanics and electromagnetism is essential, as is a knowledge of at least the rudiments of quantum mechanics. Anyone aiming to do any sort of sophisticated work in chemistry and molecular machines can benefit from deeper knowledge of quantum mechanics; anyone interested in molecular electronics should make quantum mechanics a chief focus of study. "Quantum mechanics" is a broad area, however. The quantum mechanics of interest here is not quantum electrodynamics, quantum chromodynamics, or superstring theory, but the garden-variety quantum mechanics of electrons in matter, the sort studied by chemists and solid-state physicists. Both quantum chemistry and solid state physics are topics of great relevance to nanotechnology.

As with mathematics, so with physics: problems in nanotechnology vary widely in the sophistication needed for their solution.

Nanomachines and nanoelectronic devices are often greatly influenced by thermal noise. To understand its effects, one needs knowledge of thermodynamics and of statistical mechanics. Thermodynamics deals with the flow of energy and heat in matter in bulk; its principles constrain all physical systems and its subject matter is regarded as a prerequisite for the study of statistical mechanics, which describes much the same territory in a more detailed, molecular fashion. These topics are often taught in chemistry and physics departments.

Nanotechnology can be viewed as an outgrowth of chemistry, the leading science in the field of molecular devices and molecular manipulation. Anyone planning serious work in nanotechnology should seek at least a basic background in chemistry, focusing on its structural, molecular aspects. Those interested in assemblers and molecular mechanical devices should study organic chemistry, and those interested in the chemical-synthesis path to nanotechnology should study synthetic organic chemistry, and learn the arts of the chemistry lab.

Many specific fields have special relevance. Chemical kinetics and reaction transition-state theory is of special relevance to assembler theory. Molecular mechanics is fundamental to any sort of molecular machine design. Studies in materials science (often considered closely allied to chemistry) are also of value; materials scientists consider the mechanical behavior of larger systems of bonded atoms than chemists typically contemplate.

Biology is the leading science in the study of existing molecular machines. Here, biochemistry is central: enzyme reaction mechanisms provide examples of what many nanomachines will need to do; the folding of proteins and the self-assembly of protein systems provide examples of how complex first generation molecular machines may be made. Familiarity with these fields is of considerable importance to anyone interested in enabling technologies.

Although nanotechnologists will need a thorough grounding in relevant scientific principles, nanotechnology is fundamentally a branch of engineering. To work as an engineer, one must learn to think as an engineer, and that means studying (and doing) design. Nanosystems will be systems, and so the principles of systems engineering apply. Many nanosystems will be mechanical, and so the principles of mechanical engineering apply. Studies in solid mechanics, system dynamics, mechanisms, and control theory all are relevant to both nanotechnology and enabling technologies. Engineering departments often teach more specialized topics of relevance to nanotechnology, such as VLSI circuit design (relevant to nanocomputer design) and microfabrication (relevant to possible enabling technologies). The principles of conventional electronic circuit design are applicable to moderately large nanoelectronic systems, and the principles of quantum electronics are applicable to the smallest systems.

Software systems will be vital to nanotechnology and to enabling technologies along the way. A basic introduction to computers and software will be of value to anyone in any area of science or technology. Those interested in software related to nanotechnology should pay special attention to numerical simulation methods for molecular mechanical and quantum electronic systems, and to the design of programs for highly parallel computer systems, since this is the direction hardware will be moving in the coming years. Parallel systems will help designers develop nanotechnology, and nanocomputers will later be used to build massively parallel (trillion processor and up) computer systems. Finally, if powerful systems are to be useful in molecular design, they will need to be accessible through fast, clean, intuitive interfaces that let designers see and manipulate model molecules.

Learn the fundamentals of molecular science and technology.

Levels of Knowledge

"In short, to do good work in nanotechnology, one must master everything relevant to the physics, chemistry, and engineering of molecules, from quantum mechanics to advanced software architectures." Fortunately, this isn't true. Of course, the more you know, the better you'll do (within limits—studying mustn't completely displace doing), but one can't master everything relevant to so broad a field.

What one can and should do is try to master some areas and know a lot about the others. Real molecular devices can do many different things: they can vibrate, pull apart, shake apart, deform, transform, photolyse, or pop from state to state—any of these behaviors can occur in a simple mechanical part, and any can make it fail. Real physical systems will do something when used, and if what they will do is strikingly different from what you think they will do, then the work you're doing may be a waste of time for you and for anyone who listens to you. It's much better to be right about what will work, and this means knowing enough to steer clear of potential problems.

It makes sense to think in terms of three levels of knowledge about a field:

Knowing what a field is about—knowing what sorts of physical systems and phenomena it deals with, and what sorts of questions it asks and answers.
Knowing the content of a field in a qualitative sense—having a good feel for what sorts of phenomena can be important in what circumstances, and knowing when you need answers from work in that field.
Knowing how to get those answers yourself, based on personal mastery of enough of the field's subject matter.
If one has enough knowledge at levels (1) and (2) in enough fields, then one can steer clear of problems in those fields while doing work in a related field where you have knowledge at level (3). And this is a good thing, because knowledge at levels (1) and (2) takes far less time to acquire. But to make proper use of knowledge at levels (1) and (2) requires a harsh discipline: attempt to assume the worst about what you don't know. Don't assume that a poorly-understood physical effect will somehow save your design; do assume (until finding otherwise) that it may utterly ruin it. Without this discipline, you'll become an intellectual hazard. With it, you'll be able to make a real contribution.

Ideas about real systems must somehow be disciplined by reality.

Modes of Learning

How can one get this sort of general knowledge of a field? Courses can help, but they tend to focus on mastery of a narrow range of knowledge, rather than familiarity with a wide range of knowledge. One can gain this familiarity by reading magazines and journals that offer broad coverage of science and technology: good choices include Science, Nature, Science News, Scientific American, and IEEE Spectrum. Another good tactic is to skim a wide range of books on the new books shelf of a science library, on a regular basis, and to do likewise with a wide range of technical journals.

To do all this properly requires the discipline to read what you don't understand—despite the school-induced reflex which says "Oh, no! I don't understand, so I'll fail the test—maybe I should drop this subject!" By reading what you don't understand, you gain a sense of the patterns of the field—the terms and abstract relationships, the kinds of problems being addressed, and the kinds of knowledge required to understand more. And this adds up to an important sort of understanding. Later, this familiarity makes it much easier to consult the literature: one knows which disciplines deal with what problems, and what one needs to study to gain a deeper understanding. Also, it fills your mind with questions, so that you can later recognize the answers and have your mind seize them more firmly.

For a thorough grounding in a basic field, classes can be excellent. If classes aren't available, textbooks can often serve well, especially if you work many of the problems.

In any evolving, interdisciplinary field, you must learn to learn from books and journals. Learn to use libraries (as horrible as they are, compared to more accessible internet publishing systems). Learn to read skeptically—it is a rare book or journal that doesn't have a few serious errors, and occasionally publications are utter bilge, especially in interdisciplinary fields (which too often lack any discipline at all).

Finally, tackle problems. If you can find a professor doing good, interesting work, consider becoming an apprentice researcher. If not (or in addition), pursue technical problems that interest you. The best way to learn is to seek answers to questions that interest you, and there is no other way to make an original contribution.

Learn to criticize ideas, especially your own. Most new ideas are wrong or inadequate. If you don't reject most of your ideas promptly, then you're almost surely fooling yourself, and if you also spread them, you're almost surely polluting the intellectual world. But if an idea really seems to stand up under testing, try filling in more details, and criticizing it again.

Get criticism from others. Learn to present ideas in discussions, papers, and talks, and listen to the responses, especially from people who know relevant fields. If they disbelieve your idea and tell you why, either understand and refute their criticism, or consider working on a different idea. If they look at you oddly and change the subject, consider whether you are perhaps overlooking a really big, basic problem—are you really familiar with the relevant fields? If they disbelieve you at first, but can be persuaded, congratulations! You've probably got hold of something interesting, perhaps even new and important.

Always remember that ideas about real systems must somehow be disciplined by reality. Experimental work brings its own discipline from nature, if the experimenter uses good technique. This discipline is direct and hard to escape. Theoretical work, in contrast, must be disciplined by knowledge of experimental results and natural law; this discipline doesn't impose itself, it must be sought out and largely self-applied. To be a careful thinker, try to understand things in more than one way: if you get the same answer from physical calculations and from analogies to known machines and from analogies to biology, then you're probably right. If all you have is a rough analogy or a crude calculation, you may well be wrong.

Seek out weaknesses in ideas, and build only on ideas that pass rigorous tests, or you may see the foundations of your thinking later crumble and dump a year's (or a decade's) work into the trash. Beware of those who have neither experimental results nor a theoretician's voluntary discipline; expect them to spout great streams of plausible nonsense, unconstrained by reality. Don't become one of these, even if you find that many (ignorant) people are intrigued and entertained by your wilder imaginings.

In short, learn the fundamentals of molecular science and technology. Survey other relevant knowledge. Learn to learn from books and journals. Pursue problems, think critically, and learn more. Design and calculate or experiment. Publish your contribution and add to the world's knowledge.

© 2007 K. Eric Drexler.

For your viewing pleasure DTE Energy...

2009-01-30T15:57:00.000-08:00

Nathan Bomey: For Michigan, battery opportunities mark critical moment

2009-01-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

From the Ann Arbor Business Review

NATHAN BOMEY
by Nathan Bomey | Ann Arbor Business Review
Tuesday January 27, 2009, 11:56 AM

Nathan Bomey
Michigan needs to get batteries right.

The crisis in the automotive industry is no less than frightening. But the opportunity to salvage the state's automotive expertise and leverage its university heritage to capitalize on advanced batteries represents a beacon of hope for the state's economy.

Perhaps the greatest problem, however, is the need for substantial up-front investment in lithium-ion battery manufacturing capacity for vehicles.

The problem that threatens to trip up the entire industry push toward electric vehicles is: How do we tackle the scale issue? How do we produce lithium-ion-battery-powered cars in mass quantities? The answer is enormous capital investment. But without significant government incentives, it seems unlikely that the auto industry would spend major dollars on anything right now.

It appears that President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package may include incentives for auto lithium-ion battery production. It certainly seems appropriate, particularly in light of the administration's decision to allow individual states to set their own vehicle emissions standards, effectively forcing the automakers to invest heavily in alternative propulsion vehicles. Michigan, meanwhile, has already approved its own battery incentives package.

Denise Gray, director of hybrid energy storage systems at General Motors, who is expected to speak Jan. 27 at the University of Michigan's Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium, told me in an interview that the government needs to lend a helping hand to help automakers generate battery production capacity.

"The manufacturing base to produce battery systems is not here," Gray said. "I think support from our government is important when it comes to enticing and encouraging - I think I like the word encouraging - companies to have a footprint in the states when it comes to manufacturing."

This is a critical moment. Automakers, albeit in the midst of dramatic downsizing at internal combustion vehicle plants, are simultaneously prepping for major investments in battery plants.

GM is expected to work with Korean supplier LG Chem to establish a battery pack manufacturing facility in Michigan to supply the battery for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. Watertown, Mass.-based A123Systems, which has an Ann Arbor operation, is poised to build an auto battery plant in Michigan, as well.

Meanwhile, Ann Arbor startup Sakti3, led by visionary U-M professor Ann Marie Sastry, is formulating its own plans. Sastry won't tell me what she's planning, but it's only a matter of time before her company announces a big investment plan of some sort as she works to commercialize a new battery production process for vehicles.
Sastry is already working with GM to educate 50 engineers in her energy systems engineering master's program at U-M.

GM's publicized enrollment in U-M programs is a humble step for the automaker. It shows that its existing engineers need to learn more about advanced batteries.

"It's vital to where we are today and where we are tomorrow," Gray said. "We need people. That's the only way we're going to be able to meet the needs of today as well as tomorrow is with great minds."

GM's enrollment at U-M is a savvy move. U-M researchers have been tackling battery issues for years, long before the word hybrid was associated with the auto industry. Sastry herself has been working on batteries for more than 15 years.

Stephen Forrest, U-M's vice president for research, has acknowledged that battery research was not always the most popular of fields.

But the university's long-term commitment to battery research underscores the need for additional industry-university partnerships to achieve solutions for the nation's critical problems.

Fisker Automotive to bring new engineering and development center to Pontiac

2008-11-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

Fisker Automotive, Inc., announced the opening of a new engineering and development center in Pontiac, Michigan. The 34,000 square foot facility will house up to 200 engineers and designers, who will support the development and production program of the company's first production car, the plug-in hybrid Fisker Karma.

“The available talent, supplier base and infrastructure in Michigan will help us reach our production goal,” said Fisker Automotive COO Bernhard Koehler. “While Fisker Automotive will continue to be headquartered in Irvine, California, the new facility will allow us the opportunity to collaborate with our Michigan supplier base and have everyone under one roof.”

Initial domestic deliveries of the Fisker Karma is set to commence in the 4th quarter of 2009 in North America with planned delivery to the U.S. and Europe. Fisker Automotive’s annual production is projected to reach 15,000 vehicles by 2011.

Novi to host MichBio Expo this Tuesday & Wednesday

2008-11-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

MichBio's 2008 Expo and Conference will begin this Tuesday, November 18 and continue o the 19th at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi. Attendees will get the chance to hear from bioscience industry leaders and expert panelists speak as well as
participate in business partnering meetings. The Expo will also feature a ""Michigan Emerging Biosciences Showcase" and "Roadmap for the Future" Caucus. Of particular interest to Future Michigan readers is the "R&D: Nanomedicine – Revolutionizing Devices, Diagnostics & Therapeutics" and "Future Trends & Technologies: Hot Topics" panels on Wednesday.

On-line registration for the event is now closed, but according to MichBio.org you can still just show up at the Rock Financial Showplace for onsite registration.
Registration hours are: Tuesday 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Wednesday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

More detailed information can be found here at MichBio's website.

There is also a .pdf brochure available here.

Bush Administration - RFID of Michigan Cattle not "Mark of the Beast"

2008-11-13T21:02:00.000-08:00

The Bush administration on Thursday urged a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by a group of Amish (and one Pentecostal) farmers in Michigan claiming RFID chips required on cattle "are a mark of the beast." The plaintiffs are all members of the Arlington, Virginia based "Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund." They are claiming that Michigan regulations requiring them to use radio frequency identification devices on their cattle "constitutes some form of a 'mark of the beast' and/or represents an infringement of their 'dominion over cattle and all living things' in violation of their fundamental religious beliefs," according to the suit filed in September against the U.S. and Michigan Departments of Agriculture in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The USDA responded by saying that the Federal RFID tagging program is voluntary and that the lawsuit should be directed at Michigan, which made RFID tagging mandatory last year.

The farmers then contend that the program is a USDA mandate because the Michigan law was adapted last year as part of a multi-million dollar, federally backed grant program to help eradicate livestock disease.

Ann Arbor News: "Proposal 2, stem cells and the University of Michigan"

2008-11-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

This was posted recently on the Mlive.com YouTube Channel...

Direct Link

University of Michigan Professor / Artist creates Nanobama sculpture

2008-11-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

John Hart, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has used a technique known as nanolithography to build nanoscale Obama faces by vertically aligning 150 million carbon nanotubes. A carbon nanotube is a tiny hollow cylinder of carbon. The diameter of one is tens of thousands of times smaller than a human hair, and is several times stronger and stiffer than steel. The nanotubes that make up each face were "grown" on a substrate of metal catalyst particle. To give you a sense of the "wow" factor here, if you were a nanoscale observer standing next to that substrate as they grew, each tube would be like a one foot diameter tree growing at a rate of 500 miles per hour!

The project was done in Hart's spare time to demonstrate the level of sophistication in nanolithography UM is capable of and "mostly for fun."

"I feel demonstrations like this have great value in communicating science and technology to broader audiences." Hart posted on the Mechanosynthesis blog, " This is especially important for nanotechnology; awareness and understanding of its widespread benefits, implications, and potential risks is needed to responsibly achieve progress and commercial success. "

To learn more about Nanobama and Hart's work with the University of Michigan follow these links:
Nanobama.com
Mechanosynthesis
Nanobliss.com (Hart's nano art gallery)
Hart's UM bio

Revenge of the Nerd Cities - Part One

2008-11-03T21:37:00.000-08:00

Forget the Michigan Cool Cities Initiative. Let's have a Nerd Cities Initiative!

This is an idea that's been brewing in the back of my head for a while now. Tongue-in-cheek humor aside, I don't think that there is anything wrong with the idea of the Cool Cities thing. In fact it's a great framework. But I also think it needs a second layer. After all where would the cool kids be if they didn't have nerds to help them with their homework (and provide jobs for them after the football stardom fades or the acting career doesn't pan out).

Honestly, a lot of the stuff a Nerd Cities Initiative might entail is probably being done ala carte. But if some bright state think tank or development agency can scoop up all those little projects and line them up so they help one another out there might be a certain synergy that comes from that. Having a snappy branding tag that fits nicely with the Cool Cities brand makes voters smile isn't bad either. Don't get me wrong, this is serious business. Other communities have started their own Nerd Cities - like projects.

Just a few days ago Australia announced a multibillion -dollar "brain city" project earmarked for construction on Brisbane's western fringe. They hope it will attract up to 4500 elite scientists from around the world. This ambitions project is meant to be a whole new township that they hope will have a population of up to 10,000 and will include shopping centres, accommodation and commercial towers, parks and bikeways, schools and a community library. Talk about terraforming.
It actually reminds me of that Eureka show on the SciFi Channel.

Of course there is no need to build up a city from scratch like that. Michigan has plenty of it's own "Brain Cities" that can be developed. Many of them are "Cool Cities."

So how does one go about transforming a community onto a "Nerd City?" Well um... that's the part of my idea that is a bit sketchy. One big thought that I had in mind is to look at the economic makeup of one of those Cool Cities and pick three brainy industries with a real future and incubate them aggressively over a period of time.

To mix my metaphors, think of it as a Goldilocks and the Three Bears scenario. Goldilocks is mobile worker / entrepeneur / whole company lost in the woods of the global economy. Suddenly she stumbles upon this cool mitten-shaped house with everything laid out for the three industries. Papa Industry is established and solid, but still has a lot of life in it. Maybe he's logistics and transport. Mama Industry is a bit smaller and younger, but is a perfect match for Papa. She might be - oh, let's say aerospace manufacturing. Now Baby Industry is still maybe a bit of an infant, but brimming with promise and real excitement. In fact, Goldilocks is really wowed by all the stuff set out for Baby. He's a superstar. But he's still Papa and Mama's child, so I'd say he probably has something to do with that civilian space transport / tourism industry I keep prattling on about. Yeah, Baby is the cool nerd that turns heads and shapes the future.

Does this whole fairy tale seem familiar somehow? Of course it does. At least parts of such a vision are already in the works in western Wayne County. Detroit Renaissance calls it Aerotropolis.
The only thing I would add to this "Nerd City" project is a dash of "Cool Cities" in the communities in its midst - like Romulus, Sumpter or Belleville. And of course Aerotropolis needs my Baby Bear. The project should stay on track with the basics, but be bold and futuristic enough to catch real attention right away. How about attracting a satellite office or even subsidiary plant for an edgy venture like Pioneer Astronautics or Scaled Composites? For that matter, don't we already have some Glodilocks' in place at our bigger universities? Why not try for an expansion of that and get some kind of JPL facility in place at Aerotropolos?

Of course this fairy tale can be changed to build other kinds of Nerd Cities. And it by no means has to be as expansive as Aerotropolis. There may be Nerd Cities spontaneously emerging by themselves. Don't we have Papa Bear like industries in biotech already established in the state. Sure Pfizer got all grumpy and left, but concerted efforts are already under way to get Mama a new Papa.

This is the difference between Cool Cities and Nerd Cities. Cool Cities is all about Jazz Clubs, Green Belts and Coffee Houses. These are all important cultural elements that make people feel like life is pleasant in a Cool City. Nerd Cities are about having a place to get to work on things that make people feel like they are at the center of that big future-making force that drives humanity. Nerd Cities are all about research labs, universities and trade schools that can place you in a great job that feels important and about living a life that inspires. They are about doing things that don't just make you say "cool," but rather make you say "wow."

Proposal 2 - a little more in depth from both sides

2008-10-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone - if anyone is still reading this blog. I'm back. Sorry for the long wait time between posts. Let's start anew shall we?

There are many issues facing our state's future. The economy is the biggest boogyman at the moment. Since it is getting close to Halloween, it might be appropriate for me to go on with ghost stories about that. But after seeing this ad, I knew I couldn't miss subject before Halloween had passed!

Human / animal hybrids! Spooky - I love it! Of course since we're at the end of the longest Presidential election cycle in memory we're probably all a little jaded about crazy alarmist advertising like that. At least they made it fun. But Prop 2 is a serious subject with serious arguments on both sides. I can understand the core motivations behind both the proponents of the issue and the opposition. I may personally disagree with the opposition's core argument, but despite the alarmism surrounding their techniques, the motivations are sincere and well-intended. Both sides deserve some serious consideration.

To get us started, I found a very well done piece by aspiring reporter / anchor Cedra Mayfield.

Here is the wording of the Proposal itself. I didn't include the ballot page at the end - it's basically a summary of the prop itself.

PROPOSAL 08-2
PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
A proposal to amend the State Constitution to address human embryo and
human embryonic stem cell research in Michigan. (Proposal provided under
an initiative petition filed with the Secretary of State on July 7, 2008.)
The proposal would add a new Section 27 to Article 1 of the State Constitution
to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1
Section 27. (1) Nothing in this section shall alter Michigan’s current prohibition
on human cloning.
(2) To ensure that Michigan citizens have access to stem cell therapies and
cures, and to ensure that physicians and researchers can conduct the most
promising forms of medical research in this state, and that all such research is
conducted safely and ethically, any research permitted under federal law on human
embryos may be conducted in Michigan, subject to the requirements of federal law
and only the following additional limitations and requirements:
(a) No stem cells may be taken from a human embryo more than fourteen
days after cell division begins; provided, however, that time during
which an embryo is frozen does not count against this fourteen day
limit.
(b) The human embryos were created for the purpose of fertility treatment
and, with voluntary and informed consent, documented in writing, the
person seeking fertility treatment chose to donate the embryos for
research; and
(i) the embryos were in excess of the clinical need of the person
seeking the fertility treatment and would otherwise be discarded
unless they are used for research; or
(ii) the embryos were not suitable for implantation and would otherwise
be discarded unless they are used for research.
(c) No person may, for valuable consideration, purchase or sell human
embryos for stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures.
(d) All stem cell research and all stem cell therapies and cures must be
conducted and provided in accordance with state and local laws of
general applicability, including but not limited to laws concerning
scientific and medical practices and patient safety and privacy, to the
extent that any such laws do not:
(i) prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or
stem cell therapies and cures that are permitted by the provisions
of this section; or
(ii) create disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise
associate with such research or therapies or cures.
(3) Any provision of this section held unconstitutional shall be severable from
the remaining portions of this section.

The group MiCause is the main force behind the opposition to Prop 2. They are the ones responsible for all the "2goes2far" signs you see clustered around churches. The group seems to be heavily backed by churches in particular, the Michigan Catholic Conference and Right to Life Michigan. That makes political sense I guess. Here is the opposition website.
MiCause

Here's one of their arguments against Prop 2:

It's important to know that they are also taking a "waste of taxpayer money" approach to this as well. This argument seems to be a bit murkier to me. Both sides are calling each other big fat liars on this count. In any event, judging from the list of MiCause coalition members, I suspect this is more of a tactic than a basic argument for them.

The proposal itself is putting the question on the ballot is Cure Michigan. A lot of the campaign in favor of Proposal 2 comes from a trust named for A. Alfred Taubman, the shopping mall magnate and philanthropist who is one of U-M's biggest donors. Aside from patients who might benefit from future discoveries, the primary stakeholder in seeing Prop 2 pass appears to be the University of Michigan, which has been focusing heavily on biomedical research in general for several years. Just look at the gleaming, ultra modern looking Biomedical Research Center on Huron Avenue in Ann Arbor to get a feel for how much the University wants to showcase this.

Bill Clinton speaks in support of Proposal 2 (and other items of interest to Future Michigan)

In any event, Ann Arbor News Reporter Dave Gershman wrote a pretty great article on the proposal. You can read it hear if you didn't already read it in the paper...
MLive / Ann Arbor News article here

That should do it for now. Until next time - I promise it won't take as long.

Jason

DETROIT AUTOMAKERS not TO UNVEIL FLYING CARS

2008-04-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Toyota also appearantly unwilling to unveil it's secret flying car lab.

Mean Automakers Dash Nation's Hope For Flying Cars

Hey I said this blog was about imagining the future of our state right? That includes unlikely scenarios as well...

Spaceport in Kiruna, Sweden. Why not in the Mich. U.P.?

2008-04-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

Virgin Galactic announced last month that it will build it's European spaceport in the town of Kiruna, Sweden. One of the reasons for putting the multi-million dollar facility there? The amazing northern lights. That and the fact that they already have a fully functional space center and a well-oiled tourism marketing machine.

Here's a picture of Kiruna that WIRED published on it's Autopia blog...

Sure looks like it could be outside Copper Harbor. Come to think of it, didn't Copper Harbor already have a rocket range not so long ago?

2008 Transition to a Knowledge Based Economy Report

2008-04-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Michigan Future, Inc. has released it's first annual progress report for Michigan's Transition to a
Knowledge-Based Economy. The report collects data for states and the 53 metropolitan areas with population of one million or more plus Lansing and Madison and tracks any shifts from our traditional manufacturing economic engine to more knowledge-based economic activity. The basic conclusion of the report reads:

"What most distinguishes successful areas from Michigan is their concentrations of talent, where talent is defined as a combination of knowledge, creativity and entrepreneurship. Quite simply, in a flattening world, the places with the greatest concentrations of talent win. States and regions without concentrations of talent will have great difficulty retaining or attracting knowledge-based enterprises, nor are they likely to be the place where new knowledge-based enterprises are created."

The report continues by asserting that "Michigan and its largest metropolitan are lagging in the transition to a knowledge-based economy. In 2006 Michigan ranked 26th in per capita income, an unprecedented drop of 10 places in a relatively short six year period. It ranked 37th in the share of wages from knowledge-based industries and 34th in proportion of adults with a bachelors degree or more."

The report asserts that unless Michigan can substantially increase the proportion of college educated adults – particularly in our biggest metropolitan areas – Michigan will continue to trend downwards in the per capita income rankings towards the mid 30s.

Jason's Opinion: Once again, Michigan Future, Inc. is right on the money. Prosperity in Michigan's future is directly linked to creating new pathways for it's citizens to attain higher and continuing education. You can go on about "green collar jobs", diversifying the economy or competing in the global economy all you want, and it will all be fantasy. If you want to write our states science fiction story, we need to pack our communities with bright, educated people who are constantly learning.

I'll take things a step farther: in addition to providing access to education, we need to do everything we can develop a culture that gets excited about knowledge and discovery. Supporting Michigan's excellent school robotics program's is an excellent example of how we can spark enthusiasm in our future workforce. But that's just one thing. Our media can attach a higher priority to covering scholarship contests and their winners. State, county and municipal governments can set up funds for schools to bring in more high profile "knowledge heroes" to speak to and interact with students. And yes, communities around the state can be more supportive of science fiction conventions - which often bring in high tech industry leaders and think-tanks to speak on panels. More on that in a later post.

To read the full report, click here.

University of Michigan Nanolab up and running

2008-04-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

The Ann Arbor News recently reported that the University of Michigan's Robert H. Lurie Nanofabrication Facility is up and running. The $40 million, 37,000 square-foot addition to the current nanofabrication facility was partially funded by the widow of a real estate developer who who received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the U.M. College of Engineering.

According to the Ann Arbor News, About 220 researchers from U-M and more than a dozen other universities used the original lab in 2007, bringing in $24 million in research grants. Twenty-two local companies used the lab last year, and more than a dozen companies have resulted from research performed in the lab in the last 10 years.

Expansion of these facilities will certainly have a positive role in transitioning our economy from the old, myopic focus on manufacturing to a more diversified, more knowledge-based environment.

With an additional $20 million dollars in state-o-the art equipment being installed over the next two years, the facility is bound to get more researchers and industry heads to consider Michigan as a good place to set up shop.

If you happen to be one of those people, you can find more information on becoming an external user here.
The labs capabilities are summarized here.

NASA: Towns on the moon

2008-04-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Why we need better educational access

2008-03-24T14:56:00.001-07:00

The type of stuff he's talking about has direct industrial applications with potentially powerful economic impact. Better access to higher education will give us more guys like Shaun. Keeping them in Michigan is another part of the story that is up for debate, but no plan or position will work if we can't get our kids (or returning students) into a college or university in the first place.

Future Tech Theater - Episode 1

2008-03-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is something I want to do from time to time. Below is a selection of videos showcasing cutting edge technology that existing companies or startups might be bringing to our state.

Craig Venter: On the verge of creating synthetic life

Andy Kessler - Nanotechnology and "The End of Medicine"

Virgin Galactic Animation - SpaceShipTwo

Center for Inquiry: The Age of American Unreason with Susan Jacoby

2008-03-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hosted By::
Center for Inquiry Michigan

When:
Wednesday Mar 12, 2008
at 7:00 PM
Where::
Women’s City Club - Lower Meeting Room
254 E. Fulton Street
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

"A mutant strain of public ignorance, anti-rationalism, and anti-intellectualism has developed over the past four decades and now threatens the future of American democracy…Throughout our culture [a] disdain for logic and evidence has been fostered by the infotainment media…; aggressive anti-rational religious fundamentalism; poor public education; the intense politicization of intellectuals themselves; and—above all—a lazy and credulous public increasingly unwilling or unable to distinguish between fact and opinion.”

Combining historical analysis with contemporary observation, Susan Jacoby dissects a culture at odds with America’s heritage of Enlightenment reason and with modern knowledge and science. With mordant wit, Jacoby offers an unsparing indictment of the ways in which dumbness has been defined downward throughout American society—on the political right and the left.

Join us for this highly relevant and engaging presentation with author Susan Jacoby.

This event is open to the public. $6 Suggested Donation or Free for Friends of the Center.

Visit www.cfimichigan.org for full details.

Aerospace and Space Industry in Michigan - Part 1

2008-03-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Let me start this out with an old press conference from last September. Despite it's age, I think it is key to the direction that Michigan should keep its eye towards. Michigan has such a long history of manufacturing, engineering and innovation that an aerospace industry capacity is something we need to develop. By aerospace, I think more of the "space" part. But helicopter parts is a good start .

Some other Aerospace companies and resources in Michigan-
http://www.michiganaerospace.com/

Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association

There is also a Michigan Space Grant Consortium:

"The vision and mission of the Michigan Space Grant Consortium are to foster awareness of, education in, and research on space-related science and technology in Michigan. Its mission is to create, develop, and promote programs that support its vision and reflect NASA strategic interests, and encourage cooperation between academia, industry, state and local government in space-related science and technology in Michigan. "

Oakland Business Review: First Midwest stem cell research conference set

2008-03-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Source Story Here
by Sven Gustafson | Oakland Business Review
Friday March 07, 2008, 1:45 PM

Oakland University and Beaumont Hospitals host a regional conference on stem cell research that organizers say could deliver a boost to the university's profile and to research efforts under way across the state.

The event comes as a group called the Stem Cell Research Ballot Question Committee presses a petition campaign to place a measure on the Nov. 4 ballot loosening Michigan's restrictions embryonic stem cell research.

The university this week announced it will hold the First Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy May 9-11 at Meadow Brook Hall on OU's campus, which straddles Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills.

The conference, which also is being funded by St. John Health Providence, has been in planning since August 2007. Speaking will be researchers from Canada; Sweden; the Czech Republic; the National Institutes of Health; Harvard Medical School; the University of Wisconsin; and the University of Pittsburgh.

In addition, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University also are partnering, and it's hoped that more participants will join in the coming weeks, said Rasul Chaudhry, professor of biological sciences at OU.

"It is the first of its kind in Midwest," said Chaudhry, who hopes the conference will attract "200-plus" attendees. "Mostly the conferences on stem cells, they have been either on the East Coast or West Coast, like California or Massachusetts, Boston. We now have an opportunity to have such a conference in our neighborhood."

The three-day, weekend conference will focus on the latest advancements in research on stem cell biology, tissue engineering and therapy involving embryonic, adult and umbilical cord stem cells. Andras Nagy, senior scientist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, will deliver the keynote address, while U.S. Sen. Carl Levin also is scheduled to speak.

A panel discussion will examine ethical and political issues raised in particular by embryonic stem cell research. Some researchers in Michigan have complained that state laws restrict their ability to conduct research on embryonic stem cells, which scientists say could help develop cures for diseases including Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer. Opponents object to the practice and liken it to abortion because scientists must destroy the embryo to extract stem cells.

While it's less known for conducting stem cell research than the University of Michigan, stem cell research is being conducted across several departments at Oakland University, Chaudhry said. The university has also developed research projects with Beaumont and Providence hospitals, he said.

Beaumont and Oakland University officials last April announced plans to create a new, privately funded medical school on the OU campus, with the first class enrolling in 2010.

"It makes some sense that we show some leadership in research as well," Chaudhry said. "Somebody has to take a lead and some people think this was needed. We got e-mails from places that said, 'Wow, this was overdue.'"

â€¢ Contact Sven Gustafson at (248) 374-4932 or sveng@mbusinessreview.com.

Go to the First Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Webpage here.

McCain's position on pharma research in MIchigan

2008-03-05T09:33:00.001-08:00

This is a month old. Sorry. I wish he would have talked more about research stimulus. I'm not voting for McCain, but I actually won't shed any tears if he gets elected. I would however really like to know if he has any position on research funding. He just devolved into one of his talking points. If anyone can find videos with the other candidates positions on pharma research in Michigan, let me know.

-Jason

Michigan Future Inc.

2008-03-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

In my quest to find news to bring you, I found out that there is actually a think tank in Michigan called Michigan Future Inc. Since that is basically the inverse of the name of this blog I thought it was worth investigation. The organization is headed by urban planning theorist Lou Glazer.
I have to say that their number one focus for improving Michigan's future prospects is right on the money in my opinion: education.
Their more detailed agenda can be found in this report

http://www.michiganfuture.org/Reports/NewAgendaFINAL.pdf

I'll provide a more detailed report once I've more carefully read through all the material.

- Jason

Evil Genes: a Presentation by Barbara Oakley

2008-02-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

Hosted By::

Center for Inquiry | Michigan

Have you ever met a person who left you wondering, "How could someone be so twisted? So evil?" Prompted by clues in her sister's diary after her mysterious death, author Barbara Oakley will take you inside the head of the kinds of malevolent people you know, perhaps all too well, but could never understand. Using cutting-edge neuroscientific and genetic discoveries in molecular research, Oakley provides startling support for the idea that "evil" people act the way they do mainly as the result of genetic dysfunction.

Join us tomorrow evening for this engaging presentation and learn more about Evil Genes!

$6 suggested donation or Free for Friends of the Center
Full details are available at www.cfimichigan.org About the Speaker:
Barbara Oakley, Ph.D. has been dubbed a female Indiana Jones — her writing combines worldwide adventure with solid research expertise. Among other adventures, she has worked as a Russian translator on Soviet trawlers in the Bering Sea, served as radio operator at the South Pole Station in Antarctica, and rose from private to regular army captain in the U.S. Army. Currently Oakley is an associate professor of engineering at Oakland University. She is a recent vice president of the world's largest bioengineering society, and holds a doctorate in the integrative discipline of systems engineering. Her new book is Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hilter Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend.

When:

Wednesday Feb 13, 2008
at 7:00 PM

Where::

Women’s City Club - Lower Meeting Room
254 Fulton Street E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
United States

View Map

InZero - a bleak but magical vision of Detroit

2008-02-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Sure, dystopian visions of Detroit seen to be old hat, but the Thought Collide production InZero is a short film sci-fi serial with some real authenticity and promise. Created by Specs-Howard graduate Jamie Sonderman, InZero is about Michigan by Michiganders. Filmed mostly in Detroit, the production has garnered much attention and is rumored to be getting reinvented in a bigger way, with bigger funding. Here is a trailer from the original series.

InZer0 series trailer

Add to My Profile | More Videos

You can learn more by visiting www.thebrokenfuture.com

2008-02-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

This was posted on YouTube in May of last year. I'll try to dig up more a little later, but in the meantime this will do nicely for our first post on our new blog!

- Jason