Economics of Oil and Fruit Roll-Ups

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

In the first grade, my favorite part of my lunch was Fruit Roll-Ups.  My Mom used to call them fruit road kill, but to my first grade taste buds they were a gourmet fruit treat.  I quickly learned that my consumption of fruit rolls ups could not exceed my supply.  ...

Arguments For and Against Junk Food and Soda Taxes

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

The debate over junk food taxes is drawing increasing attention from both sides.  Continued debate over of the adverse health impacts of sugary drinks is coupled with heating debate over the propriety of a tax on a dietary pleasure -- a pleasure some believe people have an unassailable right to ...

Make Your Own Watch ID to Carry Emergency Contact and Medical Information

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

This is my first do it yourself post and it’s for all the running and hiking nuts out there.    I’ve read in a variety of articles and advertisements that when running, hiking, cycling or participating in other outdoor recreational pursuits, it’s a good idea to carry ID and emergency contact ...

The Tension Between Public Healthcare and Personal Health Habits

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Does societal responsibility for individual health needs give rise to individual responsibility to maintain health? The proposed changes in healthcare have consumed a fair portion of media attention over the past few months.  Much of the debate revolves around the provisioning of healthcare to American’s.  But buried deep in the discussions ...

The Entropy in Crime and Punishment

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

Punishing Consequences or State of Mind: An Examination of the Driving Force Behind the Criteria Used for Criminal Punishment - PART 2 This post is a hugely delayed continuation of a discussion that I began several months ago here:  Do We Imprison People Randomly? If you have not read that earlier ...

Turboexpanders: Harnessing the Hidden Potential of Our Natural Gas Distribution System

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Many of the innovations in green energy involve the recapture of otherwise wasted energy.  Regenerative breaking systems on hybrid automobiles recapture the kinetic energy inherent in the motion of the vehicle.  In a conventional automobile, as the brakes are applied, friction in the braking system converts this kinetic energy to ...

JetLev-Flyer: The Flying Personal Watercraft

Friday, February 6th, 2009

MS Watersports Gmbh out of Germany is now selling the JetLev-Flyer, a water propelled jet pack.  The design looks both novel and simple.  Based on a video from the company's website, it appears the JetLev-Flyer works as follows: The rider/pilot straps on a jet pack. The jet pack is connected ...

“The Capacitor Challenge” Wins XPRIZE Video Contest, Exemplifies Growing Interest in Energy Storage Technology

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Today XPRIZE Foundation announced that "The Capacitor Challenge", a video calling for innovation in ultracapacitor technology, is the winner of their "What's Your Crazy Green Idea" video contest [see my previous post about the contest].  The $25,000 prize was awarded to the video creators Kyle Good and Bryan Le of ...

The Junk Food Tax: Good for Our Health or Bad for Our Wealth?

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

Last month New York Governor David Paterson proposed an obesity tax to be levied on fattening foods.  He characterizes America's problem with obesity as a crisis.  Drawing a comparison to cigarettes, he suggests that just as cigarette taxes reduced the number of American's consumption of cigarettes, a tax on certain ...

Video Calling for Ultracapacitor Innovation Makes Final Cut for X PRIZE Green Video Contest

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

A video calling for innovation in ultracapacitor technology has made the final cut for the X PRIZE Foundation's "Crazy Green Idea" video challenge.  The X PRIZE Foundation offers large awards for the achievement of one of their defined goals, typically involving scientific and engineering innovation.  They select goals with potential ...