Daily Archives: June 17, 2017

In Brief Toshiba has developed a robot to help survey highly radioactive waters at the site of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The robot will help find lost fuel rods and gauge the structural integrity of the facility to ensure safe removal.

The 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima Da-Ichi nuclear power plant was a disaster of outrageousproportions. Triggered by a massive earthquake, the meltdown forced tens of thousand of people to evacuate their homes. The cleanup effort is ongoing and has been employing robots to help remove the radioactive fuel still trapped within the ruins of the facility.

Past robots used in the effort have consistently run into issues given the intense radiation on the site. Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) has made progress in the removal of some of the spent fuel rods, but some melted fuel rods have managed to evade detection.

A new remote-controlled robot, however, is hoping to help locate those melted rods while also surveying the structural damage to the facility. Once the rods are located, the team will have to study the best way to safely remove them. The robot is about the size of a loaf of bread.

Radiation levels in the plant continue to make it impossible for humans to complete the cleanup. One robot, known as the scorpion probe, was exposed to radiation levels of 1,000 Sievert, which would kill a human in a matter of seconds. Robotics give humans control in these impossible conditions.

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Toshiba Has Unveiled a Swimming Robot to Assist in the Fukushima Cleanup - Futurism

In Brief Amazon and Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos is asking help over Twitter for a new philanthropy strategy that's focused on helping people in the here and now. Though obviously an innovator, Bezos believes he needs to do something more immediate.

Serial entrepreneur Jeff Bezos needs your help. He recently took to Twitter to post a message about a predicament hes currently facing; he is crowdsourcing for a new philanthropic idea.

Im thinking I want much of my philanthropic activity to be helping people in the here and now short term at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact, Bezos wrote in the tweet. It seems like the Amazon CEO was inspired by the philanthropic work done at Marys Place in Seattle.

Bezos admitted that much of his time is currently occupied by long-term innovation, as can be seen in his work with Blue Origin. His private space company is currently working on improving its rocket technology as it builds the New Glenn, its biggest one yet. The plan, Bezos revealed previously, is to colonize the SolarSystem, which is obviously a long-term endeavor.

Bezos also has projects that bring long-term ambition into the here and now. One example of this is how Amazon is redefining the retail experience with its unmanned stores. Its a product of how Amazon has been usingartificial intelligence (AI), an advanced and quickly developing technology, to influence business in the present.

As for Bezos new philanthropic idea, one can say that whatever positive changes it could make in the here and now could give people a shot at a better future. And hey, you can even get involved and pitch in an idea or two.

Link:
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Needs Your Ideas For a New Philanthropic Endeavor - Futurism

In Brief Renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind, have broken records in the U.S. electricity market. According to a report by the EIA, solar and wind combined generated 10 percent of the nation's total energy, the highest percentage yet.

A new report shows that earlier this year, renewables brokeenergy records in the United States for the first time. The data from the U.S. Energy Information Administrations (EIA) Electric Power Monthlydemonstrated that the monthly electricity generation from solar and wind sources made up10 percent of the countrystotal generation in the U.S.during the month of March.

The date from the EIA showed that around 8percent of the total electricity generated during that month came from wind, and the other 2 percent was from solar sources, including residential and utility-scale solar panels. The EIA noted these two renewable sources are highly seasonal: wind generates increasedin electricity during spring and solar output reaches its highest numbersin the summertime.

The agency saidits likely when they review the data for April, the trend will have continued: Based on seasonal patterns in recent years, electricity generation from wind and solar will probably exceed 10% of total U.S. generation again in April 2017, then fall to less than 10% in the summer months, according to a press release by the EIA. Renewable energy is clearly stirring things up, as it continues to break records andnot just in the U.S. These record-breaking quarters arent surprising, sincethe price of renewables has decreased considerablycompared to traditional coal-based sources. Renewables are also disrupting the U.S. job scene: more people are now employed by solar power than all fossil fuel employers combined. Renewable employees also outnumber those working at huge companies likeGoogle, Facebook, and even Apple.

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Renewable Energy in the US Broke Energy Records for the First Time - Futurism