Spray-on film to turn windows into solar panels

Using a spray-on solar film, windows can become solar energy sources.  Back in August this year, it was reported that Norwegian company EnSol has patented such a thin film solar technology which can be sprayed onto any glass surface, such as house windows.  EnSol also plan on developing a solar film solution to coat exterior walls or to be used as part of roof tiles.  This can generate solar power for buildings, and a lot more efficiently than existing large solar panels, and this way every house can have solar energy generation.  Working in collaboration with the University of Leicester in the UK, EnSol are aiming to commercialise the solar film solutions from 2016 onwards.

Science funding in the UK frozen over four years

On Wednesday 20th October, it was reported that the scientific research budget in the UK was frozen at £3.5 billion rather than cut.  Despite this welcome announcement, this still means that in real terms (after taking into account inflation) the budget is still reduced, but by less than 10% instead of the estimated 20% cut which was feared.  There is also a petition against the funding cuts (as mentioned in our previous article).  The UK is still way behind when it comes to scientific research funding, when compared to other leading nations.

Source: The Independent

Signage improvements: Cycle, bus, tram, and car sharing lanes

In this article, signage improvements are suggested for cycle lanes, bus lanes, and car sharing lanes which are also known as carpool lanes and officially known as High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (HOVs).  As well as metricating the signs and making times 24 hour (which are the most important), improvements which make the signs clearer are also shown, and some new signs are suggested.

Example signs are shown in this article.

Signage improvements: Motorway and service signs

Further to our previous article showing the metrication of distance signage (including motorway and services signs). The most important thing is to metricate all applicable signs. This article will show how motorway signs can be improved further, by replacing wholly worded signs with their symbolic equivalents, and improvements to services signs (including space efficiency and removal of unnecessary wording).

Example images are shown in this article.

Petition against science funding cuts

In the UK, the coalition government is planning on cutting science funding.  If you live in the UK and wish to sign the petition against the planned cuts, you can do so at http://scienceisvital.org.uk/sign-the-petition/.  You can also find more information in the same URL, and in the Science is Vital home page itself.

Ban factory farming now

Factory farming, otherwise known as intensive farming, is an integral part of industrial food production.  The first factory farms were started in 1920s USA, and started in the UK during the late 1940s.  In order to get really cheap (and I would say unnaturally cheap) food, animals in factory farms are kept in really terrible conditions.  Factory farming is cruel to animals, damages animal health, damages our health through factory farmed produce, and damages our environment with pollution.  Lots of hidden costs, which are not reflected in the price of the factory farmed goods.  This type of farming is also heavily subsidised too which is also reflected in the cheap price.

I would recommend seeing the Food Inc. video, if you have not already done so, because it illustrates perfectly the disturbing truth about intensively farmed food and food in general, among other issues.