First Bell
Today's engineering and technology news prepared exclusively for the engineering and technology education community

Energy Policy Shift May Benefit Research Universities.

The Chronicle of Higher Education (1/29, Basken) reports that, "for the nation's research universities," the renewed focus on energy research "may be a golden opportunity." Energy research had declined after the 1970s, "but the figure...is now likely to grow quickly, corporate and university officials say," as "the new Obama administration and Congressional leaders have put a priority on the need to spark the nation's economy while finding clean and renewable domestic sources of energy." Further supporting this shift, the Brookings Institution "plans next month to unveil [a] proposal, making two principal recommendations: that the federal government begin spending $20-billion to $30-billion a year on research and development of energy, and distribute at least $6-billion of that money through a series of regional 'energy discovery-innovation institutes' based at universities."

Green Practices Seen As Increasingly Important On College Campuses.

The Flint (MI) Journal (1/29, Mostafavi) reports that on college campuses, green practices are "becoming increasingly important." The article notes "green efforts at local campuses," which include replacing "several hundred lighting fixtures with energy efficient lamps," installing "variable frequency drive units" to cut down on "electrical and gas usage," and undertaking studies to "identify the most energy efficient lighting system for parking lots and walkways." And, "investments to reduce water waste also are more common." Further, "at UM-Flint, even dining has become a green experience," with "silverware and coffee cups" produced from potato starch and "sandwich wraps...made of bamboo." Although such practices can raise costs to students, the Journal notes that "in many cases, going green can also save some green, helping trim costs as higher education faces shrinking budgets."

Community Colleges Seek To Balance Increased Enrollment, Declining Resources.

The Wall Street Journal (1/28, Murray) reported, "Rising unemployment rolls and a slumping economy are sending waves of students to community colleges in search of new job skills." While "enrollment at two-year colleges tends to go up during an economic downturn," currently, "in addition to the traditional community-college crowd...the schools are seeing a rise in other kinds of students," including adults "seeking retraining as their old jobs...disappear," and students no longer able to afford four-year schools. This enrollment surge, however, takes place at a time when "schools...are suddenly facing slim resources" and "are looking for ways to trim operating costs." Among other strategies, schools are "considering charging more for classes" that "cost the school more to offer," and "targeting specific programs for tuition assistance" as a way to direct "students toward the fields of study that will be the most profitable for them. Studies in professions such as respiratory therapy, radiation therapy, process-control management and refinery operations tend to yield jobs."

Comparative Analysis Of Geoengineering Proposals Created.

New Scientist (1/29, Brahic) reports, "Many scenarios have been proposed to help us engineer our way out of potential climate disaster, and now a new study could point us towards the ones that are most effective." Researchers Tim Lenton and Naomi Vaughan have complied "the first comparative assessment of climate-altering proposals such pumping sulphur into the atmosphere to mimic the cooling effect of volcanic emissions, or fertilising the oceans with iron." Lenton noted that "he is not necessarily advocating engineering the climate, but, faced with a growing trend among his peers...decided to provide a comparison of the options that are on the table." The researchers said that "turning agricultural waste into charcoal and burying it may hold the most promise. Although it would only reduce radiative forcing by 0.4 W/m2 by 2100, the method is cheap, low tech, and would have the added advantage of fertilizing the soil."

        The Wired (1/29, Madrigal) Science blog added that some methods of geoengineering, "particularly the ones that rely on sucking up carbon dioxide instead of blocking out solar radiation, will hardly have any impact at all," according to the study. "The study did not calculate the costs or environmental impacts of any of the techniques, but for most of the climate hacks, they could be large. For those reasons, the authors of the paper recommend reducing the amount of our emissions, not just banking on geoengineering to bail us out."

        Ocean Engineering May Be Less Efficient Than Previously Thought. New Scientist (1/29, Brahic) reports, "As arguments rage over the legality of an attempt to fertilize algae in Antarctic seas, evidence is emerging that, legal or not, this kind of 'ocean engineering' may not suck enough carbon out of the atmosphere to reverse climate change." While "a new study confirms that iron-enriched waters do, as hoped, encourage more carbon to be stored on the ocean floor," it also found that "the efficiency of artificial iron fertilization could be as much as 50 times lower than previous estimates." BBC News (1/29) and the Scientific American (1/28, Biello) 60 Second Science blog also reported the story.

Stretchable Bioelectrodes May Aid Study Of Brain Trauma, Heart Cells.

Technology Review (1/29, Bourzac) reports that "researchers at Purdue University and Stanford University have developed stretchable electrode arrays for studying" cells in the heart. "These arrays should help develop tissue-engineered grafts to repair the damage caused by heart attacks, and could serve as bio-friendly electrical interfaces in implantable devices." Further, the arrays are "being used to study how the mechanical stress inflicted during traumatic brain injury changes neurons' electrical activity over the long term." The researchers developed "a stretchy polymer containing a small array of gold-coated pins," which "act as microelectrodes that can send and record electrical signals." The article notes that, in contrast to previous arrays, in the new system "electrical current is carried to and from the electrodes by a liquid metal alloy that flows through channels within the polymer."

New Green Technologies Profiled.

Popular Science (1/28, Freedman) reported on several new ecologically oriented technologies, including "a new antireflective film coating" that "could help [solar] panels collect sunshine at 96 percent efficiency from nearly any angle" by using "seven layers of nanoscopic silicon and titanium-oxide rods arranged in increasing densities." The configuration "captures light from almost every direction and focuses it onto the photovoltaic panel while also inhibiting reflection." The article also noted the "Elektra fuel pump add-on," which "can improve a big-rig truck's highway fuel economy by as much as 10 percent" by thinning "fuel with an electric field, creating smaller droplets that burn more thoroughly." Finally, the article profiled "a 1.5-foot-wide prototype" of a cylindrical turbine for water-based power that is expected to be both more efficient in terms of manufacturing and maintenance.

IBM Discreetly Cuts Thousands Of Jobs.

The AP (1/29, Robertson) reports, "With the recession forcing tech companies to announce thousands of layoffs, IBM is joining the fray - but not advertising it." IBM "has cut thousands of jobs over the past week, including positions in sales and the software and hardware divisions." IBM says the "cuts are simply part of its ongoing efforts to watch costs, and the company won't release specific numbers, even as reports of firings stream in from IBM facilities across the country." IBM also "says it doesn't have to reveal the number of jobs it is cutting, since the SEC requires companies to disclose only 'material' events. And IBM considers its job cuts a regular part of the company's business model, since thousands of jobs are cut every year but are usually added back in other places."

Rapid Expansion May Threaten Indian Institutes of Technology.

The Chronicle of Higher Education (1/30, Neelakantan) reports, "In India's beleaguered higher-education system, the Indian Institutes of Technology stand apart," having "turned out some of the world's finest engineers and computer scientists." However, "their international status may soon be threatened. In what many educators are calling an ill-conceived and poorly executed plan, the Indian government is doubling the number of institutes across the country," a move that is said to have "placed enormous strains on the institutes, which, like many other colleges in India, already face faculty shortages of 20 percent to 30 percent." Education officials in India have been discussing such an expansion, but generally have intended that "the new institutes would be built over a decade, not a year." In addition to placing strain on the system, there is some concern "that making the admissions process less competitive will naturally make the degree less valuable."

Boeing Reports Fourth Quarter Loss.

Boeing announced a fourth quarter loss today and also lowered estimates for the upcoming year. Reaction from analysts on whether or not they were "surprised" was mixed. The AP (1/29, Lovering) reports, "Facing falling air traffic and pressure on military budgets, Boeing Co. announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs after reporting a surprise fourth-quarter loss Wednesday." This is an increase from its previous cuts of 4500 earlier in the month. "Boeing reported a fourth-quarter loss of $56 million...compared with profit of $1.03 billion...a year earlier." Boeing also predicted per share earnings in 2009 to be lower than analyst predictions, but its 2009 revenue predictions were "in line with expectations." The AP notes, "Still, Boeing's backlog grew 8 percent in 2008 to a record $352 billion."

        USA Today (1/29, Adams), the Wall Street Journal (1/29, B3, Lunsford, Keeton), the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (1/29, Wallace), the Seattle Times (1/29, Gates), the Los Angeles Times (1/29, Pae), the Los Angeles Business Journal (1/28), Bloomberg News (1/29, Ray), Aviation Week (1/29, Mecham), and BusinessWeek (1/28, Weber) also cover the story.

Dow Chemical's Problems Intensify.

The Wall Street Journal (1/29, Campoy, Eaton) reports, "Dow Chemical Co.'s troubles multiplied Wednesday, as a rating agency renewed warnings it might lower the company's debt rating to junk status and the Kuwaiti parliament launched a bribery probe into a failed Dow joint venture." Chief Executive Andrew Liveris said "even the company's treasured dividend is suddenly at risk" after insisting as recently as December that it would not be cut 'on my watch.'" Shares of the company "rose 25 cents, to $13.44, in 4 p.m. trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange. Its dividend yield has soared above 12%, compared with a yield of about 4% last May when shares were more than $42."

Sony Likely To Post First Net Loss In 14 Years.

The Wall Street Journal (1/29, Yamaguchi) reports, "Battered by the strong yen and sliding consumer demand, Sony Corp. Thursday reported fiscal third-quarter net profit skidded 95% and reiterated it will likely to swing into its first net loss in 14 years for this fiscal year ending March." Sony said "net profit for the October-December period dropped to ¥10.4 billion ($115.2 million) from ¥200.2 billion a year earlier as it felt the full force of recession in key global markets and export revenue weakened in line with the Japanese currency's ascent."

Toshiba Expects First Full-Year Loss In Seven Years.

The Wall Street Journal (1/29, Kachi) reports, "Toshiba Corp. said Thursday that it swung deep into the red in the fiscal third quarter and now expects its first full-year net and operating loss in seven years, as the global recession hits its chip business." Toshiba "generated an operating loss of ¥158.83 billion for the just-ended quarter, a swing from an operating profit of ¥42.06 billion a year ago."

House Passes Stimulus Measure.

Following a story from yesterday in the Washington Post about the House stimulus vote, the CBS Evening News (1/28, lead story, 3:00, Couric) led its broadcast reporting that "the House passed the more than $800 billion package. The final tally, 244 yays and 188 nays." CBS (Reid) added, "The White House says this is a victory for the President, but certainly there is also some disappointment, that he worked so hard to get bipartisan support and couldn't get a single Republican vote"

        The Washington Post (1/29, A1, Kane) reports on its front page, "Larger than the combined total cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far, the two-year stimulus plan would provide up to $1,000 per year in tax relief for most families, dramatically increase funding for alternative energy production, and direct more than $300 billion in aid to states to help rebuild schools, provide health care to the poor and reconstruct highways and bridges." The Washington Times (1/29, Sands), the front page of the New York Times (1/29, A1, Calmes), the Los Angeles Times (1/29, Hook), McClatchy (1/29, Lightman), the AP (1/29, Espo), the Wall Street Journal (1/29, Weisman, Hitt, Bendavid), USA Today (1/28, Jackson, Wolf), the Financial Times (1/29, Ward, Beattie), Politico (1/29, Martin), The Hill (1/29, Allen, Hooper), and AFP (1/29, Knox), also cover the story.

        Stimulus Package Seen As Potential Boon To Rail Infrastructure. The Wired (1/28, Demerjian) Autopia blog reported, "After languishing at the margins of federal policy for most of the past decade, passenger rail is moving to the fore as President Barack Obama joins a growing number of states in calling for heavy investment in America's rail infrastructure." The proposed "$825 billion economic stimulus package includes $30 billion for rail and mass transit projects; a Senate version specifically allocates $850 million for Amtrak and $2 billion for high-speed rail." And some states "aren't waiting for the feds to get with it." In particular, "California voters recently authorized the legislature to issue almost $10 billion in bonds to begin construction of an 800-mile high-speed rail line linking San Francisco with Los Angeles." The article also contains an interview with former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, "who for 30 years has been a leading advocate for mass transit and a national network of high-speed rail lines."

        Rhode Island Science, Technology Groups Seek Stimulus Financing. The Providence (RI) Journal (1/29, Gedan) reports, "As state transportation officials rush to prepare bridge and highway projects to take advantage of the national economic stimulus package, the state's leading scientists are quietly plotting their own strategies for netting federal aid." Rhode Island officials say that, "unlike construction and manufacturing...science and technology projects would generate high-wage jobs that would survive a sharp dip in financing after an economic recovery." Rhode Island has, "in recent years...invested in joint projects by researchers at universities, companies and hospitals, hoping to speed the creation of technologies that could be marketed by new, homegrown businesses." The article notes recent technology-related grants awarded within the state, but adds that it is "not clear...how federal agencies will distribute [stimulus] money or how much will be available for science and technology."

Building Student Interest In Engineering, Technology Tied To Hands-On Projects.

The Imperial Valley (AZ) News (1/28, Medaris) reported, "A Purdue University study has found that the best way to get students interested in engineering and technology at an early age may be to focus less on textbooks and more on interactive, problem-solving design projects." The researchers examined "whether participating in engineering design modules helps students learn more, and if the effectiveness differs depending on gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic class." Melissa Dark, one of the study's leaders, said, "In every area we tested, the students who were involved in a hands-on project learned more and demonstrated a deeper understanding of the issues than the traditional group." Dark called the results "a significant finding" as they prove "that with some students - especially groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering - the book-and-lecture format may not be the best way to engage students in learning."

Subscriber Tools

• Unsubscribe
• Change Email Address
• Send Feedback
• Email Help

Advertise with Custom Briefings: Reach key professionals every morning

First Bell is a digest of the most important news selected from thousands of sources by the editors of Custom Briefings. ASEE does not receive any revenue from the advertising herein. The presence of such advertising does not endorse, or imply endorsement of, any products or services by ASEE. The statements and opinions contained in the articles referenced by First Bell are solely those of the individual publications cited and not of ASEE. Neither Custom Briefings nor ASEE endorses or is liable for the use of or reliance on any information contained in this briefing. ASEE is not responsible — to the extent permissible under applicable laws — for any injury or damage to persons or property resulting from the use of products, procedures, operations, ideas or instructions referenced in First Bell. View Custom Briefings' privacy policy.

This complimentary copy of First Bell was sent to you at cecchi@unm.edu as a service to the engineering & technology education community.

For information about ASEE member benefits, please contact ASEE Member Services at membership@asee.org or 202-331-3520.

American Society for Engineering Education | 1818 N Street, N.W., Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20036

Copyright © 2009 by Custom Briefings | 11190 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 130 | Reston, VA 20191