story by Justin Klughillustrations by Nicholas Massarelli Furniture built from mushroom spores? Zero-energy houses? Dreamers and doers at our region’s colleges and universities are committing to a sustainable future where clean air and water, sensible energy use and social entrepreneurship are the norm. Here are six of the many products and services we saw that
MoreIllustration by Corey Brickley Learning to Forget interview by Heather Shayne Blakeslee It’s unlikely that any particular college degree would prepare you to become a “futurologist.” But that’s exactly what polymath Jack Uldrich calls himself. His breathless recitations of game-changing inventions and ideas that entrepreneurs and environmentalists should be on the lookout for run the
MoreIllustration by Mike L. Perry The Makers are Coming Interview by Heather Shayne Blakeslee Fifty years ago, factories were busily producing products that America was exporting around the world. Since then, we’ve outsourced much of our making and doing. “Makerspace” is a catch-all term for places where inventors, tinkerers and hackers—makers all—can gather. These collaborative
MoreIllustration by Kathleen White Car Culture Calculus by Jerry Silberman Question: What is best for the environment—a fuel-efficient internal combustion car, hybrid, or electric car? The Right Question: Is driving, regardless of the car, the biggest threat to the environment? When it comes to evaluating a car, we tend to look at how much gasoline
MoreIllustration by Corey Brickley Hack the Gender Gap by Georgia Guthrie “Wow, that seems very complicated. I don’t think I would be able to do that.” “I just started learning myself, and believe me, if I can do it, you can, too!” I heard this snippet of conversation during the Drop In + Do, the
MoreA robot made on a 3D printer at NextFab studio | Photo by Addison Geary 3D printing is a breakthrough but also creates unwanted material by William Beisley The 3D printer was first patented in 1986 by Chuck Hull, co-founder of 3D Systems. The initial purpose of the machine was to expedite labor-intensive and costly
MoreIllustration by Mike L. Perry The Unmaking of DM+D by Alex Vuocolo For the Department of Making + Doing (DM+D), a collaborative makerspace situated on the western edge of University City, location is a blessing and curse. Michael Darfler, program manager at the space, says that DM+D owes much of its success to its
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Succeeding also means the freedom to fail -- and try again -- at Philadelphia's Maker Jawn program
MoreOver the past several years, smart grid technology has been held up as a way to achieve energy independence, combat global warming and improve grid reliability. Who could be against that? But for most consumers, the smart grid is a nebulous, monolithic technological advancement that has little relevance to their everyday lives. It’s hard for
MoreWendell Berry understands technology’s lure to farmers. In 1950, when he was 16, his father bought a tractor, and suddenly he found he was impatient with his mules. But what does a tireless machine do to a farmer’s relationship to the land? Land becomes something to overcome—a perspective shared by a traveler on an interstate
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