RethinkX, an evaluation

RethinkX

The recent RethinkX project expects the ‘20s of this century to show revolutionary developments. Driven by stepwise changes in five key sectors of the economy: energy, transport, information, food and materials. Do we see these changes coming? And how does … Read more

Chemistry vs. bacteria. Episode 39, TBC

TBC

Up to early 20th century, many doctors still believe that susceptibility to tuberculosis is determined genetically. Fierce discussions between professors and parliamentary inquests do not resolve the question: bacterial infection or hereditary condition. When Koch discovers in 1882 that the … Read more

Transport as a Service

transport as a service

Modesty is not one of the obvious virtues of the RethinkX authors. The subtitle of their report Rethinking Transportation 2020-2030 (May 2017) reads: ‘the disruption of transportation and the collapse of the internal-combustion vehicle and oil industries’. Brought about by … Read more

The disruption of the cow

disruption of the cow

The second domestication of plants and animals, the disruption of the cow, and the collapse of industrial livestock farming. Nothing could better sum up the pretension of the RethinkX report on food (September 2019) than this subtitle. The disruption of … Read more

RethinkX: the essentials

RethinkX

The RethinkX report doesn’t fool around. It starts with a clarion call: ‘We are on the cusp of the fastest, deepest, most consequential transformation of human civilization in history, a transformation every bit as significant as the move from foraging … Read more

The RethinkX project

RethinkX project

Over the past few years, the RethinkX project has made the case for yet another revolution to come. Based on major leaps forward in many technologies; in particular in the fields of information, energy, food, transportation and materials. Five sectors … Read more

Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 30. Cephalosporins

sewage pipe

Penicillin’s successes trigger a major search for microorganisms with antibacterial action. Are there any more productive penicillin producing mould varieties out there? Yes, there are. The Italian pharmacologist Giuseppe Brotzu discovers the mould Cephalosporium Acremonium in a sewage outfall at … Read more

Green roofs

The Earth heats up; and in this process, towns are among the areas most hit. Buildings and streets tend to store incoming radiation. Towns urgently need to be turned greener, if only with the goal to keep them liveable. Green … Read more