Open Source Techs for Disaster Response Demo Oct 4-7, 2011

For the fourth year in a row, public, private and military sector groups will gather on a field at the National Defence University in Washington D.C. to show off the latest in sustainable technologies that can be deployed during post-war or post-disaster humanitarian relief projects.  Solutions which address a variety of problems -- from energy and communications to shelter, potable water and sanitation -- will be on display from Tuesday, October 4 at 9am through Friday, October 7 at 2pm. 

Organized by Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support (TIDES), this conference isnt only focused on the latest and greatest in sustainable disaster relief but also on communication and partnership between disaster relief groups, whether they are in the public, private, or military sector. The focus is on improving civ-mil cooperation, information sharing, and thinking about transformative ideas to encourage unity of action among diverse organizations where there is no unity of command.

Check out the video from last year's demo below and read more at http://star-tides.net/.  More information about the demo event and to register to attend or present here: http://tidesdemo2011.eventbrite.com/.

If you are planning on attending the demo, or are in the DC area and would like to chat with Willow while she's there, we'd love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment or send us an email.  We're also monitoring tweets mentioning @gwoborg if you'd like to contact us that way.  While you're at it, be sure to follow us on Twitter.

TIDES stands for Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support. This research project is coordinated at the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) at the National Defense University (NDU), which is part of the Department of Defense. http://star-tides.net/

 

 

Posted via email from summation's Thing-A-Day 2010

Building the New "Social Norms"

Our schools and workplaces routinely forbid us to have open honest communication with our peers.  Whether it's passing notes in class or using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, the basic rules have stayed the same, "Dont do it."  But a revolution is growing.   In the face of such communication restrictions, makerspaces are coming into their own as the backdrop for people to create new communities -- built on learning, teaching and open communication.

In James Carlson’s TEDxMadtown talk from April 27, 2011, he describes the cyclical mentoring relationships going on right now between three generations of makers, and why makerspaces are succeeding in building new communication practices where traditional schools and work enviroments are failing. 

"This is all being broadcast online.  If you want to see a healthy use of social media...just go on Flickr, Deviant Art, Facebook, Twitter. You'll find those stories all over the place," says James. "What I ask you to do is, go to [a local makerspace], spend a day there, and see this stuff in action."  

In the meantime, take a few minutes to enoy his TEDx talk, linked below.  In about 10 minutes, he gives the best overview I've seen of what makerspaces, hackerspaces and co-working spaces have to offer, for individual participants and the community at large.  

James Carlson is the founder of the School Factory, the makerspace Bucketworks and BarCamp Milwaukee, among many other things.  When he's not traveling across the globe, spreading his vision of the new school and open learning methods, he can likely be found at Bucketworks in Milwaukee, WI.  Follow him on Twitter @hypnagogic.

Leave a comment: Tell us about an experience at a hacker-, maker- or co-working space that has changed how you communicate with those around you.

Posted via email from summation's Thing-A-Day 2010

Friday's the day!

I'm so excited about TaD this year!  I'm prepping for it the same as i did last year, by writing down all my project ideas and going through all my supply bins (which have multiplied in just a year!). Dont forget to actually sign up, Friday is the first day to do so. 

<3

-summation 

Posted via email from thing-a-day

So Excited

This is motivation I've needed to reawaken my creativity.

Posted via email from thing-a-day

CyberSutra and Friends (Burning Man 2009 Podcast)

I'm still listening to this podcast by CyberSutra for Burning Man 2009.  I didnt find it until a few months after bm, but wish i had it for the trip to the desert.  It does remind me of dancing out on the playa.

http://cybersutra.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=520948

Posted via web from Moonrock Interstellar Disco

Welcome to Moonrock's Music Link Compilation

Inspired by Josh's post to the list, I've created a place for us to share cool music in an easy to browse format (I hope), and without having to get side-tracked by interesting non-music posts. Anyone can post here by sending an email to posterous@moonrock.posterous.com. 

I hope you'll all share your music finds here, and come here when you're looking for music reccommeded by fellow moonrockers.

-the Thermburglar (Erin)

Posted via web from Moonrock Interstellar Disco

LED eyes for a toy rat

This squeaky rat obviously needed laser eyes, and I was happy to oblige. I cut out his old eyes, and wired two LEDs in series to a 3.6v lithium battery. It's hard wired, but should last a good while. The tinyish battery even fit inside the face, making everything tidy looking.

Posted via email from summation's Thing-A-Day 2010