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Has Elon Musk gone too far with his plan to colonize Mars?
Ross Lancaster Science & TechnologyIf there's one adjective that best describes Tesla, SpaceX and SolarCity founder Elon Musk, it might very well be ambitious. Between becoming the world's foremost name associated with electric cars, goals to decrease reliance on fossil fuels and the power grid to help combat global warming, and plans to create a futuristic, high-speed Hyperloop for transporting people and goods, it's clear Musk isn't one for small measures or short-term planning.
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Best of plastics: Medical
Don Rosato EngineeringThe medical device industry is making important contributions to advances in healthcare, and this sector is characterized by a high level of innovation and intense competition. One of the interesting aspects of research and development within the medical devices field is the coupling of diverse biomedical and engineering disciplines.
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Does the smart kitchen have a future?
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesWhile still in its infancy, smart technology has made tremendous strides within a short time. Today, smart products are available for nearly every room of the home. The kitchen, in particular, has received a great deal of attention as an area where smart appliances can offer harried consumers new levels of convenience and control to save them time and ease their stress.
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Statoil’s headquarters: Sending a message through office design
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesAfter a quick-fire 20-month construction period, the Oslo headquarters of Norwegian state oil and gas company Statoil opened in 2012. It has been described as the "office of the future" and potentially one of the world's best offices. What message does it send about the future at the cutting edge of national oil companies (NOCs) and energy corporations?
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How M2M technology can transform your business
Alan Kelsky ManufacturingOnly a generation ago, manufacturing facilities saw the first use of computers on the shop floor to control some minor manufacturing scheduling tasks. Today, computers are ubiquitous in manufacturing plants. They are found as the source of instructions for robotics used in producing items as diverse as reeds for wind instruments to running complex internal analysis and diagnostics for machinery used daily in the manufacturing process.
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Best of plastics: Barrier packaging
Don Rosato EngineeringValue and health are currently driving barrier technology in food packaging. Increasingly busy lifestyles are reflected in growing consumer demands for convenience foods, ready meals and eating "on the go," resulting in high growth in food packaging.
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Automation nation: Proactive approach will benefit self-driving car industry
Ronnie Richard Science & TechnologyScience fiction has always taken ideas about technology and fleshed them out in detail long before industry could ever produce the real thing. Artificial intelligence, space travel, robotics, computers, genetics and much more began as abstract fictional concepts. After years of engineering and plenty of trial and error, many of these "fictional" ideas eventually become reality (still waiting on those hoverboards, though).
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Challenges of oil and gas investment in West Africa with low oil prices
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesWhen oil prices were up to $100 per barrel (WTI), development and exploration investments were booming — even in high-risk areas. From Arctic oil to deepwater drilling, oil and gas majors were not afraid to invest despite production costs of $95 per barrel and above.
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Is EU listening to industry about heating and cooling strategy?
Andrew Gaved Facilities & GroundsI first wrote back in February about the EU's proposal for a heating and cooling strategy — intended to focus on energy reduction from HVAC in buildings, which account for half of the EU’s energy consumption. Now, seven months later, the strategy has been formally adopted by the European Parliament, which has issued its own report paving the way for member states to look at putting it into practice. But the adoption has drawn a mixed reception from leading cooling and heating groups, who believe some of the fundamental ways our industry can contribute have been overlooked.
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Best of plastics: Electrical and electronics
Don Rosato EngineeringManufacturers in the various electrical/electronic (E/E) sectors can choose from an enormous and versatile range of plastics to meet every requirement. Depending on the electronic component or device, designers choose plastics for their rigidity or flexibility, toughness/durability, resistance to low or high voltage and their electrical insulation or conductive qualities.
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