This is a step in the right direction for the government of Russia’s environmental policy. I’m very excited.

Here is a great hurdle accomplished by the “Big Brains“ (Daniel Nocera and Matthew Kanan) at MIT. The article is via Engadget.com

The gist is how to store energy when the sun is not out, and the solution? Look to plants and photosynthesis to get some ideas and eureka, split water into its elemental gases and store them for later using fuel cell technology. This is going to help us all. Check out the video after the jump.

So back in my days of working at SmartHomeOwner magazine (published by Navigator Publishing in Portland, ME) I remember reading something about solar shingles and also printable solar material. Effectively the printable solar material is a thin aluminum substrate with some copper, indium, gallium and selenium nano-ink printed on it and then covered with another conductive layer. This wondrous $1per watt miracle has been branded the Nanosolar Powersheet (read more in this article by PopSci.)Here is a clunky but good illustration of it by Popular Science. (it ends on a magic toaster at that point the illustration is complete.)10 Questions with Nanosolar CEO Martin Roscheisen from Earth2Tech.comInnovaLight is also making a “printable“ thin-film silicon ink solar solution. You can read about them on their site and also on Earth2Tech.com.With all of this goodness happening in the Solar world I am mounting my research campaign to get our current or next house outfitted with both solar electric and solar heat and hot water systems. I would like to combine them with a geothermal heat/cool system as well. I am hoping my stalwart research habits and dogged observance of neo-tech will help bring this to a tangible reality within a year or two’s time. Wish me luck.Here is Maine’s government resource page for Maine Renewable Energy Programs. It is a start.

Looks like the Brain Cloud™ (not to be confused with The Human Brain Cloud) from Joe vs. The Volcano wasn’t so far-fetched—or have to be terminal.

It is put forth by russian scientist Oleg Shumilov of the Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems that during periods of heightened geomagnetism people commit experience higher rates of depression and commit suicide more frequently. It sounds reasonable enough.

If what he and other studies have noticed holds up to the scrutiny of the scientific method, the knowledge that human’s internal clocks etc. could be affected by magnetic fluctuations from solar flares could be the difference between being depressed with hope that a change is in sight versus becoming progressively more depressed and eventually suicidal. It is definitely reason enough to warrant more study.