Thursday, January 13, 2011

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - Muslims take up science, technology to meet challenges: Gilani

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - Muslims take up science, technology to meet challenges: Gilani: "Gilani said the Coordinator General of COMSTECH had placed special emphasis on capacity building for young scientists by raising funds from external sources like Islamic Development Bank Jeddah (IDB), International Foundation for Science (IFS) in Sweden, the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) of World Health Organization (WHO) and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). To help COMSTECH pursue its commendable course of action in building indigenous research capability, Gilani said Pakistan had provided US$ one million annually. “The conference’s agenda include joint design, manufacture and marketing of small and medium sized planes, affordable cars, communication satellites and production of biotechnological-based drugs and vaccines,” the PM added."

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

New APS Report: Developing Energy Storage Technologies Among Crucial Steps Toward Increasing Renewable Electricity on Nation’s Grid

November 16, 2010: "Energy Storage

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) should:

* Develop an overall strategy for energy storage in grid-level applications that provides guidance to regulators to recognize the value that energy storage brings to both transmission and generation services on the grid;

Long-Distance Transmission

DOE should:

* Extend the Office of Electricity program on High Temperature Superconductivity for 10 years, with a focus on direct current superconducting cables for long-distance transmission of renewable electricity from source to market;

* Accelerate research and development on wide band gap power electronics for controlling power flow on the grid, including alternating to direct current conversion options and development of semiconductor based circuit breakers operating at 200 kilovolts and 50 kilo amperes.

Business Case

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation should:

* Develop an integrated business case that captures the full value of renewable generation and electricity storage in the context of transmission and distribution; and

* Adopt a uniform integrated business case as their official evaluation and regulatory structure, in concert with the state Public Utility Commissions.


* Conduct a review of the technological potential for a range of battery chemistries, including those it supported during the 1980s and 1990s, with a view toward possible applications to grid energy and storage; and

* Increase its research and development in basic electrochemistry to identify materials and electrochemical mechanisms that have the highest potential use in grid-level energy storage devices."

Monday, January 3, 2011

Science advisers must open up about uncertainties - SciDev.Net

Science advisers must open up about uncertainties - SciDev.Net: "There is a need to move from a narrow focus on risk to broader and deeper understanding of incomplete knowledge, he argues. Accepting that knowledge is complex by nature promises to deliver guidance that is more rigorous and robust, leaving policymakers accountable for their decisions."

Europe backs African research grants project - SciDev.Net

Europe backs African research grants project - SciDev.Net: "The six highlighted projects also include two related to space. One — Kopernicus-Africa — would focus on remote sensing satellites for environmental and security tasks.

The second would build capacity within the AU Commission to use the geospatial sciences for a range of applications, including natural resources, food security, crisis management and renewable energies.

The remaining 'early deliverable' projects relate to information and communication technologies. The AfricaConnect project will seek to integrate the African research community at both regional and international levels by improving bandwidth. And the African Internet Exchange System (AXIS) will support the growth of a continental African Internet infrastructure."

Africa considers a continent-wide space agency - SciDev.Net

Africa considers a continent-wide space agency - SciDev.Net: "Jonathan Mahlangu, a South Africa-based policy analyst said that the plan by the African Union was long overdue. 'Think of the contributions of NASA and ESA to the development of America and Europe,' he said. 'A well coordinated space agency for Africa will assist in solving most of the challenges before her.'"

Africa could feed itself, says development expert - SciDev.Net

Africa could feed itself, says development expert - SciDev.Net: "Africa could feed itself within a generation through the application of science-based techniques to agricultural production, according to the editor of a report on how to do this, which will be discussed by East African heads of state today.

The continent has a window of opportunity in which to take decisions to increase food production that would enable it to feed itself, said the report, put together by a 20-member board under the Agricultural Innovation in Africa project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The report, 'New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa', sounds a note of optimism amidst warnings about the threats to African agriculture against a background of global warming and soaring population."

South–South biotech collaborations flourish - SciDev.Net

South–South biotech collaborations flourish - SciDev.Net: "Developing countries are turning to each other for affordable and targeted solutions to national health problems, a study of South–South biotechnology collaborations has found.

'Brother–sister' trade relationships between developing countries allow cheaper drugs and vaccines to reach more poor people than do 'parent–child' relationships with the developed world, according to a study published in Nature Biotechnology (May 10)."

asahi.com(朝日新聞社):Japan firms find India tough market - English

asahi.com(朝日新聞社):Japan firms find India tough market - English: "'The cost of translating technical terms from Japanese into English alone came out to a fairly large figure,' said an official with a Japanese company who is knowledgeable about the process. 'That by itself made it difficult to win bids.'

The Canadian consulting company had a network of specialists who spoke English around the world and that made it possible to complete an efficient plan relatively quickly."