The Amplifier - Georgia Tech Experts on Current Issues

The Gas Rush: Renaissance of Manufacturing in the Southeast

Tim Lieuwen

The natural gas boom in the U.S. has dropped the price of energy and started to reduce the use of dirtier fossil fuels. It is also creating a manufacturing renaissance in the southeast. Tim Lieuwen, director of Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute, explains an emerging trend of major energy companies establishing gas turbine manufacturing plants in the southern U.S.

Over the next three decades, more than $1 trillion of new electric power generating capacity will be installed throughout the world and the majority of this will be derived from gas turbines.

…More >

Posted: October 31, 2012 Topics: Energy & Sustainability, Innovation & Technology

From Judith Curry's Climate Etc. Blog

Judith Curry

Frankenstorm

Posted: October 30, 2012 on Climate Etc.

Sandy is a terrific example of how the U.S. is adapting to the elevated hurricane activity. Hurricane Katrina was a huge wake up call. A key element of this adaptation is good weather forecasts. Another key element is good partnership between the forecasters and decision makers. It is reassuring to see this success, particularly in view of the issues surrounding the Italian seismologists. Continue reading →

…Read the full post on: Climate Etc. >

Topics: Engineering & Science

From Judith Curry's Blog Climate Etc.

Judith Curry

Italian seismologists: guilty(?)

Posted: October 23, 2012 on Climate Etc.

Six Italian scientists and an ex-government official have been sentenced to six years in prison over the 2009 deadly earthquake in L’Aquila.

I have been fielding a few queries from the press on this. One reporter asked for parallels from the weather hazard forecasting world, in terms of whether this outcome would have a chilling effect in the weather hazards community. I said that since weather forecasters make forecasts to the public every day, the public and the decision makers have a pretty good understanding of how reliable these forecasts are, and on what time horizons. And most of these forecasts are accompanied by some indication of uncertainty (notably the ‘cone of uncertainty’ for hurricane tracks).

…Read the full post on: Climate Etc. >

Topics: Engineering & Science

Earthquake Conviction: Bad for Future Science

Reggie DesRoches

An Italian court yesterday sentenced six scientists and a government bureaucrat to six years in jail on manslaughter charges for their failure to predict an earthquake in 2009, which left more than 300 people dead. Reggie DesRoches, chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, weighs in on this controversial decision and impact on future scientific research.

The recent conviction of the six scientists from Italy for “failing” to give adequate warning of an earthquake that struck L’aquila, Italy, in 2009 sets a dangerous precedent and will likely discourage scientists and engineers from offering advice that can help communities around the world. One of the convicted scientists, Dr. Gian Michele Calvi is a colleague and friend, and is considered an international leader in earthquake-resistant design. My heart goes out to him and his family.

…More >

Posted: October 23, 2012 Topics: Engineering & Science

From Amy Bruckman's The Next Bison Blog

Amy Bruckman

The Future of Universities: Everything a MOOC is NOT

Posted: October 7, 2012 on The Next Bison: Social Computing and Culture

I’ve been puzzling about what Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) do an do not mean for the future of universities, and I think I finally have an insight:

Amy’s Conjecture: The future of universities is in excelling at everything a MOOC is not.

…Read the full post on: The Next Bison: Social Computing and Culture >

Topics: Education

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