The Space Frontier Foundation

Company Overview: The Space Frontier Foundation is an organization composed of space activists, scientists and engineers, media and political professionals, entrepreneurs, and citizens from all backgrounds and all nations. We are transforming space from a government-owned bureaucratic program into a dynamic and inclusive frontier open to people. We are determined to convert the image held by many young people that the future will be worse than the present, and we reject the idea that the world’s greatest moments are in its past.

Mission: Our central goal is the large-scale permanent settlement of space. We believe people have the “right stuff’ and that everyone will benefit from opening the space frontier. We believe that free markets and free enterprise will become an unstoppable force in the irreversible settlement of this new frontier, and that our world is on the verge of a truly historic breakthrough: cheap access to space.

Art on the Moon – Painting etched onto Japanese satellite, launching this week

Art on the Moon is a project designed to create deeper emotional connections between humanity and space - through art. The project seeks to extend our common understanding of and relationship with space beyond the cold scientific and militaristic conceptions that dominate popular thinking. AOM instead promotes the ‘humanization’ of space.

We received the following message from Velka Edge-Oluk, the artist who painted the painting featured in the UltraFuture multi-media “Art on the Moon” exhibit.

UltraFuture is proud to support the Art on the Moon project, and will continue to promote the humanization of space to grow momentum in Asia, across the globe, and… galactically.

To learn more about AOM, please contact info [at] ultrafutureworld.com or contact Velka Edge at velkaedge [at] firstartonthemoon.com

—————————————————–
UltraFuture Team Members and Friends,
I feel very grateful to be embarked on the Sprite Sat Mission, an exploration journey that will help decipher the mysterious Sprite Phenomena and help give hope for the future of humanity.

“Uni-Essence and the Music of the Spheres” painting for Art on the Moon Concept is the one featured on Sprite Sat, the first Outer Space Exhibit created and supported by JAXA and TOHOKU UNIVERSITY.

Sprite Satellite launch is being streamed live. The Press conference is included as a link on the website, as well:

http://www.astro.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/SpaceArt/e/

http://www.astro.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/SPRITE-SAT/spaceart_e.html

I am glad to support our UltraFuture team vision and would like to thank you all for your continuous inspiring support.

This would not be possible without all of you!

Thank You!

Velka

Background
Tohoku University, Japan, has developed a small satellite, named SPRITE-SAT, with the scheduled launch on January 21st, 2009.

The primary mission of the satellite is a scientific study of lightening phenomena above the cloud layers, in addition, using this opportunity, university is also organizing the first art exhibition in outer space!

To take part in this exhibition, monochrome digital drawings were submitted from artists in the world. These art pieces were miniaturized and fabricated on a silicon wafer using photolithography and dry-etching technology.

The photolithography and etching process was done on a standard silicon wafer, so that each art piece has a 2.5 by 2.5 millimeters (minimum dot size is 5 micron).

The art pieces will be exhibited in orbit attached on the top of an antenna boom on the top of the satellite.

The artwork will also be exhibited on dedicated web pages.

Wireless Power at CES 09

UltraFuture covered wireless power back in July in Goodbye wires, Hello WiTricity. This years CES 2009 featured a product that looks like we are moving closer to a commercially viable solution. Powermat is a mat-based charger that you place electronic devices on top of. It charges using magnetic induction.
Imagine office desks, meeting rooms and conference tables where everyone’s laptop or mobile phones gets charged while working or in a meeting. No more labyrinthine wires to navigate and untangle.

Powermat displays new wireless charging systems at CES 2009, a convenient wireless alternative to mobile phone, computer and appliance chargers. The system uses magnetic induction to transfer energy to almost any device.

Link: Wireless Power Energizes Many Devices - Video - Wired

So, what’s next? As discussed in the Goodbye Wires article 100% wireless (without the charging pads) is also a concept that is in the works. The concept seeks to employ magnetic resonance coupling power production and transmit the energy directly through the air to devices.

Fast Company has a new article on wireless electricity:

THE INDUCTION SYSTEMS are only the beginning. Some of the most visually arresting examples of wireless electricity are based on what’s known as radio frequency, or RF. While less efficient, they work across distances of up to 85 feet. In these systems, electricity is transformed into radio waves, which are transmitted across a room, then received by so-called power harvesters and translated back into low-voltage direct current. Imagine smoke detectors or clocks that never need their batteries replaced.

Link: Wireless Electricity Is Here (Seriously) | Page 2 | Fast Company

RF induction systems are a lot less efficient right now, but could slowly charge small devices up to 3 meters away (10 feet) wirelessly, through the air.

Thanks to Will from Tomorrows Trends for the original article.

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Education, IT and Cognitive Empathy

I often review the video featuring Sir Ken Robinson calling for education to broaden it’s focus to highlight and foster more creative aspects of humanity. Traditional didactic models of education are becoming less useful, particularly when new technologies are dispersing social and intellectual capital in such a way that nearly everyone (in developed countries) can have access to it. Following the article on Microsofts School of the Future, please offer some thoughts on these questions. In this new environment, what knowledge and expertise do traditional educational institutions and teachers serve up? What is the role of the teacher?

Teachers need a different set of skills to function in a new learning environment where students often have superior expertise with the tools of knowledge acquisition. Teachers need to develop enhanced ‘cognitive empathy’ and function as ‘friction-reducing’ facilitators of knowledge acquisition. They need to be able to quickly diagnose a student, inspire exploration and discovery, and provide a nudge in the right direction to get past obstacles.

We need to develop programs that prepare educators for teaching in this environment. Otherwise, the asymmetry between current methods of learning and current (outdated) methods of teaching will continue to lead to degraded value of classroom education and missed opportunities to maximize our knowledge capital.