How Can the Smart Grid Help the U.S. Achieve its Green Energy Goals?
Though many Americans may not know it, they are part of a clean energy challenge. In his January 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama set an ambitious goal: to produce 80 percent of our electricity from clean and renewable sources by 2035. This, the president said, will establish reliable and affordable sources of energy, reduce pollution and emissions and keep the nation energy...
Read More »As U.S. Manufacturing Expands, California Reports Sector Job Loss
A national manufacturing report by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) indicates that production and employment are growing in the sector, but separate reports show that California struggles to keep pace with the country as high manufacturing costs and company closures are taking a toll on the state. A new report by ISM signals a positive sign for manufacturing in several areas; new orders,...
Read More »Physics of the Future
In Physics of the Future, author and theoretical physicist Michio Kaku examines the advances in computer technology, artificial intelligence, medicine, and space travel that will yield amazing new inventions over the next 100 years, as well as how these developments will change the world economy and our day-to-day lives. The New York Times bestselling author of Physics of the Impossible gives us...
Read More »Supply Chain Improvements Better for Trade than Eliminating Tariffs
New research asserts that - contrary to long-held beliefs - reducing supply chain barriers and improving infrastructure could boost global GDP and world trade much more than cutting import tariffs and other customs restrictions. Improvements in border administration, transportation, and telecommunications infrastructure and services could result in a 4.7 percent increase in global gross domestic...
Read More »Beijing's Apocalyptic Smog: Could It Happen in the U.S.?
By now, you have probably seen terrifying images of the catastrophic air pollution that has plagued Beijing, China, in recent weeks. Report after report has shown apocalyptic images of the city blanketed with clouds of pollution, snarled traffic due to low visibility and distressed citizens protecting themselves with face masks (see this lovely gallery from The Atlantic). Doctors in Beijing...
Read More »6 Tech-Firm Employee Perks that Can Energize Your Company Too
Tech companies generally have some of the best employment perks in the world, which is why employers in other sectors may want to look to Silicon Valley for cues on how to attract and retain talent. An employer doesn't have to be a tech giant to offer enticing perks that keep workers satisfied and motivated. Higher salaries alone do not attract and retain talent. While compensation will always be...
Read More »Weekly Industry Crib Sheet: U.S. Economy Shrank in Fourth Quarter
Plus: American Manufacturers More Optimistic Durable Goods Orders Improve Emerging Economies to Drive Machine Safety Market U.S. Unemployment Rate Inches Up. The United States economy shrank in the fourth quarter of 2012, the first overall decline since the end of the recession in 2009. The nation's gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.1 percent in Q4, following a 3.1...
Read More »Why Shouldn't We be Happy with Improvements in EPA Toxic Release Inventory?
At last, some good news for a change. The sum total of toxic air releases in 2011 was 8 percent lower than those measured in 2010, according to the latest annual Toxics Release Inventory released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The air's getting cleaner, and has been for years. Decades, even. Water is too. So why aren't we celebrating? Because the land isn't getting cleaner. In fact,...
Read More »Light Friday: DNA Storage May Replace the Hard Drive
Plus: The Evolution of Space Food, a 3-D Printable Android, and Super Bowl XLVII by the Numbers DNA may be the answer to reliable data storage that lasts for decades. Researchers from the United Kingdom have found a way to encode genetic material with Shakespeare's sonnets, a JPEG photo, and even an MP3 recording of Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech, using a breakthrough process that...
Read More »Friday Focus: Industry Honor Roll
This week, IMT Career Journal highlights individuals and businesses that were recognized recently for their achievements in industry education - from student innovators to companies that are improving learning programs for the workforce of the future. Need inspiration for your next learning project? Check out what these achievers in engineering and technology have to say about what led them on...
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