>About two years from now, Cody and Tyler Kor, 20 and 22 years old and sons of Jim Kor, will drive coast-to-coast in the lozenge-shaped Urbee 2, a car made mostly by 3D printing. Jim Kor is thepresident of Kor Ecologic and team leader of the Urbee 2 project. Urbee 2 will have a minimal environmental impact—thanks, in large part, to 3D printing. Compared to a traditional auto plant, the Urbee production facilities would be inexpensive to build and run, largely because the 50 parts comprising the body could be made on-site by 3D printers.
>Today the beauty of Los Angeles is dramatically symbolic of the ancient prophecy the desert shall "blossom like a rose."This blossoming was made possible by the birth of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, opened 100 years ago this month. The opening of the aqueduct might as well have been the birth of the modern West and the image of the city as a Garden of Eden.
>Here, Drink A Nice Glass Of Sparkling Clear Wastewater: In California's Silicon Valley, there will soon be a new source of water for residents. That may not sound like big news, but the source of this water – while certainly high-tech — is raising some eyebrows. With freshwater becoming more scarce in many parts of the country, the public may have to overcome its aversion to water recycling.
One man's sewage is another man's drinking water. As wastewater comes through this pipe, straw-like filters get rid of any contaminants wider than a human hair. That's just one step of the purification process.
>Kyocera Corporation has just launched Japan’s largest offshore solar power plant. Clean energy generated by the 70MW Kagoshima Nanatsujima Mega Solar Power Plant will be sold back to the national grid through a local utility company. Although the utility-scale solar plant went online November 1, 2013, it was officially inaugurated on November 4. Read more.
>A garden-topped bridge designed by Thomas Heatherwick could span the River Thames by 2017, creating a new green park for London. The project’s engineering consultants at Arup just unveiled exciting new images of the design as the Garden Bridge Trust begins public consultation, supported by Transport for London (TfL).
>A Light Bulb That's Also A Flashlight: With this dual-purpose device, you won't have to fumble around for a flashlight for trick-or-treating or the next time the power goes out. The Bulb Flashlight is a low-heat, rechargeable LED bulb that doubles as a handheld flashlight. The bulb charges when screwed into a light fixture but works as a torch for up to four hours without a battery. Extend the handle after screwing off the bulb and you have an instant source of portable light.