Mark finds inspiration

Very happy to publish Mark and Martial Angeli's annual newsletter as a small gesture to reduce le bilan carbon.

Septembre 2011

2011 : IPPON !

Voilà plus de vingt ans que je vous abreuve de courriers plus lapidaires les uns que les autres, fustigeant sans retenue nos décideurs, pantins du puvoir économique aux mains d'une nomenklatura de surdiplômés frigidifiants et de parvenus gavés, au-dessus des lois, méprisant le "peuple" et affamant sans vergogne le sud de la planète. Plusieurs d'entre vous me donnaient ponctuellement leurs sentiments sur ces écrits pour lesquels le qualificatif d'alarmiste intégriste revenait comme un leitmotiv.

Au vu des événements actuels qui résonnent comme un renouveau, ma seule crainte désormais est que vous trouviez cette prose trop opitmiste, tant il me paraît certain que le basculement si ardemment souhaité et que je ne pensais pas voir de mon vivant se produira à coup sûr d'ici cinq ans !

- Même si l'industrie nucléaire se montre toujours aussi arrogante, dominatrice et autocrate, elle a reçu un coup mortel avec Fukushima dont elle ne se relèvera pas. Ses multiples mensonges éclatent au grand jour si bien qu'elle se trouve maintenant incapable de justifier un seul des avantages présumés de son énergie diabolique. A nous de lui porter le coup de grace en 2012 en refusant de voter pour un candidat qui ne dirait pas explicitement sa détermination à sortir au plus vite du nucléaire. Les solutions de remplacement simples, peu onéreuses et sans danger sont disponibles.

- La bataille des OGM est en passe d'être gagnée : Monsanto dégringole en bourse. Nous étions 2% en viticulture bio en 2008, nous voilà désormais 5%. A ce rythme-là, le seuil sociologique de 12% au-delà duquel les réfractaires au changement renoncent par peur d'être à leur tour montrés du doigt sera vite atteint.

- Restent les perturbations climatiques et l'épuisement des énergies fossiles pour lesquelles chacun de nous peut agir concrètement, tout en économisant de l'argent (voiture à air comprimé MDI, électricité photovoltaïque, petites hydroliennes Hydrohelix à placer dans le fond des fleuves et rivières dans tout le pays : une énergie inépuisable, gratuite, peu coûteuse en investissements, totalement décentralisée si bien que les lignes THT peuvent etre démontées, produisant en permanence, plus encore en hiver où la demande est plus forte, invisible, sans risque de panne massive, sans déchet ni danger de prolifération ou d'attentats, sans production de CO2, rapidement installée sans infrastucture lourde et assurant à jamais notre indépendance énergétique. En bref tout le contraire du nucléaire !).

- Quant aux échéances politiques, elles m'apparaissent commme la plus totale mystification, tous les candidats en mesure d'etre élus étant placés là par et pour le seul intérêt égoïste des caciques de l'argent sur le dos du peuple qui s'échine et plus particulièrement de ses composantes les plus fragiles. Nous sommes coincés endormis entre la télé ahurissante de bêtise et de désinformation et le pseudo confort matériel basé sur le pétrole en déclin par lequel on nous soumet docilement et dont la publicité nous ressasse en permanence les mensonges odieux et lobotomisants.

Notre démocratie n'est plus u'une façade, n'ayons pas peur des changements à venir et soutenons-les pour l'avenir de nos enfants afin qu'ils n'aient plus à choisir entre les promesses de la gauche et les mensonges de la droite.

Il y a dix ans, j'avais réduit le prix des vins de 20%. Comme prévu dans le dernier courrier, nous rétablissons l'ancien tarif pour les clients des banques "sales", même si la différence ne nous revenant pas peut être considérée comme une taxe Tiers Monde au profit des paysans malgaches et si la meilleure solution pour tous reste que vous changiez de banque au plus vite. Pour information, les chèques que vous faites pour acheter du vin, à partir des banques "propres" sont à libeller directement à l'ordre de l'Association Babakoto. Ils consituent donc des dons et bénéficient dès lors de 66% de réduction d'impôt. Une aubaine !

Pour notre part, le prix de vente de nos produits correspond dans notre esprit à du commerce équitable et suffit amplement à notre vie dans la "sobriété heureuse" chère à Pierre Rabhi. Ainsi, nous n'augmenterons pas leurs prix pendant au moins cinq ans. Nous maintenons aussi le cap sur plusieurs points qui nous paraissent essentiels :

- Soutien direct aux villages Zafimaniry malgaches par plusieurs sources, dont une nouvelle à partir de 2012 : l'accompagnement en viticulture biodynamique en association avec mon ami Guy Bossard en Muscadet, pour lequel les "clients" donnent à l'association au lieu de rémunérer nos services : autonomisation alimentaire et en éclairage solaire, replantation d'arbres restent nos priorités. Vous pouvez toujours compléter cette aide en achetant des écharpes en soie sauvage quie ouvrent également droit à réduction d'impot. Chaque euro est utilisé, il n'y a toujours aucun frais de fonctionnement.

- Recherche de modèle énergétique reproductible par tous : nous aurons prochainement une voiture à air comprimé alimentée tout comme la ferme par notre propre production, basée sur une complémentarité entre plusieurs énergies renouvelables.

- Essais pour mimimiser (ou supprimer quand c'est possible sans risque de déviation aromatique) le SO2 dans les vins : le protocole établi pour le Rosé d'un Jour a été élargi à un blanc moelleux, le Demi doux des Blanderies (50 mg/l de SO2 total).

Nous vous rappelons à cette occasion que le rendement à l'hectare ainsi que la dose de SO2 total de chaque vin figure sur l'étiquette depuis 2003.


Vos paysans Mark et Martial

La Ferme de la Sansonnière

49380 Thouarcé

Tél/Fax: 02.41.54.08.08

martial.angeli@gmail.com

Vignerons conseillés : Ne manquez pas la triplette de la Guimardière, de jeunes vignerons époustouflants d’humilité, de courage et de sincérité. Tél. 02 41 66 65 43.

DVD vivement conseillés : Severn, la voix de nos enfants
Notre poison quotidien

Five Luneaus: Monique, Pierre-Marie, Marie Chartier-Luneau + one, and Pierre

Having spent two and a bit days in Anjou we had time to go west to the Pays Nantais to see how the vintage, which has now been over for the best part of a couple of weeks, turned out here – much more difficult than some of the other parts of the Loire that have been able to harvest much later.

We dropped into see the Luneau family only to discover that Monique and Pierre's son – Pierre-Marie – married Marie Chartier, responsible for marketing and communications at the domaine, in the summer and that they are expecting a baby in mid-January. Les bonnes nouvelles!

Pierre pouring the 2002 Excelsior, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine – one of their cru d'exception

In their typical generous fashion a tasting of the 2011 led to a tasting of bottled wines accompanied by an impromptu picnic with Pierre pulling out various bottles including an L d'Or 1995. Once again providing proof that top quality Muscadet is a grand vin blanc usually at a remarkably reasonable price.

Report on the 2011 and the other wines to follow.

CRM relaxes by the Layon near Rablay-sur-Layon

Even when rushing around trying to see as many producers as possible a lunchtime stop is essential and where better to stop than by the tranquil River Layon – here in a quiet spot just to the west of the very pretty village of Rablay. We had the river to ourselves apart from someone fishing about 200 metres away. 

A simple picnic – some good bread, paté, cheese and a tomato or two – no need for anything more complicated! 

 Quiet, slow flowing Layon – a wonderfully restful, pastoral spot 

Could have spent the afternoon here .....

We’re not ashamed to admit that sports have never really been big around here. When you’re busy geeking out over the latest bit of quantum computing news it’s hard to focus on basketball. So it’s not surprising that we’ve always had trouble telling the difference between all of those different lines on multi-purpose sports courts (which we’ve been forced to visit thanks to various gym coaches, significant others and…ahem, marching band directors). Even making them different colors doesn’t help much; the mess of differently-colored lines is still way confusing.



A Dutch company called LEDSSPORTS wants to make it easier to figure out which lines go for which sport – by making the lines all high-tech. Their product is a bunch of LEDs embedded in the flooring that can be switched on or off depending on the sport being played. Finally, junior high kids can stop screaming at the coach about which line means “out” for tennis and which one is for the volleyball court.

LEDSSPORT, showing the interactive LED court!

The awesome LED-embedded floors could even be used for other applications like guidance systems or interactive gaming. But we’d like to see this type of floor start popping up in homes. How awesome would it be to program a message for your SO into the floor so it’s the first thing she sees when she gets home? Romance: game, set, match.

It's a challenging time for the International Space Station (ISS). The single most expensive engineering project in human history and one of the most complex pieces of machinery ever assembled, the future of the ISS remains uncertain after the ending of the Space Shuttle program and the grounding of Russia's Soyuz fleet following an accident last month. While the recently announced resumption of manned Soyuz flights means the danger of the station being evacuated and mothballed has receded ... it hasn't ended.













These days, outer space looks like a shooting gallery, and the uncontrolled re-entry of the American Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) on September 24th, followed by the impending plunge of the defunct German 2.4-ton space telescope Röntgensatellit (ROSAT) - expected in October - shows that space debris is a hazard to those on the ground as well as to orbiting satellites. Weighing over 200 times more than ROSAT, the ISS is like Thor's hammer compared to a feather, and keeping the station operational and under complete control is the top safety priority of NASA and the other ISS partner space agencies. This is one major reason why mothballing the station is something to be avoided and why contingency planning is so important. Unmanned, the danger of the ISS turning into an uncontrolled missile increases greatly.

The safe return of three astronauts from the ISS on September 16, 2011 caused the world to breathe a sigh of relief. As NASA astronaut Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Andrei Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyayev climbed out of their Soyuz TMA-21 capsule onto the steppes of Kazakhstan, it seemed as though the future of the ISS had been assured. The Russians had investigated the August crash of an unmanned Progress cargo rocket bound for the ISS, and had announced that the cause had been identified and manned flights of the Soyuz spacecraft to the station would resume in November. However, the crash has already had a significant impact on the station's schedule and the possibility of the station being evacuated remains a threat to the program's future.



The result of a partnership of 15 nations, the International Space Station cost in excess of US$100 billion, weighing 990,000 pounds (450,000 kg), covering an area the size of a football field and having the volume of a 747 Jumbo Jet. This complex engineering marvel is also designed to host a human crew, which imposes an extremely high standard of performance and reliability within very narrow engineering limits, and it is designed to be assembled and maintained by that crew.

This means that the ISS requires a margin of safety so high that there isn't anything to compare it to outside of a nuclear reactor. It also means that there are many opportunities for Murphy's Law to rear its ugly head, and makes the station very dependent on the crew who look after it.

Progress cargo rocket crisis

The crash of the Progress cargo rocket was a major crisis. Both the Soyuz spacecraft and the Progress share the same Soyuz launch vehicle, and the fault in the third stage that caused the crash would have been common to both. Even though the cause was eventually identified as a loss of pressure in a turbo pump, the crash has already cost the ISS three tons of supplies, and the investigation has already resulted in the scratching of the September 22 Soyuz launch that would have sent three new crewmen to the station to replace those who returned. This means that the ISS has only half the crew required for full operation. In addition, the private sector cargo ship SpaceX Dragon, which is currently scheduled to dock with the station in December could face delays, and there have recently been conflicting reports about whether it will be allowed to dock when the test is finally carried out.

Then there is the matter of the Soyuz itself. Resuming flights to the ISS is more than a matter of sending up another crew. An unmanned Soyuz capsule has to be tested first, and that means more expense and delays. This causes a number of problems because the remaining three crew on the station are up against some very hard deadlines. Winter is coming and the hours of daylight available at the Kazakhstan landing area are limited, which is very serious when it comes to organizing recovery operations in the steppe terrain. This is made worse due to the orbit of the station only allowing landings in Kazakhstan between certain dates. This is the reason three of the crew had to return on September 16. Any later, and they would have been stuck on the station until October 27. Also, the Soyuz capsule now docked with the ISS has a service life of only 200 days, which expires on December 24.

Aside from the problems for the crew, having only three men on board means that science experiments take second place to just running the station. While many experiments can run automatically or through ground control, the primary purpose of the station, aside from its construction, will be curtailed. This is exactly the same problem the ISS program faced in 2003 after the Columbia disaster, when the American shuttle fleet was grounded and there weren't enough Soyuz craft available from the cash-strapped Russian space agency to take up the slack.

Of course, the resumption of Soyuz flights this year is only a temporary solution. Even if the Progress was grounded for good, there are at least two other cargo craft from the European Space Agency (ESA) and American private industry available to service the station, and at least three more private freighters are under development. The real problem is that there are no crew-capable craft to replace the Soyuz, and won't be for at least a couple of years. Both the European Space Agency freighter and the private Dragon capsule are under development as manned versions and both are further along than their competitors, but that is no use to the ISS at the moment. Until some alternative to Soyuz becomes available, the ISS is dependent on an aging crew transport system designed in the 1960s, now proven to be of unknown reliability. That sort of all-your-eggs-in-one-basket situation makes engineers and policy makers very nervous.

An unmanned ISS?

But what would happen if the test flight is unsuccessful and the ISS must be evacuated in November? What problems would the station face and what could be done to prevent them?

One thing that would certainly happen is that the departing crew would take steps to minimize risks to the evacuated station. Bulkhead doors would be sealed, conduits closed, systems unnecessary to the basic operation of the station would be shut off, circuit breakers opened, and so on. The idea would be to reduce the chances of something going wrong and to seal off the different parts of the station from one another so that if something did go wrong, the damage would be confined to as small an area as possible.

But what are the potential problems? The official NASA line is that there wouldn't be much of any. The station could be operated from the ground " for several years - attitude rockets could be refueled by unmanned craft and redundant parts could be installed to insure against equipment failures. Without a crew, the atmosphere inside the ISS could be reduced to zero humidity, which would protect the station against condensation and corrosion. There would obviously be a major impact on experiments, with some continuing on automatic and others, especially biological experiments, going on hold.

However, there are others who don't take such a sanguine view of the situation. In an interview with Florida Today, NASA Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini said that the risk of losing the station within six months of evacuation was 1 in 10 and after that the odds leap to 50/50. "It's not a trivial thing," Said Mr Suffredni. "If you look at probability risk assessments, some of the numbers are not insignificant. There is a greater risk of losing ISS when it's unmanned than if it were manned."

He went on to say that a systems failure could affect the attitude controls, which would reduce the ability of the station to receive radio signals from ground control.

Dr. Leroy Chiao, former ISS crewman, agrees. Speaking on National Public Radio, Dr. Chiao said that the greatest danger is if the station started to tumble. This would prevent astronauts from returning to the station and would make it impossible to adjust the station's orbit. Every day the ISS loses 500 ft (150 m) of altitude due to drag caused by what little is left of the Earth's atmosphere at its orbital height. Under ordinary conditions, a Progress craft could be docked with the station and use its thrusters to push the station into a higher orbit. Also, steps can be taken to reduce the drag on the station by feathering the solar panels, much as a sailing vessel reefs its sails when the wind blows too hard. However, if docking isn't possible, the orbit will eventually decay and the station would make an uncontrolled re-entry with the impact point being no one knows where.



Another problem that the empty ISS could face would be a loss of temperature control. At any given moment, half of the ISS is in direct sunlight and the other in shadow. The sunward side is heated to 250 degrees F (121 C), while the shadowed side plunges to minus 250 degrees F (-157 C). It's also surrounded by a vacuum, which makes the ISS the world's largest Thermos flask. Should the cooling system fail while the astronauts are away, the interior temperatures could rapidly rise rapidly, making reoccupying the station much more difficult and putting more stress on the systems.

A power failure is another hazard. The station relies on banks of solar panels for the electricity to run all of its systems, including the gyroscopes that prevent it from tumbling. If something happens to knock out that power system or seriously degrade it, the station will face the same danger of becoming unstable as it did in 2004 when gyroscope failures required a series of space walks to effect repairs.

Oddly enough, that is one of the problems that has actually diminished as the ISS nears completion. The station boasts a number of teleoperated robots and the Canadian Space Agency's robot, Dextre, recently carried out a repair job on the outside of the station where it replaced a faulty circuit-breaker box while under ground control from CSA headquarters in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. The ISS crew was unaware of this, as they were asleep at the time. It's some comfort to know that if the station is evacuated and some simple repairs (such as replacing a component package) are needed, the station's answer to R2D2 will be on hand.

Some problems, however, are beyond the scope of robots. A loss of pressure inside one of the modules could have consequences ranging from difficult to catastrophic, depending on where and how the loss of air occurs. A slow leak of air out of one of the modules would hamper returning to the station at the very least. On the other hand, a blown seal or a strike by a meteor or bit of space debris that punctures a module hull could cause a sudden blast of escaping air, that could act like a rocket and cause the station to go into a fatal tumble.

Above all of these possibilities in terms of seriousness is that of fire. The terror of submariners and aircraft crews, the threat of fire in the confines of a spacecraft have haunted NASA and other space agencies ever since the fatal launch pad blaze that killed the crew of Apollo 1 during a ground test in 1967. Since that disaster, NASA has taken strong measures to prevent fires in space (the crew of NASA's first space station, Skylab, complained that the flame retardant in their wash cloths made them worthless), but the hazard has not been eliminated. Unless the atmosphere in the ISS was replaced with carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which is unlikely, the danger of fire would remain after evacuation. On the plus side, having no crew means that no lives would be at stake. On the other hand, without a crew, detecting and fighting fires becomes much more difficult and the chances of at least one module being wrecked increases.

If the Soyuz test is successful and if manned flights resume, then the threat of evacuation for the ISS recedes, but that still depends very much on that very large word "if." Reliance on Soyuz means that even if normal ferry service resumes, evacuation remains a very real possibility. This is especially true in that space still holds many unknowns and surprises. When the last crew left Skylab on February 8, 1974, NASA thought that America's first space station would remain safely in orbit until the mid 1980s and plans were even drawn up for the new Space Shuttle to reclaim it. However, unforeseen massive solar activity increased atmospheric drag and Skylab plunged to Earth in 1979 with fragments crashing in Australia, though without causing any injuries or property damage. That drama was replayed in miniature this month as the American Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite crashed to earth, and it may again if resourcefulness and luck fail the ISS partners.

The team at Floxx Media Group are attempting the unenviable task of trying to crack into the social media market. Recently named in the Real Business Future 50, the young and ambitious company from London's Silicon Roundabout have two apps in the market, its namesake application - Floxx (aka the new FitFinder) and the more recently released MapChat. Does Floxx Media Group have what it takes to crack the seeming impervious social media market held so dominantly by Facebook and the fresh competition of heavyweight Google? Here's a look at what the Group has to offer.







Mapchat

MapChat is described by by Floxx Media Group founder and CEO Rich Martell as "continuing to build on the core concept of connecting people via a location." Where it differs from other location based social networks such as Gowalla, Facebook and Foursquare is that MapChat steers away from check-in based models, instead using real-time location based connections by geolocating the user via the phone's GPS system. It uses location and push notifications to instantly share messages with people that might be either in your area or halfway across the globe. Currently MapChat is only available for iOS and not Android.



Features of MapChat include the use of Avatars rather than real-life photos which the developers say makes the app feel less like a dating or hook-up service (they cater for this with Floxx), the choice to control discoverability and to block users, and the ability to start up a conversation with complete strangers either in your immediate area or on foreign shores.

"Of course, there are those who question whether or not users want to talk to people they may not know. However, the popularity of sites like Chatroulette and Omegle shows that there is an interest in the type of service we are offering," Martell said.

Floxx

Floxx is being marketed a new social media tool aimed at students and other young adults on the lookout for some "extra‐curricular activity." The app maps out the best‐looking people in their area via people posting or geocaching the location of people they find attractive. The producers say the app allows users to flirt with eachother and could even provide an opportunity for real-world hook-ups, although interaction is only possible through commenting on posts and there is no chat function available. Floxx is available on both Android and iPhone.

Floxx, or FitFinder as it started life, was originally supposed to be an inside joke and it's history has a familiar ring to it. Developed by Martell while he was studying Computer Science at University College London (UCL) it was designed for him and his friends to give each-other the "heads up" on the location of attractive girls at the school. No-one outside of the group was meant to find out, especially not the girls, but they did and within hours the site had 2000 users with the traffic crashing the server. Martell got the site up again, this time with greater capacity, and within days he had 20,000 users. The demand kept coming and within a month the site had a quarter of a million users and had spread to universities across the UK. Unfortunately the joke was lost on the UCL and Martell was pressured into removing the site for "bringing the University into disrepute." FitFinder was taken down in May 2010.



Step in Doug Richard (formerly of Dragons' Den) and Silicon Valley investor Kevin Wall. Seeing the viral potential of FitFinder these guys knew Martell was onto something. A quick name change (because some users might not get what they bargained for if signing to FitFinder looking for the nearest gym) and Floxx was born, an app that locates "flocks" of good looking people Martell says.

Floxx has flown the college nest and Martell now wants to crack the US and Asian markets as well as attracting attractive users across the UK and the world.

Have you tried Floxx or Mapchat? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Sciencey types predicted the possibilities of quantum computers long before we even started to develop the technology to make those computers work. But it seems like nearly every month there is another awesome step toward bringing the super-powered computers to life. Most recently, a group of researchers at Cambridge University in the UK were able to play a high-tech game of ping pong with a single electron, which is somehow really important to quantum computing. Basically, an electron carrying a current along a wire normally takes a complex route from one end to the other, usually “forgetting” its information along the way. In science jargon it’s called the quantum state losing coherence.



The group at Cambridge caught an electron in a “quantum dot,” or a tiny hole in a piece of Gallium Arsenide. Then they created a channel that is higher in energy than surrounding electrons and placed a second, empty, “quantum dot” at the other end. A super-short burst of sound creates an acoustic wave that carries the electron from on quantum dot, along the channel and directly to the second quantum dot. The process works in reverse as well, and the researchers were able to hit the electron back and forth over 60 times in a row. Although it’s early days for the research, this could be a new and highly effective way to move information around in a quantum computer.

For hospitals, businesses and schools that have kitted their workforces and classrooms out with iPhones, iPads or iPods, keeping the various devices charged and up to date can be a time consuming chore. Griffin Technology has made the task a whole lot easier with the release of its Multidock that charges, syncs and stores up to ten iDevices at once. And if that still isn't enough, up to three Multidocks can be linked to accommodate up to 30 iDevices.











The Multidock connects to a Mac host computer running iTunes 9.0 or later via USB, with multiple Multidocks linking via an included USB hub. Each Multidock's power supply delivers full-rate charging to each of its ten charging bays and syncs the connected devices simultaneously. The charging bays are also big enough to accommodate the extra bulk of most cases, so devices won't have to be stripped naked to fit into the charge bays.

iDevices are connected via standard USB-to-Dock cables with LEDs on each individual charging bay indicating the charge and sync status of each device and the individual charge bays powering down once the device is topped up. The charging and syncing functions can also be separated to give IT managers greater control over content on the connected devices.



The Multidock measures 18.6 inches (47.2 cm) high by 11.81 inches (29.9 cm) wide by 9.17 inches (23.2 cm) deep, which is slightly bigger than the footprint of a 13-inch Macbook Pro and slightly smaller than a 15-inch model. Griffin says the unit's steel enclosure is designed to withstand the rigors of workplace, classroom and institutional use.

Griffin is better known for its consumer oriented iOS device accessories, such as cases, FM transmitters and, more recently, iDevice controlled helicopter but the company says it is set to embrace the business market and the Multidock is the first device to reflect this move.

Griffin's Multidock is compatible with all iPad, iPhone and iPod touch models as well as classic and video iPods. They are available individually for US$699.99, with three offered at a discounted $1,799.99.

Anne Guégniard emptying Cabernet Sauvignon grapes into trailer

Jean Hubert Lebtreton (Domaine des Rochelles) admiring his Cabernet Sauvignon in La Croix de la Mission (Anjou-Villages Brissac)

Domaine Cady: must and grapes pouring from a hose

Philippe Germain in his office at Chateau de la Roulerie

Yves Guegniard with his Cabernet Sauvignon

Thursday 29th September was another very hot and virtually cloudless day in Anjou with temperatures reaching 32C in Saint-Aubin in the early afternoon. Even at 6pm it was still 30C in Brissac-Quincé. Many producers have spoken of how delighted and surprised they are by the change in the weather over the last ten days, which has transformed the outlook and potential of the 2011 vintage.

Cabernet Franc destined for Anjou Village Brissac at Domaine de Fesle (Jacques Beaujeau, Château de Varière)

Jacques Beaujeau checking the alcohol degree of his Cabernet Franc

Alexandre Cady (Domaine Cady)

 

Philippe Cady

When it comes to toxic gases, what you can't see can most definitely hurt you. To improve the safety of military personnel, firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel who are often called into situations where they may be exposed to toxic gases, Morphix Technologies has developed the Chameleon chemical detection device. Designed to be worn on the forearm, the device can hold up to ten disposable cassettes, each of which detects a different toxic gas.



Leveraging its experience in colormetric badges to monitor the air quality in industrial environments, Morphix Technologies Chameleon provides hands-free detection of up to ten different hazards at one time. In the presence of a toxic gas, half the viewing window will change color. The sensors require no power or calibration and can even be immersed in both fresh and salt water for up to an hour and retain their chemical detection capabilities. Morphix says the chameleon detects gases and vapors where other technologies will only detect hazards in liquid or aerosol forms.





The Chameleon was originally developed for the U.S. Marine Corps so was designed to withstand some punishment and work in hot and cold conditions. It was also designed to be worn over clothing and be configurable to meet the needs of specific missions.

But with the increasing risk of toxic gas exposure to first responders, Morphix Technologies is also touting the benefits of the Chameleon for firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel. In addition to dangers posed by backyard meth labs, Morphix points out that chemical suicide (sometimes called detergent suicide), which involves mixing common household chemicals to create a cloud of poisonous gas in an enclosed space, is on the rise. Sadly this is becoming more widespread in the U.S., with figures quoted by Morphix indicating that the number of chemical suicides in the U.S. doubled in the first half of 2011 compared to 2010 figures.



The company says that the most notable gas produced in chemical suicides is hydrogen sulfide, which produces the easily identifiable "rotten egg" smell in small quantities. However, in higher concentrations, the chemical paralyzes the olfactory nerves so the first response teams will no longer be able to smell it.

The Chameleon Chemical Suicide Detection Kit contains sensors for high pH (base), hydrogen sulfide, low pH (acid), phosphine, and sulfur dioxide, while a Clan-Meth Lab Detection Kit contains sensors for ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, iodine, low pH (acid) and phosgene. Sensors for chlorine/fluorine, diborane and hydrazine are also available and Morphix Technologies says it plans to introduce additional sensors in the future.

NASA's upcoming Technology Demonstration Missions are intended to "transform its space communications, deep space navigation and in-space propulsion capabilities." Three project proposals have been selected for these missions, which should be launching in 2015 and 2016. One of those projects, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, we've told you about already. Another, however, will be demonstrating a mission-capable solar sail. While NASA has recently tested a solar sail measuring 100 square feet (9.29 square meters), this one will be the largest ever flown, spanning a whopping 409 square feet, or 38 square meters.

So, what would one do with a solar sail that big?

For one thing, it could be used to gather orbital debris over a period of several years - sort of like a drift net fishing trawler in space. It could also be included in a satellite's payload, and activated at the end of the spacecraft's mission. The sail, still attached to the satellite, could then be used to drag it out of its orbit.

Not unlike a sea anchor, it could also be used to hold satellites in unstable locations. As an example, it could allow GeoStorm solar flare-tracking satellites to be located at points three times farther from the earth than is currently possible - the push of the Sun's rays against the sail would balance the pull of the solar gravitational field on the satellite, ultimately resulting in the spacecraft staying put.

Finally, it could be used as a propulsion system for deep space travel.



The Solar Sail demonstration mission will include demos of the sail's attitude control, passive stability and trim control, along with a navigation sequence executed "with mission-capable accuracy." The project is being led by California's L'Garde Inc., in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA.

The solar sail itself should be ready in three years.