Dr Pete's Blog (22)

New York City is huge, and the number of issues one could deal with on such a map is similarly tremendous. I chose to focus on a few issues which might be mappable: Generating local electricity in NYC, and eliminating food deserts/expanding access to fresh produce in many underserved areas.

In addition, throughout…

Inspired by the Evoke Challenge, and inspired by The Girl Effect video/website, I decided to put my money where my mouth is, and contribute. I'm now a contributor to the building and stocking of a Science Lab in Matale, Uganda in collaboration with the Harambee Centre. The school is 57% girls, and more than half are HIV/AIDS orphans.

I feel that science education is critically…

It took me a while to think of what I would/could do to help the food security of people in New York City. Rather than giving to a food pantry or similar organization, I wanted to find an organization to support which was actively trying to fix the system here... get money and attention where it needed to go in order to help people become food secure, not just put some food in their bellies once.

I finally happened across the NYC…

I thought about implementing a strategy like getting a solar powered cell phone charger (I still might) or a pedal powered something, I decided to start by looking at what actually uses energy in the home. I figure it's more important to cut down on big things than to remove a small thing.

The number one energy use in US homes is heating/cooling costs. The easiest thing to do here is to set the thermostat down (in the winter) when you aren't there, and to cover the windows…

I don't have a long tradition of celebrating July 4 in a particular way, though it generally involves going somewhere to watch fireworks. New York City has a terrific fireworks display over the East River, which I've enjoyed from several vantage points.

I imagine that I'll spend the day with my wife and daughter, enjoying the sunlight on Roosevelt Island, just across the East River from Manhattan. The Island is full of parks, and I imagine that we would cook burgers and hot…

It's not a huge amount of money, but site like ripple.org will give money (about $0.01) to charity for every search you do through their version of popular search engines. When you search, they get money from advertisers, which they turn around and donate to charity.

Ripple donates the proceeds of your internet searches to: Oxfam, Oaktree (youth-run development), WaterAid (providing water and sanitation), and the Grameen Foundation…

I'm relatively new here, but I've noticed a few comments from old timers about the game, and how it may not provide them with ... something ... for their time/energy when it ends, about whether it is fair, and so on.

First, consider what this game really is, at its heart. It is an experiment in trying to encourage people to work hard on issues of genuine importance using the structure of a game. The official structure of the game is closed form, with an eventual set of people…

Every year since high school, several friends and I have gotten together for New Years-- celebrating, reconnecting, having a meal, and fun. It's changed a lot over the years, as we've gotten older, started families, etc.

I imagine that when we get together in 10 years, many things will be the same. We'll watch the ball drop, drink champagne, and so on, but perhaps what we eat will be a bit different.

Usually our host puts on a spread, often a barbeque in the…

I find it fascinating (and very sensible) that communities in Africa are using cell phone minutes as a medium of exchange. They can be bought abroad and sent home simply, and the funds can be exchanged with text message.

Add to this two things:

One, there are several exchanges out there which set value for things like WoW gold, Farmville bucks, etc.

Two, Paypal's software is open source.

Combine these things in a pot, stir, and this is one…