Our Times: October 2007

fading glaciers

South America's glaciers are disappearing fast. One of the ice masses, in Bolivia, is melting so fast that some scientists say it could be gone within a few years.

beyond infinity Mathematically speaking, some infinities are bigger than others, such as the infinity of numbers with decimals in them exceeding that of counting numbers (1,2,3,4 . . .).

golf for life

Research into creatures living on golf courses, of which there are 17,000 in the United States alone, has shown that wildlife living in the manicured grounds and abundant water hazards are faring better than many of their comrades in national reserves. Research into “nature-like” golf courses is now taking place to provide even better living environments for animals.

a laptop per child

Within the next couple of years, $US100 laptops for children in developing countries will become a reality. Designed with education in mind, the laptops have small outdoor screens, wireless network ability, a self-recharging mechanism, a web camera and solid state memory rather than a hard drive.

Only two watts of power are required to run them, as compared to 25 watts in a standard laptop.