11 | August | 2012

Monday, May 20, 2013

Amazing technology: 3D printer could build a custom house in 20 hours

Mark J. Perry | August 11, 2012, 11:48 pm

Yahoo News — “An engineering professor, Behrokh Khoshnevis, at the University of Southern California, is really thinking big: He has figured out a way to build housing with a giant 3D printer. The apparatus, instead of being the size of … read more >

Carpe Diem

Great video of the technology that is driving our energy bonanza: Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling

Mark J. Perry | August 11, 2012, 9:54 pm

From Marathon Oil –”Safe, cost-effective refinements in hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking), horizontal drilling and other innovations now allow for the production of oil and natural gas from tight shale formations that previously were inaccessible. This animated video introduces … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion, Elections

Romney-Ryan: A historic ticket

Peter J. Wallison | August 11, 2012, 7:54 pm

Mitt Romney‘s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate has real historical significance for three reasons: 1. It tells us a lot about Romney—that he’s willing to take risks, that he’s not the non-ideological Mr. Fix-it we had thought … read more >

Carpe Diem

Global trade and U.S. exports are at record highs

Mark J. Perry | August 11, 2012, 2:31 pm

According to perma-bear Gary Shilling this week, “We’re already in a global recession,” and ECRI’s Lakshman Achuthan said in July that “the [U.S.] economy is in a recession already.” But if the U.S. and world economies are in recession, why … read more >

Pethokoukis

Romney-Ryan ensures election will be what it was always probably going to be: A conflict of visions

James Pethokoukis | August 11, 2012, 1:03 pm

What I know of Paul Ryan is this: Born in 1970, he was old enough to see and understand the amazing reversal of fortune that happened in the 1980s and 1990s when free enterprise and earned success was again valued … read more >

Lean In… to Government?
Sheryl Sandberg's runaway best-selling book Lean In has managed to offend both the Left and the Right. Sandberg touts female hard-headedness, yet also calls for an elaborate government- and employer-supplied support system for women. […]
Are American Voters Racist?
Racial prejudice plays a very small role in American politics, but a highly disciplined sense of self-interest on the part of one group may play a very large role in the way the federal government functions. […]
The Perpetual Passion for Paper
Paper is becoming less important in some respects, but its strengths — prestige, utility, permanence, and security — are more essential than ever. […]
Could California Make a Comeback?
An unexpected glimmer of hope might cast a new light on the Golden State. […]