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WEEKNIGHT
CLUBBING
Nightclubs may operate seven days a week in many cities, but working
professionals who partake in their late-night offerings outside of the
weekend tend to regret it the next day. With such schedule-bound people
in mind, Toronto's Gladstone Hotel recently launched an earlier alternative
that still lets revellers get to bed on time.The Gladstone's Granny
Boots series of dance parties take place each Wednesday night beginning
at 7:30 and ending promptly at 10—"so you can go home, watch
'Law and Order' until 11 pm and get to bed," as the hotel puts
it. The events are held in the Gladstone's Melody Bar, which is already
famous for weekend karaoke nights, and feature different performances
and livingroom DJs each week. Plus admission is free. (source: Springwise).
GECKO ADHESIVE
Biomimetics experts have recently made progress on an interesting development
that could have invaluable application in the not too distant future.
If you're not down with the intricacies of a gecko's foot, the summary
is this: the lizard can skit around so freely, with apparent contempt
for the forces of gravity, because of its nanohair toes. The ingenious
design allows it to maintain a grip on even a smooth glass surface,
with the microscopic nature of the hairs enabling them to 'hook' into
just about anything. The other reason these are so effective, and the
central problem for replicating them in a lab, is the way the hairs
manage to shed dirt and other contaminants it may have picked up while
scampering about. Recent developments centre on a material that adheres
to surfaces in a similar way but does not collect dirt particles. Dubbed
'Gecko adhesive', we're not quite at the stage where functioning Spiderman
suits and paper-thin bullet-proof vests have become a reality, but perfecting
the technology will almost certainly make them possible. (source: GIzmodo).
CREATIVE NOVELTY
Discoveries by neuroscientists studying the brain say that novel experiences
are key in increasing brain power and creativity. When the brain experiences,
or imagines a familiar situation, it already has a shortcut to understanding
- it’s got that categorized in a neat little mental box. Novelty,
new experiences and stretches of the imagination keep the mind limber,
and more creative. Most corporate off-sites, for example, are ineffective
idea generators, because they’re scheduled rather than organic;
the brain has time to predict the future, which means the potential
novelty will be diminished. New insights come from new people and new
environments — any circumstance in which the brain has a hard time
predicting what will happen next. Fortunately, the networks that govern
both perception and imagination can be reprogrammed. By deploying your
attention differently, the frontal cortex, which contains rules for
decision making, can reconfigure neural networks so that you can see
things that you didn’t see before. You need a novel stimulus —
either a new piece of information or an unfamiliar environment —
to jolt attentional systems awake. (source: Fast Company).
GROCERY FARMERS
Taking to heart concerns shoppers have about where the produce they
buy comes from, Simon Richard, produce manager at Bi-Rite in SF’s
Mission District, decided to start growing produce to sell at the store
himself. The homegrown produce has been a big hit with customers at
the store. And it has also served as an educational experience for the
store staff. Being out in the field and understanding what it’s
like to farm definitely kicked up confidence levels about explaining
to customers where the food came from. By the end of the summer, Bi-Rite’s
farm had produced more than 3,500 pounds of tomatoes, 500 pounds of
eggplant, 400 pounds of peppers and 200 pounds of basil. And Bi-Rite’s
owner liked the idea so much, they are now looking to develop it further.
(source: PSFK).
