Why I Made the Switch to Google Chrome

For the longest time I've been a Firefox user. Then one day i tried Google Chrome and never switched back.

For one, Chrome is much faster than Firefox. Yes, it is underpowered and lacks all the extra features of Firefox, but man is it fast. Switching from Chrome to Firefox felt like switching from a Bugatti Veyron to a Toyota Camry. The Camry is a nice, reliable car, but I'm a sucker for speed machines.  Less features and more speed is exactly what I'm looking for.

The space efficiency in Chrome is awesome. There's no file or edit menus clogging up the top, limiting tab space. With Chrome, the tabs are giant and easy to click/see. I am a heavy tab user, as I always find articles that I want to read or am currently reading and I put it into a new tab. I also always have a number of online programs running, such as Gmail and Facebook. It's nice to have a simple tab system with so much room on top.

The plugins and add-ons on Firefox are great, but I just don't need them. Other users will obviously think differently, but for me (surfing, writing articles, YouTube, Facebook, Gmail, etc) I have no need for extra features. I'd rather take the simple system and extra speed.

Note: there are some online software that still does not support Google Chrome. If you are a heavy user of some of these programs, I recommend not switching your browser.

New Potential Habitable Planet

Researchers of the Keck Observatory in Hawaii have discovered a planet about three times the mass of the Earth right in the middle of the habitable zone, which is a certain distance from a star for liquid water to be present on the surface.The planet also seems to be rocky with a solid surface and enough gravity for an atmosphere.

The planet is tidally locked into orbit around red dwarf star Gliese 581, which means that the same side always faces the star. Any forms of life would most likely be on the border of the light side and the dark side.

Constructing a habitable zone has always been theoretical and quite abstract. Some scientists feel that there are too many variables other than distance from a star to consider for life to form. Yet there are still some well known astronomers that are very excited about this discovery. Steven Vogt, professor of astronomy at UC Santa Cruz, has stated "my own personal feeling is that the chances of life on this planet are 100 percent."

100 percent is a bit rash, especially considering the number of life-bearing planets we have found so far. But the findings are still preliminary and anything is possible. There is no telling what kind of life or what degree of intelligence could present itself, if at all. Still, the finding of a planet so similar to Earth at just 20 light years away shows the possibility for more such planets further into the universe. 

For those true believers out there, maybe the radio signal picked up from a nearby planet a couple years ago really did mean something. 

Human Body Warmth as Energy

The French are very innovative in the way they gather energy. Over 3/4th of French electricity is generated by nuclear power plants, and even more is created by reusing the nuclear material. The newest French energy project puts a new and kind of creepy meaning into French innovation. The government is installing an experimental heating system in a public housing project in Paris, which will use the warmth of human bodies to fuel it. 

The system uses heat emitted by passengers of a nearby Metro system, as well as heat generated from the train moving over the tracks. The heat is funneled to a heat exchanger that pushes the warm air into the building pipes. Of course, the system is also supplemented by district heating.

Like always, I support forms of energy that make use of resources that would otherwise be wasted. Its kind of cool to think that someone is staying warm because of your beating heart, but its also kind of creepy. I'm also kind of wary on the legal implications of having my body service the needs of others without my knowledge.

It's just an experimental system, and definitely not economically feasible for areas away from the Metro (too expensive to funnel the heat). Still, hopefully it gets people thinking of ways to use the wasted energy all around us.