1. iRobot Corp. of Burlington
   Maker of Packbot; $56,000 to $120,000 per unit
2. Foster-Miller Inc., Waltham
   Talon robots.
3. Black-I Robotics Inc., Tyngsborough
4. LandShark $25,000 per unit
5. Hydroid LLC, Bourne
   Hydroid submarine robots
6. Bluefin Robotics Corp., Cambridge
   Nautical robots
7. Caliper Life Sciences Inc., Hopkinton
   Robotic equipment for pharmaceutical drug testing

Current markets: military; manufacturing automation;  low cost cleaning devices

Future markets:  automobile

Source: Boston Globe

Complexity Theory: the study of the nature of complex systems in nature, society, and science.

1. Von Bertalanffy (1930-1940’s)- General System Theory - study of system, independent of its parts
2. Shannon (1948) - Information Theory - No communication is error free - noise in channel was information in and of itself
3. Lorenz (1993) - Chaos Theory - unpredictability of outcomes due to small changes in initial conditions
4. Mandelbrot (1997) - Fractal Theory - Something that inhibits partial dimensionality - fractals exhibit consistent complexity regardless of the scale at which they are observed.

Kerry Emanuel, a professor of meteorology at MIT, identifies the two strands of environmental philosophy present in the climate debate:

1. the natural state of the universe is one of infinite stability, with an unchanging earth anchoring the predictable revolutions of the sun, moon, and stars.
2. the natural state of the universe is stable one but has become destabilized through human actions.

Source: Phaeton’s Reins

Russel Seitz laments the lack of true science based opposition from the right to counter the “politicized science” of the left. In its place, conservative media presents talking heads with little credibility beyond adherence to a authority and the latest set of talking points.

Source: Climate of Here

The Fab@Home machine allows anyone to design and prototype 3D objects. Typical commercial fabricators cost thousands of dollars, but the Fab@Home is opensource and designed “to break the vicious cycle of expensive equipment and niche applications.”

Source: Fab@Home Website

Solar Thermal is a low tech option that uses mirrors to heat fluid to boiling which then powers a steam turbine. Key advantages are cost competitiveness with other power generation options and energy is more easily stored (uses tanks full of a molten salt that remains liquid at temperatures exceeding 565 °C and heat exchangers.)

Companies implementing the technology include Abengoa, Ausra, and Solel Solar Systems.

Source: MIT Technology Review