In yet another onto-it post (from 2006) by Geoff Manaugh on his BLDGBLOG he throws up some enticing potentials about future aeroplanes printed out of plastic and the imagined potential of bio-printing.
But where it gets really interesting for me, is where he starts to discuss how contemporary life is slipping into sci-fi, and “Science-fiction and social realism will become one and the same thing.” Becoming increasingly future-focussed (reading between the lines) is valuable for the way it sparks, or encourages imaginative, open exploration of ideas. He yawns at much of …

This blog, BLDGBLOG by Geoff Manaugh, is very good.
I suspect his book may be worth getting.
He will be speaking at the Parallax conference in Melbourne in late April/early May.
I was particularly warmed by this post on heating via cremation.

Ok, as promised, this is the bit of text I wrote recently which I said I’d post once i got my ailing computer back. I must say that this erupted out of my morning coffee at a cafe, and while I like aspects of it, other bits irk me. The bit that irks me is that the focus is largely on new technologies/capacities (nail data store, hair antenna, transgenic pig) such that it feels a little spinkly-spankly-sci-fi. It started with the idea of dirt under the fingernails and how we …

Like a white swan landing on the reflective lake at just the right moment, this exhibition is coming. Following my earlier post, Extreme Textiles, I just stumbled across this post on the Design Boom blog
The site for this delicious looking exhibition is here: Tokyo fibre 09 Senseware
It’s pure magic. check it out.
I especially like the filter mask moulded into a monkey’s nose/mouth.
Interesting how white almost everything in the exhibition is. This is a common property given to newness: as if new forms/ideas await colouring in…. still clean and …

In terms of structures/construction and new materials, I suspect a good case could be made that the area of engineered textiles will be significant leader of future possibilities, largely because of their potential for integrating so many capacities into the one material.
An exhibition in 2005 at the Cooper Hewitt museum, EXTREME TEXTILES, explored some of the potential via some really interesting examples. Have a good look through the on-line exhibition. It’s worth the time. You can also browse the book that goes with the exhibition here.
There are examples in …

Innovation Watch – Trends, Innovation and the Future.
This site appears to offer a wealth of relevant information.