Some of you know that I was one of the original backers of the X PRIZE that awarded $10 million to the first private team to build and launch a piloted spacecraft to 100 kilometers above the earth's surface, twice within two weeks. As far back as my undergraduate days at Georgia Tech, I wrote a paper on the British Crown's establishment of a … [Read more...]
Tech High Forced to Close
July 6, 2012 by
TECH HIGH SCHOOL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 6, 2012 Massive Funding Cut Forces Successful Atlanta Charter High School to Close Its Doors Atlanta -- Atlanta’s Tech High, the successful 8-year-old math-, science- and technology-oriented charter high school in the Atlanta Public Schools system, is being forced to close its doors amid an unanticipated … [Read more...]
Reinventing Workforce Development
July 1, 2012 by
I just returned from the annual Southern Growth Policies Board meeting, which was held in Chattanooga this year. The topic was "Reinventing Workforce Development" and it was fascinating to hear how much opinions have shifted on this topic in just a couple of years. … [Read more...]
“That’s Not How Our Constitution is Written”
June 17, 2012 by
I agree with every word that President Obama says in this excerpt from a speech to La Raza just under a year ago (July 25, 2011): … [Read more...]
Alexander Hamilton and Android Phones
May 15, 2012 by
So this article is making the news today: Researchers find backdoor on ZTE Android phones The summary is that "Two mobile phones, developed by Chinese telecommunications device manufacturer ZTE, have been found to carry a hidden backdoor, which can be used to instantly gain root access with a password, that has been hard-coded into the … [Read more...]
Drug Labelling
May 1, 2012 by
I got into a Facebook debate last night with some very smart, well-informed, and well-meaning individuals... but I think they are completely wrong. The trigger event was the FDA voting to remove certain formulations of painkillers from the pharmacy. Here's the link: http://t.co/19CmGb4y. I understand liver failure due to acetaminophen … [Read more...]
Go Get an Asteroid!
April 23, 2012 by
So it appears that a group of billionaires are going to announce the first asteroid mining company tomorrow. (You don't need me to repeat the news here. Visit http://planetaryresources.com and follow their Twitter account @PlanetaryRsrcs.) Buried deep in this site, you might stumble across a Letter to the Editor that the Washington Post … [Read more...]
An Afternoon with Micky Bly
April 5, 2012 by
On a beautiful spring day last week, I was lucky enough to meet Micky Bly, a 1990 Georgia Tech BSME graduate, and the man in charge of the Chevy Volt. His General Motors business card reads, somewhat splendiferously, "Group Global Executive Director, Global Electrical Systems, Infotainment, and Electrification." … [Read more...]
Take the Money
April 5, 2012 by
After my post on the JOBS Act last night, I got an email from a friend with a good question. As I composed an answer, I realized it might be of general interest, so I'm putting it here. … [Read more...]
The JOBS Act
April 4, 2012 by
I was asked to write "a few sentences" about the JOBS Act for another website. Since I found myself with over 500 words, I decided to post it here. In today's political climate, it's hard to believe that a major bipartisan reform has passed both houses of Congress and -- as I type this on Wednesday night -- is scheduled to be signed by the … [Read more...]
