Why virtual reality is necessary on a planet of 11 billion
Virtual reality is more than a trick. It's a solution to big problems.
11 September, 2020
- According to projections shared by the UN, Earth's population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050. By the year 2100, that number could increase to 11 billion. Virtual reality will be necessary to reduce the waste of such a large population in industries like transport, retail, and manufacturing.
- As an existing technology, there is a lot that virtual reality can do: rich and immersive environments, heightened storytelling, emotionally resonant experiences, and increased productivity in retail. But it's only in its infancy.
- As the world's population continues to grow, the technology will need to evolve to facilitate a larger network of users, and developers will have to think harder about the technological potential and the ethical, neurological, and emotional side effects.
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Virgin Galactic uses space tech to create new supersonic jet
The space tourism company Virgin Galactic teams up with Rolls Royce to create a new Mach 3 supersonic aircraft.
04 August, 2020
Credit: Virgin Galactic
- Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic has announced a partnership with Rolls Royce.
- The space tourism company will create a new supersonic jet for super-fast travel on Earth.
- The aircraft will travel at Mach 3 – three times the speed of sound.
<p>Virgin Galactic made the hearts of all speed enthusiasts beat faster by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/03/virgin-galactics-early-supersonic-aircraft-design-partnering-with-rolls-royce.html" target="_blank">announcing a new agreement</a> with Rolls-Royce to create a supersonic passenger jet.</p><p>The space tourism company founded by billionaire <a href="https://bigthink.com/u/richardbranson" target="_blank">Richard Branson</a> revealed an enticing look at the aircraft's design, which would not be taking people to the edge of space but between points on Earth. The move allows the company to leverage its space technology for super-fast travel across the planet. Crucially, the craft would utilize sustainable, next-generation fuel.</p><p>The concept for the supersonic jet, which can potentially disrupt commercial airline travel, has undergone a NASA review. Next, the company is planning to work with the FAA to create a framework for certifying the new aircraft for flight. </p>
<p>Virgin's Galactic's partner in this venture, the British company Rolls-Royce, is, of course, no stranger to supersonic aircraft-making, having built engines for the famous Concordes.</p><p>The first aircraft built will be targeted the speed of Mach 3, which is three times the speed of sound. In other words – a blazing 2300 mph. The plane will be able to carry from 9 to 19 people, cruising at an altitude of over 60,000 feet.</p><p>Virgin Galactic's chief space officer George Whitesides was bullish on the company's achievement:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high speed travel," he said in a statement.</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUzMTYzMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzUzMTY5MX0.urCCKO2cZVFdYvvclbVCpHRpDcQUcPmIEqvEuKHjIKw/img.jpg?width=980" id="ff710" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cf70b9c2a00580f353d152a36d4d2b1e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="jet rendering" />
Credit: Virgin Galactic
<p>The company has also made great strides in the development of its spacecraft. Check out the recently-released interior of its SpaceShipTwo Unity cabin:</p>
Virgin Galactic Spaceship Cabin Design Reveal
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ddd43e235d02118d76558a106aa99361"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LC286Dnq4M4?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
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The sun is setting on unsustainable long-haul, short-stay tourism — regional travel bubbles are the future
The trans-Tasman and Pacific bubbles will likely be among the first safe international travel zones in the world.
22 July, 2020
Photo by Bambi Corro on Unsplash
Unprecedented border closures and the domestic lockdown have paralysed New Zealand's $40.9 billion a year tourism industry.
<p> In the process, the vulnerability of the sector to external shocks and the tenuous nature of tourism employment have been exposed. </p><p>While New Zealand's handling of the pandemic has been hailed as a global masterclass, and the prospect of travel bubbles <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/300019194/as-politicians-weigh-risk-of-reopening-the-bubble-a-top-pandemic-expert-says-hed-happily-get-on-a-plane-to-australia-tomorrow" target="_blank">promoted</a> as a way to restart the tourism economy and save jobs, it is clear there is no quick fix.</p><p>The inherent dangers of reinfection from travel to and from countries with uncontrolled community transition, and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/new-zealand-brings-in-military-after-covid-19-quarantine-fiasco" target="_blank">challenge</a> of protecting New Zealand's borders, mean international tourism is grounded for the time being.</p><p>Nevertheless, planning for recovery is underway. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) wants to <a href="https://www.unwto.org/news/unwto-launches-global-guidelines-to-restart-tourism" target="_blank">restore confidence</a> and restart tourism without delay. The European Union recently <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/06/25/which-european-countries-have-opened-their-borders-ahead-of-the-summer-holiday-season" target="_blank">opened its borders</a> to travellers from certain countries, including New Zealand. </p><p>But the proposed trans-Tasman and Pacific bubbles will likely be among the first safe international travel zones in the world.</p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props='{"tweetId":"1272341854592184320"}'></div>
<h2>A Tasman-Pacific bubble is good for the planet</h2><p>The economic benefits are obvious. A recent study using <a href="http://globehunters.ca/top-spending-tourists/" target="_blank">UNWTO data</a> identified Australian tourists, who spend on average $7,490 on holidays, as the top spending tourists in the world. Of the 3.8 million international tourists who visited New Zealand in 2018, nearly 40% were from Australia.</p><p>By the end of 2019, Australian tourists had spent $NZ 2.5 billion in the New Zealand economy. Of course, that figure is offset by the $NZ 1.6 billion spent by Kiwis visiting Australia in 2019.</p><p>Simply wishing for a return to normal, however, is not enough. The tourism rebuild must negotiate a delicate balance between immediate recovery and long term sustainability. A new steady-state equilibrium that generates employment and income while driving down tourism carbon emissions is required.<br></p><p>Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic it was widely recognised that the global tourism system is economically and environmentally flawed. Our research has highlighted three main structural failures:</p><ol><li>low value (caused by growth in arrivals combined with declining spending)</li><li>economic "leakage" (due to outbound tourism and the concentration of profit flowing to a few global players)</li><li>high carbon emissions (from high-carbon transport dependence, increasing distance of travel and falling average length of stay).</li></ol>
<h2>Reducing travel distances is key</h2><p>
In the case of a geographically distant destination like New Zealand, there is no ignoring the last of those problems, as a
<a href="https://www.pce.parliament.nz/our-work/news-insights/media-release-pristine-popular-imperilled" target="_blank">report</a> by the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment highlighted in late 2019.
</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VBDR2E-V_rM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p>
The fact is, high carbon emissions are embedded in New Zealand's tourism GDP. In the rebuild we must commit to measuring the carbon footprint of tourism, and actively manage forms of tourism that come with a disproportionately high carbon cost.
</p><p>
In practice, this will mean more tourism from the regional medium-haul markets that fall within the proposed Australia-New Zealand-Pacific travel bubble. Increasing reliance on Australian states rather than long-haul markets will result in a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions per dollar of tourism GDP.
<br>
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421508006502" target="_blank">Research</a> published in 2010 showed that while Australian tourists made up 37% of international visitors to New Zealand they were responsible for 13% of air travel emissions. By contrast, visitors from Europe made up 18% of total visitors but 43% of emissions.
</p><p>
Fewer long haul arrivals, more Australian tourists, more domestic tourism and less outbound travel will dramatically reduce tourism carbon emissions.
</p><p>
COVID-19 has already kickstarted the domestic part of this equation. New Zealand hasn't targeted local tourists since 1984's iconic "<a href="https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/set/item/173" target="_blank">Don't leave town till you've seen the country</a>" campaign. But the regions are now competing for the <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/tourism-satellite-account-2019" target="_blank">roughly 60% of all tourist dollars</a> that New Zealanders spend in their own country each year.
</p><p>
The closure of international borders has also, for now, stopped the significant economic drain caused by outbound travel. In 2019 Kiwis spent nearly $5 billion travelling overseas.
</p>
<h2>Time to stop marketing long-haul tourism</h2><p>Most trade (including tourism exports) comes from markets closest to us. It is <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/management/2018/11/09/can-brexit-defy-gravity-it-is-still-much-cheaper-to-trade-with-neighbouring-countries/" target="_blank">much cheaper</a> to trade with neighbours, and it is far more sustainable to have tourists arrive from closer rather than distant countries.</p><p>New tourism models have to be found that can reduce the sector's emissions while maintaining as much as possible its income and employment benefits.</p><p>Tourism carbon analysis is likely to point towards the growing importance of long-stay visitors, such as international students, who already provide 23% of total international tourist spending in New Zealand.</p><p>Equally it will be necessary to "de-market" and reduce long-haul, high-carbon, short-duration, and low economic yield tourist arrivals. Passengers who arrive on enormous carbon intensive cruise ships – <a href="https://nzier.org.nz/publication/tourism-beyond-covid-19-is-the-future-local-and-green" target="_blank">9% of visitors but only 3% of tourism earnings</a> – fall firmly into the least desirable category.</p><p>An Australia-New Zealand-Pacific travel bubble clearly fits the new model. The tourism rebuild must involve all measures being taken to create a high-value, low-leakage and low-emissions tourism future.</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-higham-134567" target="_blank">James Higham</a>, Professor of Tourism, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-otago-1304" target="_blank">University of Otago</a></em></p><p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com/" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-sun-is-setting-on-unsustainable-long-haul-short-stay-tourism-regional-travel-bubbles-are-the-future-140926" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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Americans officially banned from entering EU, at least for now
The European Union agreed on a list of 15 countries that would be allowed to travel in its bloc. U.S. citizens were not on it.
30 June, 2020
photo by scaliger/ Adobe Stock.
- The European Union made an agreement on a list of 15 countries that could travel in its bloc from July 1st.
- Citizens of the United States, as well as Russia, Brazil, and India, are not on it.
- The exclusion of the U.S. reflects concerns over its coronavirus surge.
<p>From July 1st, when its external borders will re-open, American tourists won't be welcome in Europe, decrees a new agreement from the European Union. The bloc decided on a list of 15 safe countries whose residents would be allowed to travel in the EU. Why is the United States not on it? A tremendous surge of new COVID-19 cases, demonstrating that while the EU tackled the first wave of the coronavirus, the U.S has not. <a href="https://bigthink.com/coronavirus/europe-travel-ban" target="_blank">Previous reports </a>stated that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in negotiations with the EU, but those must not have gone the way the U.S. planned.</p><p>This graphic shows vividly the very different directions the two regions are going:</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQyNzgxMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTM5OTg2NX0.-iz3XOfQ7TspkN4ijWXPk9DrzQtO9U1t33Lq2nY_Vbg/img.png?width=980" id="3afef" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cdaae1893efc654e4792541f8492de70" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Byron Manley/Henrik Pettersson, CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/30/europe/european-union-travel-us-graphic-intl/index.html
<p>While new cases reached their peak in the EU around mid-March, they've been on an evident downward trajectory thanks to early lockdowns, mandated masks, and science-based cautious re-openings. The U.S., with inconsistent government messaging and actions as well as a divided public, has been <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/" target="_blank">adding about 40,000</a> cases every day. Dr. Fauci has been <a href="https://www.axios.com/fauci-senate-testimony-coronavirus-9d0204a8-f8e5-4deb-a8f7-07dcbd41d11c.html" target="_blank">warning</a> Congress that he wouldn't be surprised for this amount to reach <strong>100,000 </strong>if we don't get the situation under control, and he didn't sound very confident that we would.</p><p>The U.S. leads the world in overall cases (2.6 million) and deaths (at least 126,000). By comparison, the EU bloc has 116 million more people than the U.S., but <a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19-pandemic" target="_blank">over a million fewer</a> cases. The head of the CDC also <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/26/883799638/u-s-sets-daily-record-for-new-covid-19-cases" target="_blank">thinks</a> that the official tally is severely undercounted, with the true number of infected in the U.S. being around <strong>20 million.</strong> </p>
<p>Other countries excluded by the EU include Brazil, India, and Russia, where cases are spiking as well. Who is on the list of allowed countries? China, with some conditions. Also allowed are citizens from Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay.</p><p>The decision by the EU will be re-examined with relative frequency, up to every two weeks. But for now, Americans wishing to travel to Europe would have to wait.</p>
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LIVE JUNE 30 | Happiness hack: Approach life like an Italian chef
If you're interested in reinvention and adaptability, turns out Italian cooking is an instruction manual for life.
27 June, 2020
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<p>
What does an adaptive and inventive life look like? Well, it looks a lot like Italian cooking. <strong>Tuscan chef Gabriele Corcos</strong> and <strong>American actor Debi Mazar </strong>bring their creative forces to Big Think Live to discuss risk-taking, career pivoting, and why your approach to food can be an instruction manual for reinvention, love and family.
</p><p>
Ask your questions during the live Q&A!
</p><p>
<strong>Join at 1pm ET on Tuesday June 30. Streaming via <a href="https://youtu.be/pqqL3WMu9-w" target="_blank">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BigThinkdotcom/posts/10157454482278527" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and via <a href="https://edge.bigthink.com/live_streams/97">Big Think Edge</a> (for subscribers only).</strong>
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