The second annual Central Illinois Junior First Lego League Expo will be Sunday, April 12, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., in Cass Gymnasium at Lincoln Land Community College. The expo showcases the work of 32 regional Junior First Lego League teams. The program, for children ages 6-9, states that their ultimate goal is to capture […]
technology
Posted inNews
Does FutureGen have a future?
With U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois looking on, Ken Humphreys, CEO of the FutureGen Alliance, signs a labor agreement on Monday to provide union labor for the FutureGen project planned in a rural area outside Jacksonville. The agreement may signal that the long-delayed project is moving forward. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Illinois is one […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Sensorium
In a 1981 case study conducted at the University of Kansas, researchers described the experiences of a woman with the neurological condition called chromesthesia, which caused her to experience sound as a visual color experience as well as an auditory sensation. Chromesthetics describe every sound they hear as triggering a simultaneous visual component. It is […]
Posted inNews
‘I see a whole lot of opportunity here’
Henrik Rasmussen calls himself a “Springfielder by choice.” A native of Denmark, Rasmussen moved his family to Springfield in 2009, seeking opportunity, freedom and space to innovate. Now a U.S. citizen, Rasmussen is launching his own public affairs consulting firm in Springfield on Aug. 1, after seven years at another consulting firm. Addressing the crowd […]
Posted inNews
Choice schools
District 186 Superintendent Dr. Walter Milton dreams of a Springfield public school system full of “choice,” with a series of magnet schools, which accept students regardless of where they live within the district, that teach the three R’s with unique approaches and focused missions. To that end, the district opened in August the new Capital […]
Posted inNews
A computer for every kid
When a lesson on loom use in Iran unexpectedly transcends into a dialogue about the global equality of humankind, a teacher has to wonder what went right. Layne Zimmers, who helped guide her sixth-grade students through that very lesson, says she knows exactly what it was – technology and the ability to access the world […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Twitter – For the birds.
No, really, it’s for the birds. For months, my smart phone-, Mp3-, cable-less self was reluctant to join, even explore the world of Twitter. Constant updates on Lindsay Lohan’s latest faux pas? No, thanks. I only signed up for the service in January as a way to keep track of some politicos in the statehouse […]
Posted inNews
Telecom law revamp needed
Illinois telecommunication laws need a rewrite, technology providers say. Outdated legislation means the state is losing jobs and business growth, members of the telecom community told the House’s Bipartisan Job Creation Task Force at an April 14 meeting. The state’s telecommunications laws haven’t changed since 2001, when land lines were prevalent and high-speed Internet access […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Wishlist: eco-friendly laptop sleeve
Given my propensity to break/damage almost everything I own, I should probably own a laptop sleeve. (Seriously – don’t lend me anything you love. I get so stressed trying not to break it that I end up accidentally doing something terrible. Self-fulfilling prophecy much?) I love this laptop sleeve from Loopt. Bonus: it’s made from […]
Posted inNews
Hyundai asks car crew to increase fuel efficiency fast
Kevin Smith and the crew from Illuminati Motorworks took a detour in their quest for the Progressive Automotive X Prize (AXP), but, as Smith says, “It was an offer we couldn’t refuse.” With Smith at the helm, the local team of engineers, automotive technicians and car enthusiasts began working in August 2007 to design a […]
