The "Aerotropolis"

Here is an interesting article about the future of city development.

The article discusses a book by John Kasarda, a university professor, called “Aerotropolis: The Way We’ll Live Next.”  The main argument he makes is that instead of airports being built in already established cities, airports themselves will become the center of city development.  I find this a very fascinating idea. 

One example the article gives is of the cities of Louisville, Kentucky and Memphis Tennessee; these cities were generally in the decline until UPS and FedEx established them as hubs for the shipping operations.  This is an example of how technology (in this case transportation technology) continues to impact our society.

It’s important to note that the reason airports and their locations take such a precedent here in America is that air travel is the primary method of continental transportation.  Thousands of individuals take to the air every day and travel to many different cities and states.  In Europe, for example, air travel is certainly important but the extensive rail network makes it less so.  I think it would be interesting if this book addressed how the cultural differences will affect the “aerotropolis” theory.

Wacky English

Sometimes when you stop and think about it, a lot of words we use in English don't seem to make sense. 

For example, toothpaste.  That seems pretty normal, right?  Well if we break it down, one would think that "toothpaste" is paste for your teeth.  That sounds disgusting.

Also, it's nice that a suitcase (now look at the word again: "suit" + "case") will hold more than just suits.

English isn't the only language that has these interesting words.  A common aspect of speaking your native language is that you don't think about the words themselves.  Every so often, I start thinking about words I say, hear, or see and analyze them (nerdy, I know, but at least it's giving you something to read about!).

Here's a link to "Wacky Word Origins."  I'm not sure if they're all true, but the explanations are interesting. :)

Technology Withdrawal?

Here's an interesting news story from the U.K.'s Mail.
 

It discusses a study done on teenagers who had their technology taken away from them.  They were allowed to use landline phones and read books, but no cell phones or internet access was allowed.  What's interesting is that many of the test subjects suffered symptoms of withdrawal similar to those that drug addicts experience.

One thing this highlights is that technology is playing an ever more important role in our society.  We rely on email and the internet constantly; they are great tools that certainly enhance our productivity.  However, there is potential for us to become over reliant on this technology and it’s clear that addiction is a very clear outcome.

Another point this article makes is that although we categorize technology dependence as an American trait (such as we do with obesity or consumerism), the fact is that it is a problem across the globe.  This case points to the situation in the U.K., but there are other places in the developed world where people have the same type of technology dependence as we do.

As our world becomes continually more interconnected with the world of technology, will addictions to cell phones, the internet, and other technology be the new norm?