The future of e-paper: the trash can?

A new post on innovation-report inform about a new ''break through'' on material sciences coming from the University of Cincinnati, a Disposable e-paper. Actually from the scientific side it's really a break through. A paper based technology that enables to display information, in different ways including video, as the screens are doing it today but with the difference that would be flexible and low cost; todays standard technology (as kindle and ipad) relays on complex circuitry printed on glass that's expensive and of course rigid.

Until now everything it's OK but what catch my attention was the link between low-cost and disposability. The scientist claim that this technology would be so affordable that at the end of the day or the week you can just throw it to the garbage can. My worries are why we attached the value of and object, and in this case a really awesome product of Technic, just to its monetary value. In other words, why because is cheap it's OK to throw it to the garbage! It's not so that we cannot see value in other things other that money like functionality, convenience or even human effort (of developing such device) or the notion that maybe the intrinsic value that having something like that in our possession maybe higher that let it go to the property (and personal preoccupation and involvement free) space of the trash stream.

Cheap cannot be a synonym of disposability. Affordability cannot be a synonym of bad quality. And the garbage can cannot be the goal for technology development nor the end point of the value chain.

The report claims this technology maybe available in the market three to five years from now, we can only expect that until then our ways to see this issues change a little bit.

via: Innovations report

Image: Flickr/Kranky

Sometimes we forget that the environmental issue is not just technological, political and social, but also cultural. Art is one of the stronger cultural tool that we have because its critical sensibility. Some Art connect with us through beautiful aesthetics and other Arts through critical reflexions, and some really good art combine both ways (and other ways too) in multilayer artistics representations. I think this is the case of this animation on wich a very critical view is presented in a delightful visual and sounding experience that tells us not about what is happening but what is supposed to happend with our sensibility regarding the energetical issue. The windmill farmer of Joaquin Baldwin, is talking about the involvement of our felling and hopes in the enviromental issue, saying when we manage to feel deep sandness instead of just neglect what's happening in our sorrounding we'll achieve the point of inner motivation to get involve ourselves in processes of change and not just be simple spectators of what others do. In my own personal way to see it, it's not just a beautiful animation but a calling to feel and act.