First Post!

Welcome to Beamed Up By Scotty! I am a second year student at Washington State University, majoring in architecture and minoring in communications.  I plan to make this blog a place to find commentary and information on cool new technologies critical to the advancement of the human race, particularly in emergent energy sources, improvements to transportation networks, and advances in space exploration. However, I may wander into other topics such as health, education, and other social issues. These advancements apply globally, but most of my sources will be related to the United States.

I have high hopes and lofty ambitions for the future, and hope to share my ideas with those who think likewise or are looking for information about awesome technology.

Here is a quick selection of recent items I found interesting:

• Researchers at the Washington State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are working with the Washington State Department of Transportation to better manage stormwater accumulation on the state's roadways. Rather than divert water into artificial ponds and streams, they are finding ways to let rainwater naturally disperse into the surrounding ground. (WSU Today)

• Workers in Finland are excavating a 3 mile long, 500 meter deep tunnel to store the country's nuclear waste for the next 100,000 years. Now if the US could just finish the Yuca Mountain project... (CNN)
•  Airline passengers and pilots are growing more fed up with the TSA's new body scanning machines and pat down procedures. Some are proposing to boycott the scanners on the busiest travel day of the year. (Wired)