by Aaron Rene Carvajal | Jul 23, 2015 | Design & Innovation, Dome Homes, Education, Freedom, Geodesic Domes, The Future
With the rapid changes in technological advancements, we are seeing disruptive changes in many industries. The new way of providing solutions and services is in flux for nearly every area of production and social interaction. With the driverless car, graphene, and nano technology on the horizon – it seems many more areas of life are about to change. We are paddling to the waves with the innovation of the portable self sustainable dome home – which is now forming it’s final features. We are taking full advantage of the advancements in computing, cameras, solar, sensors, and widespread internet connections to create a smart dome home.
Our plan is to disrupt the current notion of housing and communities by abandoning perspectives that make our current system seem reasonable. We see it as being a similar situation as the introduction of the telegraph, airplane, automobile or the birth of the internet. At a social level it could be seen as the advent of the idea of equal rights for all people. There was a time when this seemed absurd, but now commonly accepted as a moral standard. We hope to witness an expansion of this standard by showing the changes in lifestyle and relationships as people are no longer forced to give their life energy and focus to the basic needs of life. Energy will shift to true engagement with ones family and community instead of being used to further entrench a system that is destroying earth’s natural systems and robbing our children’s future.
Before many innovations became widespread, they were viewed as novelties that could never take hold and really change the world. We feel the same is about to happen today in the very near future. It will not just be housing that gets new discernment, but perhaps all features of life that surround home and family. Emerging ideas spread instantly now, which brings the real possibility of quick and meaningful change. Education is forming many new branches that are very different than past methods of memorizing and regurgitating information. Great possibilities abound when design thinking is coupled with the new tools and technologies of our time. The technology and environment are fertile for a new breed of humans who truly realize their freedom and abilities to control the future.
Our dome design is being developed at the Fremont MakerSpace in Northern California. Here we are refining the magnetic triangle dome panels to incorporate functionality that will allow for real time monitoring and control of light, sound, water, moisture, ventilation, camera views, and automated aquaponic gardens. We are preparing beta projects that will launch this year. We believe that as folks witness the possibilities, many more will join in this real life manifestation of change.
We no longer use bloodletting as a medical procedure or carriages for transportation. In words we no longer accept slavery and usury. We believe our actions will soon coincide with our intuition and instinct. The grid system that pits humans in competition with each other will eventually be discredited. Truth always wins. We are preparing for that day with a smart dome home and community solution that will fit nicely into the future we foresee.
by Aaron Rene Carvajal | Mar 26, 2015 | Design & Innovation, Education, Freedom, Sustainability, The Future
I can still remember my first day of philosophy class. It was a lecture about how logic had been stripped from the educational curriculum, and the reason why the world had run amuck. The points of the lecture were valid, yet there were no resolutions in reality. So I concluded the teacher was jaded and over thinking things. Lately it’s been getting more clear that there is certainly a void of rationale and reason that is drifting the world into dangerous waters. Using logic may be a real solution now. It is possible that the underlying premises that spew our daily headlines, can be rewritten with the emergence of real time data, the internet of things, and everyone on Earth watching and interacting online.
If technology does what it could, then we we will enter an era where logic and reason reign. Much of computing power comes from the boolean – where everything ultimately ends up as a 0 or 1 representing variations of True and False. “Boolean algebra has been fundamental in the development of digital electronics, and is provided for in all modern programming languages. It is also used in set theory and statistics.” – Wikipedia. This most basic of mathematical methods to determine truth could readily be applied towards constructing a better structure for our future.
There are many ways booleans are used, most simply it’s defined: AND: True & True; OR: True & False; and NOT: False & False. Many mathematical compositions can be built from here, but at it’s core it boils down to Conjunction (and), Disjunction (or), and Negation (not). Using web applications to assess what is best for earth has never been available like it is now, with the rapidly evolving technology and ever growing human data. The processing power and information are now here. We are not talking about a computer taking over our lives, but rather using the information and insight from real time connections and assessments, to make decisions with logical discernment. The era of politics and power have left much to be desired, and hopefully will soon be relics of the past.
The world situation gets more clear now that we are increasingly connected with constant communication and online sharing. About 2 billion people are online now. What happens when the other 5 billion come online and voice their vote. It is planned for everyone on earth to be online by 2020 or so. Online access now is only about 28% in Asia, 15% in Africa, 43% in Latin America, and 40% in the Middle East. Things could get interesting as real time interactions become ubiquitous. How will this technology be used? There has never been a time in history like now. We can correct our past errors or further entrench them. A digital renaissance is upon us. Will logic and reason prevail?
In memory of Leonard Nimoy. Rest in Peace.
by Aaron Rene Carvajal | Mar 8, 2015 | Design & Innovation, Dome Homes, Education, Freedom, Geodesic Domes, The Future
Why go round instead of square? For starters take a look at how nature designs everything. The movement and momentum of life happens on a platform based on the circle. There aren’t really any straight lines or squares in the growth of life and movement of the heavens. So why do we build most everything using squares or straight lines? We don’t live in MineCraft, so we may want to explore the world of circles and natural ratios to build our future homes and products. Here are just a few very good reasons why this makes sense.
The geo dome structures weigh less when completed because of the air-mass inside the dome. When it’s heated warmer than the outside air, it has a net lifting effect -like a hot-air balloon. This is almost unnoticeable in smaller structures, like houses, but as geodesics are based upon spheres, the effect increases geometrically with size. So you’d be able to notice it in a sports stadium, and a sphere more than a half mile in diameter would be able to float in the air with only a 1 degree Fahrenheit difference in temperature.
“The Geodesic Dome is, simply stated, the strongest, lightest and most efficient means of enclosing space yet devised.” American Institute of Architects. This says it all, but here are some more reasons. Geodesic domes use about a third less building materials for some substantial savings. The primary factor affecting efficient use of materials and energy in a structure is its shape. Think of a soap bubble. A sphere represents the smallest amount of material surface area needed to enclose a given volume of space. A divided sphere becomes one of the most efficient shapes known to enclose a given floor area.
The lower the total outside surface area (walls and ceilings) the greater the efficiency in energy use for heating and cooling. A dome has approximately one-third less surface area to the outside than a box-style structure. The amount of surface area exposed to the elements has a much greater impact on energy efficiency than insulation values. Efficient airflow inside a dome adds to the energy savings further; the curved surface of a dome provides a natural circulation of internal air. Outside the dome, the round shape provides an aerodynamic effect; so wind passes over the dome with less resistance. In comparison, a box-style structure provides a flat barrier to wind, creating positive wind pressure and suction. Ever notice how a door will slam shut when a door to the outside is left open, or air blows in from under a closed door?
The nature of the spherical design provides strength because the stress is shared evenly by all the points of the structure. The dome shape allows resistance to movement from earthquakes, high winds, and spreads stress from snow load evenly throughout the structure. The geometry of the triangle offers additional strength to the dome shape. Interior advantages of the dome include greater freedom of floor plan design, high ceilings, and even light, heat, and sound distribution. Domes display superior light characteristics as spherical shapes tend to amplify light while rectangular shapes tend to trap light. Acoustical advantages include more even sound distribution and less outside noise infiltration.
Most interesting and important are recent studies that show that the full spectrum of energy waves are available in the center of a dome. In a box, the energy waves are blocked. Thus the saying, “I feel like I am boxed in…” We seem to know instinctually and feel physically the comfort of being inside a dome. The importance of the natural energy waves all around us is just beginning to be understood. Lastly, let’s not forget they are simply good looking and cool.
by Aaron Rene Carvajal | Dec 31, 2014 | Community Supported Agriculture, Design & Innovation, Dome Homes, Education, Freedom, Sustainability, The Future
Do you remember the days of typewriters and TV antennas? These were great technologies for their time, but are relics of history now – and largely unknown. The developments of the last few decades have certainly changed the world rapidly. It is safe to say that the technologies and methods we use today will soon become history as well. Now we have the quickly growing development of affordable machines and printers that create objects. Your imagination is the limit. We believe today’s emerging technologies will help bring back our dependance on each other instead of the current set up where banks and insurance companies are in charge of our homes and security. The ability to print your own home is here now. We are currently creating the first prototypes of a geodesic dome home kit cut with a ShopBot, using the most common 2×4 lumber and plywood.
For the majority of human existence (pre-civilization), humans have lived together in daily cooperation and communication. This is the story we would like to build our foundation upon – what we believe is the true human story – before the grid. This story involves minds and souls freed up to live, communicate, and create everyday. The tools and technologies at hand allow us to continuously improve on the design and building of our homes as well as most anything else we may need. Our plan includes the use of modern technologies to form a self sustaining housing system that has human needs at the center of every design, material, and construction method. Human’s cooperating, building, and playing together is the basis of a true community. We will leverage all the latest technologies and tools to demonstrate that this is a potential alternate reality.
This is not a plan for building new grids that separate us into boxes to endlessly compete with each other under a veil of scarcity. This same premise permeated the recently cancelled Fox show Utopia that was billed as the largest social experience ever. They attempted a utopia with characters abiding by the same principles and attitudes that define our current system – but severe our natural inclinations to help and support each other. Fox made sure that the most “diverse” types were cast for optimum “reality”. It turned out to be a good example of the fears and anxieties that govern and separate us – but especially the desperate desire to transcend them. We look to create a Utopia based on a completely different script that cuts out the middle man.
We are putting our efforts into starting a new type of community that is fundamentally different from the foundations of the grid system. We are approaching this venture embracing all the technologies and information available today. Thus we are building a community where anyone can create anything they need with the help of 3D Printers, ShopBots, open source software, and the collective creativity and coherence of everyone in the circle. We are now printing the first geodesic dome home which will be completely self sustaining and designed with humans and life as the focus – and a better way of living together as the goal.
by Aaron Rene Carvajal | Nov 21, 2014 | Education, Freedom, Geodesic Domes, The Future, Uncategorized
My first computer class was learning DOS. It stands for Disk Operating System and was the dominating PC platform until about the year 2000. It is a simple logical language that transformed into the super computing power we have today. All graphics were very square. Even circles were jagged. Pre internet computers had all sorts of useful programs and some neat games too. But today we have supercomputers in our pocket with internet, limitless social connection, and real life games. A computer’s processor, memory, and hard drive work in the same way our brain’s cortices communicate. Our brain – powered with the heart as a power supply – is the ultimate super computer. This begs the question: What program are we running on it?
We spend our lives stuffing the brain with endless facts and images that program the brain just like any software. It happens our entire lives, from the day we are born until the day we die. We have short term memory that is like Random Access Memory (RAM), an important part of processing in a computer – and the brain too. If you don’t clear your RAM cache regularly – your computer will indeed crash eventually. We put great emphasis on memorization, counting, and categorizing, but how about clearing our cache? It seems some are starting to crash considering the daily headlines of the “new normal”.
What are these facts, figures, and beliefs? Science says they are not a reflection of what is real – on the contrary – what is real is a reflection of our collective display. What we display is bound within the boundaries of our software programs. Our education is a program of sorts for sure. Forget the past science, social studies, and economics classes – they are like DOS running and limiting a supercomputer. So what can we do? It is impossible to unplug from the main frame of society – right? This feeling of inevitability is an intrical part of the program we run on today – a virus that has attached to our supercomputer.
This virus is absolutely necessary to maintain the manifestation of the grid system we live in and support daily with our feelings, actions, and the words we give breath. The understanding and discernment of the fact that we are not just observers – but creators, can affect everyone and everything. If our program didn’t tell us we had to abide by the history of the world, that people are greedy and violent – we might create a world where we use our supercomputer to build a new platform that works on an open source transparent model. Let’s call it Life 2.0.
We regularly run programs to calm our spirit and give us hope. These are the music, movies, and art of life. It is time for more: Life 2.0 is a new improved operating system built with the latest features that take advantage of our awesome processor and wireless capabilities. Yes – we have a wireless modem too! In Life 2.0 we get out of the boxes we “live” in and enjoy the full range of wireless service available in a geodesic dome. If you feel like you are in a box and want out – join us.
by Aaron Rene Carvajal | Oct 27, 2014 | Education, Freedom, The Future
“Why does Halloween celebrate death, scary monsters and bloody messes?” My curious kids recently asked me this obvious question. Candy and costumes cloud the origins – whether we believe it honors the dead or is an ancient harvest festival – Halloween now revels in the dark and devilish. Why is there such a deep difference in what this hallowed evening originally observed and how it manifests today? Does it matter if we remember and honor the dead? Why has Halloween, a celebration of what we have been, turned into a horror show?
Today’s world centers on the science and math of the material world, while delegating matters of the spirit and soul to religion, philosophy, and weirdos. The underlying message of our economy-centric society is that the esoteric is really inconsequential. The passing on of our ancestor’s life map, has been replaced by a fixation on fake numbers and constant online engagement. For some this has been a wellspring of knowledge and cosmic connections. For many others it is strong stimulation of the senses, but scarce on human presence.
Our modern classroom lessons lay the foundation of humanity represented only by the last few thousand years of civilization. These empires are presented as the epoch of human progress and the whole of our history. We reinforce this tale with our heroes, celebrities, and leaders. But what of the previous hundreds of thousands of years of the human journey. This code is buried deep within our DNA, the same way innate knowing tells the birds how to fly south and gives the bees their hive blueprints. Have we perhaps forgotten our innate awareness?
Ghosts and ghouls don’t seem like an appropriate memorial for the great spirits that seeded the strengths of the human species and gave us the understanding to thrive for thousands upon thousands of years. The characters of continuous warfare create our ongoing world story, but do not represent the true passion of our past. On the contrary – our present world “order” is but a blip in time that will fade away as nature rejects life forms so out of balance with the natural systems.
If we are simply slabs of meat that have no access to the heavens until we die, then what we have now on Earth may make some sort of morbid sense. However, if we have lost our ancestral intelligence, forging a future without this accumulated wisdom could be a pretty big problem. Honoring and remembering the lessons, values, character, and goodness of our dearly departed may be essential to our future.
The Halloween costumes of the future could celebrate the culture, agriculture, music, dance, art, and stories that were left by past souls who have lived and learned. The Earth could never have survived this long if humans had always lived with the priorities and perspectives of our era. We can harness our history and build a future that is distinctly different from the current grid system that demotes the human spirit to the hedonistic, gruesome and grotesque during a time that was once reserved for a hallowed evening of remembrance and respect.
