February 2012
Chip Bollendonk
National TSA Treasurer

A hidden Google logo, blacked-out Wikipedia pages, and nation-wide protests.  With these recent internet-based events, you are probably aware of the controversial SOPA and PIPA legislation. These can be difficult to truly understand and if you’re like me, you might be wondering what exactly all the hubbub is about.  This blog is a multi-faceted entry to help understand some questions about a major topic in today’s technological frontier.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) are two pieces of legislation suggested in theU.S. House of Representatives and Senate, respectively. Their overall goal is to restrict online copyright-infringement, piracy, and counterfeit markets. These bills target “rogue sites” (often on foreign servers not affected by current copyright legislation) and not only remove unauthorized content from these domains, but censor the entire site itself. The legislation would allow the U.S. government to compel U.S.-based companies (such as Internet service providers and online advertisers) to cease connection with those unauthorized sites^[1].

It is important to remember that the government does not want to censor media as a whole or create an intellectually-confined society.  Rather, these pieces of legislation intend to protect American information and property, and prevent the piracy of copyrighted work and ideas. For this reason, groups like the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and CBS Corporation support the SOPA and PIPA legislation.  They argue that American innovation and content-creating jobs are threatened by

 internet piracy and foreign websites which profit off stolen content. In this sense, the new legislation would protect jobs, stimulate growth in the content-creating sector, and help prevent piracy of internet-based ideas and content.

However, many groups diametrically oppose SOPA and PIPA. Notable opponents include Google, Wikipedia, Reddit, and even Facebook, many of whom protested these bills on January 18^th with blackouts, banners, and petitions. While these sites certainly don’t support piracy or copyright infringement, they oppose the restrictions and legal responsibilities suggested by the legislation; for example, while Facebook is aware of the problems caused by “rogue foreign sites that pirate intellectual property of sell counterfeit goods,” they fear the “collateral damage these overreaching bills would cause to the Internet”.^[2] While sites aren’t necessarily responsible for the content on their domains, the legislation may pose legal threats towards the companies due to even a single page of unauthorized content^[3]. Most of these companies don’t have the assets to afford lawyers to face these concerns on a potentially large scale. While in favor of some restrictions, many feel that the proposed legislation isn’t ideal. Still, other groups are simply opposed to any government censorship of the internet.

In today’s world of technology, the internet is an asset to research, communication, expression, and business. The decision of the U.S. Senate regarding PIPA might lend a preview of the internet world we may see in the next few years. While these bills have sparked plenty of conversation and protest, they will hopefully reflect the evolving international internet-environment, and I look forward to seeing how they might (or might not) affect me and my favorite websites in the future.

^[3] http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57329001-281/how-sopa-would-affect-you-faq/?tag=mncol;subStories

January 2012
Jason Dreyzehner
National TSA Sergeant-At-Arms

This month's featured technology is a slick new nanotechnology from Ross Technology called NeverWet. It’s a silicon-based spray-on coating that repels water and heavy oils. It repels them so well, in fact, that you may have to watch the video twice:http://youtu.be/7is6r6zXFDc

In the video, the speaker tries to drip water on products covered with NeverWet, but the water quickly shoots off of the surface, leaving it completely dry. He also tries to pour chocolate syrup on a white shoe treated with the product, only to have it roll and slide off cleanly.

Hydrophobic coatings are common in biology and industrial chemistry, but this coating is so repellant it is classified as superhydrophobic. Originally developed to stop corrosion on steel products, it was quickly found that the NeverWet technology could revolutionize all kinds of products. From ovens to plungers to white boards, NeverWet has the potential to keep all kinds of products clean, dry, and free of ice, bacteria, and all kinds of messes.
NeverWet products will be available to consumers in early 2012.  For more on NeverWet, visit: http://www.neverwet.com/

December 2011
Ashlee Shryock

National TSA Secretary

New technology appears every day.  The latest app from Apple is bound to make holiday shopping this season a little easier. Apple’s new “Spot-The-Shopper” app is an in-store locator is intended to provide the ultimate in customer service.

Designed to be used by retail businesses, this in-store locator app allows store personnel to locate a shopper as soon as they enter the store and bring to the shopper their pre ordered product selections. This is accomplished through an electronic illustration of the shopping floor and the customer’s location highlighted in red that appears on the employees hand held device.  So, when the shopper arrives in the store the store personnel are able to quickly find the customer, bring their selections to them and thus deliver the ultimate in customer service.

Technology continues to make work, school, shopping and life easier for all of us.

To read an article about this new technology go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/27/spot-the-shopper_n_1115235.html?ref=technology

November 2011

Austin Vest
National TSA Vice President

Many of us look to nature to find inspiration. Nature is what inspired Aidan Dwyer, 13,  to discover a major breakthrough in solar panel design.

On a hiking trip to the Catskill Mountains, this 7th-grader from New York noticed a pattern among tree branches (as naturalist Charles Bonnet did in 1754) that represented the fibonacci sequence of numbers. Aidan suspected it had something to do with photosynthesis.

In an innovative experiment, Aidan duplicated the design of an oak tree comparing its sunlight-capturing abilities to a traditional rooftop solar panel array. First he determined the ratios representing the spiral pattern of the leaves and branches on an oak tree using a cylindrical double-protractor tool of his own design. Then using a computer program he copied the pattern and built an oak tree-shaped solar array out of PVC pipe. He next built a flat-panel array mounted at 45 degrees, like a typical home rooftop array, and attached data loggers to each model to monitor voltage.

He determined the tree’s fibonacci pattern allowed some solar panels to continue to collect sunlight while in the shade and likewise prevented tree branches from shading other branches.

Now Aidan is studying other tree species and improving his PVC model to determine how it could be used to make more efficient solar arrays. He’s applied for a patent, too. Aidan’s design won him a 2011 Young Naturalist Award from the American Museum of Natural History, not to mention the admiration of anyone who has tried to get a young person to appreciate nature. Students like Aidan demonstrate that technology innovation will change the world just as TSA does.

You can learn more about this article at http://inhabitat.com/sunpower-new-super-efficient-solar-panels

October 2011
Marie Sabillo
National TSA Reporter

Hello there! First off, I would like to advise you to read each officer’s blog. There are some interesting and informative topics being discussed.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has researched a new technology that when applied to the skin will be physically interactive with the electronic world.

The big monitors and electrodes you may see in hospitals can irritate the new, fragile skin of premature babies. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign led a research team that has developed a small electronic device to assist medical care for premature babies and special need patients. When placed on the skin of the human body this electronic device picks up the nerve signals in that specific area. For example, it will pick up heartbeats when placed on the chest, skeletal muscle activity on the leg, brain waves on the forehead, etc.

This device has also caught the attention of security experts. Once this device is finalized and released, two individuals will be able to communicate with each other without uttering a word because the device, when placed on the throat, can recognize words through muscles activities.

Nanotechnology engineer, Michael McAlpine of Princeton University, stated, “This is a huge breakthrough. This goes beyond Dick Tracy calling someone with a cell phone on the wrist. It’s having the wrist itself house the device so it’s always with you.”

You can learn more at:

http://www.geekosystem.com/sensor-temporary-tattoos

http://www.princeton.edu/mae/people/faculty/mcalpine1

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/how-computers-will-soon-get-under-our-skin-2336246.html

 http://libna.mntl.illinois.edu

 September 2011
National TSA, it’s good to see you again! From all of the officers, I’m excited for another year! This year’s national TSA officer blog will be structured a little differently than in the past. Rather than talking about fundraising or TSA-related activities, each national officer will be discussing a scientific breakthrough or recent technology. My blog appears below. We hope that you enjoy our insights and opinions!
Pratyusha Gupta
National TSA President

Robotics – the word still seems like science fiction to the majority of us. After all, we don’t have artificial humanoids helping us out with chores. However, in the academic and research fields, robotics is a growing field, attracting engineering students from many disciplines to try and mimic the human mind and body in behavior and thought.

My recent trip to the University of Pennsylvania’s GRASP laboratory shed some interesting perspectives on the field of robotics. Being realistic, I was expecting not humanoid machines, but an arm or other appendage encased in wires and metal. However, I was surprised to discover tiny human-like robots, approximately two feet high, which looked just like one of the toys my little sister likes to play with. I soon found that these robots were not playthings, but serious business. They had been designed especially for the RoboCup 2011, a worldwide competition in which colleges and universities created robots and then had them compete in soccer. The University of Pennsylvania and Virginia Tech combined forces to create the world-championship team, taking home the cup by defeating a Japanese college – a consolation for the US women’s soccer team’s recent loss to Japan. You can see the video of the robots in action here: http://www.youtube.com/profile?feature=iv&user=BotSportTV&annotation_id=annotation_110679.

These robots had a high level of artificial intelligence and were totally automated. They were able to fall, pick themselves up, locate the ball, remember their position, kick, block, and many other things. They were even able to logically reason, knowing that if they could not see the ball for a second, it must no longer be there. In order to spot the ball, the robots had to be preconditioned to recognize colors and had to be told which color the ball and the field were. That way, if they saw a red spot (the ball) on a green background (the field), they went there. Walking was extremely difficult for the robots; they had to constantly adjust their center of gravity from one foot to the other, no easy feat (feet? Oh, puns!). The GRASP laboratory engineers explained that walking was the real reason robots were not commonplace – they need strong hardware and software to properly execute.

After seeing such technology in action, it seemsas though our science fiction fantasies of having robot servants may come true. It won’t come easily or cheaply (these robots cost thousands of dollars in parts alone), and certainly won’t be a substitute for human work, but who knows? Tomorrow, robots like these could be on any store shelf.
August, 2011
Welcome to another year of TSA!! My name is Chip Bollendonk, your National Treasurer; I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the first 2011-2012 National TSA Officer Blog!

Your National TSA Officers, elected at the past national TSA conference in Dallas, TX, are thrilled to serve you this year:
Pratyusha Gupta - President
Austin Vest - Vice President
Ashlee Shryock - Secretary
Chip Bollendonk - Treasurer
Marie Sabillo - Reporter
Jason Dreyzehner - Sergeant-at-Arms

Right now you're reading our National TSA Officer Blog - here you can expect news, information and previews of upcoming events. This supplements The School Scene, which is our association’s online newsletter (released in the fall, winter, and spring). The articles in The School Scene will range in topics and provide more in-depth information about the happenings of TSA, all in one place! And of course the website, tsaweb.org, is always an excellent place for getting information.

On behalf of all of the National TSA Officers, welcome to the first TSA blog and another excellent year of the Technology Student Association!