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Sustainable city & mobility: real alternatives for city dwellers?

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Among the main axes of urban strategies in terms of defending the environment but also developing the attractiveness of the territory, we include that of mobility. Nationally in 2019, transport was already the leading sector emitting the most greenhouse gases (GHG) with around 31% of the national inventory. There is no doubt that to achieve the quality of a sustainable city or smart city , it is essential to develop the mobility offer towards a greener version. But how to do it ? What very concrete solutions are available to city dwellers wishing to reassess their behavior on the road? Alternative or green mobility, what are we talking about? First of all, a few reminders. The essence of alternative mobility is to change our use of polluting vehicles towards modes of transport that are less polluting, and therefore necessarily more “green”. By adopting more eco-responsible behavior, we effectively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible and we mitigate – on our scale –
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PowerDIS, is it the future of energy modeling?

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 Understanding the energy needs of a building, a neighborhood, a city, this would really allow the city to become intelligent, overcoming some of its energy waste problems. Consuming less, consuming better, is a matter of individual awareness in the service of the collective, but it is also the objective set by brand new intelligent modeling tools. In France, PowerDIS is one of the assets of communities in defining their territorial energy strategy. Let’s understand what it’s all about! What is PowerDIS? Positioning itself as a reference software in urban energy simulation, PowerDIS was launched in early 2022 by its creators, Efficacity and the CSTB. This tool undoubtedly drives a completely new approach to energy optimization, since it makes it possible to identify precise scenarios for the energy efficiency of buildings based on key information collected during the pre-project phase. More concretely, the software couples the simulations of energy needs with the actual consumption rec
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Modern architecture: What are the sustainable materials of the moment?

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credit / freepik 21st century architecture must be “sustainable”, that is, respond to present needs and provide modern solutions for all, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. All while achieving an ecological balance. A real challenge? A very complex equation which involves both a more restrictive legislative environment , significant developments on the part of suppliers, and a total commitment from everyone. Architects must find solutions to make buildings sustainable, whatever their size or function (residential buildings, commerce, warehouses, factories, etc.). In particular, it is the materials used that can provide architects with the determining ingredient. Economically, socially and ecologically viable materials already exist in the smart city . Here are some of them. The return of natural materials Since the city of tomorrow will have to integrate nature to be truly sustainable, why not do it using construction materials. Sustainable
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Trends and innovations in biomedical 3D printing

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Credit/ freepik We are in the midst of a 3D printing revolution. Once reserved for large research universities and multinational companies, 3D printing technology has become widely available, with 2.2 million 3D printers being marketed in 2021. This number is expected to increase to 21.5 million by 2030; this rapid prototyping technology will then become accessible to everyone. All major sectors of activity, from aerospace to construction , use 3D printing technology which allows rapid and economical manufacturing. Of all the sectors that have embraced the power of 3D printing, biomedical engineering offers the greatest potential for its applications. In this article, we will examine the rise of 3D printing in the healthcare and medical sector. How it all started: the history of 3D printing When Japanese inventor Hideo Kodama filed the first patent for a "  rapid prototyping device  " in 1981, the concept seemed doomed from the start, as Dr. Kodama quickly abandoned funding f
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New research sheds light on forgotten 11th-century Muslim scientist who fundamentally transformed the history of physics

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Credit: Public domain Researchers from the U niversity of Sharjah and the Warburg Institute are diligently studying the works of an 11th-century Arab-Muslim mathematician to show their influence on the evolution of optical sciences and how they fundamentally transformed the history of physics from the Middle Ages to modern times in Europe. Their research focuses on the legacy of al-Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham known in Latin as "Alhazen" and in particular on his most influential work entitled Book of Optics renowned in Arabic as Kitab al-Manazir and broadcast for the first time in Europe via its Latin translation called ' Perspective '. Ibn al-Haytham was born in the southern Iraqi city of Basra in 965, during the Abbasid Caliphate. Divisions IV to V of this authoritative work have recently been translated from Arabic into English and published by the Warburg Institute under the title "The Optics of Ibn al-Haytham, Books IV to V: On Reflection and images seen by reflecti
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Battery recycling is progressing rapidly to further reduce the ecological footprint of electric vehicles

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Credit: Freepik Today we are going to take stock of Li-ion battery recycling. This is a very important aspect to reduce the ecological footprint of electric vehicles (EVs) as much as possible. To begin with, the lifespan of an EV is around 12 years on average. It can be more or less, depending on their use. We will look at the anticipated recycling capacity in 2025 and 2030, for light vehicles, in order to establish ideas. The number of battery packs to be recycled for these years will be approximately the number of EVs sold 12 years earlier, in 2013 and 2018. This information is given to us by EV-Volumes on a global scale. According to this site, worldwide sales were  2013 worldwide = 206,000 EVs  2018 worldwide = 2,082,000 EVs Still according to EV-Volumes, sales of light EVs in China were 1,161,000 units in 2018. This is more than half of global sales. Therefore, the combined recycling capacities of Europe and North America are expected to be a first approximation of 100,000 EVs in
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The birth of the concept of brain-computer interface

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Freepik / creativeart Brain-computer interface, or BCI, is a term that has been widely popularized in recent years. You might remember the first time you heard about this futuristic technology and you might be wondering how it could change our lives. This section will tell you how the concept of brain-computer interface was developed and where we are today. The idea of ​​an interface between the brain and the computer is not new. Indeed, research on brain-machine communication dates back several decades. However, it is only recently that this technology has started to make its way into the mainstream. It is thanks in particular to companies like NeuraLink, founded by Elon Musk, that this technology has become a common topic of discussion. In parallel: How to choose the best Pokémon binder for your collection? Elon Musk has highlighted the possibility of a direct interface between our brain and a computer system, allowing our thoughts to directly control machines. The potential of this
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