Future Tech Ideas

Gherkin building goes green!
Under pressure from other more sustainable buildings popping up around the world, such as the recently featured Bahrain World trade Center, London’s Gherkin Tower, designed by Norman Foster, has recently begun testing an innovative vegetated facade panel which promises to change the face of building design forever. This new “Green wall” product, known as the Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury panel, promises to bring the benefits of green roofs to any exterior surface of skyscraper.

Indoor City: 50 Story Tent to Cover Kazakhstan’s Capital
Kazakhstan’s capital city, Astana, will be coevered in a ‘giant transparent tent’. Essentially, this will make Astana the world’s first indoor city. The tent, designed by UK architect Norman Foster, will be nearly 500 feet high (50 stories). It is scheduled for completion in just over a year. The goal is for the tent to recreate summer and keep the city warm during the -30 degree winter months. It sure helps to have oil-fueled wealth.

The age of the great battlestars
The United States Air Force Academy’s Class of 2013 began Basic Cadet Training this summer. Why is this significant to the readers of The Space Review? Because according to George Friedman in his book The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century, in 2045, one of them may well be a major general of US space forces—and will be killed in orbit. Friedman’s description of the war between the Alliance (USA, Poland, UK) and the Coalition (Japan and Turkey) in the 2040s lies in the middle of his forecast and to a casual reader has no shortage of seemingly fanciful details.

The Green Side of the Moon
Astronauts will probably miss out on the luxurious quarters and gourmet meals planned for space tourists, but moon living may be cushier than expected. Luna Gaia, a habitat designed by an international team of scientists, engineers and graduate students, provides up to a dozen astronauts with fresh vegetables, fish, spacious rooms and clean drinking water.

Metromorph Futuristic Concept Car with Balcony Mode Option
One of the most interesting and functional future car designs comes from designer Roman Mistiuk. METROMORPH is a concept car that addresses two of our modern day ills; the traffic congestion in the big city and the lack of parking space availability to residents of apartment buildings in a big metropolitan area.