24 Dec, 2009
An inherent part of our culture
For Bicyclists Needing a Boost, This Wheel May Help
The Senseable City Laboratory at M.I.T. has designed a wheel that captures the kinetic energy released when a rider brakes and saves it for when the rider needs a boost. While technically sound, the wheel’s true challenge may be in winning over cyclists. For centuries, bikes have been beloved for their simplicity, not their bells and whistles.
But, said Carlo Ratti, the laboratory’s director, “biking can become even more effective than what it was.” What the lab is working on, he said, is “Biking 2.0.”
The new wheel uses a kinetic energy recovery system, the same technology used by hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, to harvest otherwise wasted energy when a cyclist brakes or speeds down a hill. With that energy, it charges up a battery inside the wheel’s hub.
The sleek red hub, called the Copenhagen Wheel can be retrofitted to any bike’s rear wheel, and it includes sensors that track air quality, a meter that logs miles and a GPS unit to track routes. All that data can be sent via Bluetooth to a rider’s smartphone and shared with others.
The laboratory is trying to eliminate the clunkiness of other electric bikes with heavy batteries and unwieldy wires by placing all the technology into the wheel, said Christine Outram, the project’s lead researcher.
“It’s a technology that can get more people on bikes,” she said.
This is a period of change in the bicycle design world, said Jens Martin Skibsted, a Danish designer who owns the biking company Biomega and the design firm Kibisi. In such periods of change, he said, “the winner will seldom be the one that’s most functional, but rather the one that can become an inherent part of our culture.”
“This wheel looks nice,” he continued. “Whether it will be long lasting, I cannot say.”
Story and photo courtesy of — The New York Times.
Luke 2:16-18 (NIV)
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
There is no doubt that Christmas Eve dinners, family gatherings, and gift exchanges have become an "inherent part of our culture". Much like Diwali in India, Ramadan in Iraq, and the Day of the Dead in Mexico, Christmas Eve has such overwhelming cultural acceptance in the U.S. that even people who aren't waiting expectantly for the birth of Christ on Christmas day gather to celebrate the holiday in some way.
Simply put, Christmas Eve celebrations are an inherent part of our culture.
The question is, what gives Christmas Eve such cultural appeal, and what will it take to give the Copenhagen Wheel the same acceptance within the world of cyclists?
I think the answer is the same for both; people sharing with others how much each means to them and how their lives have been changed as a result.
Just like the shepherds who "spread the word" about the miraculous birth of Jesus, only when people share their stories does anything gain broad cultural acceptance — that goes for everything from a fancy bike wheel to a holiday tradition. Only when a cyclist tells her friend how much the Copenhagen Wheel has changed the way she rides, or a Christian tells his friend about the real Christmas story, will anyone be compelled to give their time and attention to them.
So this Christmas Eve, when you're sitting around the table with friends and family, share with them why the birth of Christ is an important day for you!
- Take some time today to sit in silence. As we "wait" for Jesus to be born tomorrow, wait for God to speak to you today.
- How does your life reflect that Christ is "born in you"? Does your life infiltrate our culture with the story of Jesus?
- Ask a friend about their favorite Christmas Eve traditions.
- Ask a friend to share with you what has changed their life. Share what has changed yours.
- May 2012 [14]
- April 2012 [19]
- March 2012 [21]
- February 2012 [19]
- January 2012 [18]
- December 2011 [20]
- November 2011 [15]
- October 2011 [15]
- September 2011 [14]
- August 2011 [22]
- July 2011 [19]
- June 2011 [21]
- May 2011 [20]
- April 2011 [20]
- March 2011 [21]
- February 2011 [20]
- January 2011 [21]
- December 2010 [21]
- November 2010 [21]
- October 2010 [21]
- September 2010 [22]
- August 2010 [21]
- July 2010 [22]
- June 2010 [20]
- May 2010 [18]
- April 2010 [20]
- March 2010 [23]
- February 2010 [19]
- January 2010 [22]
- December 2009 [22]
- November 2009 [21]
- October 2009 [22]
- September 2009 [21]
- August 2009 [20]
- July 2009 [21]
- June 2009 [22]
- May 2009 [18]
- April 2009 [15]
- March 2009 [7]
- February 2009 [17]
- January 2009 [20]
- December 2008 [23]
- November 2008 [19]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
- July 2008 [22]
- June 2008 [11]
- May 2008 [19]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [18]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [18]
- November 2007 [15]
- October 2007 [19]
- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [9]
- May 2007 [11]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [11]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [4]
- November 2006 [13]
- October 2006 [17]
- September 2006 [11]
- August 2006 [16]
- July 2006 [10]
- June 2006 [3]
