Post by: Manedwolf on May 11, 2008, 06:02:07 AM
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For Darmouth students: Unplug -- or the bear drowns!
By SHAWNE K. WICKHAM
New Hampshire Sunday News Staff
8 hours, 11 minutes ago
HANOVER It's mid-morning on a Wednesday, and there's a polar bear sleeping happily in a Dartmouth College dormitory.
But as more students start their day -- along with their hair dryers, computers and music players -- that begins to change. As the power draw escalates, the "ice" around the bear cracks and he ends up floundering pitifully in the water.
The animated creature displayed on a hallway monitor is part of a pilot project to measure the real-time energy usage on four floors of Dartmouth's newest dormitory cluster.
The idea, according to its creator, Lorie Loeb, a research associate professor of computer science, is to show students how their behavior affects energy consumption.
The polar bear has become a symbol of the effects of climate change, Loeb said. "So making that connection for students, it may be sad, but it's a reality."
John Spradling, a freshman from Houston, Texas, said he checks the polar bear's status frequently. "It's sort of depressing," he said. "He's usually drowning."
Loeb likens the effect to how drivers respond to those speed monitors police departments set up on the roadside: "You instantly adjust your speed."
She's hoping the students will do the same with energy use, particularly the so-called "vampire" draw from devices such as chargers for cell phones, music players and laptop computers. "Those little bits can add up to a big energy savings," she said.
The first night the monitor was up in her dorm, freshman Jocelyn Duford of Manchester said, "All these girls were around it, yelling at people to turn off their lights."
These images of an animated polar bear are displayed on a hallway monitor in a Dartmouth dorm. When student energy usage spikes, the ice cracks, and if it stays high, the bear drowns.
"I think the fact it's a cute little polar bear helps, because you don't want to see it drown."
When Loeb told Duford her cell-phone charger consumes power in its standby mode, Duford rushed to her room to unplug it before heading to class.
Loeb said the eventual goal is to compute what would happen if the entire campus applied the same energy-saving behaviors.
And she'd love to see the idea translated into something that folks could have in their homes. "I can just picture it: 'Mommy, we can't leave the house; the polar bear's not happy.'"
By SHAWNE K. WICKHAM
New Hampshire Sunday News Staff
8 hours, 11 minutes ago
HANOVER It's mid-morning on a Wednesday, and there's a polar bear sleeping happily in a Dartmouth College dormitory.
But as more students start their day -- along with their hair dryers, computers and music players -- that begins to change. As the power draw escalates, the "ice" around the bear cracks and he ends up floundering pitifully in the water.
The animated creature displayed on a hallway monitor is part of a pilot project to measure the real-time energy usage on four floors of Dartmouth's newest dormitory cluster.
The idea, according to its creator, Lorie Loeb, a research associate professor of computer science, is to show students how their behavior affects energy consumption.
The polar bear has become a symbol of the effects of climate change, Loeb said. "So making that connection for students, it may be sad, but it's a reality."
John Spradling, a freshman from Houston, Texas, said he checks the polar bear's status frequently. "It's sort of depressing," he said. "He's usually drowning."
Loeb likens the effect to how drivers respond to those speed monitors police departments set up on the roadside: "You instantly adjust your speed."
She's hoping the students will do the same with energy use, particularly the so-called "vampire" draw from devices such as chargers for cell phones, music players and laptop computers. "Those little bits can add up to a big energy savings," she said.
The first night the monitor was up in her dorm, freshman Jocelyn Duford of Manchester said, "All these girls were around it, yelling at people to turn off their lights."
These images of an animated polar bear are displayed on a hallway monitor in a Dartmouth dorm. When student energy usage spikes, the ice cracks, and if it stays high, the bear drowns.
"I think the fact it's a cute little polar bear helps, because you don't want to see it drown."
When Loeb told Duford her cell-phone charger consumes power in its standby mode, Duford rushed to her room to unplug it before heading to class.
Loeb said the eventual goal is to compute what would happen if the entire campus applied the same energy-saving behaviors.
And she'd love to see the idea translated into something that folks could have in their homes. "I can just picture it: 'Mommy, we can't leave the house; the polar bear's not happy.'"
Also, yes. Unplug your chargers for Li-Ion batteries that were keeping the batteries topped off, let the batteries run down fully before charging them, which will make you have to replace the battery much, much quicker and put another battery in a landfill. That's brilliant environmental thinking, there!
And finally? IT IS A FREAKING MONITOR, which is using power! Does no one see the hypocrisy?
Post by: LadySmith on May 11, 2008, 06:26:07 AM
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John Spradling, a freshman from Houston, Texas, said he checks the polar bear's status frequently. "It's sort of depressing," he said. "He's usually drowning."
Sounds like it's enough to drive an unbalanced kid to do something drastic. Potential for future lawsuits claiming the little polar bear made 'em do it.Quote
The first night the monitor was up in her dorm, freshman Jocelyn Duford of Manchester said, "All these girls were around it, yelling at people to turn off their lights."
Yet none of those college students figured out a way to turn off that one energy consuming monitor. 
Quote
Loeb said the eventual goal is to compute what would happen if the entire campus applied the same energy-saving behaviors.
Behavior modification through animation. And to think, they used to worry about kids watching Wiley Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons. 
Quote
And she'd love to see the idea translated into something that folks could have in their homes.
Oh he11 no.Post by: Mabs2 on May 11, 2008, 06:32:59 AM
Instead of a guy with a bushy beard and mustache we'd have a polar bear...
Post by: The Annoyed Man on May 11, 2008, 06:58:09 AM
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The first night the monitor was up in her dorm, freshman Jocelyn Duford of Manchester said, "All these girls were around it, yelling at people to turn off their lights."
Odin, give me the strenght to pound their dumbs head into pulp...
Post by: wmenorr67 on May 11, 2008, 07:02:16 AM
Post by: Bigjake on May 11, 2008, 08:45:15 AM
I still say we burn Greenies to make energy.
Post by: Mabs2 on May 11, 2008, 08:50:30 AM
I don't like polar bears anyway.
I still say we burn Greenies to make energy.
I dunno, polar bears are kind of cool.I still say we burn Greenies to make energy.
I mean, how does a polar bear know what apples is?
Post by: John G on May 11, 2008, 06:53:33 PM
Also, if the polar bear does really well, do we get to see him joyfully devouring penguins?
Post by: Perd Hapley on May 11, 2008, 07:19:47 PM
Post by: AZRedhawk44 on May 11, 2008, 07:36:10 PM
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OK, it was created by a chick. And if they only stuck it in chicks' dorm rooms, I could understand how it might be moderately effective. What confuses me is how it would fail to have the opposite effect in guys' dorm rooms. I mean, most guys would naturally want to drown the thing as fast as possible, right?
My first, gut reaction to this story, when putting myself into a dorm situation with this thing, was to break the monitor immediately.
My next reaction was to remind myself to do it at night when no one would be watching.
Dorm rent includes all the electricity I need to run my computer/cellphone/toaster/science experiments. End of story.
Post by: taurusowner on May 11, 2008, 08:53:16 PM
Post by: LAK on May 11, 2008, 10:46:09 PM
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http://ssunitedstates.org
Post by: MicroBalrog on May 12, 2008, 01:43:35 AM
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Works like Animal Farm are not required reading anymore.
Where did you go to college?
Post by: El Tejon on May 12, 2008, 02:40:20 AM
Didn't Darmouth used to have a solid reputation as a school? Perhaps now it is merely a Leftist re-education center?
Don't worry, Lefties. Whatever kilowatts you save, I will use three.
Post by: Harold Tuttle on May 12, 2008, 05:58:20 AM
Polar Bears are north pole
as an experiment I would like to release a pair of polar bears at an emperor penguin rookery
and watch the evolution of penguin society
To the ladies of Dartmouth
I would like to up the hair dryer ante by an examination of the electric pottery kilns in the art department
I was quite proud of the conspicuous power consumption I engaged in at college
arc welders, bronze furnaces, power amplifiers and kilns emitted cabon at my whim.
heck, i'm sure i single handedly drowned an entire subspecies of bear before it was even documented by science
Post by: Manedwolf on May 12, 2008, 06:02:03 AM
In S. Florida summers, that included cranking the A/C to 65 degrees, having the TV and sound system on, cooking stuff in the microwave, and halogen lights, including the ubiquitous halogen torchere everyone had.
Didn't care then. Wouldn't care now.
Post by: Werewolf on May 12, 2008, 07:29:07 AM
Quote from: ManedWolf
Also, yes. Unplug your chargers for Li-Ion batteries that were keeping the batteries topped off, let the batteries run down fully before charging them, which will make you have to replace the battery much, much quicker
Are you sure about that? I'd like to know because LiIons are showing up more and more - there's at least 4 in my home and I was told to drain 'em completely before recharching because otherwise they'd develop a memory.
If keeping them topped off makes them last longer then great but I'd like to know for sure.
Post by: Manedwolf on May 12, 2008, 07:32:33 AM
Quote from: ManedWolf
Also, yes. Unplug your chargers for Li-Ion batteries that were keeping the batteries topped off, let the batteries run down fully before charging them, which will make you have to replace the battery much, much quicker
Are you sure about that? I'd like to know because LiIons are showing up more and more - there's at least 4 in my home and I was told to drain 'em completely before recharching because otherwise they'd develop a memory.
If keeping them topped off makes them last longer then great but I'd like to know for sure.
No. You should keep them topped off.
Battery memory was an effect with the first NiCad batteries, which you should definitely have drained fully, yes, as it otherwise established a new bottom each time. A lot of people still swear that about batteries from having learned that way back then.
But that was then. Li-Ions should be kept topped off, as draining them fully decreases their life and useful recharge cycles. They have limited charge cycles, and a partial discharge only counts as a partial discharge. They're the exact opposite of those first old rechargeables.
Post by: Firethorn on May 12, 2008, 07:37:53 AM
Are you sure about that? I'd like to know because LiIons are showing up more and more - there's at least 4 in my home and I was told to drain 'em completely before recharching because otherwise they'd develop a memory.
As Manedwolf said, the memory meme cropped up with the first NiCads. The effect might have had a bit to do with NiMH, but more likely that a NiCD/NiMH is 'happiest' not fully charged. A 100% charge places much more load than 90%. Some of the hybrids try to never break 80%.
LiIon on the other hand has no memory and is perfectly happy fully charged. They tend to degrade by the charge and life. LiIon has a relatively limited shelf life.
Post by: Werewolf on May 12, 2008, 09:11:56 AM
Quote from: Firethorn
LiIon on the other hand has no memory and is perfectly happy fully charged. They tend to degrade by the charge and life. LiIon has a relatively limited shelf life.
Quote from: ManedWolf
But that was then. Li-Ions should be kept topped off, as draining them fully decreases their life and useful recharge cycles.
Thanks guys. That's good to know and explains why the LiIon battery in my SLR seems to be lasting less and less.
It's also a bit disconcerting when one considers that the batteries in the PS3 controllers are LiIon and are not replaceable. Wonder if that fact influenced Sony in making that design decision since a new controller runs around $50.
Post by: Manedwolf on May 12, 2008, 09:22:15 AM
It's also a bit disconcerting when one considers that the batteries in the PS3 controllers are LiIon and are not replaceable. Wonder if that fact influenced Sony in making that design decision since a new controller runs around $50.
Aren't there third-party versions out yet?
Post by: Werewolf on May 12, 2008, 11:30:06 AM
It's also a bit disconcerting when one considers that the batteries in the PS3 controllers are LiIon and are not replaceable. Wonder if that fact influenced Sony in making that design decision since a new controller runs around $50.
Aren't there third-party versions out yet?
Maybe... I haven't checked on the internet yet but at Best Buy the cheapest PS3 controller was $49.95.
Post by: LAK on May 12, 2008, 10:23:08 PM
I didn't. Well, I did a year of college level school in the U.K. - then joined the military.
Post by: MicroBalrog on May 13, 2008, 05:01:48 AM
MicroBalog,
I didn't. Well, I did a year of college level school in the U.K. - then joined the military.
I didn't. Well, I did a year of college level school in the U.K. - then joined the military.
We read Orwell and Bradbury down here.
Post by: Iain on May 13, 2008, 05:53:06 AM
Post by: TF_FH on May 13, 2008, 07:53:08 AM
That'll keep them guys in line! Or at least far far away from the monitor.