Jeff Lyu's blog

It's the holiday season, and recession or not, it is still the season of giving. Of all the presents out there, one will be useful every single day for the rest of someone's life. For only $25, you could provide someone with access to safe, sanitary drinking water, the most basic necessity for life.

This may be old news, but since 2005 an email presentation of eight countries' flags has been circulating. Titled "The Power of Stars," it was allegedly developed by a Norwegian diplomat who was then nominated for a Nobel Prize. This back story, used in the chain email, is completely false.

For those who don't even have time for speed dating, there is no need to worry any longer. Le Trung has created a companion robot named Aiko that can carry conversations, learn, do complex math, clean, and react to touch, among other things. She/it also looks like a real person. Trung created Aiko by himself with two years and £14,000. He worked so hard that at one point he had a heart attack. With that much time, money, and heartache, Trung probably could have just tried the real dating scene.

Number six of GSI's Seven Revolutions is conflict. From pirates to terrorists, there is a growing realization that it is oftentimes not extremist ideology that drives individuals to perform violent acts. Rather, it is the lack of other options.

Consider the following:

1. The past decade has seen stagnating wages for the middle and working classes while executive compensation has blossomed.
2. Just yesterday, the Big Three's CEOs announced that they would cut their salaries to $1 if Congress approved a bailout for Detroit.
3. Those CEOs also proposed a move toward more fuel-efficient vehicles and a retooling of their companies.

Although millions participated in Black Friday sales across the United States, and millions more are undoubtedly participating in Cyber Monday today, holiday sales figures are not looking good.

The Times Online reported today on "throwbots," small all-terrain robots that the U.S. Army could soon use to spy on Al-Qaeda. Originally developed to clear minefields, these rugged machines can literally be thrown into buildings and down caves for reconnaissance purposes before soldiers enter. The mobile robot is called the Dragon Runner and is being produced by a British company. I seem to remember this robot from when I was a kid.

The International Energy Agency's 2008 World Energy Outlook (read the executive summary here) has mapped out the course of the world’s energy supply and demand until the year 2030. In his appearance at CSIS today, Dr.

The land of glitz and glamour thinks green is the new black. Several Hollywood studios have made the move to more environmentally friendly practices, and there is growing dialogue between writers concerning ways to effectively address environmental concerns through their work.

According to The Washington Times, the National Intelligence Council (NIC) will be releasing a report today titled "Global Trends 2025 - A Transformed World." As opposed to previous reports, this one will assume a multipolar world, where the U.S. is no longer the dominant power.