Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts

2013-10-11

Genetic Diversity of New York City Cockroaches

National Cockroach Project

What

High school students and other citizen scientists collecting and helping analyze American cockroaches using DNA barcoding.

Why

Genetic diversity is a window into evolution and patterns of migration. American cockroaches originated in Africa and hitchhiked around the world on commercial goods. This project asks:
  • Do American cockroaches differ genetically between cities?
  • Do US genetic types match those in other parts of the world?
  • Are there genetic types that represent undiscovered look-alike species?


National Cockroach Project Needs Your Help To Study The Genetic Diversity Of These Insects



Led by Mark Stoeckle, Daniel Kronauer and Christoph von Beeren with the aid of Hunter College High School student Joyce Xia, the National Cockroach Project has already learned a lot about the genetic diversity of New York City cockroaches, the Wall Street Journal reports. Cockroaches in the city do not have a lot of genetic diversity, according to the researchers, with 90 percent of cockroaches from Staten Island coming from the same gene pool, and with 80 percent reported for cockroaches from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, WSJ notes.


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2012-04-08

Nissan NV200 New York's "Taxi of Tomorrow"

Nissan's Taxi of Tomorrow debuts in NYC | Fox News

New York’s iconic yellow cabs are about to get a dramatic makeover.

With Ford’s venerable Crown Victoria now officially out of production, Nissan is stepping up to fill the big sedan’s equally big shoes with its NV200 van.

That’s right. New York’s current fleet of roughly 13,200 yellow cabs, which ferry upwards of 600,000 people per day, will be phased out over the coming years and replaced with a fleet of NV200s.




Nissan CEO, New York Mayor Unveil Taxi of Tomorrow - 2012 NYIAS - Nissan Online Newsroom

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveiled on Tuesday the Taxi of Tomorrow, the next generation transport vehicle for the Big Apple.
In an interview with the Global Media Center, Ghosn said the taxi will be a showcase for the Nissan brand, and that he expects versions of the light commercial vehicle on the streets of other international cities.



Designed from the inside out, using input from New York taxi drivers, medallion holders, fleets and passengers, standard interior features and passenger amenities include:
  • Ample room for four passengers and their luggage, offering substantial improvements over current taxi models
  • Sliding doors with entry step and grab handles, providing easy entry and exit
  • Transparent roof panel, presenting unique views of the city
  • Opening side windows
  • Independently controlled rear air conditioning
  • Active Carbon Lined headliner to help neutralize interior odors
  • Overhead reading lights for passengers and floor lighting to help locate belongings
  • A mobile charging station for passengers, including a 12-volt electrical outlet and two USB ports
  • Breathable, antimicrobial, environment-friendly, durable and easy-to-clean seat fabric, simulating the look and feel of leather
  • Flat "no hump" passenger floor area for more comfortable ride
Other notable vehicle features are:
  • Proven 2.0L 4-cylinder powertrain, engineered to enhance the emission performance and fuel efficiency of the taxi fleet
  • 150,000 mile powertrain warranty
  • A low-annoyance horn with exterior lights that indicate when the vehicle is honking, so the horn is used less frequently. A 6-way adjustable driver's seat featuring both recline and lumbar adjustments, even with a partition installed
  • Unique driver's seat material and stitching to promote improved airflow
  • USB Auxiliary audio input and charge port for driver
  • Standard navigation system with integrated rearview backup monitor
  • Hearing Loop System for the hearing impaired
  • Driver and passenger intercom system
  • Pre-wiring for taxi T-PEP system
In addition, important safety features of the Taxi of Tomorrow include:
  • Only taxi ever to be safety tested and certified with full taxi partition
  • Front and rear-seat occupant curtain airbags, and seat-mounted airbags for the front row
  • Standard traction control and Vehicle Dynamic Control
  • Sliding doors to lessen risk of pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists getting struck by doors opening unexpectedly
  • Lights that alert other road users that taxi doors are opening


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2008-01-26

Solar Panels on the Roof in New York City


Solar City

New York Times' columnist Jim Dwayer, about the first private coop to use arrays of solar panels on the roof of apartment buildings.

(Solar) Power to the People Is Not So Easily Achieved - New York Times

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2007-12-14

Robotic Parking Garage


New York City’s first automated parking garage

[...] The driver will pull the car onto a computer- controlled pallet, turn it off, and get out. The pallet is then lowered into the abyss of parking spaces, much like a freight elevator for cars, except it can also move sideways, not just up and down. There's an array of laser sensors that let the system know if the car doesn't fit on the pallet (although it's big enough to fit a mid-sized SUV), and also detects movement to make sure the driver and any passengers have left the car before the pallet begins to move. [...]

Cocktail Party Physics: where to park it

related: Parking as a Destination - New York Times
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