On Feynman and Fire: Part II

Can you hear me now? This is the second article on the topic of the Marshall fire inspired by Richard Feynman’s statement (after the Challenger disaster): “For a successful technology reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.” Communication is the heart and soul of any successful disaster response—especially fire. Disaster […]

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On Feynman and Fire: Part 1

The Marshall Fire “For a successful technology reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.” The early after-action reporting following the catastrophic 2021 Marshall Fire forcibly brought to mind this quote from Richard Feynman’s testimony after the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster. With all the 21st century technology supposedly available to […]

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Sometimes They Just Need a Hug

When you have been impacted by a disaster of any kind you are frightened, scared, often very angry and the last thing you need is to fill out forms and answer numerous questions from strangers clamoring to HELP you. So why is it that the majority of our disaster assistance and recovery programs at all […]

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Occam’s Building Razor

Occam’s razor states that one should not increase (beyond reason) the number of entities required to explain anything. All things being equal, the simplest solution is often the best one. The principle is attributed to 14th-century English theologian William of Ockham and frequently applied in philosophy and science to eliminate the unlikely and narrow the […]

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eXergy through Intelligent Buildings

Context: eXergy In thermodynamics, exergy is defined as the maximum useful work that can be extracted from a system as it reversibly comes into equilibrium with its environment. Contemplating the built environment, one could define a term “eXergy” as the maximum comfort that can be extracted from an intelligent building as it reaches the optimal […]

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Building Risk

Nearly every building used by humans was made possible by the risk industry. At the pinnacle of the risk industry sits the reinsurance industry, the companies that insure and cover the risks of every insurance company in the world. Every company that works in Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) and builds structures needs Errors and Omissions and General Liability (EO/GL) and other specialized insurance policies to operate. So when the major reinsurers post warnings about performance problems, it would behoove the industry to pay attention.

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Common Sensors CrossTalk and Water Quality

Common Sensors CrossTalk Inside MetaHome, we use many sensors, and with many new communications networks emerging (LTE, 5G, etc.) as potential connectivity routes, that number expands exponentially. Sensor data in IoT is a wonderful thing, but what happens when that data, intended to feed a zone quality target, becomes corrupted? Sensor functionality cannot always be […]

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Project MetaHome

Smart cities of the future will require very different homes and architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) technology from that being used by builders today. How will our current stock meet that need? To find out, we are taking a 1450 sq ft condominium unit in Boulder, Colorado, and are transforming it into a smart MetaHome. […]

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Project MetaHome Opportunities for Collaboration

SponsorshipProduct TestingApproved Supplier Project MetaHome™ offers several opportunities for collaboration: sponsorship, product testing, approved supplier, or … you propose it! What is Project MetaHome? Project MetaHome™1 seeks to harness the most modern technology to create a home that is a joy to live in, is resilient to natural hazards, and uses 95% less energy than a […]

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