When I was expecting my first child, I bought a high-end Dutalier glider and ottoman. It was one of my favorite pieces of furniture - just as comfortable for sitting and reading a book as for rocking a baby.  But that baby is now in college (and his younger brother is in high school) and the original cushions have seen better days. We moved in 2014 and thought of selling or donating the glider, but we didn't want to part with it. So we installed it in the living room of the new house. A few months ago I finally decided to reupholster the cushions. They were really worn out - torn, faded, and just not fit for public viewing. And the living room is one of the first places people see when the come into my home.

Floral foam was a great idea when it was invented in 1954. It keeps cut flower arrangements moist for days while providing structural support to allow designers to create impressive displays. But 1954 was a long time ago. Today's senior citizens were children. Mr. McGuire had yet to tell Benjamin that the future was in "plastics." We as a society were blissfully ignorant of the health hazards inherent in the many novel materials that American ingenuity had brought into our daily lives.

How can we as a society teach our children to take responsibility for their own actions when huge corporations refuse to take responsibility for theirs, even in the face of threats to human health? I recently read a New York Times article called "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare." The author tells the story better than I can, so I encourage my readers to follow the link. But here are some takeaways:

 was relieved to read that Alaskan fish has tested negative for radioactive isotopes iodine-131, cesium-137, and cesium-134. Testing in 2014, and now this year, confirms no measurable levels of these isotopes. In case anyone has forgotten why scientists are testing fish for radioactivity, it's related to the Fukushima nuclear disaster following the tsunami in Japan in 2011. Personally, I wasn't worried about radiation in my Alaska king salmon, but perhaps some people were. 

High-tech Dutch fashion designer Anouk Wipprecht has created a dress that blows smoke when anyone gets close. Now, that could come in handy when walking in the wrong part of town, as well as prove interesting at a cocktail party. The dress is made from 3D printed lace made of polyamide and TPU 92A-1, a thermoplastic polyurethane that is the first flexible 3D printed material.

I'm researching smart textiles for a client, and one of the first questions is how to define smart textiles. Everything these days seems to be claiming intelligence - our phones, our cars, our watches. I found this amusing definition: "They [smart textiles] can be described as textiles that think and respond to a situation." Wow. And I suppose the category of "ultra-smart textiles" covers those with an IQ over 130. 

If you follow this blog you may remember that months ago I talked about remodeling my laundry room and getting a standing desk. In June I finally closed on both of those. I'm not sure how the standing desk movement will develop. Is it just a fad or will standing desks take over offices everywhere? 

Several years ago I was asked to write a column on printed LEDs. At the time, I couldn't find any good leads and ended up writing about a different topic. Well, perhaps now is the time. Startup Rohinni definitely has the "wow" factor going for it, with its claim to be able to print lighting and apply it to any surface. 

I had to try Zentangle for myself. So I met with a local Certified Zentangle Teacher at a nearby Starbucks.She explained to me how Zentangle is about the process, not the product, and why quality materials matter (more on that later). Then she talked me through the process of making my very first Zentangle. 

My new dentist is a very smart man. I asked him why his office had not migrated from film to digital X-rays, and I was impressed with the thoroughness of his research on the topic. He seriously considered buying digital equipment when he moved to a new office several years ago, but decided against it for several reasons.

In an effort to keep up on news related to the beats I cover, I have several Google Alerts set up. One of them is "CZT," which is shorthand for cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe). This material is similar to the semiconductor cadmium telluride (CdTe), which is used in thin film solar cells. CZT is also a semiconductor and it is useful for detecting radioactive materials. This is important for homeland security, in order to screen for overseas shipments that may contain a dirty bomb, and also in medical imaging, to monitor radiation dosage.