Earth 2100 June 9, 2009March 15, 2017 MASTERS & JOHNSON – MASTERS OF FABRICATION Remember them? Masters & Johnson, the world famous sexologists? They even appeared on “Meet the Press” 30 years ago. Well, it turns out that the case studies they used to prove the possibility of “conversion therapy” (gays could be “cured”) were simply made up. All that agony you underwent to change your sexual orientation? The electro-shock therapy? Oops. “Never mind.” THE END OF HISTORY Friday I suggested you watch the two-hour ABC Special “Earth 2100” – here. It tells the story of Lucy, born in 2009, looking back at 91 to tell us how things turned out. (They turned out very, very badly.) Even better than watching may be to read it here (part 1), and here (part 2), and here (part 3). It’s quicker and you get to see footnotes that elaborate on many concepts just briefly touched on in the film – like vertical farming: The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world’s urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming. (Source: The Vertical Farm Project.) Dickson Despommier became the guru of vertical farming because his students were bummed out. . . . ☞ Don’t miss this ABC Special. 0 TO 60 IN 2 SECONDS On two wheels . . . but it’s almost as fast with four. Here. (Thanks, Stewart.)