The Coolest.

Aside from exploration of space via telescopes and satellites, I think that the One Laptop Per Child is the coolest and most important projects being developed globally right now.

Essentially the OLPC is meant to be a super cheap computer designed for the youth of developing countries. The idea is that a government will buy these OLPC computers in bulk, and then distribute them freely to that nation's youth.

Among this computer's benefits are pedal generators, WiFi Mesh capablity, and screens that work in daylight. This means that during the middle of the day in the middle of a field a child could see what was on the screen of their computer, while powering the computer with a pedal, and communicating over a mesh network that would connect that computer to similar computers.

When paired with network based texts books and the Internet these computers can provide access to more information and offer more flexibility to schools in the third world.

Living in an Information Age where access to information is power, the OLPC can hopefully offset the digital divide that is splitting the world into two.



It may not be evident now, but I am definitely directing my career so that I can work with devices like this to help prepare the planet for peace and eventual extra-solar travel.

Thanks to Wired.com for the video.