At Home: Let There Be Light
There is art, and there is science. And then there are brilliant combinations of the two that are, quite literally, illuminating.
As the CBC reports, a new installation at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, may be ?the first cathedral windows in the world to integrate solar energy collection into their stained glass.? The cathedral plans to ?use the solar power produced by the art installation to offset its own power consumption from the regular grid.?
The windows, by Toronto artist Sarah Hall, are created from hand-painted art glass overlaid with coloured solar cells. Although currently the windows are ?being connected to Saskatoon Light & Power’s electrical distribution network,? cathedral facilities manager Jim Nakoneshny told reporters that the windows are ?first and foremost . . . an art glass installation.?
The installation, called Lux Gloria, strives for both beauty and functionality. As Hall told reporters, ?When you use art, you build a story into it that makes people notice in a way that they don’t if It’s just technology.?
Building-integrated photovoltaic systems?in which ?solar panels are embedded directly into walls, windows or other parts of a building’s main structure??are a growing trend in green energy research and development.
Around the World: Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Burglars have done some pretty funny things, like watching TV and helping themselves to the contents of the fridge. But one Indonesian burglar really made himself at home, deciding to take care of one of the residents whose dwelling he was robbing.
As the Jakarta Globe reports, five robbers, armed with ?guns, sharp weapons, a crowbar and duct tape,? a police spokesperson told reporters, entered a home around three in the morning. The men bound and gagged one of the maids, doing the same with the house owner, Fance Lewa, when she began screaming.
Then Lewa’s baby began screaming as well, and the burglars began to ?panic.?
One, who told reporters that he ?has a kid,? fed the crying child formula and rocked and cradled him back to sleep. After putting the baby in bed, the fatherly burglar continued to ?rob the house, stealing a laptop, several smartphones, some cash, jewelry and other items worth a total of Rp 50 million ($4,900).?
Several of the perpetrators, including the burglar who took care of the baby, were arrested a month later. They face eight to ten years in jail for the alleged crime.
