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Wheelchairs
In Japan, researchers are working on controlling a wheelchair with the user’s brain. The user wears a cap/helmet that consists of many sensors and a Blind Signal Separation and Space-Time-Frequency filtering system that separates the user’s thoughts from his commands. All of this technology makes the electric wheelchair go.
Samuel R. Delany
Delany is a successful sci-fi author and literary critic. He has taught at the University of Buffalo and at Temple University. Over his long career, he has earned four Nebula Awards and two Hugo Awards — one for “Babel-17” in 1966 and the second for “The Einstein Intersection” in 1967. His novels focus on issues of sexuality, mythology and language. Some of his sci-fi works include: “The Bridge of Lost Desire,” “Distant Stars,” “Driftglass: Ten Tales of Speculative Fiction,” “The Einstein Intersection,” “Empire: A Visual Novel,” “Empire Star,” “Equinox,” “The Fall of the Towers,” “Flight from Neveryon (Return to Neveryon),” “Hogg,” “The Jewels of Aptor,” “Mad Man,” “They Fly at Ciron,” “Times Square Red, Times Square Blue,” “Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia.”
Virginia Hamilton
Hamilton is a children’s author who has written 40-plus books in her career. Her most popular work is “M.C Higgins, the Great.” That book earned her the Newbery Award in 1975 and the National Book Award in 1974. Her books include: “The All Jahdu Storybook,” “The Dark Way: Stories from the Spirit World,” “Dustland (Odyssey 2),” “Justice and Her Brothers (Odyssey 1),” “The Gathering (Odyssey 3),” “The House of Dies Drear,” “The Mystery of Drear House: The Conclusion of the Dies Drear Chronicle,” “Sweet Whispers,” “Brother Rush.”
The Strange Loop
The Strange Loop conference will meet in St. Louis on Sept. 24-26. The goal is to make connections with the creators and users of the coding languages, libraries, tools and techniques at the forefront of the Web industry. The prices for the conference start at $150 to $600 depending on the type of service you want.
America Chavez (Marvel)
Chavez goes by the codename Miss America and serves as the leader of the Young Avengers. Her strange and mysterious past as an inter-dimensional powerhouse would be a sight to see on film. America Chavez was raised by her mothers in the Utopian Parallel, where they sacrificed themselves to protect her. Her powers include: flight, super strength and the ability to kick inter-dimensional portals open.
Batwing (Lucas Fox) (DC)
The second Batwing is the son of Lucius Fox, weapons builder for Bruce Wayne. This Batwing is reminiscent of Batman Beyond, where Batman serves as a mentor to the hero, and a suit with enhanced features gives the wearer abilities. Lucas Fox has had many confrontations with his father about becoming a hero, and the drama could play well on the big screen.
Phil LaMarr
LaMarr has become one of the foremost talents in the voice-acting industry. He has voiced Static Shock (2000-04), Samurai Jack (2001-04), Green Lantern John Stewart from Justice League the animated series (2001-06), Hermes Conrad in Futurama (1999-2013) and many others.
James Avery
Many know the late actor for his role as Uncle Phil in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96). However, Avery, before that, provided the voice of The Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1980s). He also voiced War Machine in the animated series Spider-Man and Iron-Man in the 1990s.
Michael Jordan
Net Worth: $1 billion
Jordan’s wealth comes from being the majority shareholder of the Charlotte Bobcats and from deals with Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck. Most of his wealth comes from his deal with the Jordan Brand with Nike.
Femi Otedola
Net Worth: $1 billion
Otedola is a native of Nigeria and the controlling shareholder of Forte Oil, one of West Africa’s largest oil companies. The Forte Oil company owns gas stations and fuel storage depots. It also manufactures and sells its own line of engine oils.
Abdulsamad Rabiu
Net Worth: $1 billion
Rabiu is also a native Nigerian, and he is the founder of the BUA Group. This company focuses on sugar refining, cement production, real estate, steel, port concessions, manufacturing, oil, gas and shipping.
User Experiences
For any tech business to prosper, its products and services have to appeal to millennials. By 2017, the millennial generation will be the largest online audience and will have more buying power than any other generation that has come before it, including the baby boomers. Straightforward user experiences will dictate the success of websites, e-commerce stores and mobile app developers.
Ronald E. Blaylock
Blaylock is the founder and managing partner of GenNx360. The company has $600 million in capital under management and $1 billion in the company’s portfolio. Before starting GenNx360, Blaylock was CEO of Blaylock & Co., an investment banking firm he founded in 1993.
Cedric L. Bobo
Bobo is the principal of the Carlyle Group. He focuses on U.S. buyouts in industrial and transportation sectors. During his time as principal, he helped acquire a $43 billion private equity firm, AlpInvest Partners. In 2010, Bobo was a co-leader in the formation of a joint venture that acquired more than $5 billion in shipping assets, using up to $900 million in equity.
Embrace Your Differences
The reality is that most academic fields have been dominated by white males for decades. In just the past 50 years, scientific fields have slowly increased the number of women and minorities in the labs. This is very good for science and society. People of different backgrounds can have solutions and ideas that others may not have heard of yet. Being different is a positive, and everyone should always be willing to understand that.
National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers
This organization was created in 1972 to build a community of minority scientists and engineers. It serves as a catalyst to diversify a majority white field. The organization currently has 39 professional and university chapters.
National Organization of Blacks in Government
Members of this organization are civil servants at the federal, state, county and municipal levels. Blacks in Government was founded in 1975. It currently has more than 50 chapters, including the Departments of State and Homeland Security, the Coast Guard and the National Institutes of Health.