The Chicago of the beginning of the last century was a noxious, polluted metropolis described by the poet Carl Sandburg as the “hog butcher for the world.” At the beginning of the new century, however, a group of scientists have undertaken an effort to transform the city’s industrial past into an environmentally sustainable future.
Purpose—the desire and effort that individuals put forth to accomplish goals, contribute to society and maintain a meaningful existence—has long been considered a powerful and productive human force. Nevertheless, purpose itself remains an opaque concept, and the scientific study of this force has long been insufficient.
Not far from the University of Chicago’s historic campus, a new community is arising on the site of what was once America’s largest steel mill. Called Lakeside, the development will mix residential, commercial and retail space in a “model community for a green, 21st century lifestyle.”
From the particle accelerator at CERN to trending topics on Twitter, scientists and other researchers can now collect huge amounts of data at an unprecedented rate. However, as these collections grow, the costs and realities of managing this data throughout its lifecycle has become a great challenge.