High School Calculus Classes Visit k-Space

Local high-tech company k-Space hosted the Dexter High School AP calculus students for their annual Calculus is Great field trip day. Teacher Dewey Scott took his three AP Calculus classes to get a tour of k-Space and to see how the company utilizes calculus to make measurements with their products. Examples included finding the band edge position in diffuse reflectance spectra, and determining film thickness from analyzing spectral interference fringes.

Professor Roy Clarke of the University of Michigan Physics Department was on-hand to discuss solar panels and increasing their efficiency. k-Space is one of the leading suppliers of photovoltaic metrology to solar panel manufacturers and researchers all of the world. Their instruments monitor important quality factors in the production process in real time, which saves the manufacturers money and ultimately helps to lower the cost of solar panels, making them affordable to more people and companies around the world. This, of course, helps lowering green house gas emissions. A company like k-Space is a perfect example of how advanced knowledge in math and physics can make a positive difference in the world.

Stridepost is looking for digital-savvy Community Manager

Stridepost, the Ann Arbor start-up that will launch an online family planner in coming weeks, is looking for a digital-savvy Community Manager, who will work on content creation, social media marketing, event planning, customer relations and lead generation. Find out more about this job posting on the Stridepost website.

Ready to get fit in Ann Arbor?

Have you recently relocated to Ann Arbor or are you a longtime resident who is looking for a friendly, low-pressure, non-judgmental place to exercise? MOVE offers a variety of fitness classes in Ann Arbor: pilates, gyrotonic, barre and yoga. Private, duet and small group sessions offer a personalized experience that is beneficial for everyone who wants to get in shape and improve their overall health and wellness. The instructors are experienced, patient and encouraging. If you want to improve specific areas, then private, customized sessions are recommended, no matter if you have never been to a fitness studio or if you are an athlete who wants improve her performance.

Solar on the Rise in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti

Back in 2008 an average neighborhood of regular lower middle class families will only have about one house with solar power. Back then solar was considered highly expensive, and many would have simply not even dreamed about installing it at home. But with 2013, the situation changed drastically, and the prices for solar panels have dropped. This mostly happened due to increase of efficiency since PV industries switched to powerful tools that measure surface roughness and other variables in real operation time, and the material have also become less expensive. These all made it possible for blue-collar families to afford solar panels installation at their homes. It takes about six hours to hook everything up, and the solar panels will only take up approximately one third of the roof but will generate more than enough clean energy for a household.

Many electric companies have also started investing into clean energy projects in economically less fortunate neighborhoods with a lot of vacant land. In Michigan, for example, DTE Energy is planning to start a solar power plant in the city of Ypsilanty, near Ann Arbor, by next summer. Right now, the location has been found, the system is being under design, and the company is waiting for the city to approve this project. It is planned to have over twenty five hundred solar panels installed that will provide electricity to over one hundred of homes in Ypsilanty. The project is guaranteed by DTE to operate in the next twenty years.