Great Strides
Japan is turning footsteps into clean electricity using piezoelectric technology.
The technology is embedded in floor tiles in high-traffic areas—such as a Tokyo railway station with over 3.8 million passengers daily—where each footstep depresses the material slightly, generating a small electrical current. The electricity is used to power LED displays and ticketing systems.
Worth Repeating
“The shadows sway and seem to say, ‘Tonight we pray for water—cool water.’ ”
—Dale Evans and Roy Rogers, from the country classic Cool Water
A College Is Created
Prairie View A&M University became the first state-supported college in Texas for African Americans 150 years ago this month.
The Legislature established the school August 14, 1876, and less than two years later, the college opened its doors in Prairie View, 50 miles northwest of Houston. The school’s name changed several times over the years before becoming Prairie View A&M in 1973.
HQ for 4-H
Texas 4-H had not had a headquarters since it was founded in 1908. That changed this spring with a facility at Texas A&M-RELLIS in Bryan.
The HQ features classrooms and conference rooms, office space, and a dedicated recording studio to advance youth education, leadership development and innovation.
Texas 4-H programs reach more than a half-million youths in all 254 counties.
