✈ Huge new tech center, self-landing jets and, surely, more – November 5, 2019
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. – Albert Einstein (a man who likely never heard the phrase, "stop calling me Shirley")
Today’s itinerary:
HIGH FLYING TECH INNOVATION
UM to build $300M tech center in downtown Detroit 
Artist Rendering: Courtesy of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
The University of Michigan just announced the development of a $300 million academic center in downtown Detroit to serve both undergraduate and graduate U-M students interested in studying artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, fintech, entrepreneurship, mobility and sustainability. Designed to attract new business development and serve as a “new talent pipeline” for existing area companies, the new facility will anchor the 14-acre Detroit Center for Innovation and eventually accommodate 1,000 students pursuing tech-based degrees at U-M.
The project is the latest chapter in a long-standing and successful partnership between U-M, the city of Detroit, Wayne County and the state of Michigan. Development firm Related Companies and Bedrock, a full-service real estate firm, only strengthen that regional bond.
U-M President Mark Schlissel stated, “The Detroit Center for Innovation is just the latest part of a thriving ecosystem of U-M engagement with the city of Detroit and its people. Our work involves collaborations that support many of our state’s and communities’ needs, and the foundations for many of these collaborations began years, or even decades, ago through connections with local leaders, public school teachers, businesses and community advocates.”
Construction on the 190,000 square-foot facility will begin in 2021. 
Garmin product can land a plane by itself 
"Otto" Pilot from Airplane Alamy Stock Photo
Speaking of tech innovation, get a load of this.
Those of us who have seen the satirical disaster movie Airplane! will most likely never be able to hear the word “autopilot” without picturing the inflatable guy who had to take over the controls when the pilot got sick.
But we must try because that was SO 1980 and Garmin International, Inc. in Kansas has announced that it has revolutionized the general aviation with the first Autoland feature.
Garmin, you may recall, made its mark by creating and selling GPS units. In the year 2000, it had sold more than three million devices. In August 2003, Garmin completed acquisition of UPS Aviation Technologies, Inc. and began working on integrated cockpit systems.
Garmin Autoland will control and land an aircraft without human intervention in case of an emergency. The system can determine the best airport and runway, in regard to weather, terrain, obstacles, and aircraft performance statistics. The system will soon be available on select general aviation aircraft that have the Garmin G3000® integrated flight deck.
You may be thinking, “Surely, you can’t be serious!” But we are and stop calling us Shirley.
Selling livestock? There's an app for that Looking for just the right bull to hook up with your heifers? Now there’s an app for that. “The Stock Barn,” an app for farmers who want to buy or sell livestock, is now available on the App Store and Google Play. The app lets you easily upload photos and sell your animal or entire herd, or search for livestock to buy.
The brainchild of an Iowa business teacher, The Stock Barn costs $29.99 per month but comes with a “trusted network” of reliable farmers and offers tools to narrow your search to a specific breed or location. For now, the app offers only cattle trading, but it will eventually include pigs, goats, and sheep. To introduce farmers to the app, it’s free until the end of the year.
Sellers can build a network of buyers, then advertise their livestock to only that group. They can upload photos and list the details of the sale and sit back and wait for the offers to come in. Buyers can search or browse for specific breeds for sale within a set geographic range and make the deal in the app.
"Oh sure, NOW you tell us!" said Rowdy Yates.
Fast Future U INNOVATION
IU panel to discuss breakthrough medicines On November 12 at Indiana University, leaders in the life sciences industry will meet to discuss using university research to create medicines.
"Break On Through to the Other Side: How Academic Research Matures to Breakthrough Medicines,” hosted by the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office, will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. at Presidents Hall in Franklin Hall, 601 E. Kirkwood Ave.
Topics include:
You can read more on what the panelists will be discussing in an article by Richard DiMarchi, distinguished professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Linda and Jack Gill Chair in Biomolecular Science at IU Bloomington called “Promoting university-based research targeting intractable medical challenges.”
Panelists include Nora Doherty, BioCrossroads; Fritz French, Calibrium and Marcadia Biotech; Kent Hawryluk, MB2 and Marcadia Biotech Inc.; and Derek Small, Assembly Biosciences, Bruce Gingles, Cook Medical Inc.; Sue Mahony, formerly Eli Lilly and Lilly Oncology; Bill Ringo, Assembly Biosciences; and Anantha Shekhar, Indiana University, Indiana University Health, and Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.
OSU has blood test to accurately spot fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is notoriously widespread and difficult to diagnose. It is the most common cause of chronic pain and affects women about twice as often as men. It’s commonly misdiagnosed, with doctors relying on patient reported pain points. But now, for the first time, researchers at The Ohio State University have identified biomarkers of fibromyalgia and believe they can reliably detect it in blood samples.
IN FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
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