Scientists have been able to create hollow miniature stomachs. The mini-stomachs are grown in petri dishes from stem cells and have an interior lining that is folded into glands and pits like a real stomach. Scientists have created these miniature stomachs because they want to study gastric diseases such as ulcers and stomach cancer. Researchers found that the miniature stomachs, known as gastric organoids, respond to infection similar to ordinary human stomachs, whereas the stomach of animals do not. It is important to study diseases in the stomach because of the bacterium H. Pylori. "Half of the world's population is infected with the bug, which can be picked up from food. Although most people do not show symptoms, once the infection is present up to 20% of carriers will develop gastric ulcers during their lifetimes. Around 2% will develop stomach cancer" (Source 1). Now, scientists can study the effect the bacteria has on the stomach to a greater extent, and will learn how to create tissue to repair patients' stomachs. To learn more about this topic, go to the source provided below.
In recent days, Google has proposed a seemingly revolutionary idea in the way that cancer and heart attacks can be diagnosed. Their product is a watch that utilizes nano-particles to receive information regarding the content of cancer cells in the body and the condition of the heart. But, in a recent comment from Chad Mirkin, head of Nanotechnology at Northwestern University, explained why this idea might not materialize into anything more than an idea. He believes that Google's idea of using a pill form of nano-particles will not work for two reasons. The first is that the body tends to reject foreign substances, therefore Google would have to create a pill that doesn't get rejected. Another problem is that Google has not specified any way for the watch to receive the information provided by the nano-particles. This will prove to be a huge issue for Google. As of right now, this device seems like a very interesting idea, but will unlikely ever become a product.
In a world ruled by technology, companies are always coming up with the latest and greats new innovation. Voice control was a revolutionary idea for many different technological fields. It enabled people to talk to their computers or phones and have them not only interpret what they are saying, but complete a task and in some cases, reply back. There has not been a downside presented about this technology, until now. Researchers at the Georgia Tech University found that many of these voice recognition softwares can be used to hack into the phone, bypassing the phone's passcode. This can be done by typing the voice passcode and then playing it back using a simple text to speech app. The researchers say that this is due to the softwares being added after the fact and sloppily. In this age of quickly evolving technology, it is important that new product and inventions are carefully analyzed and not used without caution.
Pollution and the imminent depletion of fossil fuels are two of the biggest problems faced worldwide today. In order to try and combat these issues many different forms of resumable energy have been slowly growing in usage. The three most prominent of these are hydro electric energy, wind generated energy, and solar energy. The most commonly used form of this for a household application is solar energy. It has been thought that this was also a economically sustainable way to generate energy. But, a recent study conducted by the European company Ecofys suggests otherwise. In their report, Ecofys rated the cost of solar energy to be about the same as nuclear, far more than that of hydro and wind. Ecofys says that this is do to the majority of solar panels being produced in China, where electricity is generated by a highly carbon intensive processes. Another reason for the higher cost is that solar panels include rare metals, which are not present in the hydro and wind process. It is certain that a solution is need to ease our dependence on foreign oil, is solar energy the answer? Only time will tell?
"Over the next 20 years the ratio of people over the age of 65 to the number of people under 65 is going to change rather dramatically” Colin Angle, CEO of Roomba maker iRobot. With this influx of elderly people, passive robotic technology designed to aid the elderly will become more prevalent. The company iRobot is on the frontier of this expanding industry. They're most popular robot is the Roomba vacuum cleaner. This device is an automated vacuum that can clean floors without anyone pushing it or monitoring it. Another device created by Yujin Robot, a Korean company, can travel around a hospital or elderly care center and can deliver meals. With innovations like these, robots that are able to function and interact with elderly people are not far away.
The Google Glass is an incredible technological innovation. It allows its user to view social media and camera features through a heads up display embedded in a pair of eye glasses. The only problem with this device is that it has a tendency to create a socially awkward situation. People tend to feel uncomfortable when they can't distinguish whether or not a person is listening to them, or reading their Google Glass. A team of engineers and scientists from Nokia feel that they have crated the solution to this problem. Their invention is a small telescope-like device that has all of the capabilities of the Google Glass. They feel that because it is more obvious when the device is being used or not, it will create a less strange environment when in use. The device features a circular display and accelerometer that allow one to interact with it. Although it may seem trivial, this research development could be the next step towards wearable technology.
Arachnophobia is a very common problem, and there are many other types of phobias in the world. It used to be that fear could only be treated through therapy, but a situation in the UK has proved that fear can be physically cured. A man in the UK was diagnosed with an anomaly in his left amygdala and had to be operated on in order to remove the damaged amygdala. After the surgery, the man found that he had an aversion to music, and his arachnophobia was completely gone. The aversion to music eventually faded, but the arachnophobia never came back. Doctors are not sure how this happened, but they believe that some of the neural pathways related to panic-type fear may have been removed with the amygdala. This shows that other phobias may also be cured, but for now, this cannot be done without invasive techniques. However, there are other fear-reducing techniques being tested right now, and with this case, they might have a promising future.
More information can be found here: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26483-arachnophobia-chopped-out-of-a-mans-brain.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Conline-news#.VFQA3vl4pcR
TV Supremos Haier and wireless charging company Energous have teamed up in an effort to eliminate charging cords and charge your phone via the same radio bands as a WiFi router. The signal would reach a distance of up to 15 feet and the power transmitters would be set up in Haier brand refrigerators,washing machines and microwaves. The idea of incorporating these transmitters into household items is to beable to charge your phone while doing daily activities like cooking or washing clothes. The project is still in its early stages and a release date is not set. There are also a lot of questions that have to be answered, such as the safety and health concerns. Would a constant transmission of charge be harmful to the human body? Would this not kill the battery eventually? If Haier and Energous are able to answer these questions successfully I believe this project would be very convenient, and time saving. I find myself constantly with low battery and having to leave your phone at an outlet to charge is very annoying so this project definitely interests me.
Ornskoldsvik, Sweden-- is about to become the world’s first remotely controlled airport. This concept is not only effective for travel to out-of-the way places but also to increase efficiency and safety. As remote controlled planes are less prone to mistakes the overall flow of airports will be much less congested. This concept of controlled air travel is still young and in its developing stages but many do see it as the future. For now this technology will be implemented into smaller airports/stations where it is more cost effective to have one person controlling everything instead of a whole crew. The biggest problem this technology can encounter is hacker attacks. A break in by an experienced hacker can disrupt the whole flow and potentially be very dangerous. In my opinion, this is a great upcoming idea. Although it seems this technology is very distant, it is much closer than we believe.
James Collins, a synthetic biologist at Boston University, claims that he has created a more efficient alternative to the present inexpensive paper-based diagnostic tests. It utilizes an adaptation of a lab method known as a "cell free system," where the fundamental processes of a cell are performed in a test tube. By implementing this onto porous paper and applying enzymes, special genes can be activated when a matching DNA or RNA strand is detected. In the case of ebola, which contains an RNA in its genome, placing bits of the ebola RNA onto these paper strips resulted in the activation of the protein production, staining the paper purple within an hour.
This invention could not come at a better time, with the growing panic and worry surrounding the issue of ebola. To have an efficient, relatively quick and - most of - extremely inexpensive (the cost per strip ranges from 4 to 65 cents) diagnostic test can only serve to better serve the community. The next step, besides the standard lab improvements and FDA testing, would be to see how this method of diagnostic testing can be expanded to more diseases, perhaps cancer (especially hard-to-detect ones). Overall, this is a really exciting innovation.
Microsoft has unveiled its latest product, the Microsoft Band, in the efforts to keep up with the emergence of the wearable technology market. Unlike some of its competitors, like the Apple Watch, the Microsoft Band has a stronger focus on health. It includes a GPS tracking features (for runners) in addition to the sensors that measure sleep quality, calories burned and heart rate, which can then be analyzed its online health service, Microsoft Health. But it doesn't just hone in on the health aspects; the Microsoft Band features a small display that can show text messages (from a connected smartphone) and Facebook alerts.
While I think there could certainly be a formidable future within the market of wearable technology, I just don't find much of an interest in products such as these. While the Microsoft Band will cost $150 less than the Apple Watch ($199 vs. $349), I just don't buy into the hype over wearable technology. And neither do quite a large number of people, either; PricewaterhouseCoopers found that, in a survey, one-thirds of respondents said that they no longer use or rarely use the wearable product they had bought earlier in the year. For me, the smartphone just trumps wearable technology on both functionality and convenience.
HP one of the well known technology giants recently announced the launch of a 3D Printer they claim will be 10 times faster than current models available to the public. The "multi-jet fusion" 3D printer is scheduled for release in 2016 and has been launched in an effort for HP to boost performance. This new technology changes the 3D printing market as it seems these printers will be more easily available to the public. With tech giants joining the market there will be more advertising of these printers and having them at home will become something normal. It’s not like it’s hard to get a hold of a 3D printer today, but like was said they are slow and bulky plus very expensive. As these companies join the market and competition grows 3D printers will be faster and user friendly. The fact that HP claims the “multi-jet fusion” will be 10 times faster is something exciting for us the consumers.
An engineering team at the University of California has developed a new nanoparticle-based material that absorbs around 90% of the sunlight it captures and converts it into heat. This technology is specifically designed for solar plants designed to absorb heat to convert into energy. “Concentrating solar power (CSP) is an emerging alternative clean energy market that produces approximately 3.5 gigawatts worth of power at power plants around the globe -- enough to power more than 2 million homes.”(link) The traditional types of CSP systems use mirrors to reflect sunlight towards a tower spray painted with black paint, the paint is used to absorb light and generate heat which is then converted into energy. This system is not very efficient however and has many faults, like the fact it has to be repainted around once a year. This repainting and re-coating process stops the production of energy which is not wanted. With this new technology the consumption of sun-light will be much more efficient and self-dependent which will result in a lot more energy for everyone. . The team’s goal is for many years of usage life, something they are closely approaching. The new solar technology being designed is exciting to me because it will help solve the problem of producing energy in the future, and cuts down on the usage of other harmful forms of production.
The team behind Project Ara at Google recently published a video showing a fully working prototype of a Lego-style smartphone. Ara is a smartphone Google is working on that has fully replaceable parts. This means that if one is unhappy or desires to change an aspect of their phone they can do so without having to buy a new one. A camera, or battery, can be easily replaced and integrated into the phone. By having interchangeable parts electronic waste will slow down, and their will be much more customization for the users says Jay McGregor at forbes.com. This new technology revolutionizes the cellular industry and, I believe, benefits the users. An official release day still hasn’t been released but there will be updates at upcoming developer conferences in January.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in madison have been drilling through glaciers to collect ice cores. This is a very important job because it allows us to see what the air was like tens of thousands of years ago. Scientist want to know what ancient air was like so that they can see how much CO2 was in it. Finding this out tells us how much CO2 in the air has increased since industrialisation. According to recent ice core samples, scientists have concluded that Carbon dioxide is increasing at 2 parts per million per year, 20 times faster than pre industrial times. Taking ice cores has been an integral part of knowing how and at what rate global warming is increasing.
A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that running for a couple minutes a day can reduce your risk of dying from heart disease. More than 55,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 100 were studied over a 15 year period, the overall health and lifespan of all the adults was compared to whether they ran or not. Unsurprisingly the more active people lived a healthier, longer, life but what it was what was discovered that was really intriguing. Researchers found out that the speed and time one runs at did not make a huge difference in the overall benefits of running. In the end those who went on long sprints or short jogs still had a lower risk of dying than those who did not make any effort. However, the biggest key to a longer life through exercise was consistency. Those who ran consistently over many years gained the most benefits. So even a short 5 minute jog everyday can help you maintain a healthier, longer, life.
Scientist have used pluripotent stem cells to create fully functional, three-dimensional, human stomach tissue in a laboratory. These pluripotenet stem cells have the advantage that they can become any cell type of the body. They used these cells to make a miniature version of the stomach. Tools like these will help in the future to treat all types of diseases. Diseases that include stomach cancer and diabetes. This will also help to create drugs that will also treat these diseases. Since we can now create a 3-D functional stomach, we can also infect it with diseases and then study it more closely and find new things to be able to treat it. This is very promising for the medicine and health field.
To read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141029145615.htm
Scientists have recently found out that the diversification of early animals may have been stalled by the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere. A new analysis of ancient rocks have been conducted, and it has shown that oxygen levels were less than 1 percent what they were today, potentially stalling early life. Until recently, scientists have been puzzled by the lag in earths evolutionary timeline. 2.3 billion years ago, a species of bacteria called cyanobacteria were producing oxygen. This was known as the great oxygenation event. After this event happened, growth slowed for a long while, and scientists like to call the time after this event the boring billion. It was not until 800 million years ago that multicellular organisms came about on earth.
Google is now shifting into the medical field with the idea of a new cancer detecting watch. This will work by injecting nanoparticles into his/her blood stream and then using the watch, he/she can monitor the interactions between the nanoparticales and other cells in the body. Early diagnosis is very important and can mean the difference between life or death. This is why the watch, through light and radio waves, will take readings of the nanoparticals at least once a day. The design of the nano particle is to detect multiple conditions. They can attach to cancerous cells or even find evidence of fatty plaques that can cause heart attacks or strokes. One issue, however, is that it can cause anxiety or unnecessary medical treatments. For safety reasons, this will be only accessible to doctors and patients, not to the general public.
Read more at: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29802581
Studies from Swedish scientists have shown that drinking too much milk leads to an increased mortality rate in women. This might seem surprising considering all of the good things that have been said about milk in the past. However, studies have linked heavy milk drinking to increased cancers and hip fractures in women. The study stated that over the course of 20 years, women who drank 3 or more glasses of milk per day were almost twice as likely to die as those who didn't. This could be linked to the hormones in milk and the fact that they are not human hormones so they may pose health concerns when ingested by humans. One thing's for sure, women should not consume more than 2 glasses of milk per day.
A study published last week at Public Library of Science have found anti-malarial properties in a certain species of bacteria, Chromobacteria. The deadly malaria parasite, Plasmodia, is carried in the mosquitos of stomachs. There have been efforts to genetically alter mosquito to be unable to carry the plasmodium parasite, but this effort aims directly at the mosquito's stomach. Scientists plan to feed mosquitos Chromobacteria to the mosquitos, and as result, the mosquitos are unable to carry the Plasmodia parasite in their stomachs. If mosquitos are unable to carry the parasite, then they are unable to infect humans. In the laboratory, researchers at John Hopkins University, have theorized an explanation for the neutralization of the malaria parasite through the bacteria. The bacteria does two thing- one it activates the mosquito's immune system to kill the parasites naturally and two it directly kills the parasite and dengue virus. The Chromobacteria is not known to infect humans but further research must be done. If this can effectively be implemented, millions of lives could be saved from malaria and dengue fever, two diseases transmitted by mosquitos.
Who would've thought that Siri's, the iPhone voice controlled assistant, usefulness extends beyond helping you find the nearest restaurant or park. Gus, a 13-year-old autistic boy, has actually become best friends with Siri. To some it might be viewed as weird, however, to his mother and developers, this is actually a great sign. Siri is able to communicate with Gus in ways that humans sometimes cannot. His mother mentioned that her son loves that Siri knows the answer to just about anything. She said sometimes when he bombards her with questions, instead of frustrating him, she tells him to ask Siri. In addition, it helps Gus articulate his words since Siri will not understand what he is saying if he doesn't. Along with helping his speech, she teaches him social values and common sense for example she encourages polite language, simple jokes, and telling him if what he say may not be appropriate. Through time his mother saw conversational and manner improvements. For example now Gus tells his mother she looks beautiful right before she leaves for work. Siri can be a friend for everyone, however. If one is feeling down, Siri would literally always be there for you to talk. Developers now see the usefulness in this voice controlled assistant and are looking to improve it. They are looking to make have available voice options such as Disney characters' voice so children can be more comfortable with Siri. They were also thinking about making Siri visual so she can track an autistic person's eye movement and help them learn eye contact.
To learn more visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/fashion/how-apples-siri-became-one-autistic-boys-bff.html?_r=0
I was watching YouTube videos one night and stumbled across a fascinating one. It was the Kickstarter introduction for a product Circuit Scribe of Electroninks. The Circuit Scribe is a simple rollerball pen with a conductive ink, allowing for electric currents to pass through simple doodles. The company has also developed magnetic pieces that can be used to "snap" buttons, two pins etc. directly onto the circuit. Throw in a battery to the doodle and you have yourself a basic yet functioning electric circuit!
The primary focus of Electroninks with its Circuit Scribe is to enhance STEM education. Specifically, it wants to address and improve how electricity and circuits are currently taught. Instead of having to buy breadboards and wires in order to perform a class demonstration, teachers can instead simply draw a circuit, link it to a battery and magnetically attach an LED light and teach from that. Students can even do this in their notebooks!
Circuit Scribe doesn't have to be limited to the classroom, either. Electroninks has included an interface between Circuit Scribe and Arduino and Makey Makey. Its website contains a selection of videos pertaining to different, more complex projects utilizing the Circuit Scribe, and even more can be found on YouTube. There is also conductive ink designed for printers, which can be used to print breadboards right onto paper, such as in this video. The Circuit Scribe has the ability to change the way we think about and teach electricity.
Researchers at the Free University of Berlin and Shanxi University in China have confirmed the existence of a new type of chemical bond. This type of bond was theorized 30 years ago but solid evidence was never procured to prove the existence of this bond. In addition, technology that measured quantum mechanics in the past was not as advanced and accurate is it is now. With today's innovations, scientists are able at last to come up with significant evidence that marks the existence of the bond. In chemical bond formed in classical chemistry, a bond is formed to reduce the overall potential energy of the system. But in this case, the potential energy of the system is higher, something that may seem like a violation of the laws of entropy. The new bond, which is energetically unfavorable can be explained through the reduction of vibrational zero potential energy. The vibration zero potential energy is the difference between the energy of the ground state electron and the vibrationless electron. In this vibrational bond, the vibrational zero potential decreases so much that they system becomes stabilized. An example of this bond is BrHBr. The bromines in the compound are isotopes, meaning they have different atomic masses. These Bromine isotopes paired around a hydrogen isotope result in a higher potential energy, but a large decrease in the ZPE. This large difference is enough to make up for the increase of potential energy in the system and the bond is allowed to exist.
Boston Dynamics first revealed their robot, called ATLAS, on July 11, 2013. During this time, the robot was very slow and moved awkwardly. It was a huge innovation at the time because the robot was actually walking, but it was evident that the robot was a work in progress and needed serious programming updates.
A year later, Boston Dynamics revealed the amount of hard work that went into fixing the robot. They were able to improve the movement of the robot. The robot now walks witch much more control and agility. More impressive is the fact that it was able to walk over a pile of stacked and jumbled cinder blocks. The success of the test shows that ATLAS has increased its coordination and capabilities. Here's the video of the test run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG2gGIbtkAk#t=38
In the upcoming year, it is likely that the robot will be able to perform this same test run in a much quicker time. To learn more about the robot, click on the link provided below.
In Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientist are engineering stem cells so that they can produce and secrete a tumor killing toxin. These stem cells were given to mice that had brain tumors. They gave them the stem cells after the main tumors were removed. The stem cells released its toxin and killed the remaining cancer cells in the brain. These cells are also special because they have a mutation that doesn't let toxin act inside the cell. This now means that they have toxin resistant cells that can produce and secrete cancer killing toxin. The scientist are now working toward to getting this FDA approved so that they can go through with clinical trials and test on humans.
To read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141024124613.htm
China Launches First Privately Funded Moon Mission
Up
until recent times, space exploration has been a governmental effort
when it comes to funding and execution. On October 23, however, the
first privately funded mission to the moon was launched. The objective
of the expedition is to test technology for future lunar sample return
missions. If it goes according to plan, the 4M spacecraft will go around
the moon collecting data and extracting moon dust and rock. This
payload will be delivered through a capsule sent from the orbit of
Earth. The 31 pound capsule is attached to the upper stage of the Long
March rocket. Sponsored by a Luxembourg based company, the project cost
is in the six figures. The mission is expected to be live for 8 days,
but may remain longer if additional experiments are needed.
When a person needs a heart transplant, the new heart usually comes from a person who is considered brain dead, but the heart is still beating. This is because the heart is the only organ that cannot be used after circulatory death (when the heart stops beating). However, surgeons in Australia have successfully performed the first heart transplant with a dead heart. This heart had stopped beating for over 20 minutes, and with the help of a machine currently named "heart-in-a-box," these surgeons were able to revive the heart and give it to a patient in need. When this patient woke up, she said that she felt "a decade younger," claiming that she was now a different person completely.
More information can be found here: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29751880
Researchers at Duke Medical have found a way to specifically target prostate cancer using copper. It is well known that cancerous prostate cells, among other types of cancer cells, are rich in copper. They are hungry for the element, and can be identified just by tracking their copper levels. At first, researchers tried to starve the cells of the copper, but that didn't result in significant results. Instead, they are taking drugs that are activated through the addition of copper. They are using the copper that the cells have to activate these drugs. This way, the chemotherapy becomes specific and spares other healthy cells.
More on this here
Studies have shown the people who suffer from brain traumatic injuries have a lower death rate if they have THC in their system compared to people who don't. Experiments done with animals have shown that having THC in their system actually protects their brain after an injury. Although this may be true for animals, not a lot is known about the effects that THC may have on humans. A problem that has been coming up is that THC stays in your system days after it has been consumed so it is difficult to tell the difference between the users. These findings have opened up interest into this topic and more extensive research is beginning to happen. In the future THC may be very useful for treating and preventing brain injuries.
In extreme cases of epilepsy, a surgery can be performed to mend future occurrences. These surgeries are very intrusive however. Neurosurgeons need to access the brain through the skull, directly impacting healing time and possibly causing future complications. A team of engineers lead by Eric Barth at Vanderbilt University have developed a new method to perform this surgery. Using an MRI and guided needle, this procedure can be performed without having to cut the skull. The needle itself is designed to go around obstacles with the help of the MRI machine monitoring its progress. Partially, this surgery could be performed with 3D printed plastics making it a very affordable option. The accuracy of the machine is roughly 1.18 milometers, an very precise operation. This method, however, wont be coming to surgery rooms soon because it needs many more months of testing and debugging.
There have always been many people who believe that robots are the future. Some of these people fear this because they believe that the robots will take over their jobs. However, there is a 8.2 million dollar project in Europe known as the Symbiotic Human Robot Collaborative Assembly that is working hard on programming robots that will serve as co-workers. This means that instead of the robots completely taking over jobs, the robots will aid and collaborate with humans. This project is unique in the sense that other factories have robots and humans segregated. Those working on the project are optimist because they believe that by having people and robots working together, it will guarantee employment, improve efficiency, and make the production system "more robust and flexible". The robots designed and programmed in this project would perform tasks such as heavy lifting, and would also ensure the safety of the humans who are working alongside them. To learn more about this project, click on the link provided below. http://www.factor-tech.com/magazine/8775-factor-issue-5-underground-farms-aquatic-urban-design-and-sir-tim-berners-lee/
Scientists at UC Davis have used light to erase specific memories from mice. For years, scientists have theorised that it takes 2 parts of your brain (the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus) working in unison to retrieve episodic memories. Episodic memories are memories of specific places or events that have happened. Scientists used genetically modified mice for an experiment on memory. These mice shine florescent green in the dark, and their cells switch off if shined on by light. This allows scientists to locate the cells in the hippocampus and the cortex, and switch them off accordingly. It was found that mice were more likely to forget events if only one part of the brain (the hippocampus) was used to recall those events. When both parts of the brain were enabled, the events were recalled normally by the mice. Because of this experiment, scientists have confirmed the theory that recalling memories requires the work of 2 parts or the brain.
Scientists have discovered new magnetic surface that is able to reflect infrared light. This material was thought to be non magnetic, but closer studies revealed that it was in fact magnetic and was able to reflect infrared light. Scientists can use nanoscale antennas to harness this radiation from the reflected surface. This has exciting uses in the sensor, solar cell and laser industries. Things that react or work off of infrared radiation, such as tv remotes, could be revolutionised by using reflective mirrors that can increase the strength of the signal from the remote to the TV, thus increasing the desired distance between the remote and the receiver. More information on this can be found here:
For years, people have thought of computers as really smart, yet emotionless beings. This has recently changed, bringing us one step closer to what is commonly referred to as "the singularity," which means the day in which computers will become smarter than humans in every way. Through research and various experiments analyzing keystrokes and sample text from people who were feeling some sort of emotion, a new program has been developed that can detect emotion through typing. In the experiments, people were asked to type sample text and record their emotions every 30 minutes. With the data collected, researchers were able to create software that could detect 7 of the most common emotions (joy, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, shame, and guilt). Joy and anger were the two emotions that were detected with the most accuracy (about 85%). Although it is not 100% accurate, it is a step closer to "the singularity." Through more research and further development, this program could potentially be implemented in many areas. For example, it could be used in online classes, and depending on the emotion of the student, the teaching style would change to better accommodate the student.
More information can be found here: http://www.livescience.com/48240-computer-system-detects-human-emotions.html
Researchers led by Jiaxing Li of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found a way to use cigarette ash as a filter for water. The researchers found that filters made from this ash is a very efficient and cheap way to do this. According to the researchers, these filters are able to clean up 96% of arsenic from water. This falls in the acceptable standards of the World Health Organization. The potential of these filters is very exciting.
According to the NASA's satellites, Antarctica's surface ice coverage has reached record sizes this year. On September 20, the ice coverage peaked at around 7.78 million square miles, the average last year was a bout 7.23 million square miles. This data, of course, does not take factors like ice thickness and ice volume into account. The surprising thing is, Antarctica has been losing on average of 20,800 square miles of ice and gaining an average of 7,300 square miles every year since the late 1970's- a net loss of 13,500 ice square miles. NASA researchers have an explanation. They believe shifting winds and ocean currents are the culprit. The shifting winds and ocean currents push colder air and water towards the Antarctic ice-shelf; as a result conditions arise for ice growth. The changing patterns allow for increased intensity and frequency snow on the arctic continent and more resilient ice cover. Essentially speaking, colder water and air temperatures are derived from the shifted air and water currents- the two conditions explain why there is a spike in surface ice coverage. Scientists are not only unsure about the trend's continuation into following years, but also are baffled by both the shifting air and water current phenomenon and the impact of rising temperatures.
There are many people who do not like getting wet when they are outdoors. They would rather be dry, especially when they have nice clothes on and have spent a lot of time on their hair. This is why when it rains many people carry umbrellas with them. Umbrellas are important because they act as a shield to us. However, they are very flawed. For example, they start breaking down when there is strong wind. Also, it is very tedious entering a room with a wet umbrella that is dripping everywhere. This is why scientists have created an "invisible umbrella".
In essence, the umbrella isn't entirely invisible because the stick you grasp on to is still visible. The difference with this umbrella is that it does not have a top. Instead of having a top to block out the rain, this umbrella forces an artificial wind up through its handle on the top and deflects incoming raindrops before they can hit your head. The umbrella has an on/off switch, and you can even adjust its power.
To learn more about this umbrella, click on the link: http://weburbanist.com/2012/11/28/air-umbrella-stay-dry-under-invisible-water-shielding-wind/
The Future of Artificial Intelligence: Computers Will Take Your job
Predictions of robots taking over employment have been around since the 90's, but only recently have they been realized. Still there are no AI machines that can learn and work as human can, but some are significantly getting close to it. AIs can now provide medical diagnosis, effectively making the jobs of may doctors easier. Getting closer and closer to complete automation, there is no doubt companies will begin using AI to refine their production. The effect of such work will have a significant impact, and it may even come sooner than assumed. AI has already replaced human payroll processors, and it is expected for software to move up in skill, soon to replace middle class workers. While all of this seems rather daunting and strange, scientist are still trying to solve a major problem with AI. It is the problem of common sense, something even a 5 year old has. However, this field of study seems very ambitious as scientists are developing a software to create software. That's right, an AI that will be able to replace programmers. Slowly but surely, computers and robots will take over many of our jobs, but at what cost?
Have you ever heard of Hemp? Hemp is the fibrous material found in the stalks of cannabis plants. Hemp has been used for thousands of years in weaving, building and cultural exploits. Hemp is stronger and lighter than steel, cheeper to produce, and environmentally friendly. Henry ford used to make the bodies of some of his cars out of hemp. He demonstrated that these cars were more resistant to blows than his traditional steel-bodied cars. The future of plastics and fuels is hemp. Hemp is a plant based cellulose, which can be used to make plastics that are stronger than traditional petroleum based plastics, and are 100% biodegradable. Hemp can also replace the gasoline in our cars. Usually, biofuel cars need a special engine to process the biological matter into something usable. However, hemp can be used to fill up any gas car and does not require any modifications to the engine. Hemp fuel is much better for the air, and is much less toxic than traditional exhaust fumes. Sounds too good to be true right? Its true. The only thing preventing this from being a reality is the fact that cannabis (in any form) is illegal in the united states by federal law. The oil companies are trying to lobby against legalisation because if hemp is legalised, billions of dollars will be shifted to producing hemp fuels, rather than petroleum fuels. In a sense, the future of our environment and our plastics is reliant of the legalisation of hemp.
Controlling prosthetics with the mind is not a novel idea. It has been around for quite some time, and a lot of prosthetics already use mind control. What sets this particular prosthetic apart is the fact that it is "osseointegrated," meaning that it is surgically connected directly to the bone. This allows the arm to connect to the nerves in such a way that it allows the user to control it much like we control our own arms - with little to no effort. Other prosthetic arms use "surface electrodes," which are placed on the skin. However, this method does not work properly, because the arm becomes unstable due to interference from other movements and due to environmental changes, like temperature.. This new prosthetic arm, though, is so deeply connected to the nerves that there is little to no chance of instability. The user has full control over the movements and speed at which the arm or hand moves. This really is a big step towards making prosthetics that resemble the human arm, making it a remarkable technological advancement.
More information and videos can be found here: http://motherboard.vice.com/en_uk/read/mind-controlled-prosthetics-are-ready-for-real-life-2398710
Alphabet Energy has developed a new thermoelectric generator that would cut down on fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The generator utilizes a thermoelectric material (good at conducting electricity but not a thermal conductor) called tetrahedrite. Unlike most other thermoelectric materials, it is abundant and much cheaper ($4 per kilogram vs $24-$146 per kilogram).
By connecting their new generator to the exhaust pipe of a 1,000 kilowatt generator, a total of 52,000 liters of diesel fuel can be saved, or a yield of 2.5%. These estimates could save companies utilizing larger generators (such as oil, gas and mining companies) millions of dollars per year. This development would be especially beneficial to companies based in more remote areas, where access to diesel fuel is not as available.
While this thermoelectric generator can only slash fuel consumption rates by 5-10 percent, this amount is still very impressive for the individual user/company looking to cut down on costs. And by using such a generator, less carbon dioxide is emitted, which is a big boost for the environment. This is a big step our society's awareness of waste and towards becoming more conservative with energy.
Imagine having technology that you literally wear on your skin? This is exactly what scientists and engineers are on the verge of creating. These little computers would sit on top of the skin either like a band aid or a temporary tattoo (even arranging the sensors to look like a tattoo). It is completely compatible with children as well. Now there is debate on what part of the skin this computer would stick on. Apple and Samsung speculate the wrist while Google votes for the face.
There are a many advantages of this wearable technology such as greater accuracy and it will be cheaper than actual computers. These chips can measure the heart rate and temperature of a body and /or can serve as a battery. This can come in handy in so many situations such as if monitoring your baby's breathing at night. Right now scientists in Japan are working on an "e-skin" which is a flexible and stretchable material carrying tons of sensors that sits on the skin. They are even working on a layer of LED lights that can lay on top of the skin so that it would portray an image. Who knows maybe in the future our hand can replace our iPhones.
Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/fashion/wearable-technology-that-feels-like-skin.html?ref=technology
A cave discovered in Indonesia has paintings inside of it that may be one of the oldest known to man.
The painting is of hands and animals and they were painted on seven limestones caves in Sulawesi. Sulawesi is an island in Indonesia. Trying to get the data right is rigorous work and its still being studied but archeologist believe that it may be one of the oldest. Until now, the oldest painting known is a red disc which is 40,800 years old. That painting was found in El Castillo, in northern Spain. The painted hands themselves are at least 39,900 years old. These have are already become the oldest stenciled hands known to man. The other painting was one of an animal that is believed to be a pig deer. This painting is dated to be at least 35,400 years old. These findings show how there are many things in the world that we have not discovered yet. Things that may hold clues and information of how far back in history humans go.
Researchers from the University of Chicago have found that a persons sense of smell is one of the best predictors of five year mortality. Researchers used a test in which subjects had to identify five different smell. Along with this, they took other medical information and followed up with the patients over a period of time. With this, the researchers found the correlation between smell and mortality. At first the researchers believed that there were other factors contributing to this, but it turns out that that is not the case. Sense of smell can predict mortality better than a heart or lung test. For the future, the sense of smell can be used to extend and save the lives of many people.
Physicist Peter Eisenberger from the University of Columbia has pioneered a new way to extract CO2 out of the atmosphere. His idea consists of blowing large amounts of air over a chemically infused membrane to suck the carbon dioxide out of the air. This process will utilize steam energy and special chemicals called amines to bond with the CO2 molecules, which are then compressed and sent to a separate holding container. They plan to sell the compressed CO2 to companies maintaining oil wells, green house plant growers, and carbonated beverage makers. One counter argument is that it would require so much energy to filter any significant amount of air that the process would end up being counter productive, Eisenberger's answer to that is steam. Steam energy is highly efficient, especially for this type of operation, and would be able to produce sufficient energy at a low energy production rate. This method of filtering CO2 out of the air can be applied to industrial fields as well as private usages. I believe this will have an enormous impact on the push towards a greener earth
Animals Born In Space Have A Hard Time Adjusting To Life On Earth
According to recent studies, returning from space is rather strange for many creatures. Initially, this was tested with jellyfish born on the ISS. The original project was intended to see long term zero gravity on developing animals. However, scientists observed that jellyfish taken back to Earth had a hard time adjusting to the gravity. Instead of moving in their predictable patterns, jellyfish had hard time moving around. This is an important discovery because in the future we may have babies born on spaceships. Having a undeveloped sense of direction and balance can be a big problem for our future space-fairing generation. The organ responsible for our sense or balance is located in our ears. If born in space however, this organ will remain undeveloped, making humans unsuitable for new planets.
Swimming underwater is a beautiful
feeling, especially when you have goggles on and you can see the beauty that is
the sea. The only problem is that you can only swim underwater and hold your
breath for so long. Some solutions to this problem include snorkels or oxygen
tanks. However, the problem with both of these solutions is that they have
limitations. With snorkels the swimmer can only swim fairly close to the
surface. An oxygen tank also has its limitations because it is heavy and does
not allow the swimmer that much freedom. Fortunately for people who want to
experience the sea as the creatures who have gills, scientists have
created a crystal called the “aquaman crystal” that can allow humans to breathe
underwater. The crystal is capable of absorbing all of the oxygen in a room and
store it at a much higher concentration than oxygen tanks. It is also more
efficient than oxygen tanks because only a spoonful of the crystal is required
to successfully suck the oxygen out of a room, meaning that it is much lighter.
Professor Christine McKenzie stated, "a few grains
contain enough oxygen for one breath, and as the material can absorb oxygen
from the water around the diver and supply the diver with it, the diver will
not need to bring more than these few grains”. To learn more about this
proposition, click on the link provided below.
Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark have found discovered a crystal with a particularly high affinity for oxygen. According to them, an excess of the crystal inside a closed room would be able to absorb 99% of the oxygen inside the closed room. The crystal is able to hold an oxygen concentration 160 times larger than that of the air we breath; the air we breath has an oxygen concentration of 21 percent. The crystal not only has the ability to pull oxygen out of air, but also from water. The fact that the crystal has the ability to release the oxygen it absorbs expands its applicable uses immensely. Under certain conditions (heat/pressure), the crystal can release the oxygen it's absorbed oxygen- comparable to hemoglobin, which utilizes iron to carry oxygen in the blood stream. This crystal is different from hemoglobin because it doesn't use iron, but rather cobalt to absorb oxygen. Its properties are very promising. The newly discovered crystal has applications ranging from the hospital to scuba diving. It could replace the heavy oxygen tanks in hospitals, therefore reducing the burden lung patients have from lugging the tank around. Or it could be used for scuba diving, which would lighten the load for prospective scuba divers. The crystal would not only be very light but would also very enduring, it has the ability to absorb oxygen from water. Some see it's use in new fuel cells; with the amount of oxygen it is able to carry, there is no surprise how useful it would be in increasing the reaction rates of many combustion reaction where oxygen is the limiting reagent. While the crystal has a well of potential for future applications, it still needs further research. Scientists hope that a viable product could be created in the near future, possibly within the next five years. The chemical formula for the crystal is:
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