Category Archives: Medicine and Health

Made in china
May 18 2013

News Mash: Check out these gas masks…No, seriously, thanks to Science? DO!

Today?

Yup…

I find THIS (below) S U P E R interesting:

[via io9] An Illustrated History Of Gas Masks ~Vincze Miklós

The gas mask has a history that dates back thousands of years, though it wasn’t until World War I that it became nightmare fodder for Doctor Who and countless other stories. Here is a sometimes terrifying history of the gas mask, from its beginnings through the present day.

Playing leapfrog, 1934

Above. Able seamen at the Royal Navy Anti-Gas School at Tipnor, Portsmouth play leapfrog wearing gas masks, to accustom them to carrying out strenuous tasks in respirators, on January 22 1934.

(Photo by William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

 

The common sponge, ancient Greece

According to the Popular Mechanics (January 1984):

“The common sponge was used in ancient Greece as a gas mask, a compress, a contraceptive – and, of course, for bathing.”

(via Wikimedia Commons/Tom Oates)

Banū Mūsā Gas Mask, c. 850 A.D

This gas mask was designed by the Banu Musa brothers in Baghdad, Iraq to protect workers working in polluted wells. The device was mentioned in the brothers book “Book of Ingenious Devices” that describes 100 inventions.

(Illustrations are from the brothers’ book, but not about the gas mask, via Wikimedia Commons 1 – 2)

Plague Doctor’s Mask

The bird-like beak mask was often filled with sweet or strong smelling herbs or spices – lavender, mint, camphor or dried roses. They’ve believed it would banish the evil smells.

(via Wikimedia Commons/Traité de la peste, 1721 and etsy/Tom Banwell)

Alexander von Humboldt’s mask, 1799

It was the first device with respirator, invented for miners by a Prussian mining official Alexander von Humboldt.

(via Asher Rare Books)

A smoke protecting apparatus for firemen by John and Charles Deane, 1823

In the early 1820s John Deane have seen a burning stable with trapped horses in it. To get through the smoke and rescue all the horses he put on an old knight-in-armor helmet air-pumped by a hose from a fire brigade water pump. The saving was successful, and in 1823 John and Charles Deane have invented the Smoke Helmet:

“An apparatus or machine to be worn by persons entering rooms or other places filled with smoke or other vapour, for the purpose of extinguishing fire or extricating persons or property therein.”

The device was a single copper helmet with a long leather hose attached to the rear. A long leather hose was attached to the rear. Five years later it was converted for underwater use.

(via Submerged)

Lewis Haslett: “Inhaler or Lung Protector”, 1847, patented in 1849

It allowed breathing through a nose or mouthpiece fitted with two one-way clapper walves. The filter was made of wool or other porous substances with water could keeping out dust.

(via Google Patent Search)

The charcoal air-filter of John Stenhouse, 1854 (patented in 1860 and 1867)

 

In the copper-framed mask there was powdered wood charcoal between the two hemispheres. The charcoal could be replaced through a small door in the wire gauze.

(via Wikimedia Commons)

John Tyndall’s respirator, 1871

The Irish physicist took Stenhouse’s mask and added a filter of cotton wool saturated with charcoal, lime and glycerin. The new device has filtered smoke and some noxious gases from air.

(via Wikimedia Commons and steampunksp)

Samuel Barton’s respirators, 1874

This respirator had rubber-and-metal face cover, glass eyepieces, rubber-coated hood and a metal canister on the front of the mask contained lime, glycerin-soaked cotton wool and charcoal.

(via Google Patent Search/148868)

Smoke-Excluding Mask, George Neally, 1877 and 1879

The first version had a filter carried on the chest, but two years later he patented another version with the filter mounted directly on the facepiece.

(via Google Patent Search – 1 and 2)

Fleuss Apparatus, 1878

The rubberized mask covered the whole face was connected via tubes to a breathing bag.

(via History of Diving Museum)

…[Read More - See All HERE!]

And why?

Simply this…

Given the news of late, of the viruses (Thanks, Science–You guys SUCK!!!!) that could spark a Global Outbreak?

I’m getting far more that just a tad bit concerned:

[via Independent.Uk.co] ‘Appalling irresponsibility’: Senior scientists attack Chinese researchers for creating new strains Made in chinaof influenza virus in veterinary laboratory ~by Steve Connor

Experts warn of danger that the new viral strains created by mixing bird-flu virus with human influenza could escape from the laboratory to cause a global pandemic killing millions of people.

Senior scientists have criticised the “appalling irresponsibility” of researchers in China who have deliberately created new strains of influenza virus in a veterinary laboratory.

They warned there is a danger that the new viral strains created by mixing bird-flu virus with human influenza could escape from the laboratory to cause a global pandemic killing millions of people.

Lord May of Oxford, a former government chief scientist and past president of the Royal Society, denounced the study published today in the journal Science as doing nothing to further the understanding and prevention of flu pandemics.

“They claim they are doing this to help develop vaccines and such like. In fact the real reason is that they are driven by blind ambition with no common sense whatsoever,” Lord May told The Independent.

…[Read More]

So?

I might start looking into the whole gas mask deal.

And what can I say…

But I like to know all the makeups of my options.

All of which?

Freak terrifying!

Ugh.

LONDON (AP) — 2 new viruses could both spark global outbreaks ~By MARIA CHENG

Two respiratory viruses in different parts of the world have captured the attention of global health officials – a novel coronavirus in the Middle East and a new bird flu spreading in China.

Last week, the coronavirus related to SARS spread to France, where one patient who probably caught the disease in Dubai infected his hospital roommate. Officials are now trying to track down everyone who went on a tour group holiday to Dubai with the first patient as well as all contacts of the second patient. Since it was first spotted last year, the new coronavirus has infected 34 people, killing 18 of them. Nearly all had some connection to the Middle East.

The World Health Organization, however, says there is no reason to think the virus is restricted to the Middle East and has advised health officials worldwide to closely monitor any unusual respiratory cases.

At the same time, a new bird flu strain, H7N9, has been infecting people in China since at least March, causing 32 deaths out of 131 known cases.

WHO, which is closely monitoring the viruses, says both have the potential to cause a pandemic – a global epidemic – if they evolve into a form easily spread between people. Here’s a crash course in what we know so far about them:

Q: How are humans getting infected by the new coronavirus?

A: Scientists don’t exactly know. There is some suggestion the disease is jumping directly from animals like camels or goats to humans, but officials are also considering other sources, like a common environmental exposure. The new coronavirus is most closely related to a bat virus, but it’s possible that bats are transmitting the disease via another source before humans catch it.

Q: Can the new coronavirus be spread from human to human?

A: In some circumstances, yes. There have been clusters of the disease in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Britain and now France, where the virus has spread from person-to-person. Most of those infected were in very close contact, such as people taking care of a sick family member or health workers treating patients. There is no evidence the virus is spreading easily between people and all cases of human-to-human transmission have been limited so far.

Q: How are people catching the bird flu H7N9?

A: Some studies suggest the new bird flu is jumping directly to people from poultry at live bird markets. Cases have slowed down since Chinese authorities began shutting down such markets. But it’s unclear exactly what kind of exposure is needed for humans to catch the virus and very few animals have tested positive for it. Unlike the last bird flu strain to cause global concern, H5N1, the new strain doesn’t appear to make birds sick and may be spreading silently in poultry populations.

Q: What precautions can people take against these new viruses?

A: WHO is not advising people to avoid traveling to the Middle East or China but is urging people to practice good personal hygiene like regular hand-washing. “Until we know how and where humans are contracting these two diseases, we cannot control them,” said Gregory Hartl, WHO spokesman.

…[Read More]

And seemingly?

Just getting worse as the days go on.

Hmmm.

I wonder…

can I order ANY of these (see top article above) in bulk?

cause, I have a feeling…

We are all gonna be needing them.

Jeez.

Bottoms up
May 18 2013

News Mash: Scientific research has a money problem, and humanity? Has a scientific research problem!

Vicious circle.

The biggest problem with Science today?

Money.

And by “money” we are not talking a lack of funding…

As much as we are talking an overriding motivation behind search and discovery:

 [via Gizmodo]Why Is Science Behind a Paywall? ~by Alex Mayyasi – Priceonomi

Scientists’ work follows a consistent pattern. They apply for grants, perform their research, and publish the results in a journal. The process is so routine it almost seems inevitable. But what if it’s not the best way to do science?

Although the act of publishing seems to entail sharing your research with the world, most published papers sit behind paywalls. The journals that publish them charge thousands of dollars per subscription, putting access out of reach to all but the most minted universities. Subscription costs have risen dramatically over the past generation. According to critics of the publishers, those increases are the result of the consolidation of journals by private companies who unduly profit off their market share of scientific knowledge.

When we investigated these alleged scrooges of the science world, we discovered that, for their opponents, the battle against this parasitic profiting is only one part of the scientific process that needs to be fixed.

Advocates of “open science” argue that the current model of science, developed in the 1600s, needs to change and take full advantage of the Internet to share research and collaborate in the discovery making process. When the entire scientific community can connect instantly online, they argue, there is simply no reason for research teams to work in silos and share their findings according to the publishing schedules of journals.

Subscriptions limit access to scientific knowledge. And when careers are made and tenures earned by publishing in prestigious journals, then sharing datasets, collaborating with other scientists, and crowdsourcing difficult problems are all disincentivized. Following 17th century practices, open science advocates insist, limits the progress of science in the 21st.

…[Read More]

Unfortunately…

Not only does this hinder research?

But it dangerously contaminates the potential consequences of the Scientific findings…

Which directly affects us all!

(NaturalNews) Science will destroy humanity, says team of scientists ~by J. D. HeyesBottoms up

One of the primary goals of science is to advance knowledge and understanding to improve the human condition, but all too often this noble field of study has devolved into a profit-seeking quest for power, at the expense of mankind.

Indeed, the science of technology is perhaps the worst culprit, a team of mathematicians, philosophers and scientists at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute is warning.

The team, in a forthcoming paper titled, Existential Risk Prevention as Global Priority, says humankind’s over-reliance on technology could lead to its demise, and that human beings are facing a risk to our own existence.

What’s more, the team says humankind’s demise is not far off; it could come as soon as the next century.

‘Threats we have no track record of surviving…

“There is a great race on between humanity’s technological powers and our wisdom to use those powers well,” institute director Nick Bostrom told MSN. “I’m worried that the former will pull too far ahead.”

Since our existence on this planet there have been those who have predicted the end of world as we know it, the latest “fad” in this realm being the hoopla surrounding the now-disproven 2012 Mayan prophesies. Still, folks can’t seem to let go of the notion that, at some point in our future, life on Earth will cease to exist.

From Bostrom’s paper:

Humanity has survived what we might call natural existential risks for hundreds of thousands of years; thus it is prima facie unlikely that any of them will do us in within the next hundred. This conclusion is buttressed when we analyze specific risks from nature, such as asteroid impacts, supervolcanic eruptions, earthquakes, gamma-ray bursts, and so forth: Empirical impact distributions and scientific models suggest that the likelihood of extinction because of these kinds of risk is extremely small on a time scale of a century or so.

In contrast, our species is introducing entirely new kinds of existential risk – threats we have no track record of surviving. Our longevity as a species therefore offers no strong prior grounds for confident optimism. Consideration of specific existential – risk scenarios bears out the suspicion that the great bulk of existential risk in the foreseeable future consists of anthropogenic existential risks – that is, those arising from human activity.

Continuing, Bostrom predicts that future technological breakthroughs “may radically expand our ability to manipulate the external world or our own biology.”

“As our powers expand, so will the scale of their potential consequences – intended and unintended, positive and negative.”

Bostrom goes onto say that well-known threats like an asteroid strike on the planet, supervolcanic eruptions and earthquakes likely won’t threaten humanity in the near future. Even a nuclear explosion won’t completely wipe out life; in that event, he says, enough people would survive to rebuild.

Rather, it is the unknowns that will wind up as a bane on the existence of humankind.

Science has an obligation to serve mankind

Not all of the news is bad, Bostrom says.

“The Earth will remain habitable for at least another billion years. Civilization began only a few thousand years ago. If we do not destroy mankind, these few thousand years may be only a tiny fraction of the whole of civilized human history,” he writes.

Mike Adams, The Health Ranger, notes in an Infographic posted here at NaturalNews that the onus for protecting humanity falls on those who are creating the technology.

“If an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, the burden of proof that it is NOT harmful falls on those taking the action,” the graphic says.

Check out the rest of the graphic here.

…[Read More]

And…

Maybe even one day?

Sadly…

Will lead to our total destruction.

Score
May 12 2013

News Mash: Adventure shapes the individual, but to what end?

Homebodies, take note…

Adventure IS important!

After all…

It helps shape who you ARE as an individual:

[via France24]Study shows that adventure shapes the individual

AFP – The act of exploring helps shape the brain and adventuring is what makes each individual different, according to a study out Thursday by researchers in Germany.

The findings published in the US journal Science may offer new paths to treating psychiatric diseases, scientists said.

Researchers sought to pin down why identical twins are not perfect replicas of each other, even when they have been raised in the same environment, and studied the matter using 40 genetically identical mice.

The mice were kept in an elaborate, five-level cage connected by glass chutes and filled with toys, scaffolds, wooden flower pots, nesting places and more. The space available to explore spanned about five square meters (yards).

“This environment was so rich that each mouse gathered its own individual experiences in it,” said principal investigator Gerd Kempermann of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Even though the mice were genetically the same, and the environment they were kept in was also the same, they showed individually different levels of activity. Some explored a lot, some did not.

And by fitting them with a special micro-chip that emitted electromagnetic signals, scientists could track how much the mice moved around and quantify their exploratory behavior.

“Over time, the animals therefore increasingly differed in their realm of experience and behavior,” said Kempermann. Over the course of three months, they developed very different personalities.

Researchers found that the brains of the most explorative mice were building more new neurons — a process known as neurogenesis — in the hippocampus, the center for learning and memory, than the animals that were more passive.

Control mice kept in a less enriching environment showed less brain growth.

Kempermann and colleagues said they have shown for the first time how personal experiences and ensuing behavior contribute to individualization, and that neither genetics nor environment alone could cause this personal growth.

…[Read More]

And given exactly WHERE your adventure leads you?

Could result?

Hmmm…

In some very deadly, by-product interactions:

[via The Adrenalist]Poisonous Animal Bite Survival Guide ~by Luke Kelly-Clyne

No matter how big, athletic, or well-conditioned you are, a deadly, poisonous animal could claim you as a victim. Just picture it: you’re walking along a beach or in a field or even your back yard and, all of a sudden, you’re debilitated by the most severe pain you’ve ever experienced and you’ve got minutes left to live.

Because we Adrenalists frequently travel far and wide to quench our thirst for adventure, it’s important that we’re intimately aware of the foreign species that pack the most ferocious, life-threatening bites and stings and, more importantly, that we’re well-versed on how to deal with said attacks should they occur.

Here’s how to survive the deadliest animal bites on the planet:

Funnel Web Spider

Native to the Southeastern region of Australia, near Sydney, funnel web spiders are small in size and known to dwell in cool shaded places. They often hide out in shoes or clothing left outside. Male venom is more potent than female, but a bite from either will usually take effect within 10-15 minutes, first causing numbness or tingling in the lips and soon resulting in any number of more advanced symptoms, from rapid heart rate to nausea to collapse to convulsions and coma. Funnel web bites must never be treated at home and any affected patient should be transported to the emergency room as soon as possible. While a victim is en route to the hospital, it’s a good idea to place a tightly wrapped bandage over the bite to halt the spread of venom. Once in the hospital, victims may need to receive treatments including breathing support, IV and antivenin medication.

…[Read More - Click To Watch All Poison Animal Bits Survival Tip Videos HERE!]

Which, I suppose?

Definitely a good argument…

For NOT taking part in any adventures?

And BEING a total homebody.

Score

Payback is coming
May 12 2013

News Mash: Animals can stave off death, in their owners…Ok, um, maybe not ALL of them!

Animals are good for your health.

So what is THIS (below) article telling you?

Simply this…

Get. One!

(Reuters) – Pets may help cut heart disease risk: American Heart Association

Anyone wanting to live longer and cut their risk of suffering from heart disease might want to consider getting a pet.

The American Heart Association (AHA) issued a scientific statement on Thursday saying owning a pet may help to decrease a person’s risk of suffering from heart disease and is linked with lower levels of obesity, blood pressure and cholesterol.

“Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease,” Glenn N. Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in a statement.

A study of more than 5,200 adults, cited by the AHA, showed dog owners were more physically active than non-owners because they walk their pets. Other research has revealed the calming effects of pets, which are used in animal-assisted therapy programs.

Levine, the chairman of the committee that wrote the statement published online in the journal Circulation, added that the benefits are clear on cutting the risk factors for heart disease. But the studies are not definitive or prove that owning a pet directly causes a reduction in heart disease risk.

“What’s less clear is whether the act of adopting or acquiring a pet could lead to a reduction in cardiovascular risk in those with pre-existing disease,” he said, adding more research is needed.

…[Read More]

Um…

When it comes to your animals, just make sure?

Yeah…

That you don’t go the bird route.

Because apparently?

Those have the exact OPPOSITE effect…

And might very well kill you, very dead!

(CNSNews.com) – About one in five people who have contracted a new strain of bird flu in China (H7N9) have died, according to a report released today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

So far, the virus has mostly struck older people, a majority of whom were male, and the evidence shows that transmission of the virus occurs largely from birds to people–although researchers suspect there have been a few cases of human-to-human transmission within families.

“As of April 29, 2013, China had reported 126 confirmed H7N9 infections in humans, among whom 24 (19%) died,” said the May 10 edition of the CDC’s “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.”

H7N9 is also referred to as Avian Influenza and is spread mostly through chickens, ducks, and pigeons, according to the report.

“The median age of patients with confirmed infection is 61 years” and “58 (71%) of the cases are among males,” the report said.  “Only four cases have been confirmed among children.”

“Most of the confirmed cases involved severe respiratory illness,” reported the CDC. “Of 82 confirmed cases for which data were available as of April 17, 81 (99%) required hospitalization. Among those patients hospitalized, 17 (21%) died of ARDS [Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome] or multi-organ failure, 60 (74%) remained hospitalized, and only four (5%) had been discharged.”

The report said the CDC is coordinating with state and local health departments, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture to closely monitor animals and the potential spread, but has found no evidence of the Chinese bird flu in the United States.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture reported that 68,060 bird and environmental specimens were tested and 46 – 0.07 percent – tested positive for H7N9.

From April 5 through April 29, state and local health departments from 18 states reported evaluating 37 travelers from China to the United States and found no cases of infection.

“Although no evidence of sustained (ongoing) human-to-human spread of this virus has been identified; small family clusters have occurred where human-to-human spread cannot be conclusively ruled out,” the report says.

The report states that almost all cases are presumed to have come from exposure to infected birds.

“Among 82 confirmed cases for which exposure information is available, 63 (77%) involved reported exposure to live animals, primarily chickens (76%) and ducks (20%),” the CDC report says. “However, at least three family clusters of two or three confirmed cases have been reported where limited human-to-human transmission might have occurred.”

…[Read More]

Especially THESE days.

Wow.

Who knew?

*shakes head sadly*

The chicken takeover?

Is happening, people.

Prepare yourself.

Payback is coming

OK ew
May 10 2013

News Mash: What’s better for you, eating GMO corn or boogers? Hmmm…Don’t ask!

We live in an extremely odd world, these days…

A world where?

Huh…

Eating corn is actually BAD for you!

(NaturalNews)Comparison of GMO and non-GMO corn – the real statistics will astound you! ~byLance Devoncorn

As Monsanto parades their genetically modified seed, throwing it out like candy into the fields, future generations are being subjected to nutritionally void, disease-causing food. As the government protects the GMO industry, with its recent signing of the “Monsanto Protection Act”, the republic’s health interests are being discarded.

A 2012 study, called the Corn Comparison Report, was recently released by Profit Pro and published on the website for Moms Across America March to Label GMOs – a group dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of genetically modified organisms.

The Corn Comparison Report detailed the nutritional deficiencies of GMO corn compared to regular organic corn. The report reveals the stunning levels of glyphosate in GMO corn and the amount of vital nutrients that have been drawn out.

GMO corn: nutritionally void

The nutrition statistics for GMO corn are bone chilling. Here is what the report indicates:

• Organic corn has 14 ppm of manganese. GMO corn has only 2 ppm.
• Real corn has 7 times more manganese!
• Organic corn has 6130 ppm of calcium. GMO is stripped down to 14 ppm.
• Real corn has 437 times more calcium!
• Organic corn has 113 ppm of magnesium. GMO corn is vacant, with only 2 ppm.
• Real corn has 56 times more magnesium!

GMO corn contains alarming glyphosate levels

The amount of formaldehyde and glyphosate in GMO corn is unbelievable. To break it down, American EPA standards allow glyphosate in water of up to .7ppm. European tests indicate that animals begin experiencing liver damage at .0001 ppm of glyphosate in water. Putting these two statistics together, America’s water levels contain glyphosate that is 7,000 times greater than the amount required for animal liver damage!

GMO corn takes that statistic up yet another notch. GMO corn contains 13 ppm of glyphosate, or the equivalent of 130,000 times more toxicity than EPA water standards!

The formaldehyde level of GMO corn is unspeakable

In a similar study on GMO corn, Dr. Huber found out that animals avoid GMO corn at all costs. When given a choice between both GMO and non GMO varieties of corn, animals always go for the real organic corn. Huber also found out that .97ppm of formaldehyde is toxic to animals. The GMO corn he tried to give the animals contained 200 times that amount!

This begs the questions:

• Why is something this toxic fed to humans?
• Why would humans touch the stuff in the first place?
• Are people devolving?
• Have their instincts been shut down?
• Is their intuition numb?
• Are they distracted by pretty labels and promises of safety?

…[Read More]

And?

Disgustingly though…

Eating boogers?

Surprisingly, uh…

BETTER?

[via PopSci]Eating Boogers Could Be Good For You ~By Shaunacy FerroOK ew

Hold on to your nostrils, kids. Biochemist Scott Napper is ready to take notes anytime you feel like taste-testing your snot in front of him.

Could picking your nose and eating it actually be good for you? the University of Saskatchewan professor likes to ask his students. Perhaps it’s just a way for your immune system to sample the pathogens that surround a person every day. Snot has a sugary taste, according to Napper (an assertion I can’t bring myself to prove or disprove) which might be the body’s way of saying “Eat this, all of you, and learn from it.”

“I’ve got two beautiful daughters and they spend an amazing amount of time with their fingers up their nose,” he told CBC News. “And without fail, it goes right into their mouth afterwards. Could they just be fulfilling what we’re truly meant to do?”

This theory could fit in with the hygiene hypothesis, the notion that our 21st century, first-world cleanliness actually ruins our immune system and leads to allergies.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s get this booger show on the road!

…[Read More]

Hmm.

I must say, given my dietary options in this post?

Pretty darn sure…

I do not want to live in this world.

Ew.

Trust your instincts
May 10 2013

News Mash: Trust your instincts? Or risk your self-destruction!

Have you ever second-guessed yourself?

Everybody has.

Ever wonder why you do it?

Thanks to io9, you no longer have to wonder:

[via io9]Do you self-destructively second guess yourself? This might be why. ~Esther Inglis-Arkell

All the way back when I was taking the SATs, I remember being given the advice that, if in doubt about a question, I should go with my first choice. I never did, but finally there’s an explanation for why I should have. If any other second-guessers are reading this – the explanation might help you before it’s too late!

The oft-repeated wisdom is that everyone should trust their instincts. Fair enough. My instincts seem to dictate that I second-guess every possible decision, taking another look at what the right response is. Generally that second look involves my talking (internally) my way through the chain of reasoning that should get me to a conclusion. As it turns out, that’s not a sound strategy.

…

It seems that your brain is a rather lazy organ. If it can’t find a reason why it likes something – and most people aren’t able to easily explain why they like great art – it just decides to like the thing it can explain. “That poster is funny,” “those politics are easy to justify,” or “that answer sounds more right because blah,” are explanations it can pounce on. It’s only after time and reflection that we can return to our real instincts.

…[Read More]

So…

It all comes down to a basic loss of intuitive instinct?

Makes sense.

And when in comes to instinctively knowing a dangerous situation?

Sadly, so many of us (just like the kids in the BELOW video short…

Ignore it:

And we ignore our instincts?

Often to our own peril.

What am I saying with this post?

Simply this.

Resist second-guessing yourself.

After all?

You brain instinctively knows what’s right…

Long before you consciously realize it.

Trust your instincts

Just belive
May 4 2013

News Mash: Belief in God, ever controversial with its discoveries, boosts treatment of mental illness!

Ironic.

Though those with a strong scientific foundation, often attribute the belief in God to “crazy people”…

It has recently been proven (by Science) that the belief in God actually aids in the treatment of mental illness.

Funny how that works out, eh?

[via LiveScience]Belief in God May Boost Treatment of Mental Illness ~by Denise Chow

Patients who believe in God may experience better short-term treatment outcomes for psychiatric illness, according to a new study.

Individuals who described themselves as having strong faith reported having a better overall response to treatment, said David Rosmarin, a clinician and instructor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

“We found that patients who had higher levels of belief in God had better treatment outcomes — better well-being, less depression and less anxiety,” Rosmarin told LiveScience.

…[Read More]

Faith.

Belief in God?

One man’s idea of a higher power DOES NOT have to equate to the common status quo

For the fact is, when it comes to the absolute “truth”?

We might never know:

[via Dailymail] Does this mysterious Hebrew stone reveal a messiah BEFORE Jesus? Controversial ‘Gabriel stone’ tablet goes on show in Jerusalem ~By Mark Prigg

  • Ancient stone with mysterious Hebrew writing and featuring the archangel Gabriel
  • Researchers claim it references a messianic resurrection pre-dating Jesus

An ancient stone with mysterious Hebrew writing and featuring the archangel Gabriel is going on display in Jerusalem The stone inscription is one of the oldest passages featuring the archangelamid an ongoing row over whether it predicts a messiah before Jesus.

The so-called Gabriel Stone, said to have been found 13 years ago in Jordan, features an unknown prophetic text from the time of the Second Jewish Temple.

The tablet made a splash in 2008 when an Israeli scholar theorized the inscription would revolutionize the understanding of early Christianity, claiming it referenced a messianic resurrection pre-dating Jesus.

Scholars say it as a portal into the religious ideas circulating in the Holy Land in the era when was Jesus was born.

Its form is also unique – it is ink written on stone, not carved – and no other such religious text has been found in the region.

Curators at the Israel Museum, where the first exhibit dedicated to the stone opened today, say it is the most important document found in the area since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

‘The Gabriel Stone is in a way a Dead Sea Scroll written on stone,’ said James Snyder, director of the Israel Museum.

The writing dates to the same period, and uses the same tidy calligraphic Hebrew script, as some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of documents that include the earliest known surviving manuscripts of Hebrew Bible texts.

The Gabriel Stone made a splash in 2008 when Israeli Bible scholar Israel Knohl offered a daring theory that the stone’s faded writing would revolutionize the understanding of early Christianity, claiming it included a concept of messianic resurrection that predated Jesus.

He based his theory on one hazy line, translating it as ‘in three days you shall live.’

…[Read More]

The trick is?

To faith…

In Something.

Your beliefs do not have to equate your neighbors.

Yet still believe?

There ARE physical, health benefits you will receive from it.

So never let it be said, from those who find it convenient to say otherwise, convince you otherwise.

Just belive

Why not…

Besides being fun and good for you?

The debate of faith never fails to fascinate and inspire, even with all of its continuous controversies.

shut up and kiss me
May 4 2013

News Mash: We need stress in our lives, but just not too much…So kiss me!!!

Living a COMPLETELY stress free life!

As good as that sounds…

Truth is?

We ALL benefit from a little stress now and again:

[via LifeHacker] Why a Little Bit of Stress Can Actually Be Good for You ~Shana Lebowitz

There are times when I think I’d be much happier if I could spend the rest of my life lounging on the sands of the Mediterranean, having someone fan me with palm fronds while feeding me grapes. In other words, life would be better without any stress. Or would it?

According to new research from the University of California, Berkeley, a little stress may not be so bad for us after all. While chronic stress may be harmful, acute (short-term) stress may actually boost our cognitive function. The findings are supported by other research suggesting a little bit o’ stress may have beneficial effects for our brains and bodies. The key, of course, is knowing when we’re too harried for our own good.

What’s the Deal?

Before we get into the science, let’s be clear that most of the research in this area involves rats, not humans, so it’s not entirely clear that the findings apply to people. For a while now, researchers have suspected that the effect of stress on the (rat) brain is like an upside-down U: Up to a certain point, stress boosts cognitive function; after that, it starts to take a negative toll [1] [2].

In this latest study, researchers wanted to see if short-term stress really would turn regular old rats into geniuses. So they subjected rats to acute stress by confining them in their cages for a few hours. The stress caused the rats’ corticosterone (a stress hormone) levels to shoot up for a few hours, and also caused the growth of new cells in the hippocampus, an area of the brain associated with memory function.

Two days after the stressful event, the researchers tested rats’ memories, and found nothing had changed. But two weeks later, the rats’ memories had significantly improved. Then the researchers got super-techy and figured out that the cells produced after the stressful event were the same cells involved in learning during the second round of memory tests. In other words, the acute stress had made the rats smarter. The scientists concluded that acute stress has a beneficial effect on cognitive function.

…[Read More]

However?

If the stress becomes TOO much for you?

One of the best cures, best stress relievers…

Is also one of the most easy and enjoyable.

So consider KISSING…

A good viable options for relieving the worst of your stresses:

[via Gizmodo] Science Explains Why We Kiss ~by Casey Chan

…

The scientific effect of kissing has been revealed to burn 2-3 calories per minute and reduce bad cholesterol and stress. But it’s not like we knew that when we first swapped saliva! What we did know was that to feed babies more than just breast milk, mothers had to chew up the food to process it for their wee ones. Mouthfeeding. Watch the entire video to explore every nook about kissing. [Vsauce]

…[Read More]

Heck…

It’s fun!

So why not?

What do you have to lose?

Wanna be de-stressed a bit…

Give it a go!

Kissings curative powers MIGHT just surprise you.

shut up and kiss me

A slack hand
May 2 2013

News Mash: Where has all the “true grit” and guts gone, in today’s youth?

JC hits the nail on the head with THIS (below) quote…

Cause living?

Is all about “guts”.

Something?

It seems a majority of youngsters today…

Lack.

[via Joseph Campbell, Facebook]“When I taught in a boy’s prep school, I used to talk to the boys who were trying to make up their minds as to what their careers were going to be. A boy would come to me and ask, ‘Do you think I can do this? Do you think I can do that? Do you think I can be a writer?’ ‘Oh,’ I would say, ‘I don’t know. Can you endure ten years of disappointment with nobody responding to you, or are you thinking that you are going to write a best seller the first crack? If you have the guts to stay with the thing you really want, no matter what happens, well, go ahead.’”

from Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth, with Bill Moyers

…[Read More]

Call ‘em “guts”…

Or “true grit”.

Both apply.

Both?

In great demand…

And yet today?

Rarely seen.

[via DailyMail] Does true grit actually exist? Research suggests it may decide how much we achieve in life ~By Fiona Macrae

John Wayne had it; Jeff Bridges too. But far from being an intangible quality – scientists claim ‘true grit’ can be measured.

They say those with the trait show a ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals’, and are tenacious, not easily distracted and not discouraged by setbacks.

And the scientists claim a simple test is enough to see whether a person possesses the dogged determination exhibited by Marshal Rooster Cogburn in the Hollywood Western  True Grit.

Those who take it have to rate how closely eight statements apply to them. These include ‘I finish whatever I begin’ and ‘Setbacks don’t discourage me’.

Wayne received an Oscar for his 1969 portrayal of the fearless American civil war veteran who helps a 14-year-old girl track down the man who had killed her father.

Bridges showed a similar single-mindedness in a recent remake.

And scientists say that if you too have true grit, you may do better in life.

Those with true grit show a ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals’.

They are tenacious, not easily distracted and not discouraged by set-backs.  They also place importance in success.

…[Read More]

Why is this…
That which is so essential for one achieving any type of success?
Is seemingly a trait quickly one which is becoming extinct in the repertoire of man.

Where is it going?

Why are we killing it?

Is there any way for man to get it back, once it is lost?

Looking at the “lack lusters” we seem intent on breeding today… (The New Pizza Hut App That Helps Make Kids Even Lazier!!!)

It’s hard NOT to be haunted by the answers.

A slack hand

Oh noz
Apr 30 2013

News Mash: H7N9, 500 malfunctioning jail locks & shortage of pizza-makers…Priorities, people!

Must say?

THIS (below) deal…

With the H7N9 virus?

Getting pretty scary!

[via France24]US health leader warns of human-to-human H7N9 bird flu ~AFP 

…

Researchers are already developing a diagnostic test to identify H7N9, along with a vaccine, with clinical trials due in July or August.

“Work is under way on making a diagnostic test to be able to pick it up quickly,” Fauci said.

“We have already started on an early development of a vaccine as we did with H5N1 years ago… Hopefully, we will never have to use it.”

More than 110 people in mainland China have been confirmed to be infected with H7N9, with 23 deaths, since Beijing announced on March 31 that the virus had been found in humans.

Most of the cases have been located in eastern China, although Taiwan has reported one case. Another case has been found in southern China, while Chinese officials confirmed a further outbreak in the central province of Hunan.

Chinese authorities have identified poultry as the source of the virus and have confirmed that patients became sick from contact with infected live fowl.

A visiting team from the World Health Organization, which wrapped up a week-long visit to China on Wednesday, said there had been no human-to-human transmission but warned H7N9 was “one of the most lethal” influenza viruses ever seen.

Fauci praised Beijing for its handling of the current crisis, contrasting it to the response of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002-2003, when China stood accused of covering-up the scale of the crisis.

“It was not the case with SARS in 2003 but the transparency has been excellent,” Fauci said. “I am quite satisfied with the Chinese response.”

Fauci likened the current H7N9 strain of bird flu “in some respects” to the H5N1 bird flu strain of several years ago.

“The similarities are that it is fundamentally a chicken or bird flu that jumps from chicken to humans and is quite severe when it infects humans,” he said.

However, Fauci added: “The difference between H7N9 and H5N1, is that H5N1 kills chickens very rapidly so it is easy to identify where the infected flocks of chickens are. H7N9 doesn’t make the chicken sick, so it has been difficult to pinpoint where the infected chickens are.”

There have been 566 confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which killed 332 people in the world — a mortality rate of 58 percent, compared to 20 percent for the H7N9 bird flu strain.

The H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic o 2009, which appeared in Mexico at the same time of year as the H7N9, eventually infected 60 million people throughout the world and killed more than 12,000.

The 1918 Spanish flu, which has been called one of the deadliest plagues in human history, had a mortality rate of only two percent.

…[Read More]

That is, of course, if you are smart enough to be scared of the RIGHT things.

When it comes to scary, just what do I mean by the “right” things?

How about THIS (below)…

Especially if you were one of the guards on duty.

Whoa…

Terrifying!

[via NYDailyNews] Malfunctioning locks open 500 cell doors in Maryland jail ~ The AP

CLARKSBURG, Md. — Officials in Montgomery County have declared a security emergency after locks on about 500 cell doors at the main jail near Clarksburg simultaneously opened.

Arthur Wallenstein, director of the county’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tells The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/12PnEku) that no inmates tried to escape when their cells were unlocked Saturday morning. The locks were reset within an hour.

Wallenstein says the cell door locks also disengaged Tuesday. Officials are trying to determine the source of the problem in the electronic system. The doors are guided by computer programs and correctional officers.

About 20 police cars were called to the perimeter of the facility Saturday. Maintenance workers and outside contractors were working on the jail system.

Wallenstein says any security door opening unexpectedly is a major security problem.

…[Read More]

However, neither the threat of human-to-human transmission of the H7N9 virus…

Or the prospect of 500 jail cells, containing 500 criminals “accidentally” (Pffft, yeah right!) opening at the same time?

Not nearly as heart-stopping, life-altering, soul-shaking…

As THIS (below):

[via Telegraph]Shortage of pizza-makers as Italians are too proud ~By , Rome Oh noz

Despite a long recession and high unemployment, Italians are shunning the job because of the long hours and modest pay.

But with a slice of pizza an increasingly popular lunch time option in times of economic hardship, the pizza sector is booming – and an estimated 6,000 new “pizzaioili” are needed, according to FIPE, an Italian business federation.

“Notwithstanding the economic crisis and unemployment, it is proving difficult to find them,” the association said in a report released this week.

Italians may be reluctant to get their hands dirty by stoking ovens and kneading dough, but foreign immigrants have no such qualms and are now filling the gap, producing an increasing share of the three billion pizzas that Italians eat each year.

Egyptians have shown themselves to be particularly adept at mastering the art of the perfect pizza and now run many of the pizza restaurants and hole-in-the-wall takeaways in big cities like Rome, Milan and Turin.

“I would say about 80 per cent of Egyptians who come to work in Italy end up as pizza makers,” Amadeo Al-Wikel, who emigrated from Cairo to Rome 12 years ago and now runs his own pizzeria on a street corner near Rome’s Trevi Fountain, told The Daily Telegraph.

“We are good at it because we are prepared to work hard. Italians, in contrast, want a nice comfortable office job where they can work six hours a day, five days a week, in air-conditioning. They’re not prepared to work 10, 12 hours a day.” Alessandro Rossi, who runs another pizzeria in Rome, is also surprised that Italians refuse to take up an occupation that is part of their cultural DNA, especially as unemployment among young people has reached 35 per cent.

“The Italian mindset is that being a pizza-maker is humiliating, it is a manual labour job,” he said.

…[Read More]

Think I’m being ridiculous, regarding my priorities?

Just imagine the prospect for a minute…

A shortage of Italian pizza makers = Italian pizza on the brink of extinction.

Ohmhagawd!

Just stick me an unsecured prison, with 500 prisoners running amok and give me the H7N9 virus, why don’t you?

Jeez.

Just thinking about a world where Italian pizza extinction is highly possible?

I do not want to live in such a world.

Missing something
Apr 28 2013

News Mash: We feel empathy for robots. And those that don’t…Are missing something important?

Riddle yourself this…

Could you feel empathy for non-sentient objects?

Science says…

You would be surprised by their answer:

[via ScienceDaily]Humans Feel Empathy for Robots: fMRI Scans Show Similar Brain Function When Robots Are Treated the Same as Humans

Apr. 23, 2013 — From the T-101 to Data from Star Trek, humans have been presented with the fictional dilemma of how we empathize with robots. Robots now infiltrate our lives, toys like Furbies or robot vacuum cleaners bring us closer, but how do we really feel about these non-sentient objects on a human level? A recent study by researchers at the University of Duisburg Essen in Germany found that humans have similar brain function when shown images of affection and violence being inflicted on robots and humans.

…

“Investigation on Empathy Towards Humans and Robots Using Psychophysiological Measures and fMRI,” by Astrid Rosenthal-von der Pütten and Nicole Krämer; To be presented at the 63rd Annual International Communication Association Conference, London, England 17-21 June.

…[Read More]

Cause in all honesty?

If you DON’T feel empathy for, well…

For THIS:

You probably (just taking a wild guess here) won’t?

Yeah…

Feel empathy for your fellow man and all her/his trials as well:

[via ListVerse]10 People Who Survived Your Worst Nightmares ~by Mike Floorwalker

There are certain sets of circumstances, should you ever find yourself in them, where the most reasonable course of Michelina Lewando 2088976Baction is to reflect on what a good life it’s been and prepare to check out. We all like to hear nail-biting stories of those who beat the odds and managed to overcome certain death, but these stories are of course highly statistically unlikely—that’s why it’s called “certain death”.

As for the following people, they decided that statistics be damned, they weren’t going to be one. These average, everyday people found themselves in situations that are normally only survived by waking up from the nightmare, yet they’re still with us today… and with some pretty harrowing tales to tell.

10 Survived: Being buried alive

Michelina Lewandoska, a Polish emigrant to the U.K., described for a British court in January of 2012 the terror she felt as she lay buried in the ground, her hands and feet bound, in a taped-up cardboard box, slowly suffocating: “During my time inside my shallow grave where I was buried alive I feared that my life was at an end and I was going to die… I prayed to God to help me to survive so that I could look after my young son.” The referred to her then 3 year-old son she shared with fiancé Marcin Kasprzak—the man who had buried her.

After having grown “bored” of Michelina, Kasprzak and his younger friend Patryk Borys hatched a plan to get rid of her. Marcin attacked her with a stun gun, once to get her to the ground and once “for a long period”; he and his friend then bound her wrists and ankles and tied her up, apparently trying to figure out what to do next for several hours—before finally stuffing Michelina into a cardboard box and driving off into the wilderness, to bury her alive under four inches of earth and a 90 pound tree branch.

Incredibly, Michelina used her engagement ring to cut loose of her bonds as she was buried in the shallow grave, then claw her way out. She had difficulty walking and breathing for weeks after the attack, and doubtless still has nightmares; but on her testimony, her attackers were both sentenced to 20 years in prison.

…[Read More - See All 10 HERE!]

And if THAT is the case?

Bad news for you, dude…

You?

Very likely a total psychopath.

[via DailyMail]Is this proof evil killers are born not made? Psychopaths’ brains ‘lack basic wiring that triggers empathy Missing somethingand compassion’ ~By Kerry Mcdermott

Don’t blame Hannibal Lecter – he can’t help being a callous, murdering monster.

New research suggests psychopaths lack basic hard-wiring in the brain that enables most people to be compassionate and caring, scientists say.

They say MRI scans revealed distinct differences in the way highly-psychopathic individuals’ and ordinary people’s brains reacted when they were shown footage of people being intentionally hurt. Scientists at the University of Chicago studied 80 male prisoners aged between 18 and 50 who were assessed for psychopathic traits. Around 20 to 30 per cent of the U.S. prison population is believed to be affected by psychopathy – compared with one per cent of the general population.

Study participants underwent brain scans while being shown videos of people being intentionally hurt and others of faces reacting to pain.

Their findings, published today, may help to shed light on why criminal psychopaths like cannibal Lecter, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins, appear void of remorse or compassion. Psychopaths displayed significantly less activity in key areas of the brain including the amygdala – an almond-shaped bundle of neurons which plays an important role in processing emotions like fear, anger and pleasure.

The stunted response observed in the amygdala and in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex was consistent with previous studies of psychopathy, researchers said.

Converseley, more activity was seen in the striatum and insula regions. The high activity recorded in the insula region surprised the scientists, as the area is central to emotion.

‘A marked lack of empathy is a hallmark characteristic of individuals with psychopathy,’ said lead researcher Professor Jean Decety.

‘This is the first time that neural processes associated with empathic processing have been directly examined in individuals with psychopathy, especially in response to the perception of other people in pain or distress.’

Psychopaths are known to be responsible for a disproportionate amount of repetitive crime and violence.

…[Read More]

If you lack empathy?

Sucks to be you, right now…

Doesn’t it?

Then again, if you lack the ability to FEEL empathy, chances are…

You don’t give two flying-figs about this news.

So?

I suppose it all balances out.

Very much in an Oh-my-gawd-you-so-scary-please don’t eat-my-face kinda way.

And life?

Is nothing without it’s little balances.

Oh I see
Apr 20 2013

News Mash: If the question is why do we cry? The answer could be easier than one would expect!

Science…

It answers for us?

Those pressing questions we all have…

Which we did NOT know were pressing:

[via GIzmodo] Why Do Humans Cry? by~ Andrew Liszewski

Tears are obviously our body’s mechanism to keep our eyeballs well lubricated, but why do humans start bawling when they’re sad, in pain, or overjoyed? What purpose could crying possibly serve?

As ASAP Science illustrates, the leading theory is that crying is an obvious expression of sincere sadness or distress, and that we’re sending out a sort of biological bat signal that we’re in need of comforting. And the fact that tears blur our vision which handicaps our ability to react shows others we’re being sincere.

Another more interesting theory, however, is that the type of tears that flow when crying contain a high concentration of a chemical that’s linked to stress. And since crying rids the body of that chemical, it could actually help us chill out when stressed.

…[Read More]

And by answers these questions?

Sometimes Science overlooks the obvious.

Why do humans cry?

Sometimes it is as simple as this…

Because of the needle in your eye.

Seriously.

[via DailyMail]‘I cried ink for two days,’ says man who had his EYEBALLS tattooed ~By Sam AdamsOh I see

  • Rodrigo Fernando dos Santos had ink injected into whites of eyes
  • Had already had 70 per cent of his body covered tattoos
  • Specialists warn eye tattoos may cause vision damage

A Brazilian man claims he ‘cried ink for two days’ after getting his eyeballs tattooed to make them darker.

Tattoo artist Rodrigo Fernando dos Santos, 39, of Sao Paulo, decided to go ahead with the bizarre procedure after having already had 70 per cent of his body covered in ink.

The work involved a special syringe being used to inject the ink into the whites of his eyes.

The irreversible procedure involved using a syringe to inject ink into the sclera – the protective outer layer – of his eyes, 9News reports.

The ink used to inject his eye is believed to be the same used for tattoos on the rest of the body.

Eye specialists have advised against the procedure which some warn can cause inflammation and possibly even vision loss, according to 9News.

Eye tattooing is believed to be growing in popularity worldwide, with a tattoo artist in Australia claiming to be the first to have had the procedure done.

It is part of a trend for more unusual tattoos, with some women even having ‘perfect’ eyebrows and nipples tattooed onto them as a beauty treatment.

Tattooing goes back thousands of years, and has been a widespread practice across the globe, from the Pacific islands to northern Europe since ancient times.

…[Read More]

Why this answer is not obvious?

Right up there with the level of stupidity it took to propose the question in the first place:

“Can one actually get their eyeball tattooed?”

Yeah…

Scary knowing there exists in this world someone who thought getting their EYEBALLS tattooed (i.e. STICKING A NEEDED REPEATEDLY INTO THEIR EYE) was a good idea.

Jeez, dude.

got tylenol
Apr 20 2013

News Mash: Our Chicken Overlords cometh…Resulting in existential angst? Use Tylenol to cope!

Dang you, China!

I did NOT need to hear this news before my weekend was set to start.

What am I talking about?

Oh, only that China suspects that human-to-human bird flu (i.e. death by chicken)…

Has occurred:

Holy CLUCK!

[via USNews]As the Chinese government openly begins to speculate about the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the H7N9 bird flu strain, an international team of experts, including some from the World Health Organization, have been deployed to investigate the disease in the country.

If true, the development would quickly raise concerns of the disease outbreak leading to a pandemic. Flu experts have long warned once a particularly deadly strain of the flu, as H7N9 appears to be – it has killed 17 of the 87 people it has infected – becomes transmissible between humans, it can quickly spread.

The World Health Organization has said some of those who have contracted the virus have had “no history of contact with poultry,” and the state-run China Daily newspaper says a boy in Shanghai may have caught the disease from his brother.

“Further investigations are still under way to figure out whether the family cluster involved human-to-human transmission,” Feng Zijian, of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the newspaper.

…[Read More]

If you are like me?

News of your possible, impending death via chicken, does not settle well at in.

In fact, just the opposite.

It tends to make one feel just a tiny bit anxious…

Yes?

If so, Science says if you want to de-stress, feel far less anxious regarding your impending death?

Take a pill.

A Tylenol to be exact.

No…

Seriously.

It will help.

[via NatureWorldNews]Tylenol Eases Existential Anxiety ~By Staff Reportergot tylenol

A common pain-reliever can also be used to cope with existential dread – anxiety arising from thinking about death – according to a new study.

Acetaminophen or Tylenol is an over-the-counter pain medicine used to relieve minor aches or fever.

The new study has shown that Tylenol can also help reduce pain experienced after thinking about death or uncertainty of life.

“Pain extends beyond tissue damage and hurt feelings, and includes the distress and existential angst we feel when we’re uncertain or have just experienced something surreal. Regardless of the kind of pain, taking Tylenol seems to inhibit the brain signal that says something is wrong,” said Daniel Randles from the University of British Columbia.

…[Read More]

Of course…

Chickens will still kill you.

(I think it has been their plan all along)

But?

You won’t have a headache, or be too stressed out about it.

And life?

It’s really all about taking those little WINS! where you can get them, isn’t it?

*shakes head sadly*

what of it
Apr 18 2013

News Mash: Science titilates your pleasure pathways with this device…And magnetic silly putty?

Science now seeks to control your most basic pleasures?

Via…

A wireless device.

Only got one thing to say that, Science…

…..

……

Cool.

[via io9] A device that controls your mind with pleasurable stimulation ~by George Dvorsky

What if you could control somebody’s desires using a wireless device? It’s not a Larry Niven novel — it’s today’s science. Researchers used a remote controller to stimulate neurons in mice that release the reward chemical dopamine. As a result, they changed the behavior of the mice, from a distance, in the absence of any tangible reward.

And they did it using optogenetics, an emerging field of research in which living, cortical neurons and other cells can be manipulated or controlled with optical technology (typically with fiber optic cables). It’s only been tested in nonhuman animals like rodents and monkeys, but it could eventually be used to treat such things as heart conditions, paralysis, and even diabetes.

But now, as new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has shown, optogenetics could also be used to stimulate the brain’s reward and pleasure pathways — all without unwieldy wires or cables stuck into the brain.

In the new study, which has now been published in Science, a research team co-led by Washington University’s Michael R. Bruchas demonstrates how optogenetic effects can be triggered over wireless.

…[Read More]

Just as cool?

The fact that science does NOT indeed need to create such a device…

To trigger my pleasure.

No.

In fact?

They just need four minutes with this silly putty.

Magnetic.

[via Gizmodo]Watching Four Minutes of Magnetic Putty Swallowing Things Is Oddly Erotic ~by Casey Chan

Sure, you’ve seen the master mutant powers of magnetic putty before and how its snake-like unhinging ability can completely engulf an object. It’s the work of magic! Or the closest thing we have to magical powers (magnets). PBS Digital Studios and Shanks FX teamed up to have a bit of fun with magnetic putty and shows it in all of its gory detail. Shot in macro and placed against a titillating soundtrack, seeing magnetic putty swallow things is, um, a lot of fun. [Joey Shanks]

…[Read More]

Wut?

So I’m easy…

As WELL as geeky.

Who didn’t know this?

Don’t see why you are surprised.

what of it

paper made better
Apr 18 2013

News Mash: I bow to you science and technology innovators of today & I bow deeply!

There is no way…

Given all of the amazing scientific and technological innovations coming out everyday?

That this blog could cover each and every one.

Nevertheless?

We try:

[via DiscoverMagazine]Watch This: Bioengineered Kidney Transplanted Into Rat

When a patient’s kidney stops functioning, the existing options are limited to transplant or continual dialysis. Now scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston are a little closer to having a third option: transplanting kidneys that have been “upcycled” from previously unusable tissue.

To make these functioning and transplantable organs, the researchers begin with unusable donor organs. We’ll use the rat kidney in the film below as an example. Flushing the kidney of its natural cells leaves behind a structure of proteins, which the researchers repopulated with stem cells. In an oxygen- and nutrient-rich growth medium, these kidney and blood vessel cells multiplied and the regenerated rat organ eventually started to work like a normal organ.

“The tissue became functional,” said Harald Ott, one of the team’s researchers, in the film. “These kidneys began to make rudimentary urine.”

To further prove the effectiveness of the method, the researchers transplanted the bioengineered kidney into a live rat, where it continued to do its kidney job. The research paper, published in Nature Medicine yesterday, says the potential outcomes aren’t necessarily limited to animal test subjects.

“Ultimately this is a very translational kind of research,” Ott said. “It’s very much focused on driving this all the way down to the bedside, getting this to the patient.”

…[Read More]

A fully functional biologically engineered kidney…

Could there be anything cooler?

Hmmm.

How about software that turns basic paper into a touchscreen?

[via PopSci] Crazy Software Turns Paper Into A Touchscreen  ~By Colin Lecherpaper made better

With a webcam, a projector, and special software, researchers from Fujitsu Laboratories have made an awesome (and unexpected) mix of dead-tree and digital tech: a system that turns paper into touchscreens.

Put your documents under the machine while motion trackers determine where your finger is and, with a series of gestures, users can highlight images or text, then automatically digitize what they select. The machine can pick up on either a flat sheet of paper or adjust to the curve of a real book.

…[Read More]

Yeah…

That will do it!

I bow to you science and technology innovators…

Never doubt it.

And I bow DEEPLY!