Not only can these new hospital beds talk, they speak 13 languages. The beds have the brains of a computer and can communicate 30 programmed questions and commands that help care for patients who don’t speak the native tongue. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
897-Pound Pumpkin Sets Record for Newlyweds
As they hoped, a South Carolina couple’s giant backyard pumpkin has set a state record for weight. Frank and Tina Finders’ pampered pumpkin weighed in Friday at 897 pounds, beating the previous best of 737 pounds. The newlyweds – who have matching tattoos of a flowering pumpkin vine on their shoulders – had been waiting for this moment for nearly four months, keeping their pumpkin moist and shady.
Australians Pioneer New Cheaper Fuel Cells
A much cheaper fuel cell could be on its way thanks to a breakthrough cathode built by Australian researchers that uses Gortex, the same material in outdoor clothing. Up until now, fuel cells needed a cathode which contains expensive platinum particles, worth around $3,500 to $4,000. The new cost-effective solution, featured yesterday in the journal Science, uses a thin flexible polymer that conducts electricity at a cost of only several hundred dollars, while producing the same amount of current as the platinum cathode. The plastic also exhibits increased stability.
‘Major Discovery’ from MIT Could Unleash Solar Revolution
In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier: how to store energy for use when the sun doesn’t shine.
Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. Researchers announced on Thursday, that by mimicking a plant’s energy storage system, they have hit upon a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process for storing solar energy. (Right, researcher Daniel Nocera, photo by Donna Coveney )
Japanese Town Blazes Trail in Clean Energy
In the mountains of northern Japan, wind, sun and even cow dung are being turned into electricity as part of efforts to turn a whole town into an experiment in renewable energy use. The town is a sprawling laboratory for the whole of the archipelago, which has almost no fossil fuels of its own and is seeking to diversify its energy sources to reduce dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
College Coach Brings His Players to Peru Delivering 100,000 Shoes to Poor Kids
College basketball coach Ron Hunter, who raised more than 250,000 pairs of shoes for Samaritan’s Feet, speaks to ESPN’s Mike & Mike from his shoe delivery mission in Lima, Peru. Coach Hunter wanted his players to experience the poverty of the country and to share their good fortune, so he brought them along, teaching them that winning basketball games isn’t the most important thing in the world. This MUST-PLAY INTERVIEW is below! (Visit Samaritan’s Feet to donate or contribute.)
AIDS Deaths Down in 2007
The number of AIDS deaths worldwide dropped 10 percent in 2007, as did the number of new infections in children, because of increasing access to treatment, the United Nations reported. Prevention efforts like condom use and education tripled in some countries. (2008/07/29)
In Heartland of Islam, Jews Invited for First-Ever Talks
Last week, an amazingly colorful array of Arab princes and Muslim clerics came together with representatives of the world’s major faiths in Madrid. While the Western media generally failed to appreciate the magnitude of the event, the Arab media understood how important it really was. Not only was this the first international multi-faith conference ever initiated by an Arab Muslim leader, it was inaugurated by the king of the Muslim world’s heartland, Saudi Arabia, where the most conservative Muslim outlook prevails.
US Lawmakers Offer First Formal Slavery Apology
U.S. lawmakers Tuesday offered the federal government’s first formal apology for the “fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity” of slavery and the legal segregation of African-Americans.
The resolution, passed in the House of Representatives by voice vote, ” apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery” formal segregation laws known as “Jim Crow.”
(Updated w/ Video) Golden Retriever Adopts 3 Tiger Cubs at Kansas Zoo
Lots of people wrote in telling me to link to the photo and story of the Golden Retriever nursing three newborn striped tiger cubs that were abandoned by their mother.
Editor’s note: Over the years I’ve published plenty of these inter-breed nursing situations, usually cats and dogs doing the nursing — of opossums, raccoons, rabbits, and even tigers. Humans follow the same patterns today. Some mothers abandon babies, many more looking to adopt them.
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US Triples AIDS, Malaria, TB Funds for Poorest Countries
US President George W. Bush on Wednesday signed legislation tripling funds to fight the killer diseases of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in the world’s poorest countries, mainly in Africa. Congress approved a package earlier this month which lifted funding for the five-year program from 15 billion dollars, set in 2003, to the 48 billion dollars signed into law by Bush.
Eleven Ways to Reduce Stress
Stress is a disease generator and a drag on your fun! Here are 11 ways to ease your stress, from taking B vitamins, to taking a bath and letting your cares melt away. (Natural News)
Astronaut Technology Could Prevent Elderly Falls
Your grandmother may have something in common with an astronaut. Originally developed to help NASA monitor balance problems in astronauts returning from space, the new “iShoe” insole could help doctors detect balance problems before a catastrophic fall occurs, said the graduate student who developed the technology as an intern at NASA.
Siberian Villages Witness Russian Healthcare Revival
A healthcare revolution is sweeping Russia. Both Russia’s federal and regional governments — enriched by energy and commodity exports over the last decade — have poured money into the country’s healthcare system, which crumbled after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have made improving the health of Russians central to their policies and pledged billions of dollars to boost healthcare.
Paris Eyes Plan for Drivers to Share Electric Cars
The citywide bike-sharing program embraced by Parisians and tourists that started one year ago was so successful that the mayor is proposing a four-wheeled version, using electric cars. The program dubbed Autolib’ will launch in late 2009 or early 2010 with a fleet of 4,000 non-polluting electric cars. (New York Times has the AP story)
Car-sharing is a growing trend in many countries. Businesses like Zipcar flourish as gas prices go up. Zipcar was born in the fall of 1999, when the two founders were sitting in a café, excited about a concept they had seen in Berlin while on vacation. Cars were parked around the city for members to drive by the hour instead of owning their own vehicles.
More Experimental Alzheimer’s Drugs Show Early Promise
“For the first time, an experimental drug shows promise for halting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by taking a new approach: breaking up the protein tangles that clog victims’ brains.”
There is also a new experimental vaccine, explained in the video below, which shows great promise but will be several more years in trials before it reaches the market. (Above AP story at Yahoo)
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Dunkin’ Donuts to Offer Healthier Menu Items
“Looking to entice those hungry for a healthier option, Dunkin’ Donuts will begin offering a new slate of better-for-you offerings in August.” (AP News at Yahoo)
