Just a small article of interest I found earlier on New Scientist:
Harnessing science to create the ultimate warrior by Linda Geddes – New Scientist
Genetic testing might also enable recruitment officers to determine which soldiers are best for specialist jobs. For example, by combining psychological testing with genetic tests for levels of brain chemicals, a clearer picture of a soldier’s competencies might shine through. “We might say that given this person’s high levels of brain serotonin, they’re going to be calmer under pressure, so they might make a good sniper,” says Paul Zak of Claremont Graduate University in California, who was on the NAS panel. Alternatively, someone with low dopamine might be less likely to take risks, he says, and therefore be better suited as a commanding officer in a civilian area.
The new website Wolfram Alpha, the world’s first real attempt at an answer engine will be opening to the public next week I believe. Here’s the link.
http://www.wolframalpha.com/index.html
Can’t wait to see if it’ll be really cool!
This article in NewScientist talks about it more in depth.
Randomly fascinating thing I read about this morning :
Instead of software and processors to guide them, their instructions will be written into the chemistry of their constituent parts. They are chemical robots, or as the 1.6m euro project’s title has it, chobots.
In fact, notes Frantisek Stepanek of Prague’s Institute of Chemical Technology, they are more like the robots described by Capek himself, formed of “…a blob of some kind of colloidal jelly that not even a dog would eat”.
‘Chemical robots’ swarm together – Jason Palmer – Science and technology - BBC News
And all over Canada is the media proudly showing off their latest bright up and comer, Eric Yam, from Nothern Secondary School in Toronto, Ontario.
Voila, a 92 page PDF file of ASTEN, the intergalactic settlement designed by Eric Yam. Going into quite a large amount of detail that I won’t get into in this post, it is definitely worth the read. Using the technologies that are currently available to us as both tried & tested and experimental, he shows the ways that this kind of settlement could work quite efficiently. Approximate time for building this settlement : 30 years. Approximate cost : $500 million USD+.
Let me know what you think!
Space city an idealized Toronto – The Star
Toronto student’s space colony design wins NASA contest - CBC News
Teen’s intergalactic Canada takes top prize in space contest - Globe and Mail
Image created by Eric Yam. Property of (Eric Yam / NASA)
Seems to be that the latest trend in transplants centers around the outside of the body more than the inside. Not that this is a bad thing at all in any way, but it’s at least fascinating!
Man Gets First Double Hand Transplant in U.S. – article
Face Transplant Recipient Revealed – video
Double Arm Transplant A First – video
Transplant of a Human Knee Is Achieved For The First Time – article
Muscle Transplant Saves Boy’s Leg – article
Double ‘bionic ear’ Transplant A First – article
I’ll no doubt be updating this list soon. Isn’t science amazing? 
Let me know if you find more information on this topic! I want to collect more of it.
Glowing band aid to zap skin cancer
Polymertronics, based in Banbury, UK, is developing the plasters, which are impregnated with a ser ies of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The light plasters are designed for use in photodynamic therapy, in which light-sensitive drugs are applied to the skin as a cream. When you shine red light on the area it activates the drugs, which destroy the tumour as they soak though the skin.
