Quick test for HIV: This microfluidics chip can detect syphilis and HIV in just 15 minutes from one microliter of blood. Credit: Curtis Chin, Columbia University A simple microfluidics chip could improve health care in poor countries by making rapid diagnostic testing a reality. Developed by Samual Sia and collaborators at Columbia University, the system …
1. Margaret Harding goes over the realities of Entergy’s bet on fuel for Vermont Yankee (VY). Neither the naysayers, nor the supporters had it right. The fuel can be moved, but not easily. The fuel can be used in another reactor, but not easily. In any case, the cost probably will outweigh the benefits and …
Apple has a valuation of $369 billion (as the stock price closes on $400 per share) At $449 per share (if Exxon Mobil remained shares were flat), Apple would be the world’s most valuable company. Apple is worth more than Microsoft ($235 billion) and Intel ($122 billion) combined. Apple is close to the value of …
1. The plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease may arise in the liver, not the brain as commonly thought, according to a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers found that three genes that protected mice against plaque deposition in neurons were correlated with expression of the genes in the liver, where the plaques are …
Parajet skycar deliveries are now scheduled for 2012 The Parajet SkyCar in “fly mode” is suspended by the latest ram-air wing and capable of take-off from a field or airstrip in less than 200 metres. It will be easier and safer to fly than any other aircraft, as it has no pitch control and therefore …
This site has looked at a Mundane Singularity before and often about getting to higher rates of economic growth and wealth. Previously I talked about a Mundane Singularity with how much : 1. Economic abundance 2. Radical life extension 3. Physical and Cognitive enhancement 4. Blood Stream Robots 5. Supermaterials 6. Open Access to space …
PNAS – Association of selected persistent organic pollutants in the placenta with the risk of neural tube defects Pregnant mothers who are exposed to pesticides and smoke are as much as four times more likely to give birth to infants with serious birth defects. Neural tube defects, or NTDs, are brain and spinal cord defects …
Jeff Head has collected loads of pictures of the reconstruction of the Varyag. This shot is of a Varyag from last month as it is getting outfitted and ready to set sail. There is a lengthy but interesting analysis of China’s growing naval power at military aerospace.com. Seaborne commerce is an essential part of Chinese …
Nuclear technologist Kirk Sorensen has spent much of his career researching the potential of thorium fission reactors. Sorensen has recently founded a company, Flibe energy, which is dedicated to developing small, portable thorium power plants. In an interview with Sander Olson (exclusively for Nextbigfuture.com), Sorensen discusses why he believes that thorium could be used to …
Isolated cluster formation on CNT multi electrode array (MEA). (a) A bright field image of a neuronal cluster on a CNT electrode. The electrode diameter is 30 µm and the inter electrode distance is 200 µm (b) A fluorescent microscope image of the cluster in (a), stained for cell nuclei (DAPI-blue), glia (GFAP-green) and neurons …
n a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, regenerative medicine is called the “next evolution of medical treatments.” The report says the field not only “holds the realistic promise of regenerating damaged tissues and organs in the living body” but “empowers scientists to grow tissues and organs in the laboratory and …