Tanning beds Proven to cause cancer : Some carcinogen levels as arsenic exposure

Apparently the risk of cancer is three times more likely if tanning beds are used frequently before the age of 30.   

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32187497/ns/health-cancer/

100 Things Your Kids Will Never Know..

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/100-things-your-kids-may-never-know-about/

“

Inserting a VHS tape into a VCR to watch a movie or to record something.

Super-8 movies and cine film of all kinds.

High-speed dubbing.

The scream of a modem connecting.

The buzz of a dot-matrix printer

5- and 3-inch floppies, Zip Discs and countless other forms of data storage.

Using jumpers to set IRQs

Finding out information from an encyclopedia.

Using a road atlas to get from A to B.

Doing bank business only when the bank is open

Rotary-dial telephones.

Pay phones.

Phones with actual bells in them.

Starbuck being a man.

Han shoots first.

Finding books in a card catalog at the library.

Spending your entire allowance at the arcade in the mall.”

Elusive Yellow LED with Reasonable Efficiency Developed

This may not sound impressive, but it’s a step towards having LEDs used for blinkers on cars, yellow on stop lights, and other consumer products such as lower-cost LCD devices. 

“A nitride phosphor with peak emission at 590 nm in the form of a dense ceramic – Lumiramic is attached to a highly efficient blue emitting InGaN diode, so that full conversion of blue light is achieved. A total External Quantum Efficiency (amber photons per electron) of 32% has been reached, resulting in a 300% improvement over the best direct AlGaInP LED”

http://www.physorg.com/news167555795.html

Calorie – Measuring method can be off +10% to –25% or more

Apparently new research suggests factors such as the softness of a food can have a significant impact on the ability of the body to convert the stored energy.  For example, two sets of rats fed the exact same calorie content, but one set was fed hard food, the other soft.  The rats receiving the softer food were significantly overweight compared do the other group.  Check out this fantastic read if you are watching what you eat:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327171.200-the-calorie-delusion-why-food-labels-are-wrong.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

NASA Releases Restored Moon Landing Footage

NASA Conducts Full-Scale test of Vx-200 Plasma Engine

A first of it’s kind, the superconducting plasma drive underwent successful initial tests.  In about a week a full-output test will be conducted.  This new engine will provide enough power to go on deep-space missions and at a fraction of the payload. 

 

A cool video :  http://www.adastrarocket.com/Plasma.html

Interplanetary Internet goes Live

The international Space Station is the first hop / node in space to use the new Interplanetary Internet.  This first iteration has certain hours that it can be used, so it still has some growth, but at least it’s the first step in expanding out reach.  It uses Delay-Tolerant-Networking (DTN) to send the data instead of our standard TCP/IP, since it’s likely there data will come in waves and perhaps out of order.    The main difference with DTN is the node will store all information it receives until it finds another node to send the data.   The reason for this is a NAK (not acknowledged) message could delay transmissions for days, so a new method was needed.  http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17416-interplanetary-internet-gets-permanent-home-in-space.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

Potential cure for Macular Degeneration (AMD)

  Interesting break-though folks.  Now if they could only find an easy way to reverse hair loss……. “ Millions of people could have their eyesight saved thanks to ground-breaking laser treatment that has the potential to eradicate the most common cause of blindness.  One of Britain’s leading eye experts has developed a technique to reverse the disabling effects of age-related macular degeneration(AMD), which leaves many older people unable to read, drive or live independently, and eventually robs them of sight in one or both eyes.”

Unemployment jumps to 9.5%, for a Total of 16.5% are Unemployed. 1 in 5 Americans..

It seems hard to conceive, but ultimately 1 in 5 Americans are without a job.  The 9.5% figure quoted for April does not include people who have previously/recently lost their jobs as well.  If you measure the number of people who were previously working, or were forced to go to part time work, that rate jumps to 1.5.  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/07/in_case_you_were_insufficientl.html?hpid=topnews

 

Heart Stem Cells Found

“Scientists have identified a cardiac stem cell that gives rise to all of the major cell types in the human heart. The find opens the way to using patients’ own cells to heal their damaged hearts.” http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread478854/pg1

Impressive Electric Car coming soon: Tesla’s Model S

  Finally, a all-electric vehicle with a 300 mile range, 0-6 in 5.6 seconds,electronically limited to 125-MPH and 45 minute quick-charge and seats 5 adults?   It won’t be available in the U.S. for a couple of years, but it sure had caught my attention.  This car as the ability to be used for daily life, get 2x the efficient as a hybrid, and do so with so much cargo room it’s insane.  Check out the Tesla site here: http://www.teslamotors.com/models/index.php  and Pcauthority has a interesting write up as well: http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/149096,motor-tech-teslas-upgrade-to-right-hand-drive-evokes-exotic-electric-car-future.aspx