Milton, Mass., parents just received this letter, via email (below), instructing them to send their kids to public school tomorrow with bottled water, and promising that administrators will try not to make them thirsty. — MB
Thanks Adam Gaffin, at Univeral Hub… Thank goodness, bottled water sales are not yet prohibited in the towns affected by this catastrophic main break.
The 10-foot wide main, by the way, was only six years old. — MB
via Aquapocalypse has a theme song | Universal Hub.
Photo: D. Sharon/Flickr CC
Here’s to hoping that resveratrol, which mimics the life-extending benefits of severe caloric restriction, might do the same. — MB
Tufts scientists recently deprived a group of chubby men, for six months, of about one-third of their daily caloric intake.
The result: The subjects’ white blood cells, central to the body’s immune response systems, performed better:
“Scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that volunteers who followed a low-calorie diet or a very low-calorie diet not only lost weight, but also significantly enhanced their immune response. The study may be the first to demonstrate the interaction between calorie restriction and immune markers among humans.”
The study might also help scientists determine whether resveratrol, which is found in red wine and other foods, mimics the immune regulating effects of caloric restriction — an impractical lifestyle change for millions of Americans.
via Less is More When Restraining Calories Boosts Immunity.
Photo: Sarah G/Flickr CC
Silk-based implants that stretch, and stick to the brain’s contours and folds like shrink wrap, will monitor patient’s brains and other organs, without damaging sensitive tissues.
Tufts University biomedical engineering professors David Kaplan and Fiorenzo Omenetto created the silk substrate, which causes less inflammation than one with sharp edges.
“The implants contain metal electrodes that are 500 microns thick, or about five times the thickness of a human hair. The absence of sharp electrodes and rigid surfaces should improve safety, with less damage to brain tissue. Also, the implants’ ability to mold to the brain's surface could provide better stability; the brain sometimes shifts in the skull and the implant could move with it. Finally, by spreading across the brain, the implants have the potential to capture the activity of large networks of brain cells, Dr. Litt said.”
Important note to Heretic readers: I receive no compensation for maintaining this blog. I do, however, get paid to write this column (below). Please click, read and comment, to support my work!
Thanks! — MB
“Last week, I showed my buddy Sean, a plain-spoken woodworker from Westwood, the soon-to-be released Droid Incredible. He immediately noted the red screen covering the phone’s speaker and its garishly bright, white, touch-sensitive control buttons.”
‘It’s like the iPhone without the cool,’’’ Sean said.
via Processing power, OLED touch screen shine on Incredible – The Boston Globe.
From my Boston Globe column this week: LED umbrellas and tougher OLEDs… — MB
“The Blade Runner Style LED Umbrella is my new favorite for, as ThinkGeek’s brilliant copywriters put it, staying dry on my “walk to the noodle shop.’’Evocative of Ridley Scott’s rain-soaked, futuristic Los Angeles, the Blade Runner umbrella has a pushbutton, light-up shaft. The umbrella comes with three button batteries that will probably outlive its fabric, if this spring’s rains are a sign of things to come.”
via Block the rain with blinking Blade Runner umbrellas – The Boston Globe.
Photo: Horia Varlan/Flickr CC
From my Boston Globe column this week, Northeastern’s latest robotic-mechatronic assistive aid (a breathtaking amount of GNR –genetics, nanotechnology and robotics — research, here):
“Given America’s growing ranks of aging boomers and wounded vets, it looks like the folks at Biomedical Mechatronics Laboratory (www.robots.neu.edu) at Northeastern University have a moneymaker on their hands.
Last week, the lab reported progress on its smart-gloves technology, the ATLAS Bimanual Rehabilitation System, which stroke patients can use to retrain their arms, hands, and fingers.”
via Smart gloves help patients regain control (below the fold).
Update: The Freemasons’ child-tracking system is now available in Canada.
The program is called Masonichip, and it is meant to help parents cope with one of their worst nightmares — having their children snatched from their beds in the dead of night — by taking casts of the kids’ teeth, as well as other biometric recordings.
The “chip” in Masonichip, is an acronym for “Child Identification Program.” There is no microchipping involved in the process of creating a dossier for any child.
But the name of the program is provocative enough, particularly when it is meant to solve a type of crime that is extremely rare (link opens the PDF version of a US government report).
This, from an uncritical piece in a local paper, south of Boston:
The program, MY C.H.I.P., Masonic Youth Childhood Identification Program, is free. Each kit includes fingerprints, tooth impressions and a video recording of the child.Jon Bond, a lodge member, said each child stands before a screen with height markings and is asked a few questions while their responses are recorded on video.
via Parents can get ID kits for children – Quincy, MA – The Patriot Ledger.
Photo: Evil Erin/Flickr CC
In case you all missed it, here’s the email I received from the Milton Pubic Schools Dept. within the hour:
“Subject: 3/15/10 – Message Regarding Milton High School
Date: Monday, March 15, 2010 3:27 PM
From: ALERTNOW Message from Milton Public Schools <mgormley@miltonps.org>
To: <mark@baard.com>
Conversation: 3/15/10 – Message Regarding Milton High SchoolMilton High School was placed in a “Stay In Place/Lock Down” this morning at approximately 11:30am.
The Milton Police were immediately contacted when a shotgun shell was found outside the main entrance of the school building.
As a precautionary measure and in consultation with the Milton Police Dept, Milton High School went into “Stay In Place/Lockdown” Mode.
The Milton Police then conducted a canine search of the school building – at no time did the dogs come in contact with the students.
In addition, school bags were checked by Milton High School Administrators and police for a possible weapon. No weapon was found.
At no time were students in jeopardy.
We would like to thank the Milton Police, the Milton High School staff and students for their patience and flexibility during this process.
If you have any questions, please contact the Milton High School main office or the Superintendent’s office.”
From my Globe column this week:
“Talk about function creep.
A new product, the RosettaStone (www.personalrosettastone.com), guarantees that RFID will follow you straight to your grave.
The RosettaStone is a palm-size stone tablet representing the deceased. It bears an RFID tag that communicates with mobile phones — directing users to an Internet memorial archive.”
via New tech tracks you to the tomb – The Boston Globe.