Day: 27 September 2006

Doctors Perform Weightless Surgery

doctors French scientists rigged a plane for a special operation that would defy gravity. The plane performed swooping maneuvers that simulate low-gravity so the doctors can gain a better understanding how surgery can be done in outer space. Their tools used magnets to stay in place while the patient was under a special tent.

This is the first time that this has been done. The reason for this test is more than just a feasibility study since there could be spin-off benefits for health care. It looks like the next test will use a remote controlled robot to perform surgery.

Any volunteers?

Canada’s Forests are Worth $93B Each Year

An economist, Mark Anielski, has looked at the benefits of keeping Canadian forests. The conclusion is that each year Canada’s forests do $93 billion in carbon regulation and tourism. Anielski says that we need to take this into consideration when we talk of chopping down trees and our overall approach to the boreal forest.

“Boreal forests regulate the climate by capturing and storing an estimated 67 billion tonnes of carbon in Canada alone – a job worth $1.8 billion, based on the price of carbon emissions from the global insurance industry.”