Meditation makes your brain bigger and better according to some new research. The act of meditation can increase grey matter in a few regions of your brain. This is a big thing because it is, as far as I know, the first time that meditation can actually impact the physical layout of the brain.
Monthly Archives: November 2005
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Now Easily Detectable
Canadian researchers have found a new way to easily detect fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Previous attempts to detect FAS have been mired by other factors, for instance it is hard to tell if a child has poor impulse control as a result of FAS or other factors like how they were raised.
The researchers found that doing a series of simple eye-tracking tests that children FAS had a similar patter, while those not diagnosed with FAS did not. Eye-tracking has been used to find other neurological problems, but now it has been applied to FAS with positive results.
Small Windmills, Big Power
Wireless technology has made small remotely-placed electronics more practical, but there was always a problem of how to power the electronics.
An inventor has found a way to make small windmills practical by using piezoelectric crystals. The crystals, when bent, produce a small electric current with more than enough power for a small device.
The breeze moves the fan which, in turn, compresses the crystals which, under pressure, release an electric current, then the power can be used for whatever.
Fuel Cells for Portable Devices Soon
Motorola has invested in a micro-fuel cell developer called Tekion. Banking on their ability to produce a fuel cell to power portable devices such as laptops, cell phones and music players, Motorola has taken a big step towards reducing the amount of batteries that hit landfills (and thus the water cycle) everyday.
Faster, Better HIV Tests
Physicians in Canada are now able to purchase a 60-second HIV testing machine. Previously, individuals wanting to be tested for the disease had to wait 2-3 weeks to get the results from provincial laboratories. Now, it’s as simple as a trip to the doctor’s office.
Meanwhile, the US FDA is considering approving a do-it-yourself home HIV test. This is good to hear, because 1 in 4 AIDS patients in the US don’t know they have it!