Concentrating Power

A cheaper way to use solar power energy has been created that concentrates the sun intense rays on a very small focal point. The key is using the sun as heat, opposed to turning the light directly into electricity.

“It uses an old principle—that concentrated light is a great heat source—to achieve a level of efficiency on par with conventional power sources and far higher than traditional solar cells. Instead of converting sunlight directly into electricity, as those familiar rooftop solar panels do, it uses a concave array of mirrors to focus light on a central point, where the resulting heat causes compressed hydrogen to expand, driving a four-cylinder engine that turns a 25-kilowatt generator. “

Spell Check Online in 28 Languages

Orangoo.com let’s you spell check online in 28 languages. It doesn’t log what text you input, doesn’t matter what internet machine you are using, and the code is free so you can use it on your website!

From the website:

“Spell check in 28 languages: Bahasa Indonesia, ÄŒeÅ¡tina, Dansk, Deutsch, ελληνικά, English, Español, Eesti keel, Français, עִבְרִית, हिंदी, Hrvatski, Italiano, LatvieÅ¡u, Lietuvių, kalba, Magyar, Nederlands, Norsk, Polski, Português, Română, Slovenščina, Slovenčina, Suomi, Svenska, Türkçe and РУССКИЙ!”

Goths do Good

BoingBoing has a post about a study that found out that goth subculture helps protect self-harming kids. BoingBoing also looks at how different media outlets deal with the research.

“One common suggestion is they may be copying subcultural icons or peers [when they self-harm], but our study found that more young people reported self-harm before, rather than after, becoming a goth. This suggests that young people with a tendency to self-harm are attracted to the goth subculture,” says Robert Young, who led the study.

“Rather than posing a risk, it’s also possible that by belonging to the goth subculture, young people are gaining valuable social and emotional support from their peers.” But he cautions: “However, the study was based on small numbers and replication is needed to confirm our results.” Only 25 participants felt strongly associated with goth culture.

I never thought that goths would ever be mentioned on this site….

Patching Parkinson’s

The BBC is reporting that a new skin patch can help people with Parkinson’s better manage their symptoms.

“For clinicians and people with Parkinson’s, this is a new and simple way of delivering a dopamine agonist.

“It has the potential to overcome many of the problems associated with oral administration and may well prove to be one of the most effective methods of delivering a steady and continuous dose.”