Vitamin D, produced in human skin when it’s bombarded by the ultraviolet rays of the sun, may be the most powerful anticancer agent ever known, and lack of it during a mother’s pregnancy and breastfeeding (and keeping babies shielded from ultraviolet sunlight) could be the cause of most autism: Many researchers now fear that the …
Continue reading ‘“Tanning Can Cause Cancer, but Not Tanning Could Cause a Lot Worse”’ »
This is probably the first really tangible benefit of any form of nanotechnology. It won’t be the last. I expect that replacements for most body parts will be able to be fashioned and seeded this way within a decade, and that it will become common practice within twenty years. So much for the SF/horror scenario …
Continue reading ‘“Surgeons carry out first synthetic windpipe transplant”’ »
I like this idea, at least for learning musical instruments. I almost hope that it doesn’t advance much further for now though, I’d hate to see the result of getting a virus in the controlling computer. 😉
Cancer is now the leading cause of death, but if these guys have their way, that will change in the next decade. There will come a time when suicide is the most common cause of death. You’ll be able to live as long as you wish to. The only good excuse for death right now …
Continue reading ‘“Team IDs, looks to block gene that spreads cancer”’ »
No fair, I wanna play with the paramecium! Those scientist guys get all the fun! 😉
Interesting work, with even more interesting potential uses. Though as the comments point out, it’s probably not enough to stop cavities (or “caries,” in dental terms) in the long run. From comment #17, another interesting tidbit: there’s a sweetener called “Xylitol” that not only doesn’t add to tooth decay, it actually kills off the cavity-forming …
Food for thought, especially for certain of my readers who have a little one on the way: “The triclosan findings in the younger age groups may support the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ which maintains living in very clean and hygienic environments may impact our exposure to micro-organisms that are beneficial for development of the immune system,” said …
Continue reading ‘“Study suggests that being too clean can make people sick”’ »