01) Robotic contact lens that allows users to zoom in by blinking eyes revealed by scientists
“Device mimics natural electric signals in human eyeball
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The lens is made from polymers that expand when electric current is applied.
It is controlled using five electrodes surrounding the eye which act like muscles. When the polymer becomes more convex the lens effectively zooms in.
“The system developed in the current study has the potential to be used in visual prostheses, adjustable glasses, and remotely operated robotics in the future,” researchers wrote in the paper published in Advanced Functional“
01) What is a Nervous Breakdown? – Is it a mental disorder?
“This video answers the question: What is a nervous breakdown? Does the construct of a nervous breakdown have diagnostic value? The term nervous breakdown is used in the popular culture and is considered a colloquial. Most mental health counselors do not interpret the term as having any diagnostic value, however, a study looking at this term found that it does align with several technical terms and mental disorders used by clinicians.
Rapport, L. J., Todd, R. M., Lumley, M. A., & Fisicaro, S. A. (1998). The Diagnostic Meaning of “Nervous Breakdown” Among Lay Populations. Journal of Personality Assessment, 71(2), 242.”
01) Bleach Cult Performing Unsanctioned Human Experiments on Uganda Villages
“At the beginning of April, I started to receive messages on Facebook from a man claiming to have proof that the industrial bleach and water purifier, chlorine dioxide (Miracle Mineral Solution – MMS), can not only cure malaria, but can do so in as little as two hours. The messages, which included a link to a now-deleted YouTube video, were sent by 25-year-old former clairvoyant, Sam Little, who ended by stating, “The truth will always win in the end!”. The video Sam sent me a link to was titled, ‘Malaria cured in 2 hours with MMS Miracle mineral solution’, and was identical to the Red Cross “study” 7 years prior. Horrified that history was repeating itself, I asked him how he came to find this obscure video on YouTube, only to discover that he actually starred in it. Sam was the one who was front and centre, conning Ugandan villagers to feed this industrial bleach to their children, and no, I am not being overly dramatic, as the video predominantly shows children rather than adults drinking this toxic fluid. Over the following 6 weeks, I, and several others, probed Sam for information regarding this new “clinical trial” and, to our horror, discovered that he was only a cog in a much larger machine. This is the story of how, with Sam’s help, we stumbled upon a network of bleach-pushers that had conned up to 50,000 Ugandans to consume MMS by convincing them it was a gift from God.”
01) 10 things you didn’t know about orgasm – Mary Roach
“Bonk” author Mary Roach delves into obscure scientific research, some of it centuries old, to make 10 surprising claims about sexual climax, ranging from the bizarre to the hilarious. (This talk is aimed at adults. Viewer discretion advised.)”
“Researchers have built a set of magnetic ‘tweezers’ that can position a nano-scale bead inside a human cell with unprecedented precision. The nano-bot has already been used to study the properties of cancer cells, and could lead to enhanced diagnosis and treatment.
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University of Toronto Engineering researchers have built a set of magnetic ‘tweezers’ that can position a nano-scale bead inside a human cell in three dimensions with unprecedented precision. The nano-bot has already been used to study the properties of cancer cells, and could point the way toward enhanced diagnosis and treatment.
Professor Yu Sun and his team have been building robots that can manipulate individual cells for two decades. Their creations have the ability to manipulate and measure single cells — useful in procedures such as in vitro fertilization and personalized medicine. Their latest study, published today in Science Robotics, takes the technology one step further.”
01) Study provides new insights into the relationship between childhood poverty and inflammation
“A new study published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity sheds light on the complicated relationship between childhood poverty and inflammation. Poverty was “consistently and reliably” associated with inflammation in childhood, but the picture became more muddled when examining the influence of childhood socioeconomic status on inflammation in adulthood.
“As a (soon to be) clinical psychologist interested in integrated care in medical settings, I am skeptical about the dichotomy healthcare has historically created between mental and medical disorders and the disjointed way in which treatment is provided,” said study author Izabela Milaniak, a clinical psychology PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania.
“This is how I became interested in the research linking chronic inflammation as a common determinant of both medical diseases such as diabetes and chronic heart disease and what are traditionally thought of a psychological illness such as depression and anxiety disorders.”
“Prolonged activation of the immune system due to ‘fight or flight’ reactions to chronic exposure to stressful environments in childhood such as maltreatment and poverty is linked to over-activation of the immune system leading to wear and tear on the brain and the body resulting in a combination of both mental and medical illness later in adulthood,” Milaniak said.”
