1. A computer chip has been discovered which can test for
gene mutations that can interfere with or accelerate your body’s
ability to metabolize certain drugs. A cartridge with chip and
synthetic strips is used to check DNA for any matches of the
gene in question. Readers Digest May 2004
2. Electronically restored sight - A 7X4 millimeter camera with
a light sensor, implanted in the eye, wirelessly beams an image
to a small digital image processor outside the body. Once processed,
the image is transmitted back to the internal antenna and fed
via cable to an electrode array mounted on the retina, stimulating
the nerves to produce sight. Popular Science
3. Back in 1936 a scientist discovered that use of nicotine
released sugar into the bloodstream. Smokers normally have a
higher blood sugar content than nonsmokers. This is one of the
factors in weight gain related to nicotine cessation. Popular
Science
4. Amateur astronomer, Jay McNeil photographed the illuminated
cloud of gas and dust lit by what astronomers believe is a
newborn star on January 23, 2005. This is the first such
discovery by an amateur in over 65 years. The nebula is about
1500 light years from Earth. It was reported in 1966, but was
never recorded. Thirty-two year old McNeil is a sattelite dish
installer in Paducah, Kentucky and an avid sky watcher. CBS
News
5. Purdue University geneticists find plants that possess corrected
version of defective gene inherited from both their parents;
finding implies that some organisms may contain cryptic backup
copy of their genome that bypasses usual mechanisms of heredity.
New York Times
6. Chocolate could result in health benefits, more specifically
heart-health Flavonoids are naturally-occurring compounds found
in plant-based foods recognized as exuding certain health benefits
Flavonoids (polyphenols) provide the pungent taste in chocolate. The
more chocolate is processed (such as fermentation, alkalizing,
roasting), the more flavonoids are lost. Dark chocolate appears
to retain the highest level of flavonoids. So your best
bet is to choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. www.immunesupport.com
7. Professor Sir William Stewart, chairman of the National Radiological
Protection Board (NRPB), said children under the age of eight
should not use mobile phones, parents were advised last night
after an authoritative report linked heavy use to ear and brain
tumors and concluded that the risks had been underestimated by
most scientists. www.timesonline.co.uk
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