'Memory' how to fight Flu

In short order every few years a new flu strain evolves that many say threatens to disrupt civilization as we know it.  With super bug fears rising every year, some say the next superbug could be the one that finally mimics the Spanish flu and kills millions.  Of course these diseases are often seen as nothing more than an inconvenience.  But fear them or merely dislike them, a new vaccine may soon be available that removes the flu from our lives forever.

The logic of the vaccine is as follows: there are two largely recognizable parts of a flu virus, the head and the stem.  In using an analogy comparing the flu virus to an ice-cream cone we can discover how the vaccine works.  The head of the virus is similar to the ice cream contained in the cone.  The flavors or genetic variations of the virus change from one generation to the next, making it difficult to predict what will be coming next.  Meanwhile, despite the flavors of virus being different the cone is always the same, and rarely changes.  This new vaccine will target the thing that makes all flu viruses similar by making the body produce antibodies that fight specifically against it.

Scientists for years have had difficulty combating the rapidly mutating flus partially because of how different they can be from year to year and even from month to month.  When H1N1 first hit the US, 24 hour news coverage soon decreed that it could be a disaster of national proportions.  In retrospect, many have come forward saying these reports were hasty while others contend that H1N1 was never more than a few mutations away from becoming a serious problem.  And a mere five years earlier the Bird flu H5N1 was seen as a potential killer that could mutate into something quite deadly and cause the same level of devastation.  If every five years a flu is going to come around that threatens civilization as we know it, then a universal flu vaccine is certainly a worthy endeavor.

And that vaccine may soon be developed thanks to the efforts of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and its director, Anthony S. Fauci.  Fauci has found a way to create antibodies in animals that neutralize several different strains of the disease and provide protection that could last for ten years.  Given that somewhere around 36,000 people in the US die annually of the common flu, this would be a milestone achievement.  A single vaccine is expected to last for ten years, meaning up to 360,000 lives could be saved right away.  And that's only taking into account deaths in the United States.  Globally the disease claims up to 500,000 lives annually, meaning up to five million could be saved over one ten year period if the vaccine works.  And this is just taking into consideration the standard flu.  A super flu that could cause widespread devastation in a pandemic scenario could soon become a thing of the past.

Design unveiled for world's fastest car

Farnborough:

A British team aiming to smash the current land speed record has unveiled the design of a pencil-shaped car that it hopes will travel at more than 1,000 miles (1,609 kms) an hour.

After three years of aerodynamic research, construction is about to begin on the Bloodhound Supersonic Car which will be powered by a jet engine and a rocket with the record attempt slated for 2012 in South Africa.

"We have fixed the shape," said Andy Green, the Royal Air Force fighter pilot who will drive the Bloodhound as it attempts to speed into the record books.

"Because of the modelling we have done, we know this shape will go to 1,000 miles an hour. Now we are actually going to get on and build it."

The same team, led by Briton Richard Noble, hold the current record of 763 mph set in 1997. At that stage Green became the first man to travel at supersonic speed on land, breaking the sound barrier.

Powered by a combination of a Typhoon fighter's jet engine and a Falcon rocket, the car unveiled at the Farnborough International Air Show will develop 135,000 horse power or 180 times the power of a Formula 1 car.

The record attempt, on a dry lake bed, will see it accelerate from stationary to 1,000 mph (1,609 kmph) in 4.5 miles (7.25 km) in 45 seconds.

But the team say their mission is not just to break the land speed record - they want to inspire the next generation of engineers and technologists.

Since the project was announced in October 2008 at the Science Museum in London, more than 1.5 million British school children have become involved in the Bloodhound Education programme.

Paralyzed Man Bionic Legs Invention

 

 Every year the field of medical science closes the gap between humans and robots just a tiny step more in the name of providing patients with better lives.  The miracles of science have now provided one paralyzed man a news lease on life, and may even save the lives of others as well.  With bionic technology the patient is not only enjoying a new set of bionic legs, but a whole new way of living.

Five years ago New Zealander Hayden Allen found himself wondering if he would ever walk again as doctors informed him that the motorcycle accident he had just been involved in had severed his spinal cord.  Doctors were certain he wouldn't, but Hayden knew there were always ways of proving even doctors wrong.  And it was with the help of a team of researchers that he discovered his days of walking were far from over.

The new device will allow Hayden to not only walk, but to sit down and even use stairs – a significant advantage over the wheelchair Hayden had become used to.  The biotech company developing the legs calls it simply 'Rex,' which is Latin for King but also stands for Robotic EXoskeleton.  And there's no doubt with his new lease on life Hayden Allen is feeling as fortunate as a King as he is able to see his legs walking for the first time in years.

The device does not require any special neural interface to work.  There was no surgery involved, and Allen can just strap himself in and walk to his heart's content even if his spinal column is not functioning.  With sufficient practice Hayden Allen's new pair of bionic legs will seem as though they were a natural extension of his own body.

The legs are controlled by a remote control that juts out from the hip.  Hayden inputs what he wants them to do and they perform the duties themselves.  As Hayden selects an action (such as sitting) the legs begin that process while servos perform the actual work.  The legs were what allowed Hayden to walk on stage during a meeting with the Prime Minister John Key and shake his hand.

The legs provide a medical benefit as well as a practical one.  With movement in the legs circulation will be helped unlike when Hayden was simply sitting in a wheelchair, making blood clots less of a threat to his wellbeing than they once were.  Additionally, he has had greater success with work now than before, and can perform much more practical duties as a mechanic than he once was able to do.  Even simple tasks, such as locking the doors of his house are more easily performed than they once were.

And who knows what the future of bionics may bring.  With technology that reads brainwaves and allows humans to control objects simply by thinking about them, perhaps a more futuristic and dexterous system will be in the works in the future, allowing those suffering from life changing paralysis an opportunity to walk hands free and walk or even run.  The future indeed looks bright for medical technology in this field.

Lenovo plans Android tablet PC

Hong Kong: Lenovo Group, the world's No 4 PC brand, said it will roll out its own tablet PC, becoming the latest technology company to jump on the bandwagon for computers styled after Apple Inc's popular iPad.

Lenovo was developing a tablet PC, known internally as LePad, that would run on Google Inc's Android operating system, Lenovo spokeswoman Wu Hwa said on Wednesday, adding that no launch date had been set and the name of the product may change.

"We want the tablet PC to be compatible with our LePhone smartphone, which is why we're using Android," Wu said.

LePhone is Lenovo's smartphone offering in China, sold by China Unicom, which also runs on Android.

Tablet PC shipments are expected to grow by an average 57.4 percent per year between 2010 and 2014, research firm IDC said, making the sector a lucrative growth area for companies selling heavily commoditised laptops.

The tablet PC has already caught the attention of major PC companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co, Dell Inc and now Lenovo, as they look to diversify beyond laptop PCs that typically offer low profit margins.

Apple's iPad, launched in April, sold 3.27 million units in the second quarter, prompting research firm iSuppli to revise upwards its full-year shipment forecast for the product to 13 million units from 7.1 million units.

"iSuppli believe that the only limitation on iPad sales now is production and not demand," iSuppli analyst Rhoda Alexander said.

Arts funding cuts 'to threaten more theatres

The Futurist Theatre in Scarborough is considered at risk due to its prime seafront location

The number of theatres at risk of demolition could grow in the next year due to funding cuts, a report warns.

The Theatres Trust latest "at risk" register highlights 55 buildings facing an uncertain future, with cuts seen as a major area of concern.

Buildings in Wallsend, Derby and Workington are under immediate threat from demolition.

The trust's Rob Dickins said: "We cannot lose our theatre heritage in this way."

Saved

"Our report this year really highlights theatres under threat from imminent demolition and funding cuts," he added.

Mr Dickins expressed concerns that some currently active theatres could end up abandoned and empty, while previously closed buildings are prime targets for demolition and redevelopment.

The latest report also points out how local people are harnessing the power of social networking sites, including Facebook, to save theatres in their areas.

Other arts institutions singled out by the Theatre Buildings At Risk report include the Acorn Arts Centre in Penzance and Crewe's Lyceum.

Bedford's Civic Theatre, meanwhile, is earmarked for closure to be replaced by a council services centre.

The Theatres Trust has also removed some buildings which appeared on last year's list, including Blackpool's Opera House, saved from demolition by extra funding.

But the organisation said it was keeping a close eye on "saved" theatres after reviews of public sector funding were announced.

Phantom Eye hydrogen-powered spy plane unveiled

Boeing has unveiled its unmanned hydrogen-powered spy plane which can fly non-stop for up to four days.

The high-altitude plane, called Phantom Eye, will remain aloft at 20,000m (65,000ft), according to the company.

The demonstrator will be shipped to Nasa's Dryden Flight Research Center in California later this summer to prepare for its first flight in early 2011.

Boeing says the aircraft could eventually carry out "persistent intelligence and surveillance".

It is a product of the company's secretive Phantom Works research and development arm.

Boeing says the aircraft is capable of long endurance flights because of its "lighter" and "more powerful" hydrogen fuel system.

"We flew Condor [the company's previous reconnaissance drone] for 60 hours in 1989 on regular jet fuel, and that was the maximum," said Chris Haddox from Boeing Phantom Works. "Now we're talking 96 hours."

The company explained in a statement that Phantom Eye was "powered by two 2.3 litre, four-cylinder engines that provide 150 horsepower each".

It is also very large, with a 46m (150ft) wingspan.

"It isn't built for stealth - it's built for endurance," Mr Haddox told BBC News.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has an ongoing interest in long-endurance high-altitude planes for surveillance and is considering a several different technologies, including solar power, to meet the requirements of what it refers to as its "Scavenger project".

The aerospace and defence company Qinetiq are carrying out trials in conjunction with the MoD to develop a solar powered plane called Zephyr.

A spokesperson for the MoD said: "Four days is very good but we are considering a range of options for our deep and persistent reconnaissance requirements.

Invisible Tank

It sounds like something from the fevered brain of a science-fiction writer. Invisible soldiers? Disappearing tanks? Surely this is not possible. And yet that's exactly what a group of DARPA funded scientists are attempting to do: render military assets completely invisible to the human eye.

The U.S. military has had a long history of tweaking stealth technology to give the brave men and women on the front lines that most vital of strategic assets: surprise. At around the start of the 20th century, camouflage, or "camo" for short, came into its own, being adopted by most major world powers. The early 1900's saw soldiers wearing drab, dull-toned uniforms and camo patterns being painted onto vehicles and artillery pieces, ammo, dumps, and other such things. While unlikely to hinder another soldier's sight on the battlefield, it managed to hinder the casual observer, especially if the camouflaged subject was in the dark and staying still.


However, up until recently, that seemed to be the end of the camo story. Compared to technology such as aircraft, tanks, missiles, and firearms, camouflage technology has been at a relative standstill for the last century.


Until now, that is.


Recently, United States scientists received the green light from DARPA to pursue an advanced system of "crypsis", a term meaning the avoidance of observation. This research, funded so far with seventeen million government dollars, is geared towards two projects in particular: The primary project takes the form of a collapsible, deployable "shield" made of a self-healing fiber-optic/kevlar mesh that both "cloaks" those behind it in an obfuscating aura and protects them from bullets. The Second, and perhaps the more ambitious, project seeks to do the impossible: render an entire tank invisible to normal observation.


If it seems to strange to believe, consider the following:


In 2007, the British Army stated that it had already created a functional prototype of a "cloaking technology" for their tanks, and stated that they expected it to be deployed by early 2012. While there is little evidence beyond the testimony of a few officials, it is still intriguing.


There is the infamous story from October 28th, 1943, in which the U.S.S. Eldridge, a destroyer escort, was reputedly rendered invisible to the naked eye for a few brief moments, in what has been dubbed the Philadelphia Experiment.


And of course who can forget about Public Enemy No. 1, U.F.O.'s, aircraft that zip about the sky and seem to disappear and reappear like magic? Is it too ridiculous to imaging that the United States government has developed technology so advanced that the general public can only believe that it is either non-existent or of other-worldly origins, or that they have reverse-engineered alien technology, and either way have neglected to reveal it to the public or the world? After all, what good is a stealth weapon if everyone knows about it? And doesn't the American B-2 stealth bomber seem to resemble an alien space craft?


And from an American perspective, nothing seems more bizarre and unexplainable than the British military discovering cloaking technology first, especially considering the amount of support DARPA has given American initiatives to develop such projects.


Still, if all of these projects come to fruition, we can expect to see these high-tech cloaking technologies deployed in 2012 or shortly thereafter.


Or rather, not see.

Making Fire With Ice

The prospect of making fire with ice is relatively simple, but how do you make ice with fire?  With the ice you can convert the clear material into a lens that then acts as a magnifying glass of the sun's rays, but the prospect of making ice using fire is much more difficult.  Scientists, have, however, discovered a way piquing the curiosity of many and establishing the truly mysterious nature of water.

If water is kept in a completely smooth container without any other bubbles or dust, it can drop its temperature several degrees beneath its normal freezing point without forming the crystal formations required to bring about ice formations that grow as any other crystal does off of one central point.  If, however, an imperfection is formed in the still water by bumping the bottle filled with liquid, or piercing it with a needle the liquid will turn to ice fairly quickly.

Scientist Igor Lubomirsky of Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science has used another method, implementing the use of quasi-amorphous pyroelectric films.  The surface of these films change depending on the surface temperature of the material, and therefore if heated (as with fire) can change form from liquid to solid.  Positively charged surfaces are far easier to form ice on than a negatively charged one.  For example, a surface of charged lithium tantalate will freeze immediately when the surface is raised to a temperature of 17.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another curious trait discovered is that a surface of negatively charged ions would freeze from the top and move down in the direction of gravitational pull while positively charged ions would freeze from the bottom up.  The reason for this is the positively charged atoms of oxygen naturally point toward negatively charged surfaces while negatively charged atoms point in the opposite direction.  The reverse is true of hydrogen.

If changing the freezing point of water doesn't seem like a terribly important concept, imagine the potential applications for cryonics.  Normally one of the greatest hurdles current cryogenics run into is the propensity for frozen solid state water to expand when cooled.  As a result, organic tissue within these states will often expand as it solidifies, damaging cells.  Imagine a bag of frozen vegetables and how their texture seems different from that of a fresh bag.  Though the tissues are a little different in this case, it's similar in principle.  Current cryonics make it difficult for delicate tissue to survive the process, adding yet another condition for the technological achievements required to revive such a damaged vessel.

In addition, there are potential applications for rescuing animals that require incredibly cold conditions to survive in, but cannot themselves be contained in containers because the cold water would freeze.  It is also an important component in triggering cloud formation.  These principles could in the end result in vast strides in science and technology.  If liquid could remain so despite temperature and then be later turned to ice, there are several possibilities, particularly since water is one of few compounds that expands when freezing and contracts when it cools.

Your hand is a touch screen

Imagine a world where your computer is not only at your fingertips, but directly controlled and interfaced on them. As technology got smaller, unfortunately screen size also suffered, but a new projection technology recently developed hopes to turn the viewing area on computers and personal devices such as cell phones into the user's own glowing skin. The technology was offered as a solution to problems many computer and personal device users have of small screens on smaller devices.

The world of technology is bringing out new breakthroughs that hold the potential to make life both easier in some ways and more inconvenient in others. Social networking sites have made communication far easier, yet at the same time more difficult in several ways, MP3 players have made the average walk down the street less connected with other people, yet opened another world within, and the internet has harbored in a new age of information with informative sites that serve to inform readers honestly and without compromise from multi-million dollar industries at great cost to those industries. But as technology changes, the medium itself must change as well. And what better part of consistency is there than the user the technology hopes to serve?


It's called "skinput." One example sees a tiny LED projector on the wrist pouring out a detailed phone pad onto the hand of a user so they can use their other hand to dial a phone. As each "button" on the display is pressed, a wave is sent up the hand in reaction, and an advanced sensor detects the waves and sends a signal to the tiny processor on the Skinput computer where it is measured and quickly estimated into an exact point of contact on the skin. It's a principle similar to how dolphins use sonar to navigate sea floors and keep an eye out for potential predators as well as food. As the sensors got more advanced, as they were being developed, it became more accurate and therefore more applicable. Essentially a "skinput" device would be exactly like any other touch screen device, except rather than touching a screen, you would be touching your own hand glowing from the projector mounted on your wrist.


As gadgets get smaller, so too must the screens used on them. Fortunately, the problem of a screen too small to see, as well as buttons and interface too small for those with larger hands to use is remedied as the screens will be directly proportional always to the size of the user's hand. In addition, it will be as easy to look at as it is to hold your own hand up to your face. Since the device doesn't need to be held to use, it will be far less likely to be forgotten, lost, or dropped.


Will skinput be able to have military applications as well? Researcher Chris Harrison from Carnegie Mellon institute said the system worked equally well whether running, walking, or standing still. Currently there are limited points of detection for it, however, which will have to be worked out before we find ourselves staring into our empty hands trying to make a phone call.

New Electricity Production Method

A new method of creating electrical energy has been developed by scientists studying nano-technology at MIT through the use of a previously undiscovered phenomena wherein microscopic wires can be used in certain formations to produce electricity at a scale that may lead to a breakthrough in future ultra-small electronic devices.

The basic mechanics involve latticed layered wires known as carbon nanotubes.  The carbon nanotubes are incredibly small hollow tubes that are coated in a layer of ultra high powered fuel that produces energy through decomposition.  The catalyst is a small laser or high voltage spark that travels through the wires using a phenomenon known as thermopower.  The discovery, according to researchers at MIT has opened up a new area of energy research, which is understandably rare.  The wave of electrons is pushed through the lattice work  like a tsunami after a large shelf falls into the ocean, each individual electron pushing the next one out, while the high yield output actually amplifies the electrical output using the fuel hidden within the carbon nanotubes.  Currently the potential power output for a typical Alkaline battery such as a AAA is merely 1/100th of the potential power input of a Nanotube battery of the same weight.  Imagine a tiny battery cell that actually has a power output of 100 times that of a typical AAA battery.  Imagine three large 6 volt batteries put together, and you have almost the amount of power output potential of one AAA battery sized Nanotube battery as it currently is.  In a world where many limitations on green energy rest on the potential keeping power of batteries, the Nanotube battery has the potential to bring about a technological revolution the likes of which has not been seen in several years not only for its potential power output, but its limited size.

Of course an incredible amount of research must still be done before these batteries are ready for application in larger systems, but as it currently stands there are already several potential applications for smaller systems that will hopefully be coming out in the near future.  The downside, of course, is there is still much time and work that must be put into these projects and several different avenues of research before these systems could be economically viable.  One potential application, according to the scientists who first discovered the property, is to have several tiny sensors with these energy systems to be released into the atmosphere to observe changes and transmit data on potential climate change.  If the battery systems turn out to have larger applications, however, they could in time be perfected and used in robotics systems as well as a number of space faring ventures as well as nanotechnology which is currently limited by the current energy storage and output.  As technology gets smaller, energy will be a larger concern, but with Nanotube batteries, hopefully the next generation of computers (or possibly those two generations from now) and gadgets will have high yield batteries that will make them all the more viable and marketable.

"God Helmet"

In the University of Sudbury, Canada, there is a device that reportedly synthesizes paranormal experiences by manipulating the brain by using electromagnetic stimulation at specific and complex frequencies and patterns. Test subjects report with relative consistency that their experiences using the "God Helmet" are so profoundly spiritual that they feel absolutely real. But does this make illegitimate the experiences of those who simply had the experiences outside of Dr. Michael Persinger's lab?

It's a deeply important and prevalent question. Is the paranormal an internal or an external force? And would the discovery of an internal source for consistent paranormal activity cause said activity to lose its paranormal "edge" and immediately cause it to become mundane? To examine the subject, let's take a look at the concept of near death experiences. Throughout time, near death experiences have manifest to people of all religious backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles with some regularity. Often these experiences are seen as sharing several themes in which the subject appears to see concepts and objects beyond their understanding along with strong emotions that either trigger inescapable fear and dispair or equally dramatic peace and understanding with the universe around them. It is the intensity of these emotions that often give them cause to change their entire lives (generally in a way they would consider to be better) and give hope to not only them, but those with whom they communicate. And there has been an incredibly thorough study of what exactly causes this going on since the 1970's. And Dr. Michael Persinger thinks he has the answer. Unfortunately, it is not one many want to hear.


An out of body experience is one where a person who is near death perceives themselves leaving their body and stepping outside of it into a room where they quickly find themselves drawn to a tunnel with a light at the end of it. As they travel down this tunnel, they are often met with spiritual imagery that is significant to them. Usually it's positive and hopeful, but occasionally it is negative and terrifying. As they go through the experience they often are told at the end that they must return to Earth for reasons beyond the understanding of the patient having the experience, and they awaken shortly thereafter. Is this a Jungian concept of death and transformation manifest into a dream state brought on by incredible trauma and stress? Or is the brain perceiving an external world which is triggered by this stress and trauma?


Dr. Persinger's study has shown that those wearing the "god helmet," a motorcycle with electrodes attached to it that bombard areas of the brain with specific magnetic frequency, can manifest any number of hallucinations ranging from speaking with dead relatives to seeing ghosts to actually feeling death and the experiences that follow.


But to say the god helmet can consistently explain the paranormal as a hallucination would be comparable to claiming that a television proves that the people on it were fictional. Is it not possible for the experiences to parallel real experiences without necessarily proving or disproving the existence of these concepts outside of the self?

Exorcism Via Internet

A Brazilian man claiming to be possessed by a dybbuk, or spirit, sought the spiritual guidance of Rav Chaim Kanievsky through friends of his. What he received was the first documented case of an exorcism performed via the internet telephone program Skype. It was a far different scene from exorcisms performed in films and was the first such "remote" exorcism performed by a Rabbi using the internet.

When Rav Chaim first heard the pleas of a small group of friends who said their friend was possessed, he asked several questions in order to ascertain whether this was indeed a dybbuk or merely mental illness manifesting as some form of supernatural oppression complex. When he ascertained that the demon appeared to be real, he recommended they speak with a more expert Rabbi on the subject of dybbuks. He recommended Rav Shteinman who forwarded them to Rav Dovid Batzri who is a well respected expert in the field of exorcisms. Unfortunately Rav Batzri was in Israel far from the Brazilian man's home. The solution? Patch Rav Batzri in through a live Skype feed and attempt the exorcism remotely.


As the exorcism began through live video, they did not connect with the entity and the exorcism failed. Of course this was no surprise to Kanievsky, who declared that remote exorcism would not be more successful via video phone as the person's presence was required for the ritual to succeed. Curently the Brazilian man is recovering from the exorcism, but it is unknown if the ritual was a success. After the Skype experiment failed, his friends arranged for him to travel to Israel where the exorcism took place under the guidance of myriad Rabbis, but including Kanievsky and Shteinman.


The inability of Rabbis to perform an exorcism may sound like bad news, but consider this: If an exorcism fails through an internet connection it would stand to reason that evil spirits (using a generalized editorial term) cannot travel directly via information but require some form of vessel in order to transport themselves. This may be good news for those who genuinely believe themselves afflicted by the ghosts of haunted websites or email chain letters. So this would put to rest the concept of spectral negative energy traveling through email altogether.


It may sound laughable, but the sheer number of chain letters traveling through the information superhighway at any given moment driven by superstition is absolutely staggering. If the experiment performed by Rav Batzri was any indicator of ghostly transferal through the electronic medium then these were sent out of false fears "just to be safe."


On the other hand, every medium throughout history that developed also evolved mystically. First it was images, hieroglyphs, and runes that were magically imbued or likewise cursed. Then it was the spoken word, incantations, and chants that held magical power. After that it was books, such as the Egyptian book of the dead. Film has now been likewise magically imbued, but it is now the internet that appears to become an almost haunted spectral place. How do we know the images of ghosts we so casually transmit from one place to another and the texts we have running through the very space around us and encompassing everywhere a wireless internet port is available isn't likewise haunted somehow?

Regeneration

Scientists have discovered that there is a gene within us all that prevents fast healing and limb regeneration, and that it can be turned "off" in some mice.  The discovery hopes to harbor in a new age where organ donation will not be required for patients to recover from damaged tissue, and we could grow our arms and legs back even if they were crippled beyond repair or removed entirely.

The P21 Gene, as it is called, was first discovered in creatures such as flatworms, which can turn from one organism into two if cut in half.  Could scientists one day sever an arm and hope to recover an entire human from the tissue?  Academics from the Wistar Institute have many speculating that this science fiction theory may one day soon become a reality.

The primary difference between a damaged animal with typical healing associated with those with the P21 gene and those lacking the gene has to do with how cell tissue forms after the damaged tissue begins the healing process.  Traditionally, the P21 gene results in damaged tissue turning into a scar, and closing up a wound in the simplest way possible.  The P21 gene, when turned off, allows for the development of a blastema, which is a source of rapid cellular development.  The structure allows all cells of damaged animals to behave more like embryonic stem cells than typical cells of adult humans.  The embryonic cells have within them the blueprints for the greater whole and move to make that whole more like the original.  Scientists hope to be able to deactivate the P21 gene after birth temporarily and be able to allow for a cellular re-growth of damaged limbs and organs that could result in life long after normal cellular regeneration would stop.

Imagine losing a finger in a carpentry accident.  Normally the wound would have to be cauterized and/or succored, then the area where the wound was would eventually close up leaving scar tissue.  But you would in the end be minus a finger.  With the P21 cellular regeneration, DNA from the healing cells would regenerate the finger slowly and re-grow it complete with bones, nerve endings, and all other required elements into what would eventually become a new digit just like the first.

There is, however, a downside to creatures with an inactive P21 gene.  The P21 gene is used largely to prevent cancer.  Luckily, mice with reported inactive P21 genes have not reported any increase in cancer.  Hopefully this trend will continue as research is done on humans.  Cellular division on this scale is virtually unprecedented in humans.  If scientists can find a way to render the P21 inactive, it could revolutionize the medical industry forever.  As with most things, however, many people fear that the technology will not be developed if there is no money in it.  But there are incredibly potent avenues for research to become quite profitable, as the process itself would no doubt be a very expensive one.  In the future, we may no longer have to worry about losing organs and/or limbs if this research becomes as fruitful as scientists hope.

James Cameron to direct Black Eyed Peas 3D movie

Avatar director James Cameron will make a 3D tour documentary with Black Eyed Peas, according to will.i.am.

The singer says the film will be shot in South America, and is scheduled for release in 2011.

Speaking to Vibe magazine he said: "We have the biggest director, because we are the biggest group on the planet.

"People will be able to see us in the theatre with the 3D glasses and everything."

Further details

Further details of the documentary remain under wraps but will.i.am said that along with footage of the band playing live, the film will have a "dope" storyline, devised by Cameron.

Currently midway through their The E.N.D world tour, the foursome have shows scheduled in Europe, Canada and north America.

Last month Black Eyed Peas reached the digital landmark of being the first artists to sell a million downloaded singles in the UK with their track I Gotta Feeling.

As for James Cameron, Avatar is the fastest film ever to reach $1 billion (£625.6 million) in ticket sales following its release in December 2009.

Google enters travel market with flight data purchase

Search engine giant Google has entered the travel market after acquiring flight information firm ITA Software.

ITA provides software that organises fares, flight and journey times that are used by airlines, travel agents and flight comparison sites such as Orbitz.

Google said it may well expand the scope, enabling users to search directly for flight destinations.

Google paid $700m in cash for the US-based company, founded in 1996 by a team of MIT computer scientists.

"What we're going to do is build new flight search tools that focus on end users," said Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.

However, he said that the firm would not be selling airline tickets to consumers and that it would honour "all existing agreements that ITA has with its partners".

Those partners include some of Google's direct competitors - such as Microsoft's own flight comparison website, Bing Travel.

Other firms which had been bidding for ITA included Travelport, Expedia and Kayak, many of which are also dependent on ITA for their flight data.

A spokesman for Kayak told that, for now, they were not concerned.

"In the short term, it's not an issue, because Google said it's honouring existing agreements," he said.

However, there are fears within the travel industry that Google could have an excessive influence. Google says the acquisition is "pro-competitive" and "pro-consumer" but said regulators were likely to examine the deal.

"I would expect that it would be a significant review," said Mr Schmidt.

The Independent's travel editor, Simon Calder, told the biggest loser may be the old legacy booking systems, should Google expand ITA's remit.

"If anything, the airline industry used a system that you could describe as the forerunner to the internet," said Mr Calder.

"The aviation industry used GDS - the Global Distribution System - for decades, because there were computers in travel agents, airports and airlines across the globe.

"Now it consolidates around Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo and World Span and these still have legacy aspects. For example, if you book a flight from London to Mexico City via Dallas, you will still have to pay $3 for each segment.

"If Google can do something to rival that, it would be very interesting and exciting.

"But, as with all things to do with Google, the issue of market domination comes up," he added.

Collision course

Google confirmed it was also working on a project that would enable users to search for hotels, with the results displayed on Google Maps. That could put put it on a collision course with firms like Expedia, Travelocity and Opodo.

Mr Calder said that while he could see merit in Google running a flight information firm, he was not convinced that it should launch a travel comparison website of its own.

"While there is great competition when it comes to transatlantic flights, from smaller airports, the choice for a passenger is more limited," he said.

"There are plenty of price comparison sites already and for someone booking flights, the system is almost perfect, so I don't see how Google is going to get a slice of that."

All About New Quantum Object

Scientists have created the largest "quantum state" object so far.  The object is a quantum computer that breaks the conventional law of larger physics that one thing cannot occupy two different spaces at the same time.  The machine is being hailed as the first principle component for what could become the first feasible quantum computer.  While not a feasible computer in itself, the "quantum resonator," could replace ones and zeros with far faster computing capabilities that could result in a new generation of incredibly small, energy efficient computers with far more processing power than anything we currently have.

Previously quantum computers were considered too small to be feasible in the quantum realm, due to the fact that scientists naturally assumed it had to happen on the quantum level.  Thanks to a worldwide collaboration of scientists working for years, this new form of computing proves once again that the world

What they've shown here is a mechanical oscillator as a completely new quantum system," Markus Aspelmeyer from the University of Vienna told reporters, "and I personally think it's a really important one"  In addition to the quantum resonator being incredibly fast, it will be able to give a higher output of memory with less energy put into it.  And considerably less at that.

As the system is frozen to one thousandth of one degree above absolute zero, researchers shocked the system with one quantum of electrical energy (known as a quanta) and found that the device oscillated, turning the electrical energy into an equal amount of kinetic vibration energy.  As the device oscillated it contained both one and zero quanta of energy.  Originally, size was the biggest problem with quantum computers, since the quantum effects were never seen larger than a device composed of sixty atoms.  Thanks to this new system, scientists have been able to increase the size of a potential resonator up to around one trillion atoms.

The next technological revolution will come when the superpositions are able to be read using the same circuit that created them, and a sort of memory will be created for quantum based storage systems.  The previous largest device ever created was the "buckyball," but it wasn't pursued as a means of computing due to its incredibly small size and volatile state, and the inability for such a device to record memory.

The new field of computers based on quantum physics will be known as quantum information science.  Eventually, Professor Andrew Cleland said that different systems would be more effective if they used photons rather than vibrations.  While it's difficult to fathom now, a photon based system could in theory even be reversed to make incredibly sensitive detection methods that were previously thought impossible.  Imagine a world where a history of shadows is played out on a single wall based on the tiny photons left behind by residual light effects.  Essentially everything in the universe could be played back visually using such a detection method.