Is Obesity Overrated?

One of the biggest health-related stories within the past year has been concern over the growing epidemic of obesity in the US. There's no doubt that Americans are getting heavier... but now, a new group of researchers is arguing that the health risks associated with obesity are overstated, and that studies supporting those ideas are erroneous.

These researchers point to new studies that indicate increases in death rates from obesity are statistically insignificant, and argue that underweight people are at greater health risk than their overweight counterparts. They also cite studies disproving any connection between obesity and heart disease, and stress that tables such as the body mass index (BMI), which tells people their "healthy weight" based on their sex and height, are unrealistic and inaccurate measures (bodybuilders, for instance, typically have an "obese" BMI). Such charges are reflected in recent scholarly titles, including The Obesity Myth, by Paul F. Campos (Gotham Books, 2004); The Obesity Epidemic: Science, Morality and Ideology, by Michael Gard and Jan Wright (Routledge, 2005); and Obesity: The Making of an American Epidemic, by J. Eric Oliver (Oxford University Press, August 2005).

Moreover, these critics allege that much of the anti-obesity research is funded by the diet and pharmaceutical industries. "The war on fat," says author Paul F. Campos, "is really about making some of us rich."

Maybe some of the recent concerns about obesity sound paranoid, but this isn't to say that it's OK to cancel your gym membership and start super-sizing your meal portions. Somewhere, common sense has to intervene and strike a balance between starvation dieting and total neglect of one's body. Plus, much of the arguing on this subject appears to be taking on economic and even political overtones. Just as critics accuse anti-obesity researchers of being in bed with the diet industry, how closely might some of those be allied with the food and restaurant industries, who would very much like us to stop worrying about which foods make us fat?

Obesity is an important topic that requires much more study. This controversy simply marks an opening volley in what will surely be a long and brutal battle.

UPDATE: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reiterated its position that obesity is indeed harmful. Specifically, the CDC wanted to clarify its position in light of one of its studies that revealed fewer obesity-related deaths than did previous studies. "What we don't want is for this debate to continue to confuse people," said CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding. "Obesity and overweight are critically important health threats in this country. They have many adverse consequences."

Source: Scientific American

Media Turn Up In Flight, and On the Menu

Electronic entertainment is turning up in some curious places these days. Or maybe not so curious...

Airlines -- even those that are cash-strapped -- are considering installing monitors for each seat, through which passengers can watch movies, play games, listen to music or even access the Internet. For a small fee, of course. Airlines see this as a profitable venture, even as they endure higher fuel prices and cut corners elsewhere. Says Song Airlines vice president Tim Mapes, "Once you put the capital onboard the plane, it's a one-time expense. It's making the investment provide the absolute best return possible."

Planes are a logical place for this kind of media. Passengers represent a captive audience who would likely find a $5 fee for a movie or the ability to check their e-mail quite reasonable. However, those looking to distribute electronic media are getting even more creative than that...

McDonald's recently launched a pilot of Blaze Net, a kiosk that allows patrons to burn CDs, download cell phone ringtones, and print digital photos. The kiosks have been deployed in several McDonald's in the Chicago area, where initial response has been "overwhelmingly positive," according to a McDonald's spokesperson. Restaurants in West Virginia and Florida are next on the pilot list.

Regardless of the success of Blaze Net, Mickey D's might want to take a cue from Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and creator of Pong, the great-granddaddy of all video games. Bushnell's latest venture, Media Bistro, allows patrons to watch TV, play video games and surf the Web while they eat -- providing high-tech versions of the booth-side mini juke boxes that have graced diners and soda shops since the 1950s. A few tweaks to make the games kid-friendly and feature all our favorite McDonaldland characters, and the concept sounds tailor-made for the Golden Arches.

Bushnell should know a thing or two about combining video games and food. After launching Atari, Bushnell founded Chuck E. Cheese...

Sources: Boston Globe, Washington Post, MTV News

A "Ginormous" List of "Confuzzling" Words

Well, maybe it's not all that ginormous, but it does contain the best words not in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The hallowed dictionary publisher recently solicited suggestions for new and obscure words not in its pages, and the responses it received were clever, useful and fun. Among them:

• confuzzled (adj): confused and puzzled at the same time
• cognitive displaysia (n): the feeling you have before you even leave the house that you are going to forget something and not remember it until you're on the highway
• phonecrastinate (v): to put off answering the phone until caller ID displays the incoming name and number
• troddle (v): to wander around without knowing of doing so
• snirt (n): snow that is dirty, often seen by the side of roads and parking lots that have been plowed

Maybe you won't use these words in everyday speech, but the exercise simply goes to show how language is dynamic and ever-changing.

Smart Lights

Recent advances in the application of light-emitting diode (LED) and solid-state electronics for lighting may lead to the development of "smart lights" that can adjust themselves to specific conditions and even communicate with one another.

A recent article in Science magazine describes how smart lights can save energy and money (using only 3 watts to deliver the light equivalent of a 60-watt conventional bulb), deliver optimum light quality at different times of the day, provide the best type of light to grow plants indoors, and even communicate with other devices through rapid bursts imperceptible to the human eye. For instance, brake lights on a car could send out a signal to the car behind it to slow down.

Don't look for smart lights to hit the market anytime soon, though. Researchers are still learning how to deliver quality LED light through all points on the spectrum.

Sources: Eurekalert, Genius Now

Gadgets Define Kids' Social Status

There's nothing new about kids wanting to have stuff just because "everybody else" has it. Growing up in the modern world, after all, is all about trying to fit in and maintain one's social standing... and usually, doing that means having the right gear. These days, however, fitting in is a costly proposition, as gadgets like iPods, camera phones and portable DVD players become must-have fashion accessories for kids and teens.

Market researchers who study teen consuming habits have noted a significant shift in the way young people regard style. Whereas kids used to rely on clothes and hair to make a statement and define themselves, today's teens measure social status through high-tech devices. Many credit the stylish iPod for this change, but the now-ubiquitous cell phone has also surely played a role.

These marketers cite the "nag factor" in driving the purchase of these gadgets, placing much of the financial burden on parents and grandparents. Marketers also note that "gadget envy" cuts across all socioeconomic lines, affecting young people everywhere.

Sources: New York Times (via Taipei Times), Techdirt

Are Researchers Relying Less on the Web?

Librarians, subject matter experts and professional research intermediaries who thought they might be made obsolete by the Web should be reassured by a new survey suggesting that netizens are relying on the open Web less for research. According to the survey conducted by Outsell, a firm that serves the information industry:

[P]eople who use the Internet in their jobs are starting to tire of going directly to the open Web. Just 67 percent say they go to the open Web for the information they need for the job, compared to 79 percent in 2001. They are increasingly more likely to rely on corporate intranets, colleagues, libraries, and other intermediaries.

The survey also found that users spend more time searching for information since 2001 (11 hours vs. 8 hours per week), and now spend the majority of their time (53%) searching for information as opposed to analyzing and applying it.

Granted, Outsell has a vested interest in promoting the services of professional researchers. However, they may well be on to something here. As more information becomes available on the Web, the harder it becomes to use general purpose search engines to locate specific, relevant information. Also, information workers are increasingly pressed for time, and are rediscovering tools that help them narrow their searches quickly, such as specialized databases, portals, and good old fashioned human librarians. The survey also points to potential business opportunities for researchers willing and able to help their clients locate valid information quickly.

A Nation of E-Mail Junkies

How many times a day do you check e-mail? Once, twice, several? Do you check it late at night? On weekends? On vacation?

If so, you have plenty of company. A new survey conducted by America Online and Opinion Research Corporation has found that many of us check our e-mail several times a day, after hours and even while on vacation.

The survey revealed that many of us check e-mail:

• Several times a day (47%)
  
• While on vacation (60%)
  
• In the middle of the night (40%)
  
• First thing in the morning (40%)
  
• Right before bedtime (14%)
  

The survey also found that 26% of those surveyed haven't gone for longer than two to three days without reading their e-mail.

At first blush, this survey seems to reinforce the perception that America is a nation of workaholics. It makes sense, after all, as more of us enter the 24/7 workplace, and more of us work remotely. However, the survey also found that e-mail is used for personal use as much if not more so than for business. Thus, it illustrates how e-mail has become a fundamental part of our lifestyles, as much so as the phone and Web.

Source: Earthweb

Times Have Changed in First Grade!

Back when I was in elementary school, I had a teacher who, as part of her standard toolkit of punishments, put masking tape over the mouths of kids who couldn't stop talking. I can't recall anybody thinking it was terribly inappropriate, and our parents at the time probably thought it was a good alternative to spanking.

Fast-forward 40-odd years. A Terre Haute, Indiana elementary school substitute teacher has been fired for taping the mouths of six of her first-grade students. She said it was just a joke, but parents and the school district weren't laughing.

Come to think of it, my first-grade teacher took it pretty seriously too...

Source: WTHI-TV

Memorial Day Travel May Set Record

Despite high gas prices -- and with air travel rebounding to pre-9/11 levels -- the AAA estimates that a record 37 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Memorial Day weekend.

Air travel has become particularly attractive, with low fares and the growth of low-cost carriers like Southwest. The US Department of Transportation is estimating that the average air fare is about 20% cheaper than in 2000. However, this is also expected to lead to crowded airports and delays. So if you're planning to hit the skies this weekend, be sure to get to the airport early!

Source: CNN.com

Photoblogs to Help Fight Crime

Police in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, are posting photos of football (a.k.a. soccer) hooligans on its website in hopes that the public can identify the pictured individuals.

The action is reportedly in response to a particularly violent riot that occurred in April. Since the photos were posted, 15 of the 60 suspects have turned themselves in.

Source: Smart Mobs

Conan O'Brien on the Future of TV

Once again, this week's Friday diversion comes a day early. The late-night talk show host speaks his mind on where television is headed.

Sources: Newsweek, Technology Liberation Front

How Molecular Manufacturing Might Work

If you follow nanotechnology and wonder what manufacturing at the molecular or near-molecular level might look like, you can now view a graphic presentation of a theoretical process at work.

Pioneering nanotechnologist Dr. K. Eric Drexler has teamed up with graphic animator John Burch to develop an animation showing the molecular manufacturing process at a literal "desktop factory" from start to finish. You can view a four-minute Quicktime movie, or a static slide show.

Sources: Nanotechnology Now, Future Salon

Sex + Watchdog Groups = Great Advertising??

In today's political climate, the following seems to be the perfect recipe for creating memorable, far-reaching TV advertising:

1. Shoot a commercial featuring lots of sexual innuendo, but stopping just short of anything really naughty.
2. Before airing, allow conservative watchdog groups to get wind of it so they can get in an uproar and start a grassroots campaign to stop it.
3. Make sure that bloggers and the national news media talk about it, and vigorously debate family values vs. free speech. Provide TV networks with clips of the ad so they can run it over and over. If you're really lucky, Leno or Letterman will joke about the ad in their monologues.
4. Once the commotion has died down, offer to pull or scale back airings of the ad, thereby saving a bundle on airtime.

Who knows if the Carl's Jr. fast food chain intended to follow this strategy, but they appear to be benefitting from it nonetheless. Their new TV ad, featuring Paris Hilton washing a car while wearing a sexy swimsuit, is loaded with innuendo. Way too much, says the Parents Television Council. The PTC's main complaint is that, unlike a risque program that can be placed into a late-night time slot, a commercial can pop up at any time (though Carl's would not likely buy time on children's shows for this ad).



If the PTC's goal was to suppress this ad, it failed miserably. As noted above, the ad is featured on news and talk shows everywhere, and can even be viewed online at spicyparis.com Historically, attempts by watchdog groups to censor and boycott what they see as offensive media usually backfire. Instead of shutting down this programming, their actions have put everything from the '90s sitcom Married With Children to GoDaddy.com on the map.

Was stirring up controversy part of Carl's intent? Possibly. In any case, they made their point, and got their name out there. But the critical question remains: Now that we know that Paris Hilton can wash a car, can she sell burgers?

Source: CNN/Money

The Transparent Newsroom

A blog launched by the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, presents an innovative way in which mainstream media can leverage new media. The Daily Briefing blog gives readers a fly-on-the-wall view of newsroom activities and editorial staff meetings. The blog reveals the decision-making process that goes on at the paper, as well as a Q&A forum where readers can submit questions to the editors.

Not everyone will want to make such a blog a part of their regular reading. But considering the controversies the MSM has been embroiled in recently, this kind of transparency may help clear up misunderstandings by shedding light on how editorial decisions are made.

UPDATE: Techdirt features a rather harsh critique of the Daily Briefing, questioning not only the usefulness of the blog, but whether or not it can be truly considered a blog at all.

RELATED: Poynter Online notes a similar blogging effort being conducted by a newspaper in Boulder, Coloardo. The effort apparenty hasn't gone over very well, though the post offers some suggestions for improvement.

Sources: Poynter Online, unmediated

Credit Card Holders in Georgia to Pilot "Blink" Cards

JPMorgan Chase & Co. will begin a pilot rollout of its new "blink" credit cards with about 400,000 cardholders in Atlanta and other Georgia cities. The bank will begin mailing the new cards to customers June 1.

Instead of the typical magnetic stripes, the blink cards use RFID chips to hold information. The card merely needs to be held close to a reader rather than swiped through one. Chase is hoping that the technology will speed checkouts; it estimates that blink cards can shave 20 seconds off a typical transaction at a fast-food restaurant. That doesn't sound like much, but those seconds add up.

7-Eleven convenience stores will be among the first retailers to be outfitted with readers for blink cards. The readers should be in place in the Atlanta area by next month, and 7-Eleven hopes to have readers installed in all its stores by year's end.

Atlanta's reputation as a trendsetting city led Chase to select it as the first pilot city. Says Tom O'Donnell, senior vice president of JPMorgan's card division, "It's a dynamic place where people are on the go."

Source: AP (Excite)

The Looming Public Health Worker Shortage

A 2004 report by the American Association for State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) states that the public health departments in half of the states in the US are understaffed, and may be unable to handle widespread health crises. Because public health workers would be on the front lines in the event of a bioterror attack, the matter is one of national security as well as national health.

The report also noted that the average age of public health workers is 47, meaning that large numbers of them are nearing retirement age. Recruitment of younger workers is difficult because most public health departments can't compete with the private sector on salary. In some cases, healthcare workers can double their salary by moving from the public to the private sector.

Congress is stepping in to help alleviate the shortage by considering legislation that would forgive student loans and offer scholarships to students who commit to public health careers. As beneficial as this approach may be, it depends on students completing college programs, and the public health system might not be able to wait that long.

Source: MSNBC

States and Cities, Not the Feds, to Drive Fuel Efficiency

Green Car Congress, a group that monitors developments in sustainable vehicles, reports that the Senate Energy Committee voted to reject an amendment to the energy bill it is drafting that would have increased the fuel efficiency for SUVs and light trucks from 21 to 27.5 MPG by 2011.

Meanwhile, New York's environmental protection agency is proposing to adopt California's stringent environmental standards for vehicles. And New York City has signed on to the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which endorses the 7% greenhouse gas emission reduction for the US as specified in the Kyoto Protocol.

It appears, then, that states and cities comprising the nation's most populous areas are taking a leadership role in fuel efficiency and emissions reduction, as opposed to the federal government. When changes come, we can expect to see them coming at this level.

Source: WorldChanging

Stuck in an Airport? Hit the Gym!

The next time you're stuck in an airport, you might be able to pass the time by working out. Although a few airports offer their own gyms, many more are adjacent to hotels that have gyms for their guests. Some of these make their gyms available to non-guests for a nominal daily fee.

A website called Airport Gyms is a directory of gyms in or near US and Canadian airports. Many of these facilities cater to those who have airport layovers and delays, providing everything from towels to disposable swimsuits.

"I don't understand why more airports aren't capitalizing on it," says frequent flier Harvey Reed, who hits the gym whenever he has an airport layover. Adds Mike Harrington, supervisor of the Hilton health club that's near Boston's Logan Airport, "You can go to the bar and have a beer and a hamburger or you can do exactly the opposite [and get some exercise]."

Source: AP (Yahoo!)

Snow Leopards on Everest

Recent sightings of endangered snow leopards on the slopes of Mount Everest in Nepal have given conservationists something to cheer about. Sightings that occurred during an October 2004 field study mark the first confirmed spottings of the elusive predator in 40 years.

In contrast to other threatened species that are being crowded out of their natural habitats, snow leopards appear to be expanding their range into harsh, remote regions such as the Himalayas, where they are fairly safe from human interference.

Source: CNN.com

The Best (And Less-Than-Best) of Videoblogging

Videoblogging may be the hottest new blogging trend. But if the videos at Videoblogging.info, a videoblog aggregator, are any indication, the medium is still in need of refinement. Amateurism may be democratic and in keeping with Long Tail theory, but it doesn't do much to ensure quality.

However, there are some interesting videos here worth watching if you have the time and bandwidth to spare. Surely the Steven Spielberg of videoblogging is out there somewhere... but so far, he or she is keeping a very low profile.

Conditions Right for Another Harsh Hurricane Season

Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that the Atlantic hurricane season for 2005 will be just as bad if not worse than last year's.

"NOAA's prediction for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season is for 12 to 15 tropical storms, with seven to nine becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could become major hurricanes," said NOAA administrator and Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher (Ret.) "Forecaster confidence that this will be an active hurricane season is very high."

If the predictions turn out to be accurate, it will continue a pattern of above-normal hurricane activity that began in 1995. Last year saw 15 tropical storms in the Atlantic (normal = 10), 9 hurricanes (normal = 6) and 6 major hurricanes (normal = 2).

NOAA expresses such confidence in its forecasts because all the conditions are right for an active season in the Atlantic. Warmer waters, low surface pressure, a favorable easterly jet stream from Africa, weaker easterly trade winds and upper-level easterlies that expand westward all combine to encourage the formation and development of severe storms.

By contrast, the NOAA is predicting a below-active hurricane season for the Pacific. The official hurricane season lasts from June 1 through Nov. 30 in the Atlantic, and from May 15 through Nov. 30 in the Pacific.

Will Hybrids Save the World?

Are hybrid vehicles the saviors of our transportation system, weaning us off foreign oil while continuing to offer us the freedom of our auto-centered lifestyles? Some say no, that the American people can't possibly replace their traditional cars with hybrids that quickly and in sufficient enough numbers.

However, others cite an unexpected interest in hybrid sales, noting that, if current trends continue, 80% of new cars sold by 2015 could be hybrids. But that's an optimistic estimate, and even if it came to pass, it might not put a dent in oil consumption.

A Booz Allen Hamilton survey shows that, even with aggressive hybrid adoption, oil consumption wouldn't likely fall until nearly 2020. Medium and low hybrid adoption would only slow the increase in the growth of oil consumption.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

The True Power of Blogs

After the heady days leading up to and following the 2004 presidential election, are blogs headed for the "trough of disillusionment" on the Gartner Hype Cycle?

Recent research suggests that the power of the blogosphere may be vastly overstated. A Pew Internet study has found that blogs don't create news so much as pass it around (which blog readers already know, but more on that in a minute). It also found that 16% of US adults read blogs... which, spun another way, tells us that 84% of US adults don't read blogs. If that's the case, how important can blogs be?

It's not surprising to see blogs entering the Gartner "trough." I've believed for awhile that the current state of the blogosphere is analogous to the state of the Web during the late 1990s prior to the dotcom bubble burst. Not everyone was on the Web, but that's what made it so cool -- the Web represented an elite of trendy, smart, affluent people. Then as now, enthusiasts congratulated themselves on having entered a brave new world that would obliterate the old. And for awhile, it looked like they were right.

But then the bottom fell out. Many dotcoms went down the toilet, driven under not by the technology but by bad business models or bad management. The Web hit the "trough" hard (the 2000/2001 recession didn't help), but came back and is now on the "plateau of productivity." The Web left the domain of geeky kids with funky body piercings to become a much more democratic medium. True, websites aren't as sexy as they were seven or eight years ago, but that's only because they're a ubiquitous part of the business and social landscape. To businesses in 2005, having a URL is just as essential as having a phone number. Perhaps even more so.

So it will go with blogs. Lots of us bloggers like to pontificate about how we're destroying the "old media," that we're rewriting the rules of journalism blah blah blah. As with the early webmasters, we se ourselves as an elite, smarter and hipper than everyone else. True, some blogs and websites have scooped the mainstream media, and blog discussions have called the MSM on some errors. Blogs also allow "citizen journalists" to provide "man on the street" perspectives in regional hotspots.

Both the early Web and the blogosphere were unique products of their time. A "perfect storm" of technological and economic factors (a red-hot economy, the introduction of Windows 95 that brought GUIs and multimedia to the masses, the arrival of cheap Internet connectivity, etc.) made the Web possible. Similarly, blogs have benefited not only by easy-to-use blogging services like Blogger and Movable Type, but by a political and social atmosphere that invites commentary and controversy, as well as a fundamental distrust of the MSM.

But instead of destroying the MSM, blogs are entering into a symbiotic relationship with them. When a blogger calls a MSM publication or broadcaster on an error, that, in the long run, helps make the MSM stronger and better by forcing it to stay on top of its game. Checks and balances, as they say in DC. In turn, the MSM provides blogs with source material for discussion and analysis. Most blogs, after all, "reblog" material, putting it into the hands of others who might not otherwise have the opportunity to see or read it. In this way of acting as repeaters and amplifiers, blogs provide the bulk of their service.

Blogs won't "destroy" the MSM any more than television destroyed radio, or websites destroyed brick-and-mortar businesses. However, they may well alter them. Before television, radio was a very different medium than we see it today. It featured drama and comedy shows as well as music, and because of that, people related to it differently. When television came along, that programming moved to TV, and radio had to reinvent itself. Exactly how blogs will change MSM, if at all, remains to be seen.

Blogs will enter the "plateau of productivity" when more professional journalists and MSM start blogging (as is happening already), and more bloggers acquire sharper journalistic skills. Quality will replace hysteria and hyperbole as the hallmark of good blogging (though there will always be room for a juicy rumor now and then). And, as more "ordinary people" discover the blogosphere, it will lose its stigma as being solely for extremist politics and weird ideas. Some will mourn that, but the blogosphere will remain a place where smart, insightful people can speak their mind and be heard. And if that's not power, I don't know what is.

RELATED: Adam Thierer of the Technology Liberation Front echoes many of my sentiments.

UPDATE: The Newest Industry blog notes concerns from prominent bloggers about "blogger burnout" and the need to step back a bit. The post proposes a "Break from Blogging Day," on which no one would read or post to blogs. "Walk away from your computer. Go outside. Go for a walk. Write a long journal entry, ON PAPER. Read a book." The post even proposes a date: Friday, June 3. Is this simply a healthy reassessment from people who are overworked, or the seeds of a full-scale backlash?

FAA Nixes Billboards in Space

Those of you eager to see Coke, Budweiser or Nike advertisements hovering in the night sky are in for a disappointment. The Federal Aviation Administration wants to prohibit "obtrusive" advertising in zero gravity.

"Objects placed in orbit, if large enough, could be seen by people around the world for long periods of time," the FAA said in its filing. "Large advertisements could destroy the darkness of the night sky." Theoretically, large orbiting billboards could be created that would be larger and brighter than the moon, and that could be seen with the naked eye.

Still unclear is whether the FAA will have the means or the authority to actually enforce this rule. It would also only apply to American advertisers.

Source: CNN.com

Here Comes the Bride... and the Bill!

Wedding bells aren't the only ringing today's engaged couples are likely to hear. Cash registers will also be ringing with wedding sales, as the average wedding now costs over $26,000! The growing sophistication -- and expense -- of weddings is part of a long-term trend.

American couples will spend about $125 billion -- which is approximately the size of Ireland's GDP -- on weddings in 2005, according to the Fairchild Bridal Group. "The bridal industry is now a life stage that encompasses fashion, travel, home furnishings and more," says Daniel Lagani of Fairchild.

There's some good news in this for parents, though. In part because couples are now marrying older (between 27 and 29 years old on average), they are less dependent on Mom and Dad footing the bill. This year, only a quarter of marrying couples will rely on parents to cover the tab.

Source: CNN/Money

A Real-Life "Bionic Woman"

Surgeons at the University of Southampton have successfully implanted a "bionic" device to help a stroke patient regain her hand and arm movement. The patient is a 46-year-old hairdresser who has suffered two strokes in nine years, affecting her left side, though not affecting her ability to walk.

The 1.7cm-long device mimics neurons that carry messages from the brain to the arm. The device can be implanted into the shoulder through a small incision.

Such devices have been implanted before, though the Southampton researchers are hoping that theirs will show superior results, allowing the patient to regain full control of her left arm.

Source: Future Feeder

NASA Proposes Ambitious Mars Agenda

Riding high off the stunning success of the Mars Exploration Rovers, NASA is proposing an ambitious set of programs to further explore the Red Planet, in preparation for a hoped-for manned mission.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is currently being prepped for an August launch. The Phoenix Mars lander is scheduled for launch in 2007, followed by the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter in 2009. The Telecommunications Orbiter will serve as a permanent uplink station for all future Mars missions.

The nuclear-powered Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover system may launch in either 2009 or 2011. Still on the drawing board are plans for a mission to return samples of Mars rock and soil to Earth.

Beyond that, any further Mars exploration will depend on NASA's budget and competing priorities. President Bush's space vision, which he outlined in January 2004, calls for a manned mission to Mars, but not before 2020 (some at NASA cite 2030 as a more realistic date). By then, a whole new generation will be in charge in Washington... and will be facing an entirely different political landscape. Mars may or may not matter by then.

NASA is not alone in its desire to further explore Mars. The European Space Agency has proposed an ExoMars rover to be launched in 2011. Among other things, ExoMars will contain the internationally-designed Pasteur science package to further test for signs of life.

Source: Space.com (Yahoo!)

Seniors May Be the Next Hot Online Market

Conventional wisdom has always held that adults over 65 have little interest in the Internet. But now, because that demographic will soon be populated by tech-savvy Baby Boomers, that view will certainly change.

"The current generation of adults over 65 hasn't fully adopted Internet use, in large part because many had retired before online access became common in the workplace," says Debra Aho Williamson of eMarketer. "The next generation of seniors will be very different." The Boomers' more adventurous approach to life may also play a role in their embrace of new technology, in contrast with their more risk-adverse elders. Plus, in wanting to keep up with their children and grandchildren, seniors will find the Internet to be essential.

Williamson's research supports those views. Computer usage has grown steadily among those aged 50-64 and those over 65, though far more of those