Corncob fuel tanks and growing hair with lasers

[dracodraconis]

Source: EurekAlert! According to John Millar of Michigan State Univeristy, 28% of the American population is considered to be scientifically literate. Science literacy was defined as being able to understand 20 of 31 concepts that would appear in the New York Times science section and in programs like NOVA. This is, apparently, higher than in Europe or Japan (no word on Canada which, as usual, does not exist), but the article does not state by how much. Those interested in this article might enjoy When did Science become the Enemy? which postulates how the low number of scientifically literate people may be one reason for popular media's negative portrayal of scientists.

Source: PhysOrg Corncob waste is being used to make a carbon-based "sponge" that can store natural gas at a density 180 times its volume and using 1/7th of the pressure used in conventional tanks. This material may find its way into next-generation fuel tanks, opening the door to the use of cleaner-burning and cheaper natural gas to power vehicles.

Source: Globe and Mail Globe writer Ivor Tussell hits on an interesting problem with regard to your online presence: which you is you? You create a new account, and new personna, for each service you join. There is, as yet, no central repository where you can simply register one or more online persona's and just apply one to each service you wish to join. There is no way to join them all together to present a single "you" as an online entity.

Source: MedGadget Nanopass is a drug delivery system that uses a series of microneedles that are almost invisible, and are short enough that they don't reach nerve endings under the skin so the injection is relatively painless.

Source: Engadget This is an FDA-approved comb that apparently uses lasers to cause your hair to regrow. In a study (which can't seem to be found anywhere), 93% of participants believed they experienced hair growth, with an average return of 19.5 hairs/cm. If you're desperate, it can be yours for $545(US). Or you could accept that bald is sexy. Personally, I'll go with the latter approach.

Comments

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

There is no way to join them all together to present a single "you" as an online entity.

Some might see this as a good thing... it's part of how people maintain some vestiges of privacy in an increasingly searchable world.

[dracodraconis.livejournal.com]

True, but the point the author is trying to make is that the only option is to maintain the separation, rather than each user having the option of maintaining one or more personas. The idea might be either create a separate persona for each system, or optionally loading a predefined one from a central repository (think DNS, only for people).

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

One can cross-link them by pointers, but it becomes quadratically more difficult to do that as the number of personas to be linked increases. It's not a major problem yet, but the author is right, the point is worth keeping in mind.