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With all the hype put on the latest and greatest technology breakthroughs and advancements sometimes we miss the advancements made in other fields. Here are three very interesting articles about what’s new in the medical sciences fields, check them out:

• ScienceDaily.com – Leukemia Article
• ScienceBlog.com – Melanoma Article
• UCI.edu (University of California – Irvine) – Alzheimer Article

Do with The Force what would you?

I had a friend of mine tell me a story one time about a lunch he had had with a frend of his where they were approached by a couple sales poeple who asked the question “What do you want in life?” to which my friends buddy replied, without hesitation, “Seventeen million dollars and The Force.” This quickly ended the sales pitch and turned into a classic office water cooler story. Now it seems this month at least one of his desires from life will be coming true… in a way.

Early this week Uncle Milton‘s executive VP gave an interview with the New York Post about a new toy the company is putting out called the Star Wars Force Trainer. This toy uses the same technology that doctors use to monitor brainwaves to bring the toy, a ping pong ball in a clear plastic tube, to life. The technology behind this toy is Brain Control Interface or BCI and is being used more than you may realize. Back in 2007 Wired did a story about how the BCI wave could soon be crossing over into video games making you the controller and this little toy could be a big stepping stone in that direction. Can you imagine playing your favorite racing game with your mind as the controller? No more “Damnit! I hit the brake not the gas!” moments. Or playing your favorite fighting game with your little brother or your kid. No more getting pwned by the younger generation just because there natural ability to master a controller and key combinations that escape you. This could bring a whole new demographic to the video game world, people like my wife, who can not stand to play 3d games because she can’t control them, now have the ability to participate in one of the bigger areas of my life and actually enjoy it! Click here to read more.. »

Throughout history explorers, adventurers, kings and queens alike have all been tempted by the journey to find the elixir of life immortal, the fountain of youth. In the last few centuries we have as a society completely written off the thought of living forever and become content with adding a few more years or maybe a decade or two of life and calling it good. Well it looks like the hunt for the fountain of youth may becoming full circle and into the lime light once again. Several news agencies have done stories on a little girl in Maryland who seems to be doing the impossible… not aging!

Brooke Greenberg is a 16 year old girl who looks, functions and exists to us as an infant however, scientist and doctors have been able to find no explination as to why. They have looked at her gene’s, her chromozones and medical tests and they are all left scratching their heads as to why and how Brooke’s body is not aging. I should offer a little more explination here on exactly what Brooke’s body is doing. While physically she looks as though she is just over a year old there are certain parts of her body that appear to have aged independantly of the rest. Her teeth for example, while still being baby teeth, are approximately 8 years old and her bones appear to be around the 10 year mark. The interesting points in this story don’t stop there though, they get much wierder… Click here to read more.. »

If you are like me you remember watching all sorts of sci-fi tv shows and movies growing up that depicted a future where humans and machines were becoming one. This is so far beyond a reality now that we are verging on crossing into the unbelievable and I for one am extremely excited about this. With all the articles I’ve been reading lately about the merging of human and machine this TED video stood out as the next step.

At the end of the video Pattie Maes makes the statement about how maybe in 10 years she’ll be back there with the MIT Media Lab and a brain implant version of the “Sixth Sense” machine. But with advancements like Robotic Hands, Artificial Muscles and Bionic Eyes do you really think it will take 10 years to have this mass produced and in everyones hands or brains? I doubt it.

The more news articles I read about the ‘cool’ new technologies and advances in the various sciences the more I’m starting to feel like I’m living a science fiction novel, only it’s science reality. Let me list a few examples of what I’m talking about:

• Neuro-Programmer – This application is designed to allow you to manipulate your brain waves! Now think back to when you were in elementary school (if you’re in your early to mid 20’s like me) and try to imagine someone saying they had a program that they could put on your computer that would allow you to manipulate your brain waves. You would have thought they were spending too much time in their books or watching tv or movies. Once you buy this company’s software you gain access to their Members Only area where the community has uploaded their own ’sessions’. Some of these include a pattern that is supposed to relieve headaches, combat the effects of ADD/ADHD, promote the release of hGH (human growth hormone) and an alternative to your morning caffeine intake to get you going. Now, I’ve tried the caffeine alternative and I must admit I felt very alert, very awake and totally focused at 7 in the damn morning!! The list doesn’t stop there though… Click here to read more.. »