Sask. professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking

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SASKATOON If you dont like gross things, this story is snot for you.

An associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan is trying to get more students interested in science by looking at the health benefits of picking your nose and eating it.

Scott Napper says nature pushes us to do different things because it is to our advantage to have certain behaviours, to consume different types of foods.

Napper says mucous traps germs and stops them from getting into our body, but if we consume that mucous, it could help train our immune system by exposing it to the germs.

So he says when children have the urge to pick their nose and eat it, parents shouldnt get upset.

Napper says he hopes to conduct a study where some type of molecule is inserted in peoples noses and then half the participants pick their nose and eat it and the other half dont.

I think the challenge would be getting volunteers to participate in this experiment, he says with a laugh. Especially if you didnt know which group you were going to fall into.

Napper also says making science more humorous and fun keeps students interested and engaged.

I dont try to convert them all to biochemistry. My goal is always if I can teach you one thing that youre going to tell somebody else about outside the scope of this class, then Ive prompted you to think a little bit, to question these things and I think with this example, it probably succeeded in that.

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Sask. professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking

World Travel Globe, an iPhone Travel App, Forms Online Relationships with International Travel Websites

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World Travel Globe, an iPhone travel app, forms relationships with international travel websites to make planning and booking spontaneous trips a snap. App creator Marcus Crellin explains that this function allows users to research Whats Hot in other countries, and then book flights, hotels, and more with just a phone for the jet-setter always on the go.

(PRWEB UK) 24 April 2013

Im excited that we have travel sites on board, said Crellin. As an engineer, Im always on the go, and use this app every other week when I travel, which happens to be half of each month. Anything that can make work and personal life simpler Im game for.

The World Travel Globe app funnels multiple channels of information into one platform, so users can research their upcoming place of travel with one click. The app collectively reports information including the country population, visa requirements, spoken language, currency used and exchange rate, weather, time differences, and more.

Additionally, the app provides easy-to-use features like picture galleries for easy research, local restaurant menus and hours, as well as public transportation information like metro and subway maps and schedules.

Vacationers, especially those who travel internationally, can also use the Whats Hot feature of the app. In particular, users can check in on ongoing events and major attractions by using the World Travel Globe app without having to visit multiple web pages for varying sources of information.

To use the main feature of the app, iPhone users simply spin the globe, and then pick from a list of ongoing carnivals, festivals, major sporting events, and more in a particular desired locale. By doing so, travelers can discover new places and adventures to take, whether they plan for a trip long in advance or schedule an impromptu one on a whim.

The apps easy to use, and can open you up to places and events you never knew existed, said Crellin. Travelling is my passion, in part because its showed me theres so much more existing beyond my daily work routine.

About World Travel Globe

World Travel Globe is an iPhone application that assists with the planning of trips. Spin the globe and hit anywhere in the world to discover new places and adventures for travel destinations, including ongoing events like festivals, major sporting events, carnivals, and more. World Travel Globe will pull up the necessary information from all over the web to help plan a trip from the convenience of your phone, supplying the user with related regional information, weather forecasts, currency and exchange rates, time differences, and visa requirements.

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World Travel Globe, an iPhone Travel App, Forms Online Relationships with International Travel Websites

Capitalism is Dead. Long Live Transhumanism. – H+ Magazine

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By: Lee Coburn

Humanity is now entering the fourth economic paradigm. First we were hunter gathers, second farmers, third the industrial revolution. Now the fourth paradigm, where transhuman entrepreneurs, utilizing both neurological and machine augmented intelligence, are replacing capital as the economic driving force in free market economies.

In the last 40 years computers and robots have replaced humans in more than 9 million traditional jobs. This trend is accelerating as Intelligent Self-Educating Computer Systems (ISECS) like WATSON, WolframAlpha, Quora and others are moving from the lab into the cloud.

Humanities golden age? Possibly, but like the start of the industrial revolution it is the transition thats scary, creating unemployment, pain and suffering. Today transhuman entrepreneurs are pulling us into a new age where bioinformatics, nanotechnology, 3D printers, ISECS, and robot slaves will do our work, freeing us for love, play and fun.

For this document we define Transhumans to be free thinking, courageous doers, who, use augmented intelligence, to harness the frontiers of human knowledge and technology.

During the industrial revolution vast amounts of capital were needed to start and build railroads, steel mills, auto factories and giant retail businesses like Montgomery Wards. The world economies were driven by the need for capital, hence the name capitalism. Today most American steel mills have closed, General Motors has filed for bankruptcy, and Montgomery Wards is history.

The fourth economic paradigm is being created by transhuman entrepreneurs who use the internet and advance computer systems to augment their intelligence, enabling them to better utilize our growing scientific and technological knowledge. Look at the market value of companies started by transhumans like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Peter Diamandis, Ray Kurzweil, Larry Page, Sergy Brin, Mark Zuckerberg and thousands of others. Rather than needing capital, these companies are generating trillions of dollars of surplus capital.

Golden age of opportunity: Because scientific and technological knowledge is developing exponentially, there are more entrepreneurial opportunities today than at any other time in human history. Best of all. there are no formal educational requirements, school dropouts like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and other entrepreneurs with even less education outnumber those with Ph. Ds..

Today 90% of all scientists and inventors that have ever lived are alive and working. They are producing more new opportunities every 15 years, then were produced in the last 100. And the last century was very inventive with TVs, computers, space travel, washing machines, airplanes, autos and much more! Check out the website http://www.kurzweilai.net/, where their daily newsletter documents five to twelve new scientific and technological advancements. Many of these discoveries point to new products and industries.

Entrepreneurs themselves are a major source of new opportunities. When the Wright brothers invented the airplane they created opportunities for airplane manufacturers like Boeing. They also created thousands of second tier opportunities. These, for the most part are low tech, like food services, airport support, travel agents and manufacturers of airplane seats, etc.. It is in this second tier where historically businesses have earned the most money and created many new jobs. So, the more entrepreneurs there are, the more new opportunities there will be.

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Capitalism is Dead. Long Live Transhumanism. - H+ Magazine

Stem Cell Institute Public Seminar on Adult Stem Cell Therapy in Miami, Florida May 11th, 2013

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The Stem Cell Institute, located in Panama City, Panama, will present an informational umbilical cord stem cell therapy seminar on Saturday, May 11, 2013 in Miami, Florida at the Conrad Hotel from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Miami, Florida (PRWEB) April 24, 2013

Speakers and topics include:

"Umbilical cord stem cells: regeneration, repair, inflammation and autoimmunity" - Neil Riordan, PhD

Dr. Riordan is the Founder of the Stem Cell Institute and Medistem Panama Inc.

Dr. Paz is the Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute. Dr. Paz practiced internal medicine in the United States for over a decade before joining the Stem Cell Institute in Panama.

Dr. Lowe is a psychiatrist at Amen Clinics in New York City.

Raymond Cralle is a physical therapist at Cralle Physical Therapy in Delray Beach, Florida.

After the talks, our speakers and stem cell therapy patients will be on hand to share their personal experiences and answer questions.

Admission is free but space is limited and registration is required. For venue information and to register and reserve your tickets today, please visit: http://scimiamiseminar.eventbrite.com/ or call Cindy Cunningham, Patient Events Coordinator, at 1 (800) 980-7836.

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Stem Cell Institute Public Seminar on Adult Stem Cell Therapy in Miami, Florida May 11th, 2013

‘Schaeffer on the Christian Life: Countercultural Spirituality’ by William Edgar – Video

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#39;Schaeffer on the Christian Life: Countercultural Spirituality #39; by William Edgar
Francis Schaeffer was one of the most influential apologists of the twentieth century. Through his speaking, writing, and filmmaking, Schaeffer successfully ...

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'Schaeffer on the Christian Life: Countercultural Spirituality' by William Edgar - Video

Space Station Live: Astronaut Don Pettit on Earth Photography – Video

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Space Station Live: Astronaut Don Pettit on Earth Photography
In celebration of Earth Day, Space Station Live commentator Pat Ryan sat down with NASA astronaut Don Pettit to learn more about the experience of viewing and photographing our planet from...

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Space Station Live: Astronaut Don Pettit on Earth Photography - Video

Russians launch space station resupply ship

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It was a throwback of sorts Wednesday as a Russian Progress cargo craft launched on a two-day track in pursuit of the International Space Station, reverting to the old rendezvous style instead of the six-hour sprints employed recently, but one of its navigation antennas did not immediately deploy.

Loaded with 3.1 tons of food, fuel and supplies, the freighter was boosted into orbit atop an unmanned Russian Soyuz booster from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 6:12 a.m. EDT (1012 GMT). The space station was located over the South Atlantic at the moment of launch.

However, initial telemetry indicated one of the antennas for the KURS automated rendezvous system -- the hemispherical antenna on the side of the spacecraft -- did not immediately deploy as expected. Russian flight controllers are assessing the situation and any potential impacts.

The antenna in question is used for sending and retrieving navigation signals, according to Brandi Dean, NASA's mission control commentator in Houston, and is one of five in the KURS package aboard the Progress.

A series of precise engine firings is scheduled over the next two days to guide the Progress toward a planned autopilot rendezvous with the station for docking Friday at 8:26 a.m. EDT (1226 GMT).

Unlike the last three Progress cargo craft, this resupply ship was forced to take the typical two-day rendezvous because of the phasing and orbital mechanics associated with launching today. Only certain days provide the proper conditions for the six-hour rendezvous profile.

The 24-foot long ship will attach itself to the aft port of the Zvezda service module, which became available last week when a previous Progress flew away to fly solo for daily thruster firings to help ground controllers in Russia calibrate radar systems before its eventual deorbiting into the South Pacific on Sunday.

Today's launch was known in the station's assembly matrix as Progress mission 51P. The spacecraft's formal Russian designation is Progress M-19M.

The craft will bring nearly three tons of supplies to the station. The "dry" cargo tucked aboard the Progress amounts to 3,483 pounds in the form of food, spare parts, life support gear and experiment hardware.

The refueling module carries 1,764 pounds of propellant for transfer into the Russian segment of the complex to feed the station's maneuvering thrusters. The vessel also has 926 pounds of water and 48 pounds of oxygen and 57 pounds of air.

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Russians launch space station resupply ship

Space Station Communications Test Bed Checks Out; Experiments Begin

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NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) test bed has begun its experiments after completing its checkout on the International Space Station.

The SCaN test bed is an advanced, integrated communications laboratory facility that uses a new generation of software-defined radio (SDR) technology to allow researchers to develop, test and demonstrate advanced communications, networking and navigation technologies in space. This radio communication technology is based on a new standard that enables radio characteristics and functionality to be changed simply by altering the software. It can be transferred to any radio built to the standard. The cost savings and efficiency of this new technology will improve NASA's data communications in the future.

"The space station serves as a dynamic test bed for the technologies needed for future human and robotic exploration," said International Space Station Program Manager Michael Suffredini. "SCaN is an example of the technologies that are being matured in low-Earth orbit and used to increase science return of many different types of spacecraft."

Checkout activities completed in February established the status and health of the payload, including the antenna systems and software on each of three SDRs. The test bed will help technology developers and mission planners understand how they will be used in future missions.

"With the development and deployment of this test bed, NASA has enabled significant future advancements by gaining knowledge and understanding of SDR development," said John Rush, technology and standards director for SCaN at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "That has created expertise across the agency that will define and develop the next generation of SDRs for future missions."

Initial experiments under way include advancing in S-band and Ka-band SDR technology and enhancing the capabilities of the existing communications paths, especially in the Ka-band. Researchers expect the test bed to operate aboard the space station for as long as six years.

"The SCaN Test bed represents a significant advancement in SDRs and its applications for NASA," said David Irimies, project manager for the SCaN test bed at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. "Investigating these SDR technologies in the dynamic space environment increases their technology readiness level and maturity, which in turn can be used for future missions as risk reduction."

An experiment with NASA's latest Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-K will be the first in-orbit test and demonstration of a TDRS spacecraft acquiring and successfully auto-tracking a Ka-band user in low-Earth orbit.

This reconfigurable in-orbit laboratory provides broad participation to NASA, industry, academia and other government agencies. These experiments will contribute data to the Space Telecommunications Radio Standard Compliant repository and will enable future hardware platforms to use common, reusable software modules to reduce development time and costs.

NASA continues to solicit proposals to participate in the development, integration and in-orbit execution of research and technology experiments and demonstrations using the test bed. The first users outside NASA are expected to demonstrate experiments on the SCaN test bed by 2014.

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Space Station Communications Test Bed Checks Out; Experiments Begin

Space station visitors can thank Rice students for the delicious coffee

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A group of Rice University engineering students think they can make the perfect cup of coffee with a 3D printer for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

If you're looking for a cup of delicious caffeine in near-Earth orbit, you might agree with them.

The Rice students, Robert Johnson, Colin Shaw and Benjamin Young, created a simpler way for astronauts to customize coffee to their personal tastes, forgoing the instant, syrupy, pre-packaged liquid that they had been drinking in space. Sounds way worse than your standard breakroom coffee.

The new system lets astronauts distribute just the right amount of creamer and sugar. Before this project, astronauts could not decide how sweet or bitter their morning cup of joe could be. A two-element roller with a gauge that dispenses the desired ratios of sugar and cream was created with a 3D printer at Rice's Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen.

Johnson Space Center's Space Food Systems Laboratory gave the trio constraints on what can and cannot be used in space. The challenge for the group was in creating a way to make the coffee that the astronauts could replicate in the zero gravity of the ISS. The astronauts heat up their current mixture with 158 degree water, while on Earth the optimal temperature for a cup is at least 140 degrees.

"If they know what they like on Earth, they know what they like in orbit," said Shaw in a press release.The students are hoping their coffee soon becomes the astronauts' favorite treat aboard the ISS. Right now, the astronauts are raving about the Russian shrimp and tartar sauce from the ISS kitchen.

Now, let's just hope NASA doesn't feel the need to hire a few surly space baristas.

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Space station visitors can thank Rice students for the delicious coffee