Bie Inews Views 10.13.13

BIE iNews Views 10.13.13 Cyclone Phailin caused more than 500,000 people to be evacuated from vulnerable areas in India before the storm hit. Fortunately, the storm made landfall in a less populated area so residents were able to escape to higher ground. The cyclone's storm surge created waves that reached 3.5 meters. Flooding is now the primary concern for government officials. Engineers have created a robot that has artificial organs, limbs, and other body parts that make it come tantalizingly close to the 1970's popular TV star Steve Austin, the six million dollar man. The British roboticists report that the robot has about 60~70% of human functions. These synthetic body parts will undoubtedly be of benefit to aging populations, and innovative robots' power and mobility will complement human activities. Seoul's suicide rate fell for the first time in six years. Unfortunately, the capital city and national rates remain the developed world's highest, more than double the OECD member countries' average. The greatest decrease in deaths was for men and women in their 20s. Suicide ranks as the fourth-leading cause of death in South Korea behind cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Fully automated parking systems are now available so we don't have to worry about parallel parking. The ultimate goal of automotive engineers is autonomous driving so this is another step in that direction. Ford's system allows the driver to get out of the car, push a button on the key, and watch as the vehicle parks. Radar, ultrasonic sensors, and a camera make it possible to squeeze into the tiniest parking spaces. Collision avoidance systems are also becoming available options on high-end cars. Jellyfish may look cute but they turn ugly when they clog pipes at nuclear plants or reduce fish yields. The Mediterranean Sea has been "taken over" by the nomadic jellyfish from the Indian Ocean. South Korean engineers have developed a robotic jellyfish shredder that may provide some relief to cooling systems at ocean-side power plants. Another option is to start eating them. Diners report not much flavor but an interesting al dente texture, somewhere between crunchy and chewy. Wrinkle-free cotton was the brainchild of Dr. Ruth Benerito, a chemist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She perfected the "permanent press" material in the late 1950s by altering the fabric's polymer structure, and it became widely available in the mid 1960s. She also developed an intravenous emulsion for feeding wounded soldiers in the Korean War and long-term hospital patients. By winning multiple awards for her inventions, she paved the way for future women to obtain Ph.Ds in the hard sciences. Dr. Benerito died at age 97 at her home in Louisiana.