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So you're into sci fi? But what about sci fact? Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction... Each month our very own Voyager Science Queen* will bring you interesting, quirky and downright bizarre tid bits from the world of science. And its all completely, totally, 100% true! May Sci-Facts |
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A Breath of Fresh Air |
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Sometime in the next few years, relief will be on the way for those who suffer from allergy-related health problems, such as asthma, sinusitis and hay fever. These people, victims of their overly-sensitive immune systems, will be able to have a short course of injections, that will provide some protection from the allergic reactions for approximately four years. This treatment will be of no benefit to those whose asthma is triggered by other factors: changes in temperature, physical exertion or stress, viral infections, etc. The main benefit will be for those individuals that have not responded to conventional steroid treatments, or are suffering from the side effects of long-term steroid usage. The research is led by Professor Barry Kay and Dr Mark Larch of the National Heart and Lung Institute in London, and is partially funded by the National Asthma Campaign. Their hope is that this treatment leads to the eventual discovery of a long-lasting vaccine. |
| Long Legs |
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Debbie Lawlor, another British researcher, has discovered a connection between a woman’s leg length and the size of her baby. This doesn’t exactly mean that taller mothers have bigger babies, but the women with proportionally longer legs have children with above average birth weights; a woman of average height with a short trunk should still have the heavier newborn. The study revealed that, for mothers, with every 1.27cm above the average leg length of 75cm, their child should be around 29grams heavier than the average birth weight of 3.25kg. Further investigation into this data showed that a mother’s leg length was directly related to her own childhood nutrition. If, as a child, the woman had a low energy diet, her growth was stunted and she tended towards a relatively long torso and short legs. There has to be further research into why the actual leg length will tend to produce larger children, though statistics on the average length of the babies (Do taller/longer babies weight more?) and the effects of good nutrition (Do the taller mother have better eating habits?) would be my first areas for investigation. To me, this stresses the importance of training children into good eating patterns. Think of your grandchildren! |
| Three-dimensional Portraits |
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And I’m not writing about holographic pictures…they are old hat. Cosmotec, from Japan, has demonstrated a new form of portraiture, capturing images within crystal cubes. The system uses 28 digital cameras, that feed the data into a computer, and then the computer directs lasers to carve 20,000 dots within a crystal matrix. The system is yet to reach the production stage, but the company plans is to sell the artistic results for approximately $484. |
| Memory Jewels |
| LifeGem, an American company, is producing diamonds from the cremated remains of human beings, using heat and pressure to convert the carbon elements into the stone. These gems are then made into jewellery, to be worn by the friends and/or relatives of the deceased person. So, instead of sitting under a marble headstone, your remains can spend eternity as family heirlooms…and I, personally, don’t think that idea is gruesome. Still, I’d prefer to have my ashes fired off into space; I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut and, let’s face it, that is the closest I will ever get to the reality. |
| The Robotic Nurse |
| April was the 11 anniversary of Isaac Asimov’s death, so I thought this item was very appropriate. ‘Hospi’, developed by Matsushita Electronic Works in Japan, was demonstrated in a recent expo in Yokohama. Designed to assist medial staff, the robot is a mobile medical file for use in the hospital situation. Uncle Isaac would have adored the humour and irony…his very first robot story was ‘Robbie’, about a robotic nursemaid. Oh, and did you know that the Oxford Dictionary credits Isaac with inventing three words: ‘robotics’, ‘posiotronic’ and ‘psychohistory’. This has nothing to do with ‘Hospi’, but I couldn’t resist showing how much I miss the man and his genius. |
| *The Voyager Science Queen is also known as Lynne Green So, who is this woman who attempts to entertain us with Science? Well, I really am a scientist. I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Queensland, in Zoology. And, at the moment, I am working in a Pathology laboratory. I have always been intensely curious about every aspect of our universe, from the teeny tiny workings of the gene right up to the mind-bending forces that are twisting and knotting inside a blackhole. So, now I am sharing a brain stuffed full of trivia…and hopefully entertaining people at the same time. As well, I write Fantasy stories and novels. One day, I hope to have a book published, but don't hold your breath. Reading is my other major love, and my favourite authors are Terry Pratchett and Isaac Asimov, though I could list hundreds of others. If I had one wish, I ask for more time to write! Read previous Sci-Facts: Cuddly Australian Animals Looking for more scientific oddities? Have you checked out Dr Steven Juan's website? He is, quite literally, the wizard of odds! |
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