The Greenbird Wind Wing was designed and built under two San Francisco-based entrepreneurs, and has been proposed as a means of cutting down on the over $1 million tax dollars San Francisco spends on its inefficient diesel-powered ferry system. The engineers behind the project have said that the project has demonstrated that it could save … Read more
The largest Ebola outbreak in history, which began in Guinea earlier this year before spreading to other West African nations, has become the subject of a gene sequencing study by a Harvard team already well-versed in similar viruses. The research has discovered that the current Ebola outbreak has already mutated hundreds of times and continues to … Read more
The world’s tallest man, who had grown to 2.60 meters (8.5 feet) by age 44, has died from complications associated with the condition that was the cause of his ceaseless growth. Leonid Stadnyk had withdrawn from public attention after being briefly named by the Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest man in 2007. Stadnyk refused … Read more
The world’s most advanced commercial high-resolution satellite is now operational. DigitalView’s WorldView-3–the company’s sixth super-spectral, hi-res satellite–was launched this week, and offers photo resolution at five times the clarity of its nearest competitor. The satellite also provides infrared and CAVIS, and can photograph through smoke, fog and haze and correct for cloud, aerosol, water vapor, … Read more
Microscopic habitats, hosting communities of microorganisms formed over geologic time periods, self-sufficient but not self-sustained, have been discovered within droplets of water in the oil of Trinidad’s Pitch Lake, the world’s largest natural asphalt deposit. Researcher Dr Tillmann Lueders explained to The Speaker about the births, lives and possible deaths of these tiny worlds. The report, “Water droplets in oil … Read more
With a wood frame, some plastic and water, 99 percent of bacteria can be eliminated from unclean water, using a structure created by University of Buffalo, New York student Deshawn Henry. The project has the potential to provide clean water to developing nations around the world, where millions currently have no access to clean water for drinking … Read more
A Mayo Clinic task force has put together an updated set of recommendations for cholesterol treatment. The last guideline update took place in 2001, and several changes have been recommended, including a recommendation that not all patients currently prescribed statins and other cholesterol-lowering medications should take them. The task force also had new recommendations for … Read more
“The best thing a mother can do for her newborn is breastfeed,” said the UN Friday, “which does more than help children survive–it helps them to thrive with benefits that last a lifetime.” The executive director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Anthony Lake, made the statement, urging promotion of breastfeeding everywhere. “Immediate breastfeeding within … Read more
With the intention of marking “a turning point” in the intensifying Ebola outbreak plaguing three West African nations, the WHO met with the presidents of all the affected nations Friday to launch a joint $100 million response plan. Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) met the leaders of Liberia, Guinea, … Read more
Last week, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr. Pepper Snapper all revealed their second quarter earnings report. Coca-Cola’s soda sales were flat in North America and its revenue fell 1.4 percent, despite a sales volume increase in other parts of the world. PepsiCo suffered a two percent fall in both profit and soda sales volume. Dr. Pepper … Read more
Scientists at Aalto University School of Science in Finland have conducted a study in which they found that some lies may be more destructive to society than others, and that some types of lies may be essential to the growth of cohesive social networks. “There is no society without lies,” stated lead researcher Rafael Barrio, a … Read more
Researchers in Brazil have found a way to preserve bread kept at room temperature for up to 15 days without growing mold, and they have done it using natural preservatives rather than chemicals. Their report, “Edible Films from Methylcellulose and Nanoemulsions of Clove Bud (Syzygium aromaticum) and Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Essential Oils as Shelf Life … Read more