Saturday, September 29, 2012

Atlantis



At this point it is fairly easy to write Atlantis off as nothing more than a myth, but this legendary city has been a source of speculation ever since the philosopher Plato first wrote about it in 360 B.C. Described by Plato as an advanced civilization and formidable naval power, Atlantis is said to have conquered much of Europe before sinking into the sea as the result of some kind of environmental disaster. While Plato’s story is seen by most as a work of fiction, his description of a massive civilization years ahead of its time technologically has captured the imaginations of countless writers and would-be adventurers, and there have been numerous expeditions launched in search of the city. Perhaps the most infamous occurred at the beginning of WWII, when the Nazis supposedly organized a journey to Tibet with the hope of finding remnants of Atlantaen culture.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Low cost incubator




A group of scientists at Embrace have created a baby incubator that costs only 25$ and is specifically intended for use in developing countries, where close to 20 million low birth rate and premature babies are born every year. A traditional incubator we might find in any hospital costs over 20,000$, which is far too expensive for a developing economy. Embrace has the appearance of a sleeping bag and is activated with boiling water, it requires no electricity and is covered with a special material that regulates temperature. It can work for approximately four hours, after which it must be reheated. It can even be sterilized and reused