Autopilot Vehicle

Posted on March 2, 2015 by | 3 comments

Sitting in a car that drives itself is like a dream, and now, this dream is closer to become true as more and more manufactures are introducing semi-autopilot systems that assist the human driver to drive better and safer. It would be a huge step if the car can operate by itself but this process in done in many smaller steps. Autopilot seems to be the next generation vehicles as many manufactures are rushing to develop their own autopilot car. This technology will reduce human error and therefore reduce the chances of traffic accidents.

Although autopilot car seems to only appear in science fiction stories, however the technology has already been used on some cars today. Such as highway lane assist and adaptive cruise control technology. So how does auto piloting work in a car? First of all, It has to be able to sense the surroundings by systems using advanced imaging systems to gather information about a vehicle’s surroundings that is then cross-checked against detailed GPS and map data . Some other manufactures uses only camera and laser sensor based systems which are much more affordable but does not perform as well.

How a Tesla S P85D auto pilot system

Autopilot cars have had some success in testing but it is still at an early stage in real use. The technology might not be ready to be accepted by the governments and public but the result of autopilot cars can potentially affect our lives or even change it. With computing systems running the cars which means cars could be driving at a faster speed and the existing traffic system would allow more cars to be on the roads. This would greatly reduce the time spent in the cars and even use the time in the cars to doing other things . Another major advantage of autopilot vehicle is that it takes out human errors of driving. Each year many traffic accidents are caused by distraction of drivers (texting, phoning, loose of concentration, sleeping). These will no longer be a problem as autopilot cars arrive. Below shows how an Audi A7 parks itself in an very efficient manner.

 

Audi A7 auto parking system

 

With lots of researches and improve in technology, autopilot cars may no longer be a dream in few years’ time. As the technology becomes much more mature it is up to whether the public and the government would accept such an idea. In the near future, we may be able to watch TV or play games on our way to work or school in an autopilot car.

Work Cited

– Can I See Your License, Registration and C.P.U.?

– Autos on autopilot: the evolution of the driverless car.

– Car autopilot would end text danger while driving, says Volvo. 

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That’s Nuts! A New Take on Allergy Treatment

Posted on March 2, 2015 by | 5 comments

Everyone knows the best way to treat allergies is to avoid what causes them, right? Well, according to a recent study that is not the case. But before we go into that, we need to know a little about what allergies really are.

food-allergies

Image credit: Salt Room Millenia Wellnes Center

Everyone has heard of them, but what are they really? Generally speaking, an allergy is an over-reaction of the body’s immune system to something that is harmless for most people, such as eggs, pollen, or peanuts. These substances are called ‘allergens’, and the immune responses they cause can do serious harm. More information on allergens can be found in the video below, credit to eMedTv YouTube channel.

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So, why do people have allergies anyway? This question stumped scientists until DP Strachan proposed in 1989 that allergies develop primarily from the lifestyle changes of our modern society, such as increased hygiene and cleanliness. This idea has come to be commonly known as ‘the hygiene hypothesis‘. The basic principle of the hypothesis, that less exposure to certain substances causes allergies, appears to hold true under more recent analysis.

Food Allergies cause 200 000 emergency room visits each year in the U.S., with more than 15 million Americans living with food allergies. From 1997 to 2008 the number of reported peanut allergies in the U.S. tripled, breaking three million cases according to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). This time period coincided with increasing attempts to lower exposure of children to peanuts. Clearly something isn’t working.

Nut Free Logo Nut free school logo

Image credit: Logo-kid.com

With understanding of allergies, why they arise, and how they affect people, the importance of finding effective treatment methods becomes clear. Using logic that follows from the hygiene hypothesis, one research group may have found a strikingly simple solution.

In a paper published February 2015, Du Toit and associates studied 640 infants, 4-11 months old, that were at risk of developing peanut allergies and separated them into two treatment groups. The first group were exposed to small amounts of peanut butter routinely, while the second group completely avoided peanuts, continuing until 5 years of age. The group with peanut exposure developed peanut allergies with remarkably-less frequency than the second group(1.9% compared to 13.9%).

So what does this mean? Should people start feeding their kids peanuts to avoid a serious allergy? The answer to that is absolutely not. This study was undergone with careful scrutiny by expert physicians to ensure minimal risk. What it does mean, is that allergy treatment is going to be changing in the near future, and hopefully the rate of allergies changes too.

-Dixon Leroux

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science Communication, Science in the News

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Comfort Food: Fact or Myth?

Posted on March 2, 2015 by | 4 comments

When we are having a bad day – whether it be from getting a bad grade, or from going through a rough breakup – many of us turn to some sort of favorite food;  a comfort food. Some of us love ice cream, some of us want chocolate, or salty foods like chips. When people are in negative moods they seek these comfort foods because they believe these foods will help improve their mood. Do comfort foods actually help improve mood, or is the idea of comfort foods just a myth?

Image Courtesy of: Flickr Commons

Image Courtesy of: Flickr Commons

Recent studies have looked into whether or not comfort foods actually have the ability to positively impact people’s moods.

One study suggests that consuming high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods produces improved moods for a very short period of time (normally just for a few minutes).

In another study, participants were first asked to complete an online questionnaire to specify their favorite comfort foods. Chocolate was the most common favorite comfort food, followed by ice cream, cookies and then brownies.

Following this questionnaire, participants were asked to watch films that induced a negative mood, and then were given comfort food (ex. chocolate, ice cream, cookies, or brownies). A week later participants were asked to watch another film that induced a negative mood, and then were served an equally liked non-comfort food (ex. almonds, cashews, or popcorn), a neutrally liked food, or no food at all.

Image Courtesy of: Flickr Commons

Image Courtesy of: Flickr Commons

Their short-term mood changes were measured using a questionnaire that consisted of mood words (ex. anxious, sad, happy), which participants were asked to rate their current emotional state on a scale from 1 (very slightly/not at all) to 5 (extremely).
Unfortunately for comfort food believers such as myself, these studies found that comfort foods did cause improvements in mood, but to the same extent that other foods or absence of food can cause. In other words, comfort foods improve moods to the same extent that any type of food, or no food at all can. The improvement in mood thought to be caused by comfort foods seems to be caused by negative moods naturally disappearing over time.

So next time you are in a bad mood and thinking about grabbing a chocolate bar, try grabbing something healthier instead! An apple and a chocolate bar will have the same effect on your mood, and the apple will keep you healthy as well!

Check out this video for a summary on the findings of the second study:

YouTube video courtesy of: DNews

Posted by: Alex Ensing

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Creating Electricity – the FUN way

Posted on March 2, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Around 1.3 billion people in the world lack  access to a reliable electricity source. What if there was a partial solution to this electricity scarcity? Soccket – a electricity producing soccer ball – is a new innovation that was founded in 2011. This soccer ball generates electricity by converting mechanical energy (from kicking or hitting the ball) into electrical energy.

President Obama kicks Soccket Source: DailyMail

President Obama kicks Soccket ball. Source: DailyMail

Soccer is the most inexpensive and popular sport enjoyed worldwide. All you need is a soccer ball whether it be a normal soccer ball or a ball made from straws. You just need a ball and some markers down for goal posts to play.

Soccket is just like any soccer ball except for its high technology. Soccket weighs 17 ounces (1 ounce heavier than a normal soccer ball) and it is embedded with high-coiled sensors that convert energy. A plug is located on the outside for LED lamps or for charging mobile phones. It is estimated that 30 minutes of playing soccer with Soccket can result in up to 3 hours of power for a LED lamp.

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Kids playing soccer. Source: pixabay

Kids playing soccer. Source: pixabay

In underdeveloped countries, having an off-grid power source, as they mention, is very rare. With the help of Soccket, kids will be able to bring home a light source to help them with their homework, or to read a book at night. The future plan is to distribute Soccket balls to schools so that kids can play and have fun, while generating electricity at the same time.

The project has now expanded to making jump ropes that generate up to 2 hours of electricity with 15 minutes of jumping (about 4 times more efficient than Soccket). With advancing technology and research, the world can enjoy creating energy.

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– Tommy Kim

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Spirulina, Chlorella, and “Superfoods” – Yuppie Bunk or True Superfoods?

Posted on February 23, 2015 by | 2 comments

Even the most brief of visits to the aisles of a health food store such as Whole Foods will introduce you to a bevy of products with outlandish marketing claims. Supplement labels would have you believe that all of your problems are only a few of their company’s products away from being resolved. Lax (but improving) regulations regarding supplement labels and a tendency for some less scrupulous companies to lie outright about the contents of their products creates a treacherous landscape for those trying to enhance their health through supplementation.

With labeling practices as dubious as these in place, it is easy to adopt a cynical attitude towards any sort of claim made about a novel supplement. This attitude is warranted indeed. Many companies will commission professionals with questionable credentials and presumably extinct scruples to advocate their products. How many times have you seen a toothpaste that “four out of five dentists” advocate, with convenient omissions as to the amount of dentists polled, their identities, and their credentials? All of these factors serve to make it very difficult to make informed supplementation decisions, especially when marketing claims are considered.

Two examples of this are chlorella and spirulina. Chlorella is a green algae while spirulina is a blue-green cyanobacterium, a type of bacterium similar to algae. Both are highly edible, and marketed in a very similar way. The word “superfood” is liberally applied to both to imply medicinal benefits beyond their nutritional value. Chlorella, however, has little medicinal benefit. It’s basically a decent plant source of vitamin b12, a vitamin found mostly in animal products. Spirulina is far more interesting. In addition to containing a large amount of both b12 and protein, it has a compound that modulates the immune system to both increase immune response and decrease inflammation – a seemingly contradictory effect considering that inflammation is a reaction of the immune system to cell damage! To this end, it has been demonstrated to assist with nasal congestion related to seasonal allergies. These two supplements demonstrate how two supplements can be touted equally and have much different medical relevance.

– Erik Johnson

Taken from www.algaeindustrymagazine.com

Chlorella, a single-celled green algae.

Taken from spirulina.sg

Spirulina, a photosynthetic cyanobacterium.

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Moving Beyond Silicon (Part Two): The Unlimited Potential of Graphene

Posted on February 23, 2015 by | Leave a comment

In Part One of this series, I discussed an overarching trend in computer science called Moore’s Law. This law (think of it as a law of computer nature) states that roughly every two years, the overall processing power of the conventional computer will double. Now, while this may be exciting to the consumer who cannot wait to get their hands on a faster computer for the same price; the consequences of this law for the computer engineers who create the devices, have never been more challenging.

The most difficult of these challenges is that as more components are put into the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer, the components will need to become so small that they will eventually reach the size of a single atom! Once at that hard limit, there will simply be no more room left in the microchip for more components. Consequently, the method of how we manufacture computers will need to be drastically reimagined if technological innovation is to continue in the foreseeable future.

Moore's Law and Technological Innovation

Moore’s Law can be directly linked to technological innovation. As our computers become more powerful, cutting-edge technologies proliferate. Credit: Humanswlord (WordPress)

That said, as many novel options for how to compute information differently have become available, scientists have wondered if the problem lies in what we compute our information with. Particularly, what if extending Moore’s Law for the next century meant that we only had to change the material we make our computers with? Enter the miracle material, graphene.

Put simply, graphene is a very thin layer of carbon, measuring only one atom thick. These single carbon atoms are packed together tightly to form what is known as a hexagonal honeycomb lattice.

Graphene in a Hexagonal Honeycomb Lattice

Graphene in a Hexagonal Honeycomb Lattice. Each carbon atom (represented by the “C”) is perfectly bonded to it’s neighbours. Credit: Karl Bednarik (Wikimedia Commons).

This unique structure of carbon atoms makes graphene the thinnest, lightest, strongest, best heat and electricity conducting material known to science. Not only that, but due to carbon being the fourth most abundant element in the universe, it could very well be the most sustainable material also.  However, it isn’t what graphene is that makes it so spectacular, but what it can do when put it to the task of computation.

In 2013, IBM showed their first generation of graphene-based integrated circuit (IC). Just this last year, IBM announced another breakthrough in creating its next generation of IC built with graphene. In this new generation of graphene based IC, IBM layered graphene in the channels of a microchip (the spots where electricity is conducted and electrons are moved around). From applying graphene in this way, IBM found the microchip to be 10,000 times faster then the current silicon alternative which uses copper. From this, IBM claims that graphene based electronics possess the potential to reach speeds upwards of 500ghz (that is 500 billion operations per second or 20 times faster then the conventional laptops sold today). This is made possible because graphene has little to no electrical resistance, which means it can move electrons around the processor much more efficiently then copper ever could.

With that said, there are still many hurdles which must be passed before graphene makes it into your next mobile device. For one, graphene based IC’s remain incredibly difficult to build using traditional processes for manufacturing microchips. IBM stated that current methods of creating graphene for use in IC’s remain expensive and inefficient. That said, it is only a matter of time before manufacturing processes are streamlined and the great graphene revolution in computer science begins!

For more information on graphene, check out this video by SciShow below.

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Vive la graphene!

– Corey Wilson

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Oops… Lenovo’s Mistake

Posted on February 22, 2015 by | 3 comments

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Video: “CNET Update – Lenovo poisoned its own PCs with Superfish adware” uploaded by CNET

Have you, or someone you know, purchased a Lenovo computer lately? Over the past few days, Lenovo has been making the news due to the recently discovered adware the company has been pre-installing onto their Windows machines. Adware is a type of software that automatically produces ads or changes search results to include ads or sponsored websites. Examples of this are the ads that appear on a person’s Facebook news feed, and the ads that appear as the top results of a Google search. The point of adware is to earn extra revenue by having users click on the ads or the advertised company sponsoring the company displaying the ads. This is exactly what Lenovo did.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet

Attribution: “lenovo-tablet-yoga-10-keyboard-cover-9” uploaded by lenovophotolibrary on flickr.

Lenovo thought they could earn a bit of extra cash by pre-installing an adware called Superfish Visual Discovery on computers that were shipped out between October and December 2014. Sounds annoying but harmless, doesn’t it? Not quite. It turns out Superfish is not just considered by many anti-virus programs as malware (malware is malicious software like a virus), but it is a backdoor for hackers to access your information. Superfish works by recognizing images viewed on the computer, finding items that are similar, and then intercepting all of the messages sent to and from a web server to inject pages that appear in your browser with additional information (like an ad). Usually, there is a mechanism in place on a web server, which verifies each user it speaks to, but Superfish circumvents this by creating a false certificate–a certificate is what the server uses to verify the connection–that all sites will see and accept. This means that any site, including secure ones like your bank or your Amazon account (any site that starts with https://…) is intercepted. Most people call this functionality a man-in-the-middle attack. In essence, a man-in-the-middle attack is when an entity redirects traffic to go through them. This allows the hacker to eavesdrop on, or inject information into the conversation.

Man-in-the-middle attack diagram

Diagram of how a man-in-the-middle attack works.

Starting to sound a little scary, isn’t it? Well, another noteworthy point is that Superfish designed their software to create the same certificate for any instance of the software. This means that every computer running Superfish has the exact same certificate and encoding code. Thus, if someone were to figure out the key or “password” to the encryption, then they could hack every single computer running Superfish by having the same certificate. Suddenly, the pool of targets just got a lot bigger.

To avoid vulnerabilities, if you or someone you know has just bought a Lenovo computer, I suggest finding out if Superfish is installed by crosschecking the model of computer with the list of models that may have been affected. If Superfish is installed, follow Lenovo’s instructions to remove it. Lenovo made a huge mistake by pre-installing this adware on their products, but two software engineers, Chris Palmer and Mike Shaver, from Google and Facebook respectively, are to thank for bringing global attention to this security issue and subsequently protecting users.

Signing off,
Dorothy Ordogh

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One Breath Closer…

Posted on February 20, 2015 by | 3 comments

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the leading cause of death worldwide is cancer. More specifically, lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in the world. This terrible disease does not discriminate when it comes to victims. It afflicts both genders, and people of all ages and ethnicities. Luckily, scientists have been working on a new detection device for lung cancer that holds promising benefits for patients. We are literally one breath closer to early detection and treatment of this terrible disease.

lung-cancer-faims

The LuCID Device, Source: Google Images

The article, Ground-Breaking Lung Cancer Breath Test in Clinical Trial, published on February 14, 2015 states that a breath test shows hopeful advancements in detecting lung cancer. Scientists at the University of Leicester have begun the clinical trials of the Lung Cancer Indicator Detection (LuCID) project. LuCID is a device that detects Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) at low concentrations in a patient’s breath. The evaluation of VOC’s in a patient’s breath can serve as a biomarker to detect lung cancer.

Dr Siddiqui, the lead researcher in this study, states that lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers. More importantly, he emphasizes the importance of early detection to improve a patient’s prognosis. Basically, the earlier the cancer is discovered, the greater the chance of survival for the patient. For this reason, the LuCID device may just be the missing key to early detection. The device is also cheaper, more efficient, and less invasive compared to other detection methods. For example, performing a CT scan exposes the patient to harmful radiation that could result in further health complications. Another downside to invasive techniques is that they are not suitable for everyone, especially children and pregnant women. Overall, the breath test is a safer alternative to more conventional lung cancer detection methods.

The Presence of Lung Cancer Source: Flickr Commons

The Presence of Lung Cancer
Source: Flickr Commons

Though the LuCID project is still in clinical trials, it is showing promising results in early detection for lung cancer. Catching lung cancer at an early stage can give patients a much better chance at fighting this disease. Furthermore, this new procedure may potentially lead to more safer and non-invasive detection methods for other diseases as well.

Check out the BBC News coverage on the LuCID device. The video was uploaded by the user KaFaDoKyA NEWS.

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– Navjit Moore

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science Communication, Science in the News

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