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Just one month before he became the first person to die behind the wheel of a self-driving car
, Joshua Brown recorded a video of his Tesla Model S’ autopilot saving him from a crash. At least, that’s how he described it.
Tesla’s Autopilot system in the Model S is the subject of a preliminary investigation by US safety regulators, after a fatal crash by a driver using the semi-autonomous technology. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed today that it will be making “an examination of the design and performance of any driving aids in use at the time of … Continue reading
In a statement released today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that some older Honda and Acura vehicles need to have their airbags replaced as soon as possible and should not be driven until that replacement is made. The warning follows new test data that reveals “a particular subset” of Takata’s faulty air bag inflators have a much higher … Continue reading
AT&T, perhaps spurred by T-Mobile’s #GetThanked campaign, has announced a new promotion for its postpaid customers that will give them a free movie ticket when they buy one. Part of the “AT&T THANKS” program, the free ticket will allow subscribers to take a friend or significant other to the movies on a Tuesday for the price of one ticket instead … Continue reading
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is investigating a collision that occurred when a Tesla Model S in Autopilot mode crashed into a tractor trailer resulting in the death of the driver. This is the first fatality linked to the…
Only a few months after killing unlimited data and rolling out new subscription plans, Karma is now ready to offer its customers a long requested feature: private networks. The company made a name for itself with shareable hotspots, which always broa…
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Malaria deaths are on the decline, but eliminating the disease will still be a considerable challenge, experts say, which is why a new, cheap testing technique could be a major breakthrough.
Chemists at The Ohio State University are in the process of developing paper strips that can detect life-threatening diseases, including some cancers and malaria. Users can apply a drop of blood to the strip and then send it to a lab to be tested, according to a news release from the university.
The method will be particularly useful for underserved people living in rural areas who lack access to medical care.
Researchers found that the tests were accurate even when analyzed a month later, so the product will still be effective even if it takes time to reach a facility.
The strips are also inexpensive. They cost 50 cents each to produce, but that price would likely go down once they’re developed on a mass scale.
The paper on each strip contains small synthetic chemical probes. The ionic probes tag specific antibodies that extract the disease biomarker. The paper is then dipped in an ammonia solution at the laboratory.
Abraham Badu-Tawiah, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, developed the concept having the issues surrounding diagnosing and treating malaria in mind.
But, in addition to testing for malaria, the paper strips are also capable of detecting the protein biomarker for ovarian cancer and cancer of the large intestine. The technology would be especially benefit people who have a history of cancer in their family, and cancer survivors, who would be able to test more frequently.
Last year, there were more than 200 million new cases of malaria, which led to nearly half a million deaths, according to the World Health Organization. About 90 percent of malaria deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Malaria is spread by mosquitoes and causes fever, headache and vomiting. The disease can lead to anemia, lifelong learning disabilities and death.
Aid groups and humanitarian organizations have been mostly focusing their efforts on the treatment and prevention of malaria.
The Gates Foundation, for example, committed to spending more than $4 billion over the next five years on tackling the disease’s drug-resistant strains.
Nonprofit group Nothing But Nets works with U.N. agencies to distribute bed nets to help prevent mosquito bites.
It has distributed more than 7 million nets in areas of need in sub-Saharan Africa.
“We want to empower people,” Badu-Tawiah said in a statement. “If you care at all about your health and you have reason to worry about a condition, then you don’t want to wait until you get sick to go to the hospital. You could test yourself as often as you want.”
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Before the earwormy Disney hit “Frozen” made sentimental children of us all, Hans Christian Andersen wrote a story about a young girl who saves her sibling from the icy grip of a wrathful queen. “The Snow Queen,” one of the longest early fairy tales, follows Kay, a boy who’s pierced by a wicked troll-mirror, and his sister, Gerda, who saves him from the sinister young man he becomes.
It’s a story that puts good and evil in stark opposition, while recognizing that one individual can undergo a transformation, waffling between the two depending on his experiences.
It’s an oft-adapted tale, one that’s given new life in a forthcoming book by Young Adult author Danielle Paige, whose writing interests lie in fairy tales, fantasy, and soap operas, which she writes for her day job. I spoke with Paige about her dynamic writing career, and why disrupting the idea of good versus evil is always a fun task.
On her forthcoming book, Stealing Snow, and the beauty of fairy tales:
I absolutely love fairy tales. This one is based on “The Snow Queen,” and it’s how the Snow Queen became evil. I think as a kid […] I just fell in love with them. I never thought this would be my journey, but it’s just been so much fun.
I think everyone is more familiar with [“The Snow Queen”] from “Frozen” now. But “Frozen” is a really sweet take on the story, and I’ve always kind of liked that it’s this dark little creepy thing, about a girl who steals a boy to solve a puzzle. Something about it struck me when I was a kid. I liked that it wasn’t so simple.
On the problem of breaking characters down into good versus evil:
I think I learned this from my soap opera days, honestly, but I don’t think anyone who’s a villain thinks they’re villain. I think everyone has their […] reasons for how they ended up the way they ended up. I was always fascinated by how a person became dark. I think there’s good and bad in everyone.
On working as a writer for soap operas:
I spent the day with cute actors, and researching stories in the writer’s office. My job was to do character research, and it was really fun. I was [on “Guiding Light”] way back in the day when Matt Bomer was on the show, and Hayden Panettiere. It was a good training ground, I think, to learn how to write fantasy. Soap writing is really about making unbelievable things feel believable.
On writing teen love stories, versus adult love stories:
I can say that the love scenes don’t go quite as far. When you’re writing soaps, it’s like, take this as far as the camera people will possibly allow. But [teen love stories are] more about the firsts, it’s more romantic, you’re figuring out stuff. You’re approaching first love, and first kisses, and first everything.
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