Tag Archive for 'inspiring science'

Rewalk Exoskeleton Means Freedom From Wheelchairs!

jackson published on July 22, 2008 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

Afternoon All,

This was up over @ engadget we found it extremely hopeful and inspiring.

ARGO Medical Technologies has developed a wearable exoskeleton that is light, intuitive, and also allows people who’ve been in wheelchairs for twenty years to get up and walk around, go up and down stairs, stand and give presentations. It’s pretty incredible.

“ReWalk is an Israeli-developed quasi-robotic ambulation system developed by ARGO Medical Technologies that provides a viable, upright day-to-day alternative to wheelchair users. The wearable upright mobility system was specially designed for individuals with lower-limb disabilities. By restoring upright mobility, the developers say, ReWalk delivers benefits on the health, economic, and societal levels.”

He was in a wheelchair for twenty years and now he’s going up and down the stairs!

The implications of this device and its related tech are beyond staggering. No more being bed-ridden. No more wheelchairs.

And the Rewalk is just v.1, wait until Rewalk v.10 comes out and you can fly and fight crime.

What a great day!

Love to All,

Team SuperForest

Victoria Times Colonist: Scientists Solve Riddle of Toxic Algae Blooms!

jackson published on July 22, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Wow!

This article in the Victoria Times Colonist is extraordinary for a few reasons. Number one is that scientists have solved why algal blooms form and kill fish, poison water supplies, spoil beaches, etc.

The answer: Phosphorous!

Number two is the revelation (to us anyway) of the existence of Canada’s Experimental Lakes Area.
“The Experimental Lakes Area?” we said. What’s that?

Turns our that Canada has many hundreds of lakes in one area, and they offer them to scientists to run experiments on. This means pumping them full of various pollutants and measuring what happens.

Just to make clear, we are firm believers in science, scientific research, and controllable large-scale experiments. That the scientists are using the lakes a laboratories doesn’t bother us.

What bothers us is that the Experimental Lakes Area has existed since the late sixties and no one ever bothered to tell us!

I mean, really, the ELA doesn’t even have a wiki.

Cripes.

And also they figured out how to stop large, poisonous Algae blooms.

Come on world, keep us in the loop.

Great news anyway.

Here’s the article.