Osaka Scientists Invent Robot Child

Scientists at Osaka University created this humanoid, a super-sized toddler, so that they can study its development, teach it to walk and even talk. This is a bit creepy to me, but that might be because I just watched a Dr. Who episode involving Cybermen. You can read all about it and see the Japanese news reports on the website "Pink Tentacle."

Wooden Towels and Natural Pools

Yes, I realize that their is real news out there. Turkish troops are chasing Kurds into Iraq. Some 6,000 people are protesting the latest G8 summit in Germany. Thousands are fleeing a cyclone in the Persian Gulf. The popemobile was attacked by a lone loony. But you should be on top of that stuff already. I'm this is exactly why it is my job to bring you news of towels and pools.

So first, towels made from wood! How crazy is that? The towels are made of something called beechwood microfiber and the company claims that the towels feel as soft as cashmere. You can buy them online at where the site also explains:

"These towels are a great alternative to those made of conventionally grown cotton, a crop whose production takes an enormous toll on the air, water, and soil, not to mention the health of people living and working in cotton country. (For example, nearly 2/3 of all pesticides used worldwide are applied to cotton crops.)"

I cannot keep up with green/sustainable/environmentally friendly/eco-safe products. Is cotton really that bad or is this just a great new marketing strategy and useful way to sell more beech wood?

Our towel discussion naturally leads me to another related topic of summer—pools! You know how the Germans are leading the world in green living? That might not be true, who knows? But, a German company called Held Teichsysteme has developed a more natural way to enjoy pool life. They design natural pools and swimming ponds that use micro-organisms and living plant roots to filter the crystal clear water. Check it out at http://www.teichmeister.de A highly reliable engineer is investigating just how eco-friendly these pools can be so expect some more news on this soon.

Snake Explodes after Swallowing Alligator

This reminds me of those conversations I used to have with my roommates back in college. We would pick out two unlikely animals and guess who would win in a fight. In this case, the python and alligator were equally matched. You can read about it here.

Who would win in a fight?

Cougar vs. jaguar
Octopus vs. wolf
Orangutan vs. gorilla
Shark vs. lion
Moose vs. hyena
Alpaca vs. sheep
Astronaut vs. caveman (got that one from an Angel episode)

A Day In The Life Of An MC Escher Drawing (Short Film)

For a little chuckle.

If they could grow organs, would you accept one?

A Dutch television show highlighted the shortage of donor organs in the Netherlands when three patients in need of kidneys participated in a blind-date type of contest to win an organ. It turned out to be a hoax and by the time the truth was revealed at the very end of the program, it already upset a number of viewers. I still haven't seen it but I can imagine having a horrified expression on my face and the need to call up everyone I know to complain about the low we've hit with reality t.v. But the show was meant to highlight that plight of these patients and their urgent need for organs. This International Herald Tribune article provides some interesting commentary.

I agree that it is awful that people are ever in this position, begging for help. Organ donation is a huge deal and I would like to think that I would donate a kidney if a loved one was in need of it. But you can already tell by that statement that I am not exactly excited to jump into surgery for anyone unless the situation is dire.

Surgery itself is extremely dangerous and not everyone is keen to donate their body parts in life or death. In some cases int he U.S. humans aren't completely dead when their organs are harvested for donation. So apart from forcing the entire population to spill their guts whether they want to or not, why not grow the organs? If they could produce a sheep chimera with a few extra human organs, would you accept one if your life depended on it?

We've already modified plant and animal species over the last 10,000 or so years, including dogs and sheep to silkworms and bees. Corn's ancestor, teosinte, used to look more like a grass until farmers began selective breeding for larger ears with softer kernels. None of these farmers realized that they were selectively breeding for certain genes. Genetic modification, therefore, is as old as civilization itself.

Is there a huge difference between eating something that has been modified by the hands of humans and replacing body parts with human designed organs? We are already looking for a way to prolong human life beyond its natural expiration date (and isn't that the goal of medicine?) so why not apply the latest techniques to an old tradition and embrace the gifts of science?

Interesting links:
"Putting DNA to Work"- National Academy of Sciences
Check out Lee Silver's page. He has a lot to say about biotechnology