Tuesday Science and Technology Abstract 11/14/06

Tuesday Science and Technology Abstract

Research on Magnetic Bacteria - good Naval Research Lab summary of magnetic bacteria. A DARPA project. Their idea of creating biological magnetic sensors gave me the idea of creating strains of pathogenic bacteria that become magnetically disposed when exposed to certain immuno agents, such as T-Cells. These strains of pathogenic bacteria could then be introduced into host environment with genetically altered immuno-cells and agents that more easily detect magnetic pathogens and therefore it would be like marking the infectious bacteria, only magnetically instead of chemically or genetically. The bacteria would be easier to "spot" or "tag" by immuno agents. It would be a form of bacterial inoculation in which the magnetic bacteria would retain the same morphology, but would be magnetically easier to track. The immune agents would then "train" against the magnetic pathogens so that they could learn to more easily chemically spot non-magnetic bacterial pathogens.

Reforestation

Bezos' Private Spaceport Launch

Moon Colonization Possibilities

Virtual Limbs

Mirror Test - I am doubtful of this statement: They are the only other animals besides humans and apes to do so.

Both my Great Dane and Great Bernard (half Saint Bernard, half Great Dane) both seem to instantly recognize their own reflections. Of course they have been around full length body mirrors often. They also display the same self-examination procedures described here.

Human Robot Interfacing - good Army Research Labs report on human Robot interfacing and design problems.

Wireless Energy

Rapid Learning

Artificial Spider Silk - improvements to artificial means of producing spider silk. I'm especially interested in this research because of both the defensive (armor) possibilities (I can even see armor for tanks and subs being interwoven and grown at the molecular level and boned with artificial spider silk, which would make much lighter and more flexible ablative and reactive armor) and the possibilities of developing a whole new generation of extremely effective Non Lethal and Less than Lethal weapons.

Antimicrobial Grammar