The quest to make the earth cooler is catching the imagination of scientists. (Left) A prototype of an air capture device built by Columbia University researchers Klaus Lackner and Frank Zeman. It would suck carbon dioxide from the free-flowing air, perhaps near wind turbines, to help lessen global warming. The carbon dioxide flows into the bowl at lower left, be separated with absorbent chemicals, and air without carbon dioxide would flow out of the container at top right. (Right) Roger Angel of the University of Arizona proposes a sunshade or solar umbrella composed of small discs designed to reduce global warming. With a $70,000 NASA grant, the top University of Arizona astronomer has come up with an idea to launch 16 trillion small "flyers" or discs. They would form a cloud between Earth and sun and reduce sun rays by about 1 to 2 percent. The cost? At least $4 trillion. - AP photosElectronic appliances can interfere with medical devicesIf a halogen lamp causes static on a nearby radio, the problem is probably not serious. But what if an electronic antitheft device make a heart pacemaker malfunction or a cellphone used in a hospital interferes with a blood pressure monitor? Two reports published in the March issue of The Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggest that the dangers of radio wave interference with implanted medical devices are real but modest, and that cellphones in hospitals present no danger at all. One study, both of whose authors have received research financing from manufacturers of medical equipment, describes two cases in which antitheft devices, sometimes called electronic article surveillance, apparently caused medical devices to malfunction. Jim Vanderpool, product health and safety director for Sensormatic Electronics, manufacturer of the surveillance machines involved in both incidents, said the article reinforced the scientific consensus “that patients with medical implants like pacemakers and defibrillators should simply walk through electronic antitheft systems at a normal pace.” Tech firms push to use TV airwaves for InternetA coalition of big technology companies wants to bring high-speed Internet access to consumers in a new way: over television airwaves. Key to the project is whether a device delivered to federal labs this week lives up to its promise. The coalition, which includes Microsoft and Google, wants regulators to allow idle TV channels, known as white space, to be used to beam the Internet into homes and offices. But the Federal Communications Commission first must be convinced that such traffic would not bleed outside its designated channels and interfere with existing broadcasts. The six partners—Microsoft, Google, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Philips—say they can meet that challenge. On tuesday, they gave FCC officials a prototype device, built by Microsoft, that will undergo months of testing. Proponents liken the idea to so-called WiFi signals, which provide wireless Internet access from phone or cable companies to users in airports, coffee shops and elsewhere. Caregivers for Alzheimer’s victims lean on religionA survey released on Wednesday indicates that about one-third of people caring for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease felt “more religious” because of the experience. The study, which surveyed 650 adults across the US, was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The survey found that 36 percent of respondents, who identified themselves as religious and nonreligious, said they felt “more religious.” This feeling was more pronounced among black respondents—48 percent. “When you’re dealing with disease, sickness and tragedy, people get shaken out of their lethargy and begin to ask the ultimate questions,” said Father Paul Kowalewski, rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. “And when they do, they find God, or God’s presence.” About 20 million Americans are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The majority of these caregivers are family members, spouses or adult children. Brain scans may uncover clues to addictionsYou might think reaching for that cup of coffee or that cigarette is a simple decision. But scientists believe the way we act to satisfy cravings involves a little-understood automated response—one we have no control over—and researchers in Baltimore are using brain scans to unlock its secrets. Elliot Stein, director of the neuroimaging lab at the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and NIDA colleague Britta Hahn are studying how cues trigger cravings in addicts. They want to know what happens in the brains of smokers when they see cigarettes, and in drug addicts when they see drug paraphernalia. Previous studies have established that images of cigarettes and drugs cue brain activity associated with cravings among smokers and drug addicts. But there also are unconscious cues that trigger less understood automated responses, they say. - NYT, LAT-WP
