1. The most important breakthrough ever? – Artificial life, the stuff of dreams and nightmares, has arrived. Craig Venter and Hamilton Smith, the two American biologists who unraveled the first DNA sequence of a living organism in 1995, have made a bacterium that has an artificial genome. This step created a living creature with no ancestor. The new biological science has the ability to do good as well as harm. (Source: The Economist )
2. New evidence caffeine may slow Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, restore cognitive function- Caffeine may be protective against the cognitive decline seen in aging, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, a group of international experts has found. (Source: PhysOrg.com)
3. Air Force Treating Wounds With Lasers and Nanotech- The Air Force is funding scientists who are using lasers to seal up wounds at a molecular level. The process would replace the sutures and staples traditionally used to repair wounded skin. A patient’s wound would be coated in a dye, then exposed to green light for 2-3 minutes. The dye absorbs the light and catalyzes molecular bonds between the tissue’s collagen. The bonds instantly create a seal that’s watertight, which prevents inflammation or risk of infection, and speeds up the formation of scar tissue (Source: