The Gadget with a Thousand Uses: How Science Fiction has Become Science Fact

When Francis Bacon wrote, “books must follow sciences, and not sciences books” it was 1657 and movies had yet to be invented, but I think, after reading the above quote, we can be fairly certain what his attitude would’ve been to the cinema…Well, here in the 21^st century movies certainly do follow science, but sometimes they go one better and imagine bold new discoveries first…

A great many inventions have migrated from our imaginations and into our reality over the centuries. To some degree, imagination is the first step for every invention. In recent years, however, there seems to have been more ‘science fiction’ technology coming into reality than ever before…

But before we get to that, here are a few classic examples: Persian polymath (and personal hero) Al Jazari first imagined (and built) robots as far back as the 12^th Century AD. Italian master inventor and artist Leonardo Da Vinci first conceptualised the helicopter, solar power and the calculator back in the 15^th-16^th centuries and in 1901, ‘Wizard of Oz’ author L. Frank Baum dreamed up a ‘character marker’ that took the form of a pair of glasses and worked in much the same way that AR (augmented reality) technology does today.

But that’s not all, not by a long shot.

The space craft first imagined by writer H.G Wells in ‘The First Men on the Moon’ became a reality in 1969 and, if British physics professor and sometime pop star Brian Cox is right, Wells’ time machine may not be too far away either (although, as always with time, its all relative).

Another favourite of mine was the elaborate setup of tape recorders employed by The Avengers’ Mrs Peel, which would automatically record a message in case Steed called her and she happened to be out. That was then. Now? Leave a message at the tone, Mrs. Peel…

So, what imaginary technology has recently made the jump from science fiction to science fact? 

Firstly, there’s the interactive newspaper from the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie ‘Minority Report’, this newspaper was constantly updating itself as Tom Cruise’s character read through it. It was a fun piece of fiction, until, in 2010, German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) made it into fact. Now, if you use a special smartphone app, you can bring some of their supplements to life in much the same way that the imaginary newspaper did back in 2002. It’s a trend that has caught on around the world.

Oh yeah, remember that bit in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ where the bloke eats some food while watching a video on a flat, slab-like screen? Well, my generation will be the last one to find that 1968 scene surprising. Our children will simply assume he’s using some sort of iPad (and a crappy looking one at that). 

‘Star Trek’s dermal regenerator took its first steps towards the world of the real when scientist Jörg C. Gerlach invented what he calls a ‘skin cell gun’, its not yet approved by the FDA, but it has proven to be an effective way of re-growing skin following a bad burn (although it is unable to cure third-degree burns, sadly).

Also, its worth pointing out that earlier this year Paypal founder Elon Musk announced that he was working towards developing a viable ‘warp drive’ technology.

Put simply, everything begins life as an idea. To quote comic book author Grant Morrison’s 2011 book ‘Supergods’, (which also points to the Jack Kirby concept of ‘Mother Boxes’ and neatly relates them to modern smartphones and tablets) “the bomb, too, was only an idea that someone hammered into being”…

So what’s next? Well, close your eyes and imagine. 

The Gadget with a Thousand Uses: How Science Fiction has Become Science Fact

Which Major Discoveries led to the Invention of the Two-Way Radio?

(Asked by ‘Scottish’ Pete from Woolwich)

Hey Pete, how’s everything? Thanks for your question.

…And what a question it is. The modern two-way radio, which is a direct descendent of the WW2-era Walkie-talkie, first became recognizable in the years just before the outbreak of World War 2. Its origins are an interesting story in their own right (but I’ll condense it here).

Three names are usually mentioned with regards to the invention of the walkie-talkie…

The first is Canadian inventor Donald Hings (1907 – 2004), who invented an early version of the technology back in 1937 (although it wasn’t widely acknowledged or used). Then, there’s American inventor Al Gross (1918 – 2000), who patented the name ‘walkie-talkie’ for his own invention a year later in ’38. Because of the ubiquity of the name, Gross became the best known ‘inventor’ of the technology at the time, even though it had technically existed for 12 months beforehand. However, this isn’t to detract from Gross’ claim, because his version of the walkie-talkie was actually quite different from Hings’ (despite operating on the same essential principles).

Then, there’s Dan Noble (1901 – 1980), a Motorola employee who, although he definitely did not invent the technology, certainly did lead the team that created the widely used WW2-era walkie-talkies. Hings’ version of the technology wasn’t used by the military until 1942, which led to Dan Noble being credited with the invention.

So, make of that mess what you will…

Now, to go back further (and get to the meat of your question), here is a list of discoveries that led to the creation of the two-way radio.

James Clark Maxwell (1831-1879), a mathematical physicist (and one of a seemingly endless line of genius Scotsmen) demonstrated that electromagnetic waves could propagate in free space in his 1865 paper ‘A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field’ (of which the most famous fan was Albert Einstein). This led German physicist Heinrich Hertz (1857 – 1894) to build on Maxwell’s pioneering work by conclusively proving the existence of electromagnetic waves in 1887.

After that, Serbian-American inventor, physicist, vegetarian and absolute genius Nikola Tesla (1856 – 1943) demonstrated the transmission of radio frequency energy in 1892. After that, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi (1874 – 1937) built a wireless system capable of transmitting signals over unprecedented distances in 1895 – which is pretty much the birth of radio.

This was an important area of study at the time; the first wireless telephone conversation took place in 1880 and was made by Alexander Graham Bell (1847 – 1922), who was another Scot, incidentally. A lot of people were working on similar technology, so it would not have been unlike the ‘space race’ of the 50’s and 60’s at the time.

Marconi went about taking over pretty much all business related to the invention of the radio (which was, eventually, credited solely to him) and, by 1907, he had established the first commercial transatlantic radio service (and also pretty much screwed Tesla out of any/all royalties he would have been owed. Nice).

Thanks to the work of Julio Cervera Baviera (1854 – 1929) the Spanish army became the first to use radio for military purposes (at least, as far as I’m aware, anyway) in the early 1900’s.

Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden (1866 – 1932) (who also helped to develop sonar and TV, incidentally), invented AM radio (no, not the ‘Breakfast Show’ –it means that more than one station can broadcast signals) when, on Christmas Eve 1906, he played some violin and read from the Bible.

Eventually, all ships were equipped with radio transmission capability, with Marconi owning a total monopoly over ship-to-shore communication. Ship-to-shore contact became a subject of increased awareness and importance following the Titanic disaster of 1912 and radios began to be seen even more as a crucial safety measure in all areas of industry as a result. Look up the 1913 ‘International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea’ (it has a Wikipedia page, I just checked) for more info.

Skipping forward a bit, now. Throughout the 1930’s, there were a ton of minor (and major) improvements made to the technology, more than a few made by Marconi and his engineers. Some really clever people made their mark on the fledgling technology here, but if I mention them all, we’ll never get to the end.

Oh, by the way, FM radio was subsequently invented by American electrical engineer Edwin Armstrong (1890 – 1954) in 1933.

By the late 30’s, Hings comes into the picture, as does the rising spectre of a terrifyingly advanced Nazi Germany. The race was on to have the best equipped armies out there fighting the Axis powers and the allies wisely put a huge amount of manpower into the development of portable radio communication. It was a decision which led directly to the rapid co-opting of Hings and Gross’ work, as well as the later improvements made by Noble.

This is a long and fascinating story (about which many books have been written), but, as a ‘potted history’ of sorts, I hope that answers your question. 

Which Major Discoveries led to the Invention of the Two-Way Radio?

Innovative or Simply Post-Modern? New Paradigms in the Study of "Radio"

Radio is the wireless transmission of signals through free space by electromagnetic radiation of a frequency significantly below that of visible light, in the radio frequency range, from about 30 kHz to 300 GHz. These waves are called radio waves. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space.
Information, such as sound, is carried by systematically changing some property of the radiated waves, such as their amplitude, frequency, phase, or pulse width. When radio waves strike an electrical conductor, the oscillating fields induce an alternating current in the conductor. The information in the waves can be extracted and transformed back into its original form.
Etymology
The etymology of “radio” or “radiotelegraphy” reveals that it was called “wireless telegraphy”, which was shortened to “wireless” in Britain. The prefix radio- in the sense of wireless transmission, was first recorded in the word radioconductor, a description provided by the French physicist Édouard Branly in 1897. It is based on the verb to radiate .
The word “radio” also appears in a 1907 article by Lee De Forest. It was adopted by the United States Navy in 1912, to distinguish radio from several other wireless communication technologies, such as the photophone. The term became common by the time of the first commercial broadcasts in the United States in the 1920s. The term was adopted by other languages in Europe and Asia. British Commonwealth countries continued to commonly use the term “wireless” until the mid-20th century, though the magazine of the BBC in the UK has been called Radio Times ever since it was first published in the early 1920s.
In recent years the more general term “wireless” has gained renewed popularity through the rapid growth of short-range computer networking, e.g., Wireless Local Area Network, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, as well as mobile telephony, e.g., GSM and UMTS. Today, the term “radio” specifies the actual type of transceiver device or chip, whereas “wireless” refers to the lack of physical connections; one talks about radio transceivers, but another talks about wireless devices and wireless sensor networks.
Processes
Radio systems used for communications will have the following elements. With more than 100 years of development, each process is implemented by a wide range of methods, specialized for different communications purposes.
Transmitter and modulation
Each system contains a transmitter. This consists of a source of electrical energy, producing alternating current of a desired frequency of oscillation. The transmitter contains a system to modulate some property of the energy produced to impress a signal on it. This modulation might be as simple as turning the energy on and off, or altering more subtle properties such as amplitude, frequency, phase, or combinations of these properties. The transmitter sends the modulated electrical energy to a tuned resonant antenna; this structure converts the rapidly changing alternating current into an electromagnetic wave that can move through free space.
Amplitude modulation of a carrier wave works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in proportion to the information being sent. For example, changes in the signal strength can be used to reflect the sounds to be reproduced by a speaker, or to specify the light intensity of television pixels. It
was the method used for the first audio radio transmissions, and remains in use today. “AM” is often used to refer to the mediumwave broadcast band .
Frequency modulation varies the frequency of the carrier. The instantaneous frequency of the carrier is directly proportional to the instantaneous value of the input signal. Digital data can be sent by shifting the carrier’s frequency among a set of discrete values, a technique known as frequency-shift keying.
FM is commonly used at VHF radio frequencies for high-fidelity broadcasts of music and speech . Normal TV sound is also broadcast using FM.
Angle modulation alters the instantaneous phase of the carrier wave to transmit a signal. It is another term for Phase modulation.

Innovative or Simply Post-Modern? New Paradigms in the Study of "Radio"

One of the earphones has stopped functioning, why?

There are many reasons for this everyday (yet absurdly irritating) phenomenon. Usually, though, it is simply due to a loose wire which enable it to often be set by pushing the wire in the direction of the earpiece and, if needs be, affixing it into place with a bit of electrical tape, super glue, or other bonding agent.

Sometimes, if the earpieces have an inline volume wheel, that can be the reason. That one is slightly difficult to repair, but you possibly can always try the ‘wire trick’ described above and see if it works. If not, then open the volume controls and re-solder the wires into place (be warned, this can invalidate most warranties, so if the ‘phones remain covered, just send ‘em back and acquire replacements). 

Avoiding stuff like this happening in the future, it’s recommended to wrap your cables carefully and avoiding stressing your headphones. No, I don’t mean you should give Motorhead a break and simply play floaty, soothing New-Agey music on them, I mean you shouldn’t have them inside your back pocket when you sit down and you should remove them cautiously from your ears after use (this will likely sound obvious, and you’d be surprised how many individuals just rip ‘em out).

Another thing to look out for is the jack, if the cable is fraying/wearing around the jack, then that can also be a problem. Fortunately, like so many things in life, a small amount of electrical tape can really come in useful, just ensure that the copper wiring is tightly bound and it should return to standard usage in no time.

From time to time, however, it’s simply an indication that the earpieces are knackered and no quantity of skillful tinkering can fix them. Generally, in these instances, the issue is internal. This particular variant on the problem also catches headphones of any price range, be they Poundland specials or your year old Sennheiser Eargasm headset. I am reminded of a Shakespeare quote from Hamlet, something about a king plus the guts of a beggar, but I can not be bothered to look the entire thing up right now. You get the purpose I’m trying to make though, everything dies eventually, no matter just how much it cost you.

One of the earphones has stopped functioning, why?

Facebook Acquires WhatsApp for $19bn (£11bn)

Social media giants Facebook have purchased smartphone messaging app WhatsApp in a deal worth $19bn.

According to official statistics, WhatsApp has around 450 million monthly users. The makers of the app claim that it registers 1 million new users every day.

For those not in the know, WhatsApp is an Internet-based messaging service that allows people to get around text message charges. It works in much the same way that SMS (or ‘text messaging’) works, but crucially, it is free. For a small fee of $1 a year, it is possible to upgrade the service.

This is by far Facebook’s largest acquisition to date and has been met with some scepticism, but Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t seem daunted by the huge price tag; he described WhatsApp as “incredibly valuable” in a statement announcing the deal.

Prior to this deal, Facebook’s biggest purchase had been photography app Instagram, for which they paid $1bn.

Richard Taylor, North America Technology Correspondent with the BBC, said, “Some are seeing the $19bn price tag as further evidence of swollen valuations of companies as the sector experiences what may yet prove to be another dotcom bubble. WhatsApp does give Mark Zuckerberg inroads into international markets and, as importantly, to a younger demographic. But what is less clear is whether the finances will add up in the long term”.

The acquisition includes $4bn in cash, about $12bn in Facebook shares and about $3bn in stock options for WhatsApp founders and employees (of which there are around 50).

WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum has also become a member of Facebook’s board of directors. “We’re excited and honoured to partner with Mark and Facebook as we continue to bring our product to more people around the world,” said Mr. Koum. Koum has also stated that he does not intend to allow advertising on the app.

Zuckerberg stated that he believed that WhatsApp was well on its way to having a Billion users.

In an interview with BBC News, senior research analyst with eMarketer Cathy Boyle said, “WhatsApp actually has greater penetration in a lot of international markets than Facebook,” It is possible that by linking the two services, Facebook will be able to increase its customer base. She then went on to say, “WhatsApp is trying to siphon the billions that the telecom industry would make from [traditional SMS text messaging]” if that is Facebook’s intention (and we have to consider it as one of them), then it actually makes good business sense.

SOURCES:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26266689

Facebook Acquires WhatsApp for $19bn (£11bn)

Out of Africa: Earliest Human Footprints Found in UK

The earliest evidence of Human footprints (outside of Africa, where most experts believe modern Humans first appeared) has been discovered in the United Kingdom.

The prints, believed to be some 800,000 years old, were identified on the shores of Happisburgh, a small village situated on the Norfolk coastline. The footprints represent a major prehistoric find, as they are direct evidence of the earliest known Humans in Northern Europe.

Dr. Nick Ashton, of The British Museum, said of the footprints that “(They are) one of the most important discoveries, if not the most important discovery that has been made on [Britain"s] shores,”

The hollow, foot-shaped markings were discovered during a low tide last year, when unusually rough seas exposed an area of sandy beach.

Sadly, the footprints were washed away fairly quickly, but they were visible long enough to be properly recorded, photographed and studied. Dr. Aston and his team worked hard to document the monumental discovery, even as heavy rainfall filled the tracks, “The rain was filling the hollows as quickly as we could empty them,” he told a BBC reporter.

Fortunately, the team was able to obtain a 3D scan of the prints. This scan revealed that the footprints likely belonged to a group consisting of an adult male and a few children. This has led some experts to speculate that the prints are those left by a prehistoric family group. The scan was so accurate, that the adult’s shoe size was determined to have been a comfortable 8.

Dr. Isabelle De Groote of Liverpool John Moore’s University was the first to confirm that the hollows were Human footprints. She told BBC that, “They appear to have been made by one adult male who was about 5ft 9in (175cm) tall and the shortest was about 3ft. The other larger footprints could come from young adult males or have been left by females. The glimpse of the past that we are seeing is that we have a family group moving together across the landscape.”

The family, however, were not modern Humans. Experts believe that they would have likely belonged to a group called Homo Antecessor. Remains of this extinct Human species (or possibly subspecies) have been found throughout Europe, most notably in Spain. They are thought to be among the continent’s earliest Human inhabitants.

It is generally accepted that Homo Antecessor was either a relative of Homo Heidelbergensis (an early Human considered most likely to be the direct ancestor of both modern Humans and Neanderthals), or else the same species. In either instance, h. Heidelbergensis is known to have lived in Britain about 500,000 years ago, which is about 300,000 years after changing temperatures are thought to have wiped out Britain’s Homo Antecessor population.

Homo Heidelbergensis is said to have evolved into Homo Neanderthalensis (Neanderthal Man), who lived, alongside our own Homo Sapien ancestors, until about 40,000 years ago, when the receding ice (and possibly competition for food) signaled the end for our last surviving sister species.

Interestingly, in 2010, Dr. Aston and his team discovered stone tools of a kind known to have been used by h. Antecessor in Happisburgh. It is a discovery that neatly compliments that of the footprints. This find, and other supporting material, effectively confirms the presence of early Humans in Britain about one million years ago.

According to Dr. Aston, the find will rewrite our understanding of British and European prehistory. To put that into perspective a little, the Happisburgh footprints are the only such find of this age to have ever been seen outside of Africa. Even then, there are only three specimens that are considered to be older across the African continent.

800, 000 years ago the earliest Britons left a lasting mark on the landscape. In so doing, they inadvertently sent us a message from the past about who they were and how they might have lived.

SOURCES:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26025763

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_antecessor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_heidelbergensis

Out of Africa: Earliest Human Footprints Found in UK

Legendary female wrestling pioneer Mae Young dies, aged 90

Pioneering female professional wrestler Mae Young has passed away aged 90.

To date, Mae Young is the only professional wrestler in history (male or female) to have had documented matches in nine different decades. She began wrestling in 1939, at the onset of the Second World War and her last match took place in 2010.

Young, real name Johnnie Mae Young, was originally billed as ‘The Amazing’, ‘The Queen’ or ‘The Great’ Mae Young but was ultimately far better known simply as Mae Young. She enjoyed one of the most celebrated and unique careers in the history of professional wrestling.

Young’s wrestling debut came whilst she was still a teenager, after starring in the boy’s amateur wrestling team at school. During World War 2, she became a popular attraction, inspiring many other women to become professional wrestlers.

In 1951, Young was crowned as the first ever NWA Florida (National Wrestling Alliance) Women’s Champion and eventually became the NWA’s first United States Women’s Champion.

During the 50’s, Young wrestled for the WWWA (World Women’s Wrestling Association), bringing credibility and popularity to Women’s wrestling. She remained a draw throughout her career.

Modern day wrestling fans know Young best for her stint with the WWF (World Wrestling Federation – now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE) from 1999-2000, in which she played a more comedic role. However, despite being nearly 80 years old, Young was still highly active as a wrestler. She participated in matches and storylines with her best friend, The Fabulous Moolah, another pioneer of Women’s wrestling and multi-time Women’s Champion (who had been partly trained by Young).

Mae Young would appear on WWE television, playing a number of roles from comedy character to respected veteran, throughout the next decade, with her final appearance being a celebration of her 90^th birthday in 2013.

Memorable moments from her WWE tenure include being kissed by The Rock, giving the ‘Bronco Buster’ finisher to former WCW (World Championship Wrestling) boss Eric Bischoff, being beaten up by Tag Team wrestlers The Dudley Boyz and becoming ‘pregnant’ by Olympic weightlifter and former World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry. “She will be missed as much as anyone I’ve ever known!” said Henry.

In 2008, Mae Young was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Since the announcement of Young’s death, tributes have flooded in from the wrestling world. Former WWE Champion-turned actor The Rock said, “She is a wrestling pioneer. I truly had deep affection and respect for ‘Auntie Mae’ Young”

WWE boss Vince McMahon said, “Her longevity in sports entertainment may never be matched, and I will forever be grateful for all of her contributions to the industry. On behalf of WWE, I extend our sincerest condolences to her family and friends.”

‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper wrote, “”May Young was a wonderful lady! When I started in the business May teased me a lot. Love you May!” Multiple time WWE, WCW and NWA Champion Ric Flair called Young “An incredible person and pioneer of the wrestling business” Whilst, in an emotional Tweet, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts wrote, “Nobody, male or female, loved & respected the wrestling business more than her. True legend.”

Mae Young will be remembered by her fans as a pioneer and a female icon, as well as a charismatic performer with a great sense of humor. She was genuinely among the toughest human beings, be they male or female, to ever step between the ropes. 

 

SOURCES

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mae-young-dead-womens-wrestling-3025555

http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Mae-Young-dies:-WWE-Hall-of-Famer-was-90/9394471  

Legendary female wrestling pioneer Mae Young dies, aged 90

Say I’m in a high-speed car chase, what’s the best way to escape the police?

(Asked by Nick from Kent)

In my experience, the weapons cheat usually works a treat. I find that a roadblock is considerably less of an issue if you’re armed with a rocket launcher and twin uzis…

As for the real world, one wonders just why you’re asking me, Nick? (I really don’t want this article popping up as evidence at your trial while I go down for aiding an abetting you). Still, I must answer the questions my editor selects for me, so I’ll give this one a go (but don’t come crying to me if you end up serving several consecutive life sentences, OK?)

These days, law enforcement agencies tend to avoid car chases of any sort. The risks to police, bystanders, motorists and even to the criminal him/herself are simply considered to be too great. There are also the issues of lawsuits and collateral damage to consider.

If the vehicle represents a danger to others on the road, however, then all bets are off and police will act as swiftly as they can to rectify the dangerous situation. The first rule, then, would be don’t drive your getaway car whilst drunk (this rules out committing violent crimes on New Year’s Eve, St. Paddy’s Day, or your birthday).

OK, so let’s assume you’ve actually committed the initial crime and you’re emailing me from the getaway car. What then? 

The police’s general tactic, in most cases, will be to outnumber and outmanoeuvre you. They’ll communicate with each other and co-ordinate their efforts, herding you towards an area full of their colleagues. Also, the longer the chase goes on for, the more units will be dispatched to join in. They’ll simply keep sending cars after you; it’s just a process of wearing you down, really.

In addition, the rozzers are trained for this sort of thing, whereas you likely aren’t (playing GTA IV until 5AM the night before simply doesn’t count). This means that they will have an easier time driving at high speeds and making split second decisions, while you will probably find the process of driving at high speeds mentally and physically exhausting.

If the cops figure out where you’re headed, they’ll close down all possible routes. If you have no destination in mind, they’ll eventually be able to head you off at every conceivable pass anyway. Once the helicopter is dispatched (assuming you last that long), they can track you with thermal imaging technology, even if you leave the car.

They’ll also use a device called the stinger, which lays flat across the road and, quite simply, bursts your tires, making driving impossible. By the time the stingers are laid down, police with dogs are already on their way…

Essentially, once you get in that car, you are on a time limit. The longer you are in the car, the less likely your escape will be. The best thing to do, then, would be to use the car only for a very short period of time, just to get you from one designated place to another. Where possible, changing cars would likely help. If you are going to commit a crime, meticulous planning (together with an awareness of modern police methods), is going to be much more useful to you than a souped-up speed machine that is far more likely to forcibly insert you into a lamp post than it would be to allow you to retire to the Fiji islands and live like a king.

In truth, the vast majority of car chases end spectacularly badly (did you ever see anyone get away cleanly on ‘Police, Camera Action’?) and they endanger innocent lives. Being a paraplegic prisoner for the rest of your life isn’t really a fun thing to think about, neither is ending the day of your first big score as dog food.

I must say though, this is still preferable to living in America, because over there they just shoot you, weapons cheat or no weapons cheat. My advice? Stick to GTA and working for a living, it may not be glamorous, but there’s far less chance of being forcibly sodomized in prison and then ending up as a guest on ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’ saying something like “I’ve made mistakes, I admit that, innit” as if it exonerates you from all culpability. 

Say I’m in a high-speed car chase, what’s the best way to escape the police?

Rediscovery of Knee Ligament Validates 19th Century Paper

Doctors have discovered that an important knee ligament, first described in an 1879 paper, before being subsequently ignored for well over a century, is actually a very real and important body part.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are a common problem for many athletes. They are notoriously difficult to repair and the recovery is a tough and painful process that can take up to a year. Following treatment, however, many patients still complain of aches and pains and it is not at all uncommon for the joints to fail the necessary pivot-shift tests (performed so the doctors can check the success of their surgeries). Repeat injuries are also inexplicably common.

Last month, it was announced that a team of Flemish doctors appears to have finally solved this persistently vexing riddle and, in so doing, they validated a discovery made over a century ago.

Paul Segond, a 19^th century French surgeon who is known for greatly aiding the development of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (as well as describing the Segond fracture), wrote of the ligament as a “pearly, fibrous band” in 1879. Segond posited that it was an additional ligament, but anatomists did not consider the initial discovery to be accurate.

After reading Segond’s paper and deciding that there may be something to it after all, the team of knee surgeons and an anatomist began investigating the possibility that Segond’s mystery ligament was, in fact, a very real part of the Human body.

The team examined the knees of 41 cadavers, finding that 40 of them actually contained Segond’s ligament, just as he’d described it a hundred years earlier.

With this (re)discovery now published and proven, the ligament has been named as the anterolateral ligament (ALL).

The anterolateral ligament joins the other joint structures in the knee considered most important by doctors and anatomists, such as the lateral femoral epicondyle (LFE), lateral collateral ligament (LCL), Gerdy’s tubercle (GT), popliteus tendon (PT), popliteofibular ligament (PFL), and, of course, the aforementioned anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Surgeons are already considering ways in which to repair ALL tears and damage, with the hopes of improving the quality of life for anyone who suffers any ligament damage to the knees. This rediscovery is likely to become a very significant one in the field of sports and athletics, across both amateur and professional playing fields.

 

SOURCES

 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/gallery_directory.cfm?photo_id=7737D2E0-994F-A7AD-8721A14249EB4E02

Rediscovery of Knee Ligament Validates 19th Century Paper

Tech We’d Like to See: Androids

Essentially, an android is a Human-like robot designed to mimic the appearance, mannerisms and body language of a flesh and blood person. However, even that definition is a flimsy one, as science fiction writers have come up with numerous weird and wonderful ways to create many new types of androids (at least on the page).

Sometimes an android is built by an alien race and thus resembles its creators. Sometimes an android is mostly robotic, but has some recognizably Human traits and sometimes an android is a bioorganic machine that is ‘grown’ rather than built (making it very similar to the legendary homunculus creatures of ancient myth, or even the Golem of Jewish folklore). 

The difference, essentially, between a robot and an android is that an android is designed to look more Human (for one reason or another) and a robot looks, well, like a robot (and that’s opening a whole other can of worms, if you’re interested in that, start with Al Jazari and go from there).

Why we want it?

The applications for Human-like robots are actually endless. Android firefighters could rescue people from areas inaccessible to Human beings, android surgeons would never miss a mark and their pleasant, Human-like appearance would certainly be preferable to some sort of scary surgical machine (if we were forced to choose, that is).

Androids could fill up many jobs that regular people simply don’t want to do (but hopefully in a money-less environment to avoid putting people out of said jobs). If we are still using money by the time the androids show up, then android stock-brokers could use their computer-minds to analyse and prefigure oncoming trends months in advance, rendering the entire economy as one clear, safe equation.

Androids could actually be extremely beneficial to the world, but I’m going to avoid the ethical consequences of their creation in this piece. You can discuss that amongst yourselves.

When can we expect it?

Robotics is an area of science that has come along in leaps and bounds recently. It may yet prove to be the breakthrough discipline of this era (following biology, psychology and, arguably, information technology before it).

In Japan, the ‘Intelligent Robotics Lab’ have developed what they call an ‘Actroid’, which is an android by any other name. Able to mimic breathing, movement, blinking and speaking, these machines are actually quite a startling sight! However, despite running a complex form of A.I (artificial intelligence), the Actroid’s ‘brain’ is actually accessed and operated via an external computer.

A bit more recently, in 2011, Danish professor Henrik Schärfe unveiled a robot version of himself. He’s not quite Noonien Soong, but it’s definitely a start!

I think we’ll see realistic androids in at least some workplaces by 2050, but as to proper, artificial people, I’m not sure that the majority of the Human race would ever actually allow such beings to be created. Having said that, if these early pioneering scientists get a consistently strong reaction to their creations, then I certainly wouldn’t rule anything out.

Cool Factor (assuming they don’t rise up and enslave us all): 5/5

Tech We’d Like to See: Androids

DP 3400/3401 Non-display Portable Radios

So here’s the official technical information for the Motorola DP3400 2 way radio, as it is easy to see it’s one of the strongest digital 2 way radios within the market and can suit any particular business or environment.

 

Tri-color LED indicator for clear, visible feedback of calling, scanning and monitoring.

 

Emergency button to alert supervisor or dispatcher in an emergency situation.

 

New accessory connector meets IP57 submersibility specifications and incorporates RF, USB and enhanced audio capability.

 

DP 3401 includes integrated GPS module.

 

Radio housing meets IP57 specifications; submersible in 1 metre of water up to

30 minutes.

 

Powerful, front projecting speaker.

 

Three side programmable buttons for easy access to favourite features. New

 

features such as one-touch calling and quick text messaging are made even easier through programmable button access.

 

Large, textured push-to-talk button. Provides good tactile response and easy access, even when wearing gloves.

 

32 channels. 

 

Non-display Portable Radio Standard Package

 

• Non-display Portable Radio

 

• Antenna – Standard whip included with DP

 

3400; GPS Monopole included with DP 3401

 

• NiMH 1300 mAh Battery

 

• IMPRES™ Single Unit Charger

 

• 2.5” Belt Clip

 

• Quick Reference Guide 

 

Additional Features

 

Enhanced call management

 

Encode: emergency, push-to-talk ID Decode: radio check, remote monitor, radio disable, all call

 

• Dual-mode analogue/digital scan – facilitates a smooth migration from analogue to digital

 

• Send quick text messaging via programmable buttons

 

• DP 3401 can transmit GPS coordinates

 

• Privacy Options

 

• VOX Capability

 

• Multiple Site Support (IP Site Connect) 

 

MOTOTRBO™ System Components and Benefits

 

DP 3400/3401 Non-display Portable Radios

 

Specifications

 

 

 

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Channel Capacity		32
Frequency		136-174 MHz (VHF)
		403-470 MHz (UHF1)
		450-512 MHz (UHF2)
Dimensions (HxWxL)
with NiMH Battery 1300mAH		131.5 x 63.5 x 37.2 mm
with LiIon Std Battery 1500mAH		131.5 x 63.5 x 35.2 mm
with LiIon HiCap Battery 2200mAH		131.5 x 63.5 x 39.2 mm
with LiIon FM Battery 1400mAH		131.5 x 63.5 x 37.2 mm
Weight
with NiMH Battery		400 g
with LiIon FM Battery		340 g
with LiIon HiCap Battery		345 g
with LiIon Std Battery		330 g
Power Supply		7.2V nominal
Average battery life at 5/5/90 duty cycle with battery saver
enabled in carrier squelch and transmitter in high power.
IMPRES LiIon Std Battery	Analogue: 9 hrs / Digital: 13 hrs
IMPRES LiIon HiCap Battery	Analogue: 13.5hrs / Digital: 19 hrs
IMPRES FM LiIon Battery	Analogue: 8.5 hrs / Digital: 12 hrs
NiMH Battery	Analogue: 8 hrs / Digital: 11 hrs
RECEIVER
Frequency		136-174 MHz (VHF)
		403-470 MHz (UHF1)
		450-512 MHz (UHF2)
Channel Spacing		12.5 kHz/ 20 kHz1/ 25 kHz
Frequency Stability		+/- 1.5 ppm (DP 3400)
( -30° C, +60° C, +25° C)		+/- 0.5 ppm (DP 3401)
Analogue Sensitivity		0.35 uV (12 dB SINAD)
	0.22 uV (typical) (12 dB SINAD)
		0.4 uV (20 dB SINAD)
Digital Sensitivity		5% BER: 0.3 uV
Intermodulation		65 dB
Adjacent Channel Selectivity		60 dB @ 12.5 kHz,
		70 dB @ 20/25 kHz
Spurious Rejection		70 dB
Rated Audio		500 mW
Audio Distortion @ Rated Audio		3% (typical)
Hum and Noise		-40 dB @ 12.5 kHz
		-45 dB @ 20/25 kHz
Audio Response		+1, -3 dB
Conducted Spurious Emission		-57 dBm

 

 

TRANSMITTER
Frequency	136-174 MHz (VHF)
	403-470 MHz (UHF1)
	450-512 MHz (UHF2)
Channel Spacing	12.5 kHz/ 20 kHz1/ 25 kHz
Frequency Stability	+/- 1.5 ppm (DP 3400)
( -30° C, +60° C, +25° C)	+/- 0.5 ppm (DP 3401)
Power Output
UHF1 and UHF2	1W and 4 W
VHF	1W and 5 W
Modulation Limiting	+/- 2.5 kHz @ 12.5 kHz
	+/- 4 kHz @ 20 kHz
	+/- 5.0 kHz @ 25 kHz
FM Hum and Noise	-40 dB @ 12.5 kHz
	-45 dB @ 20/25 kHz
Conducted / Radiated Emission	-36 dBm
	-30dBm > 1GHz
Adjacent Channel Power	-60 dB @ 12.5 kHz
	-70 dB @ 20/25 kHz
Audio Response	+1, -3 dB
Audio Distortion	3%
Digital Vocoder Type	AMBE+2
Digital Protocol	ETSI-TS 102 361-1, 2 & 3

 

GPS

 

Accuracy specs are for long-term tracking (95th percentile values > 5 satellites visible at a nominal -130 dBm signal strength)

 

TTFF (Time To First Fix) Cold Start
TTFF (Time To First Fix) Hot Start
Horizontal Accuracy
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS
Operating Temperature*	-30° C / +60° C
Storage Temperature	-40° C / +85° C
Temperature Shock	Per MIL-STD
Humidity	Per MIL-STD
Water Intrusion	EN60529 – IP57
Packaging Test	MIL-STD 810D and E

 

* With LiIon battery, operating temperature specification is -10° C / +60° C. With NiMH battery, operating temperature specification is -20° C / +60° C

 

 

 

MILITARY STANDARDS
	810E		810F
Applicable MIL–STD	Methods	Procedures	Methods	Procedures
Low Pressure	500.3	II	500.4	II
High Temperature	501.3	I/A, II/A1	501.4	I/Hot, II/Hot
Low Temperature	502.3	I/C3, II/C1	502.4	I/C3, II/C1
Temperature Shock	503.3	I/A, 1C3	503.4	I
Solar Radiation	505.3	I	505.4	I
Rain	506.3	I,II	506.4	I, III
Humidity	507.3	II	507.4	-
Salt Fog	509.3	I	509.4	I
Dust	510.3	I	510.4	I
Vibration	514.4	I/10, II/3	514.5	I/24
Shock	516.4	I, IV	516.5	I, IV

 

The motorola DP3400 Radio can be found at 2wayradionline.co.uk

 

Original source - http://www.motorolasolutions.com/web/Business/Products/Two-way%20Radios/Portable%20Radios/Wide%20Area%20Large%20Business%20Portable%20Radios/XPR%206300/_Documents/Static%20Files/DP3400_3401_spec_sheet.pdf

DP 3400/3401 Non-display Portable Radios