Glow-in-the-Dark Cats

How cool would it be to have a cat that glows in the dark? These cats aren’t for sale to the public, but they are being used to research HIV and AIDS.

Some cats have been injected with certain genes that allow them to glow in the dark. These cats don’t glow on their own, but in special lighting they will. These cats are also resistant to the feline form of HIV. Studying these cats will hopefully lead to a better understanding of HIV/AIDS, and may potentially lead us to a cure.

To learn more visit any of these links:

http://www.livescience.com/15994-glow-dark-cats-aids-virus-research.html

http://gawker.com/5839142/scientists-produce-glow+in+the+dark-cats 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/glow-in-the-dark-cats-jellyfish-and-monkeys-may-prevent-aids/2011/09/12/gIQAdq89MK_blog.html

Diseases

It is clear that we know much more about diseases and how they’re spread than we did hundreds of years ago. Our knowledge of medicine and the human body has even improved from what we knew a few short decades ago. There are many aspects of our society that have changed with our increased understanding of diseases. New technologies have developed and have become integrated into our lives so well that we rarely stop to think about them. Tissues, disinfectants, and certain behaviors we partake in are the result of these developments in medical technology and our understanding of diseases.

A couple hundred years ago we did not know much about how diseases are caused and how they are spread. It was common for people to carry handkerchiefs into which they would cough, blow their noses, and wipe their fingers off. At this time people didn’t understand that billions of microscopic bacteria were thriving on their handkerchiefs, and this greatly contributed to the spread of diseases. As medical technology advanced, we began to realize just how germ-filled handkerchiefs were. This led to the creation and use of tissues instead of handkerchiefs. Tissues are much more sanitary than handkerchiefs because we use them once and then throw them away. We no longer carry around all that bacteria in our pockets and let it multiply, which reduces our exposure to bacteria. This also reduces how much bacteria we spread to others, which helps prevent the spread of diseases. Not all bacteria is harmful (in fact, most species are harmless, especially in relatively small numbers), but it only takes a few cells of harmful bacteria to make someone extremely sick. Therefore the simple tissue has no doubt saved lives.

Disinfectants are another category of products that we use everyday. They are highly effective at cleaning bacteria off of tabletops, exercise equipment, and our own skin. Many households use some sort of disinfectant spray on their kitchen tables, which is good because it reduces the amount of bacteria that comes in close proximity with our food. This can help keep everyone in a household healthier, especially young children who will touch the table and their mouths when they eat. It is also important to disinfect exercise equipment before and after using it. There are millions of bacteria on human skin, and that bacteria is easily spread through sweat. When sweat gets on exercise equipment, bacteria spreads to that equipment too. When the next person uses the equipment they will unknowingly get that bacteria on their skin. It is important to disinfect exercise equipment, especially at a public gym, to prevent the spread of diseases. We can even stop bacteria from spreading to other surfaces by reducing the amount we have on our skin. Hand sanitizer is becoming more and more popular for this purpose. Washing your hands does the same thing, but it requires water and soap. The convenient thing about hand sanitizer is that you can rub it on your hands and leave it there. Since you don’t have to wash it off, you don’t have to be close to a sink to use it; you can use it anywhere.

Lastly, the way we behave has changed with advancements in our understanding of diseases. Most people nowadays know to cover their cough. Although many people still cough into their hands, more and more people are learning to cough into their arm or someplace more sanitary. Another example of something we do to prevent the spread of diseases is to wash our hands. A couple hundred years ago it was not always possible to wash one’s hands before cooking or eating. Now it seems strange for a lot of people to not wash their hands before eating. A third thing we do is say “bless you” when someone sneezes. While this doesn’t help prevent the spread of bacteria, it is another thing dealing with our understanding of diseases.

Today we use tissues instead of handkerchiefs, disinfect many surfaces, and do certain things like cover our coughs. This is all due to the advancements in medical technology and our understanding of diseases.

Staying Warm

The seasons are changing and it’s getting colder outside. Indoor heating is a relatively new invention, and we are lucky to live in a society where it is common.

In ancient times there was no such thing as a furnace. Animal pelts helped a little to keep people warm, but often times an outside source of heat was required to keep people warm and alive. The only source of heat people could create was a fire. Fires are great for warmth and cooking, but there are downsides to fires as well. The obvious danger is that the fire could spread and burn uncontrollably. Another danger is smoke. People who lived in caves had to be especially careful of this, because once inside the cave, the smoke had nowhere to go. Smoke inhalation was a problem for some ancient peoples, and many people died from lung damage. A third disadvantage to using a fire for warmth was that it only warmed a small area. As soon as you had to walk away from the fire, the heat would be gone too.

The first example of indoor heating was a wood-burning stove. These inventions were much safer than open fires because they kept fires contained in a metal box. They also diverted the smoke out through a chimney, which prevented rooms from becoming filled with smoke. While wood-burning stoves filled the room they were in with warmth, a disadvantage to using them was that they made other rooms of a house colder. This wasnt a problem if a house only had one room, but other times it was a problem. As a fire burns, it draws the surrounding air towards it, then the heat directs that air and smoke upwards through the chimney. Outside air must be taken into those other rooms in order for air to be sucked towards the fire. This is how other rooms in a house would become colder.

Today we are fortunate enough to have advanced indoor heating systems. Most furnaces burn gas, which is ignited, and then the heat travels throughout the house via air vents. We even have the technology to make our houses a certain temperature. It is also common to be able to set the furnace to begin heating the house at a certain time of day. This is useful for conserving energy overnight. Because people are sleeping in their warm beds, the air temperature doesn’t have to be kept as high as what most people prefer when they’re awake. You can simply set the furnace to kick in 15-30 minutes before you wake up, and your house will be warm when you have to get out of bed. This energy-conserving tactic can also be used if all members of a household work or go to school during the day.

While people haven’t always had furnaces in their homes, they still found other ways to keep warm. Fires were and are still used for warmth, but there are some dangers that come along with this. Wood-burning stoves are safer than open fires, but the furnaces we have today are the safest and most efficient way to heat homes.

Christmas Lights

It’s that time of year when the sun goes down early and we are left in darkness in the late afternoon. If you go to work or school and you don’t head home until after five o’clock, it will be nearly, if not completely, dark out. The great thing about December is that there are Christmas lights to brighten up the night.

Without electricity we would not have Christmas lights like we do today. Before anyone had electricity their homes, candles were used as festive lighting instead. In some ways candles are still better than Christmas lights because they provide light and warmth. They only produce a little heat, but the glow of a real fire can make you feel warmer. The downside of using candles instead of light bulbs is that candles burn down as you use them. Electric lights burn out too, but they usually last much longer. Candles can burn for several hours, while light bulbs last months or even years. Candles are also more of a fire hazard than light bulbs. It’s easy to tip a candle over or accidentally drag a piece of fabric through the flame, which can cause other items to catch on fire and potentially ruin your Christmas. With electric lights being safer and lasting longer, they will save you money and stress in the long run. On the other hand, you won’t feel the warmth only a glowing candle can bring.

Not all Christmas lights are the same, and different types have developed over time. Originally there were strands of white Christmas lights that people used to decorate their trees and outline their roofs. Now we have not only white lights, but other colors such as blue, red, yellow, purple, pink, and more. Often times Christmas lights have a variety of colors mixed together on a single strand. Christmas lights have taken different on different shapes too. Many families put up lights that have strands hanging down like icicles. Light-up reindeer, glowing inflatable Santas, and holiday projections are some of the newer forms of Christmas lights. Despite the different light-up Christmas decorations that have evolved, the classic strand of white lights has and will always remain popular.

There are even new types of light bulbs used for Christmas lights. LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lights are becoming more and more popular because they are more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. While this might make LED lights more expensive, they consume less energy and will reduce the electricity bill. They also last longer than incandescent bulbs, which means you won’t have to buy new bulbs very often. Another bonus to using LED Christmas lights is that they can be switched on and off faster than regular Christmas lights. This is desirable if you want to program your lights to quickly flash on and off at certain times to create a light show. LED lights are also smaller than incandescent lights, which makes storing them easier because they won’t take up as much space.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it’s always nice to see Christmas decorations lighting up people’s yards and houses. December would seem a lot darker if no one put up Christmas lights, but since many people do, everyone can share in the cheerfulness that the lights bring.

The Dangers of Power Tools

While power tools help us tremendously, there is a great risk involved when using them. They will not stop cutting just because they come in contact with something they aren’t meant to cut, like flesh. This means you have to be extremely careful around power tools or you could end up losing a finger or at least needing stitches.

Most power tool accidents can be prevented by being aware of where the dangerous parts of the tools are and where your limbs are in relation to the tools. You should also be aware of where other people are so you don’t accidentally hurt someone else.

A list of other safety precautions can be found here. This list summarizes that you should only use power tools for their intended purposes, keep work areas clean, and remove jewelry and loose clothing to prevent accidents. Power tools can make our lives much easier, but it is important to be safe when using them.

Power Tools

We are lucky enough to live in a time where almost any task can be done faster with the help of electricity. Tasks such as cutting wood, sewing fabric, and drilling in screws are examples of things that can be done manually, but they would take significantly longer to do by hand. Fortunately today we have power tools to help us with these jobs.

There are several reasons why someone would want to cut through a piece of wood. Chopping down whole trees, trimming branches, and cutting boards to make projects like furniture or bird houses are just a few instances of when it would be necessary to cut wood, and having power tools to help you would make the task much less difficult.

Chainsaws are great for jobs that don’t require precision when cutting. When chopping down trees or branches, you don’t have to make a perfectly smooth cut, therefore a chainsaw would be the best option because it can cut any sized piece of wood at any angle in any location. Chainsaws are not restricted to being used in a shop and there is practically no limit to the size of the wood they can cut.

If you want the cut to be more precise and look nicer, a smaller, more stable saw would be ideal. A band saw and a table saw are both stationary saws that will offer more stability when cutting wood. This will make the cut more accurate, which is desirable when making a wooden project. Imagine if you tried to make a dining table using only a chainsaw to cut the wood. The table would be rough and no one would want to eat there because they would get splinters all along their arms. This is why band saws and table saws would be better for projects that need to have clean, precise cuts. The downside of these saws is that they can only handle boards so long or so thick or they won’t cut all the way through. However, if you have the right size of boards to start with, this won’t be a problem.

To finish off a wooden project you often have to smooth out the wood. Even if you used a saw that made a clean cut, the wood could still have rough spots and the edges will be sharp. This is where a power sander would come into play nicely. Power sanders make wood smooth just like using sandpaper manually would do, but it takes a fraction of the time and very little effort. You simply have to control where the sander goes, and you don’t have to tire out your arm sanding it by hand.

Screws and nails are often used to attach pieces of wood together. You could twist each screw into place by hand, but using power drill is much less difficult. Power drills also let you drill a hole before you put the screw in place, which will help keep the wood from splitting when you do put the screw in.

Power tools aren’t good only for tasks involving wood. Sewing machines have revolutionized all textile industries, and they make sewing anything incredibly easier. If you would like to read more about how sewing machines have influenced our lives, see the sewing machines post.

Most of the tasks we do have become much easier and quicker with the help of power tools. Different types of saws are available for different cutting purposes, and other tools like power drills and power sanders are helpful too. Next time you use a power tool, be thankful you have that piece of technology.

Sewing Machines

Imagine if you had to hand-make each and every item of clothing that you own. That would take a long time, even if you don’t have that many clothes. In ancient times people  had to stitch animal hides together by hand. Today we are fortunate enough to have sewing machines to help us.

The invention of the sewing machine has greatly increased clothing production. I can’t imagine that any factory that produces fabric products would have workers sew pieces of fabric together by hand. If they do they are far behind today’s technology standards and would profit from investing in sewing machines. 

Not only are sewing machines beneficial for industrial use, they are helpful in households as well. They can be used to tailor clothing that doesn’t fit exactly right or to make fabric crafts. Bags and pillow cases are especially popular items to make because they are relatively simple and have a practical use. Making your own items, such as bags, pillow cases, and even quilts, is interesting because each item you make will be unique. You can pick out your own fabric from the store, then take it home and create something that is truly one of a kind.

Movie Tech

When you turn on the television and see that a movie is playing, it’s often easy to tell how old the movie is. Certain aspects of the movie look different depending on when the movie was made. This includes the clarity of the picture and the use of special effects. Thanks to improvements in technology, movies have become more realistic looking over time.

Movies in general are a relatively new technological development. Movies made several decades ago were silent and were in black and white. Adding sound to videos was the first improvement, with a colored picture to follow. Over the next few decades, the clarity of the picture and the brightness of the colors improved. If you were to watch a movie and you didn’t know when the movie was made, you would likely be able to tell if the movie was made recently versus if it was made fifty years ago depending on those characteristics.

The special effects of the movie also give us clues as to how old a movie is. Movies that are fifty years old have some special effects, but they are simpler and less real looking than the special effects we have today. For example, you can sometimes see the strings making an object float. Today we can do almost anything using special effects. We can fly through space, make objects explode, and watch people morph into other animals before our eyes.

Take the Star Wars movies for example. The oldest three movies, numbers four, five, and six, are much older than movies one, two, and three. There is a huge difference in the amount of special effects used in the older movies compared to the newer ones. This is due to advancements in technology and the use of computer animations to make impossible situations look real.

Not only do movies look different than they did fifty years ago, there are new ways to watch movies. The oldest movies were on large rolls of film that had to be run quickly through a projector. The invention of the VCR (video cassette recorder) allowed movies to be more available to people at home. A theater was no longer needed to see a movie. Despite this, movie theaters have remained popular and are a great place to spend time with friends.

Next to develop were DVDs (digital versatile discs) and DVD players. These have become more popular than the VCR because the movies are on a smaller disk, they generally have a better picture quality, and you can jump to any point in the movie without having to wind a tape.

The most recent trend in movie-making is to produce a 3-D movie. Yes, it’s cool when objects pop out at you, but movies should only be made in 3-D if it will add to the experience of the movie. For example, it seems like most movies nowadays are made in 3-D, whether it is an action movie or a tragedy or something else entirely. I may be wrong, but generally only movies with a lot of action will have the opportunities to add 3-D effects. Even then, those movies should either be made in 2-D or go all out with the 3-D effects, not something in between. If I pay extra to see a 3-D movie, I want to be amazed by how 3-D it looks, not have it only slightly different from a 2-D movie.

No matter when a movie was made or what device you use to watch it, movies are a great source of entertainment. They are enjoyable for people of all ages, and we should appreciate the developments in technology that have made movies possible.

Temporary Phones

We have all had those scary moments when we lose our grip on our phones and they go crashing down to the ground. If it’s an old phone we may not care if this happens, but many of us want to keep our phones nice and in working order. Most of the time our phones are okay when we drop them, but every once in a while the screens crack or the phone stops working altogether. Sometimes we don’t even drop our phones, they just stop working for some other reason. When this happens your options are: get a new phone, have your phone repaired, or live with a non-functioning phone.

Most of us would choose one of the first two options. The third choice means we wouldn’t be able to get ahold of people we need to talk to, which is highly undesirable. If your phone is under a warranty, often times companies will send your phone in to be looked at and possibly repaired. In the meantime, you might receive a loaner phone.

While this doesn’t seem so bad at first, as soon as you start using the temporary phone you will realize how much you miss your regular phone. A new phone is difficult to get used to because it takes longer to find the buttons you want and to learn where things are located within the phone. By that I mean you have to spend time figuring out what categories certain settings are listed under and you have to explore all the options your temporary phone has. Even how the phone feels in your hand will take some getting used to. The buttons (if there are any) and how the display looks will be different as well. All of this can be frustrating at first, but you will get used to it after a few days.

Once you finally become familiar with your loaner phone it may seem strange to think about having your normal phone back again. Will you have to readjust to it? Or will everything come back instantly and feel like second nature to you? Maybe you have been looking at getting a whole new phone regardless of whether your normal phone can be fixed or not. If that is the case you will have to adjust to another phone, even after you just got the hang of your temporary one.

No matter your situation, it’s always nice to have a phone that you like and are used to. It makes calling, texting, and anything else you use your phone for much easier.