Gizmodo: diseases

HealthMap App Will Tell You How Diseased Your Neighborhood Is

Rosa Golijan — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:42:47 EDT

Ever wondered if someone in your neighborhood has a case of Swine Flu, African Horse Sickness, Chicken Pox, or other infectious diseases? Today's your lucky day: the HealthMap app will show you up-to-date reports and even send push alerts.

To be completely honest, I was terrified when I first opened this app up. I did not need to discover yet another scary thing about my state. Thankfully, it looks like Florida is fairly free from outbreaks of infectious diseases.

From playing around with the app though, I'm given the impression that neither Florida nor any other place will appear infection free for long because of the outbreak report function. Let's face it, given the fact that there's an option to report Sexually Transmitted Infections and that the report is quick and easy to submit is practically inviting people to report their former significant others' homes as outbreak sites. [HealthMap via Boston]

Scottish Scientists Fight Cancer Cells With a Lightsaber

Jack Loftus — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST

And those pesky physicists said lightsabers weren't possible. Peshaw, I say, pe-shaw. I say this because Scottish scientists have created a miniature device that attacks individual cancer cells using a cylinder of light. A two millimeter saber of light, or light saber, if you will. The pinpoint accuracy (no Force powers necessary!) will allow doctors to deliver meds to precisely where they're needed; alternatively, it could also be used after a tumor is removed to ensure the surrounding area is truly cancer-free. Apparently, the device is also going to be very useful for deadly hard-to-reach cancers, like that of the pancreas.

However, like any medical invention, there's testing and trials to be done, and this lightsaber cancer-fighter is no exception. Still, hearing the inventor describe this thing you can't help but get excited.

"We can use lasers to punch tiny holes exactly where we want them," said Dr. Frank Gunn-Moore. "We can produce a rod of light - sometimes described as a sword - that can even go around objects. It really does sound like science fiction."

The good doctor doesn't plan on stopping with cancer, either. Other diseases, such as Alzheimer's, are potential targets too. Good form. [Herald Sun, thanks Yash!]

Cough Captured on Film Using Supersonic Photography Technique

Kit Eaton — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:15:00 EDT

Using a technique more commonly used to image the supersonic shock cones forming around test aircraft in wind tunnels, a group of scientists say they've captured the dynamics of a cough on film for the first time. And yes...it looks absolutely as disgusting as you may imagine.

Schlieren photography involves shining collimated light past a knife edge onto a target, and variations in the refractive index of moving air create "shadows" of a sort in the image captured on film, and it's most often used to solve aeronautical air-flow problems, or weapons in action. Like this shot fired from an AK47:

But Doctors Gary Settles from Penn State University and Julian Tang from Singapore tweaked the technique and created an image of the turbulent air stirred up by a cough, which is apparently a very unexplored phenomenon. They plan to use the technique to explore how coughs spread diseases like SARS and the flu.

And while that kind of clever science could end up having big health pay-offs, this image should just do one single thing for you and I: next time you feel a cough coming on, put your hand over your mouth won't you? [IHT via Uberreview]