Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Virtual Reality and Schizophrenia
It is often difficult for caregivers of Schizophrenia patients to understand and fully appreciate the experience of schizophrenia patients. If you have never experienced the symptoms, then it is difficult to feel what the patient is feeling. I was sent a link to the website that has been doing just that… Dr James Cook at…
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Flu vaccine – FAST
Translational Medicine had a paper by Dr Dormitzer from Novartis and Dr Venter of creating a flu vaccine in just about 4 days and 4 hours, as opposed to months and weeks that it used to take previously. They used the sequence supplied by Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and transfecting it into tissue culture…
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Quantum computing
On May 15th Dr McGeoch of Amherst University presented a paper about a test that was done to compare computers running conventional binary logic with computers using quantum computing chips. It is fascinating to see that the quantum computers have made the leap from just theory to actual machines. There were 3 tests done and…
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Saving lives with mats that absorb liquid – cool medical device!
Innovations that save lives sometimes take a $1 Billion or more and many researchers while some are simple and effective. The innovation that has already saved many lives is a birth mat. Birthing process is dangerous and is a risky, messy and tedious affair to say the least. Many lives are lost in developing countries…
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Databases summarized for the biologist
Databases a simple definition: Database is a collection of data that is managed as a single unit. There are Six major types or models of databases: Flat file databases: These were databases that managed all the data in one flat file. The file was just a list of items. There were several ways that this…
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Social Media tricks Part 5 – Social buttons
Social media requires that the information is exchanged among friends, associates and colleagues. The company’s role in the exchange is to make it easier, for a person reading the company material, to exchange that information. This is enabled very simply on the website by enabling buttons for sharing the information socially. It takes only one-click…
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Controlling motors with computers
Motors are universal in whatever happens in science or the real world. They are used everywhere there is a motion required. There are various kinds of motors : Servo motor: This is a brushless motor Stepper motor Induction motor Motors used to be dumb rotating machines but as the technology has developed, the motors have…
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Database and CAP Theorem for Distributed systems
Databases are used everywhere and are critical to most of the informatics work that is done. They are also very critical part of Big data analysis Since databases store critical data, they are handled very carefully. They are obviously backed up regularly but also get replicated and distributed. With large databases, there are many ways…
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Biological computers and switches: Boolean integrase Ligators
Biology is complex. The cell or the organism has to respond to a wide variety of external stimuli and respond. The stimuli aggregation and response obviously happen at the brain and neuron level but also at the cellular level. Dr Drew Andy of Standford University has created biological transistors based upon biological transcription that happens…
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Printing leather in the lab instead of killing animals
Tissue printing sounds very interesting since it bring forward the concept of custom made tissue that can be made in the lab and can cure disease. But, this is a tough problem. It is difficult to make tissue that functions normally and be very safe to put it back into human. However, there is one…
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