Putting Thoughts Into Action

Surgeons have implanted a novel neural prosthesis into a paralyzed patient’s brain. The high-tech device enables the patient to communicate his thoughts to a computer, which translates them into spoken words.
Nine people so far have received brain-implanted prostheses. In the past, patients have used these devices to spell words on a computer, pilot a wheelchair or flex a mechanical hand.
One day implants may enable paralyzed people to move robotic arms or even bypass damaged parts of the nervous system to reanimate unresponsive limbs. In the meantime, the quest to develop implanted neural prostheses is revealing details of how the brain orchestrates movement.

Using Plants Instead of Petroleum to Make Jet Fuel

From Scientific American Mind:

Chemical engineers in North Dakota have successfully turned oil from plants—canola (rapeseed), coconuts and soybeans—into jet fuel indistinguishable from the conventional kind, according to U.S. government tests. Working with the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), scientists at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota turned these plant oils into fuel that had a similar density, energy content and even freezing point.

"It's got a freeze point of –47 degrees Celsius (–52.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Anyone familiar with biodiesel can tell you that's no small feat," says chemical engineer Chad Wocken, EERC environmental technologies research manager. "It's processed so that it contains only the same hydrocarbon molecules present in petroleum fuel."

Although he declined to explain the exact details of the process, Wocken says it is thermocatalytic—in other words, the engineers heat the plant oils in the presence of an undisclosed catalyst to create a slew of petroleum products. In fact, the process is not unlike conventional oil refining in that it produces everything from the kerosene used as aviation fuel to regular gasoline.

"The processing costs would be similar and comparable to petroleum oil refining," and perhaps even less expensive, Wocken notes, "because you're not dealing with contaminants like sulfur."

Virgin Atlantic has flown a jumbo jet on a combination of conventional jet fuel and biofuel made from palm oil, and a jet powered solely by biodiesel has stayed aloft for more than 30 minutes—albeit with a special device to keep its fuel from freezing at high altitude.

I Miss Casey SO MUCH...

Dude, I am worried about my dog...i hope she's not lonely. I pray to God that He make the best decision. I know what I think is right, but God only knows the bigger picture. I miss her so much. Damn. I hate that she must feel rejected by her family. I am selfish and don't want anyone to adopt her...at the same time, what if that's in God's plan??? I'm pissed. I feel guilty for leaving.... UGGGGGGGGGHhhhh.... This hurts my soul... I wish she could call me and say "No I'm doing alright! Don't worry about me..." Instead all I hear her saying in her head is "What happened? They didn't love me anymore? WHere are they? I miss them... " =(

I pray God is warming her heart with love...I pray that she knows in her spirit why this happened.

So there's no forum yet...

LOL....so what? but one day i will have a niiiiiiiiiiice following....