Category: Science

DCA (Sodium Dichloroacetate) Cancer Treatment for Pets

Special agent Greg on detachment in the Interzone had this to say recently:

It has begun: this link is to a site that is ostensibly to sell Sodium Dichloroacetate for experimental use in pets with terminal cancer. This compound has received much press recently due to some encouraging preliminary lab test results. Obviously, desperate people are going to be purchasing and using this compound long before clinical trials even begin.
It may very well interfere with conventional treatments, be harmful in itself, or be ineffective. DCA is known to cause peripheral neuropathy (tingling and numbness of the extremities) with chronic use.
On the other hand, if it proves to be the miracle cure that some are hyping, we will begin hearing reports in the next couple months of people with untreatable conditions making miraculous recoveries.

I think he is absolutely right. Expect to see more and more people rolling their own treatments with DCA in the near future. For better or for worse.

Buy DCA – DCA Sodium Dichloroacetate Cancer Treatment for Pets

Cassini Spacecraft Images Seas on Saturn’s Moon Titan

Lake in TitanVery nice, I hope the powers that be sign off on a Titan lander soon.

Instruments on NASA’s Cassini spacecraft have found evidence for seas, likely filled with liquid methane or ethane, in the high northern latitudes of Saturn’s moon Titan. One such feature is larger than any of the Great Lakes of North America and is about the same size as several seas on Earth.

NASA – Cassini-Huygens: Close Encounter with Saturn

RFID Stapler, Office Products of the Beast?

RFID staplesLooks like a fine idea to me, I’d love to be able to sweep a scanner over a stack of papers and find out if a lost report is in it. Oh yeah, don’t let the title of the post fool you. That ‘xxx of the Beast‘ crap is for silly ninnies that don’t want the trains to run on time and like constant turmoil caused by the stupid notion of what happens to you after you die. I just figure that by using it in a title it’s a good way to get noticed. Note to all my friends that believe in that sort of thing, sorry to exploit your beliefs but why shouldn’t I  when it’s so darn easy?
Anyway, the RFID enabled staples are something that I’d buy now if I could. I’d staple everything. Papers, boxes, books, you name it! I’d never lose anything ever again. Ah, bliss! However, if I did have a cool high tech trackable stapler I’d more than likely invest on one of these fine DataSafe Security Wallets. It’s best to play it safe now and again, don’t you think? In the mean time I think I might have a closer look at this nifty RFID Experimentation kit I saw over on MAKE.  Think about it, how cool would it be to run a scanner over a sealed box of books and then be able to tell exactly whats in side of it? Anyone with a closet full of stuff will appreciate this I’m sure.

[via SCI FI Tech | SCIFI.COM]
Popluar Science (click on the slideshow)

Into Space Via Water Gun

HYPACC Hydro Pneumatic ACCeleratorThis is a fascinating idea of how to lob a payload into space with water. Ok, not quite the water rockets you bought when you were a kid (or built as an adult), this uses the vacuum created by burning oxygen and hydrogen to force a column of water into a pocket of hydrogen gas that launches the rocket ( SCRAM jet) into low orbit. The payload needs to be pretty strong, the gee forces are going to be quite extreme. Also, as it needs water to work it can be lashed to a boat and towed to a launch site near the equator and if something goes wrong stuff won’t fall on the neighbors. If this system proves practical it may become the preferred way of lifting tough payloads to a waiting space station.

[via new scientist]
HYPACC

Spherical Photovoltaic Solar Cell, Flexable too!

Sperical Solar CellThe latest offering from the guys in Japan:

Sphelar® captures light from all directions, which means it can catch reflected light and diffused light. In addition, there is no need for the superfluous operation of tracking the sun. The spherical light-receiving surfaces achieve unprecedented high generation efficiency.

[via metaefficient]
Spherical Photovoltaic Solar Cell | Kyosemi Corporation

Rocket Sport in Russia

Russian model rocket contestI was quite impressed when I learned that the sport of model rocketry was alive and well in the former Soviet Union. Every year in Baikonur, Kazakhstan the World Model Rocketry Championship is held. I stumbled upon a load of photos over at English Russian and decided to do a bit of research on the subject. I happened on the World Spacemodeling Championship website (Google translation here) that has information on the event. Looks like the next one is going to be on April 21. If you happen to be in the neighborhood you should plan on attending. Or you can read about what it’s like in this article on when Vernon Estes (namesake of Estes Rockets) visited there in 2006. Sounds like great event, not only do you get to see some world class model rockets fire off but you also get to tour some of the buildings at the famous Cosmodrome.