Capturing Energy Under the Sea

Slow-moving ocean and river currents may be a new source of reliable and affordable power. Most of the world’s water currents move slowly (under three knots), but to capture energy, turbines and water mills require currents at nearly twice that speed to operate efficiently. A machine called VIVACE (Vortex-Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy), developed by University of Michigan marine engineer Michael Bernitsas, enhances the slow currents by creating vortices, then capturing their power. The device works much like the way fish use each other’s wake to propel themselves through water. Besides providing renewable energy, the device would also be less likely to harm marine life than dams and water turbines, says Bernitsas.

Source: University of Michigan, News Service, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109. Web site www.ns.umich.edu.

Liquid-Wood Toys

A bioplastic made of renewable “liquid wood” rather than petrochemicals could be an ideal component for toys. No matter how roughly a child treats the toy, it releases no heavy metals or other ingredients that would cause harm. The material, known as Arbofoam, was developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Germany. Though bioplastics using cellulose from wood have been used in other products, they have been unsuitable for toys because of additives such as sulfur. Arboform’s sulfur content was reduced by 90%; the next challenge was to find suitable additives that keep the bioplastics from dissolving in water—a big problem since children tend to suck on their toys or leave them out in the rain.

Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Strasse 7, 76327 Pfinztal, Berghausen, Germany. Web site www.ict.fraunhofer.de.

Hospitals and Patients Seek Alternatives

More than one-third of American adults and 12% of children use some form of complementary or alternative medicine, such as herbal and dietary supplements, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health. Therapies showing significant increases in popularity in the past five years are deep-breathing exercises, meditation, massage therapy, and yoga. Hospitals are responding to increased patient demand for these services, reports the American Hospital Association. More than 37% of hospitals surveyed indicated that they are integrating complementary and alternative services with conventional treatments, largely due to patient demand.

Sources: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov. American Hospital Association, www.aha.org .

Toward a More Multilingual Military

The U.S. military needs to improve its foreign-language and cultural skills to operate more effectively, according to Congressman Vic Snyder (Democrat-Arizona), chairman of the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. “In today’s and tomorrow’s national security environment, the demand for these skill sets may be even greater, given the range of missions our military personnel can be called on to perform,” he says. “Language and cultural skills can save lives and even prevent conflict.” The Subcommittee’s report calls for increased support for foreign language study in the U.S. educational system, though it did not make clear how schools are to predict where future military interests may be.

Source: U.S. House of Representatives, House Armed Services Committee, 2120 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Web site http://armedservices.house.gov .

Word Watch: Pre-vivor

New words often offer clues to new trends. The term pre-vivor—meaning an individual who takes extreme preventive measures to ensure survival—suggests a new, more extreme level of proactivism or initiative. As used by Baylor Medical Center breast surgeon Valerie Gorman, the term refers specifically to women at risk of developing breast cancer who opt for preemptive bilateral mastectomies, or those who have developed cancer in one breast choosing to remove the remaining healthy breast as well.

Comment: Becoming a pre-vivor may seem extreme, but as change accelerates and complexity grows in all areas of life, risk assessment is becoming more and more imperative. The sooner that a risk is identified and acted upon, the more likely survival becomes.

Source: Baylor Health Care System, Marketing and Public Relations, 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 750, Dallas, Texas 75201. Web site www.baylorhealth.com .