Operating a Computer Through Thought

By just thinking about it, a paralyzed man has been reported to move a computer cursor, open e-mail, and control a robotic device in a clinical trial to test a neurotechnology device for it's potential to help people with paralysis.

Researchers believe that BrainGate sensor,developed by Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems Inc. in Massachusetts, has the ability to process signals from the brain to control a computer or prosthetic device.

The process, as reported in the science journal Nature, involves implanting a tiny silicon chip with 100 electrodes into an area of the brain responsible for movement. The cells activity was recorded
before it is sent to the computer , enabling the patient to move and interact with the computer.

Omega Oils As Fat Burners

That's right. You can eat fat and lose weight at the same time. The
difference,of course,is to eat the right kind of fat. Omega fats have been found to be an essential fatty acids needed for overall well-being and to enable the body to turn on it's fat-burning engine.

Ann Louise Gittleman, foremost nutritionist and author of several best selling nutrition books, recommends omega fats found in evening primrose oil and borage oil to her consulting model clients and to all who want to burn excess fats in their bodies. She cites that evening primrose oil supplements resulted in a weight loss of over 10 percent by individuals. The weight loss was achieved without dieting and without the subjects reporting any feelings of deprivation or hunger.

Dietary supplements : how safe are they?

Dietary supplements are increasingly popular among a large group of people concerned with preserving their health and fitness. But the question of their effectiveness claims and safety is also at an all
time high. How safe are they?

Consumers and self-care enthusiasts are taking vitamins,minerals, herbs, or other dietary supplements. For some of the most popular like folic acid, calcium/vitamin D , the evidence for benefits is so clearly established that they are automatically included in the diet. For others like herbal supplements, some hesitate into "may or may not help " frame of mind, as it can be dangerous.

May Palmer, an emergency room physician and toxicologist, along with her colleagues, published an article in Lancet, analyzed nearly 500 calls about bad reactions to supplements which included heart attacks, liver failure, bleeding, seizures, and death. Palmer said,
"When I started the study, i thought that maybe the safety problems with supplements really were mild and that my worries were unfounded.
I was very surprised to see how serious the adverse reactions really were."

Dietary supplements are regulated much more loosely than drugs that it's impossible to know how much harm they cause. Perhaps the best way for consumers to know whether particular products are effective is to use a brand that has been subjected to well-designed clinical
studies. Individuals may educate themselves by visiting private health education companies such as Supplement Watch (www.supplement.watch.com) and The Natural Pharmacist (www.tnp.com) who have done a good job of bringing the scientific evidence or the lack thereof for various supplements from the research journals to the public.