Anti-smoking vaccine on trial

"Swedish scientists begin human trials on a shot intended to stop nicotine reaching the brain.The experts behind the vaccine say it will eliminate the nicotine highs that smokers relish and therefore help tobacco addicts to quit but some have their doubts it will be that simple."

The real problem is that smoking is a habit. You don’t just have to break the physical addiction you have to eliminate the mental addiction. There have been a lot of products out there to help people stop smoking by providing an alternative source of nicotine the body is craving. People still don’t quit even though there is an alternative to smoking, and still satisfy the need for nicotine. Smoking is a way of life, and to quit smoking you need to make some big changes in your life.

There are some great commercials about having to relearn how to do everything without a smoke once you quit. It shows people being unable to drink a cup of coffee, or drive their car with out a cigarette. They are quite funny but at the same time show how much people who smoke need more then just the nicotine. It is part of their routine and they need the comfort of the routine, even if it is bad for them. So it is great that there is yet another option to help people quit but a drug, patch, or shot is not going to break the pattern of smoking. Something has to be done to help people let go of the cigarette not just break the physical addiction.

I know people who have quit but as soon as stress enters their lives they start again. Even after years of not smoking. Cigarettes seem to be able to keep their hold on people far longer then the actual nicotine addiction.

Now your Maid will obey all your orders and will serve you..

Those who have watched The Jetsons cartoon show might remember Rosie, the robotic kitchen maid. Now, scientists are working towards making her a reality.

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50 Best Robots Ever

Wired puts together a list of both fact and fiction, did your favorite 'bot make it on the list?

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Robots DO dream of electric sheep: Emotional robots

A robot with empathy sounds like the stuff of sci-fi movies, but with the aid of neural networks European researchers are developing robots in tune with our emotions. The tantalising work of the Feelix Growing project is grabbing the world’s attention.

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Water conservation at its best

Today I was walking home in the rain, hating every wet second of it because it was not a light rain. I was drenched within minutes. I came across this older gentlemen washing his car in his drive way. He had an umbrella in one hand and a car scrubby in the other. There he was washing downh is car in the poring rain. I was thinking; “What is this guy doing? Why would anyone want to be out in this rain unless they had to be?” Then the light bulb went off. This guy was no idiot but a very smart man.

He was using the power of the heavy rain to clean off his car and using the scrubbing brush to get off the hard parts, like stuck bugs. He was saving water the smart way, making use of what was naturally there. He let the hard rain do 95% of the work and was saving money because he has to pay for his water usage but rain is free. As for getting wet, you get wet washing a car, what is the difference if it comes from the sky or a hose?

It made me think of the other ways people take advantage of rainfall. Farmers often have cisterns or other ways to store rainwater to be used to water the crops, given to the animals or used to clean things. I remember always having rain barrels where we could collect rainwater and then would use it to water the garden on hot dry days. It made sense then and now. Water conservation needs to take place now more then ever and yet most people don’t think about it that much. Water from a tap makes it convenient and it is hard to think that it might not be so easily available someday.

Madagascar Hopes Tourism Saves 'Noah's Ark'

Exotic species and Homo sapiens have a hard time existing side by side. Wherever you find Man, you are also likely to find that rare birds, mammals, fish and flowers have been driven to the brink of extinction, and sometimes beyond.

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Shrooms make people behave better?

In an article 'Shroom' Study Reveals Lasting Effects scientists reported Tuesday that when they surveyed volunteers 14 months after they took a psychedelic drug as part of a research project, most said they were still feeling and behaving better because of the experience.

I find it interesting that they started to study the effects of magic mushrooms again. I wonder what drug company wants to harvest them and make them into a magic cure all? Yes there is potential use for psilocybin, the hallucinogen drug found in shrooms. This may help people feel better, that is how they work. So it is quite possible to try and turn it into a new anti-depression drug, or something to help addicts of both drugs and alcohol. I do not doubt that there are medicinal properties to be found in psilocybin. It is finding it, legalizing it for medical use and then packaging it and marketing it that is going to take a little time.

What I found even more interesting is that some of the people in the study still feel that the one time use of the psilocybin is still having an affect on their lives. What would happen to someone who uses this on a regular basses? Would they become the typical hippy stereotype; relaxed, happy, and no real ambition but to get the next high and some snacks?

Are there more studies planned? If so, what type of person would volunteer? Could it be that a certain type of person is drawn to a test study like this, a controlled environment in which to get high? Could this be affecting their results? What would happen if they took a random sample of people off the street and did the same study? Would there be a difference in the results? Could it also be that the people in the study were looking for a life changing experience and therefore were more open to change, this just gave them a catalyst for the change. Could the side effects just be in their minds because they wanted to change or was there an actual physical change in their brains? If so how do you test for that? Can you do a before and after mapping of the brain?

For me this study gives me more questions then answers. Yes they already knew that psilocybin would give people an out of this world or psyco-delic experience, that’s why people use shrooms in the first place. So some of the people feel better 16 months after participating in the study. However it was based on a survey, no real scientific reading or testing was done. If something has changed for these people, what is it? I can see it now, drugies all over the world claiming they use shrooms because it makes them a better person. That is great, but can you prove it? Drunken people think they are better lovers and drivers and everyone knows the truth about that, what they think and what they do are completely different.