Even though he is 60, one of Frank Hrabanek's biggest thrills these days is being able to tie his shoelaces by himself.
Until a short time ago, that two-handed task would have been impossible for Hrabanek, who lost all four fingers on his dominant hand following an industrial accident.
But two months ago, he was fitted with a prosthesis featuring what are being called the world's first bionic fingers.
His wife, Zlata, calls the bionic fingers "a miracle." (Read and see photos from the Canadan Press)
Two developments Thursday will help Pacific Gas and Electric Co. deliver energy from the atmosphere - with a new wind farm - and, possibly, near-Earth orbit using solar power.
State regulators approved PG&E's request to buy electricity from an orbiting solar power plant.
Solaren Corp., a startup in Los Angeles County, plans to place a large array of solar panels in orbit, where they would bathe in near-constant sunshine undimmed by the earth's atmosphere. The plant, which Solaren hopes to launch before 2016, would use electromagnetic waves to transmit power to a receiving station in Fresno County. (Read more at San Francisco Gate)
Bacteria which glow green in the presence of explosives could provide a cheap and safe way to find hidden landmines, Edinburgh scientists claim.
Edinburgh University said the microbes, which forms green patches when sprayed onto ground where mines are buried, could be dropped by air onto danger areas.
Within a few hours, they would indicate where the explosives can be found.
In an effort to stem a massive bee die-off, government scientists have developed honey bees with a genetic ability to fight back aggressively against Varroa mites which have decimated bee hives since 2004, killing one million colonies in North America in 2007 alone.
U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers have uncovered the genetic trait that allows honey bees to more easily find the parasitic mites and literally toss them out of the hive. Normally, the colony would eventually be killed off if the mite infestation were left alone.
Even though he is 60, one of Frank Hrabanek's biggest thrills these days is being able to tie his shoelaces by himself.
Until a short time ago, that two-handed task would have been impossible for Hrabanek, who lost all four fingers on his dominant hand following an industrial accident.
Two developments Thursday will help Pacific Gas and Electric Co. deliver energy from the atmosphere - with a new wind farm - and, possibly, near-Earth orbit using solar power.
Bacteria which glow green in the presence of explosives could provide a cheap and safe way to find hidden landmines, Edinburgh scientists claim.
In an effort to stem a massive bee die-off, government scientists have developed honey bees with a genetic ability to fight back aggressively against Varroa mites which have decimated bee hives since 2004, killing one million colonies in North America in 2007 alone. 
