Boost Your Energy

Boost Your Energy By Simply Going Outside

Ever have one of those dragging days? The Happiness Project suggests you can get an instant short-term energy boost simply by going outside:
Go outside into the sunlight; light deprivation is one reason that people feel tired. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning.
This is especially important for those of us who spend our workdays behind a computer screen; natural light not only can energize you, but it also saves your eyeballs from getting too tired.
This Wednesday: Nine tips for giving yourself an energy boost in the next TEN MINUTES. [The Happiness Project]

Avian Flu

Quickly Diagnose Avian Flu with Luggable Biosensor


With fears of an avian flu pandemic on the rise, a group at Georgia Tech has made it easy for researchers in the field to identify and analyze the virus using nothing more than a laptop and a small suitcase-sized biosensor (demonstrated by scientist Jie Xu at left). Usually it takes several hours in a wet lab to identify strains of avian flu, but the new biosensor works in minutes. Now researchers can rapidly determine whether a sick bird is carrying the dangerous H5N1 strain of the virus that has occasionally jumped to humans.

This portable biosensor is more than just a great way to combat the spread of H5N1. It's also proof that biotech may follow in the footsteps of computer tech, evolving from giant mainframe-sized devices to desktop-sized consumer electronics to handhelds. Sign me up for the handheld virus analyzer, coming to you from Apple in 2018.