Vertical farms of the future
Thought up by Italian architecture firm Studiomobile, vertical seawater farms sticking up out of the water could covert the salt-laden liquid into freshwater for crops. It’s all about producing humidity. A series of vents would gather humidity from the seawater to cool the greenhouses and, as it collects, irrigate the crops [...]

Camera Pills 
Health seems is going hi-tech, thanks to scientists who have now developed camera pills and ultra-sound creating maps, which they claim to facilitate accurate surgery without causing stress to patients.

 95% of cell phones are contaminated with more that one type of microbe
Mobile phones used by hospital healthcare workers are often contaminated with germs, including those that can causes illness in hospitalized patients, a Turkish research team reports.
Dr. Fatma Ulger and others at Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, swabbed the dominant hand and the mobile phones [...]

 
A new approach primes antibodies to instantly attack cancers, HIV, and other diseases.
The body’s immune system is often likened to an army, and vaccines to training exercises that build up defenses against pathogens. By exposing the immune system to inactive forms of a virus or bacteria, a vaccine trains antibodies to fight off a real [...]

 The figure summarizes the death and resurrection of Human IRGM gene.
Researchers have discovered that a long-defunct gene was resurrected during the course of human evolution. This is believed to be the first evidence of a doomed gene – infection-fighting human IRGM – making a comeback in the human/great ape lineage.

 
Litracon 
Concrete has a sometimes-bad reputation as a harsh, rigid, cold-to-the-touch and straight-edged material. Litracon is doing a great deal to change that image of concrete through a score of creative and sustainable applications for their patented light-transmitting concrete. (Pics)

 Wacky ping pong celebration
Here is the first of a new series we will be producing on the ten videos we find most interesting during the week. These are all over the board ranging from a mock birthing video to two angry camels in a car. (Videos)
 

 
 Thinking locally, painting three dimensionally
Here is an impressive ad campaign put together by Johnny Walker in Taipei. This kind of art always draws a crowd and tons of publicity. (Pics)
 

A 4-year-old boy has won the use of an uninhabited tropical island, with white sand beaches and clear turquoise waters, in a Taiwan lottery aimed at boosting spending during an economic downturn.
Officials said Yeh Chien-wei, who won the prize at Thursday’s draw, will get exclusive rights to the tiny plot in the Taiwan Strait from [...]

WHAT A RUSH!!!
 

There’s an odd fad taking off (jumping off?) in Russia: jumping off a bridge en masse after tethering yourself to a rope! For even more fun, wait till the train is passing by …
(more photos after jump)

 Powerfully uninteresting retro stuff
Taking carts that were landfill bound due to missing wheels or bent legs, designer Max McMurdo works his magic and “poof!” they are pieces you’d love to own. Reestore attempts to “avoid traditional eco materials in favor of contemporary finishes, fabrics, and, above all, style.”