The Sock Helper

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Pull that sock up without getting close to your feet.

People have some strange phobias so I could see this strange aperture to be helpful who are afraid of their own feet.

Easy pull on sock aid supports compression hosier, medical stockings, socks and panty hose so it’s easy to slide your foot in and pull on with handles without having to bend down or struggle…

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Japan Nuclear Crisis: “Monirobo,” the Radiation-Monitoring Robot Arrives

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Monirobo

A remote-controlled disaster monitoring robot has reportedly been dispatched to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, to measure radiation levels within a site now so contaminated, it is unsafe for humans.

Monirobo (“monitor” + “robot”) was developed by the Nuclear Safety Technology Center, at Japan’s Ministry of Education. Monirobo is about 32 inches long, 52 inches in diameter, and 52 inches high, and weighs about 1300 pounds (600kg)…

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Google Recruits Scientists to Use New Media to Tackle Climate Skeptics

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In an effort to help improve communication regarding global warming issues and to counter the rampant ‘noise’ made by fossil fuel industry-funded climate skepticism, Google’s philanthropy arm has launched a new program focused on bringing together scientists, communications experts, and the world of social media. Google has tapped 21 top climate researchers to be fellows on the project, and they plan on mapping out a way to get accurate, scientifically sound information on climate to the masses.

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Brilliant Board Game Idea: The Waxing Game

The Glaze Brothers have a great idea for a board game. The Waxing Game is quite straighforward. A Candy Land-like board is filled with body parts. Roll the die and move your piece forward. From whichever location you land on, you must have your body hair ripped off. What a pleasant way to spend a quiet evening!

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Naval Sonar Exercises Linked to Whale Strandings

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Whales are affected by Naval Sonar Exercises.

Scientists have long been aware of a link between naval sonar exercises and unusual mass strandings of beaked whales. Evidence of such a link triggered a series of lawsuits in which environmental groups sued the U.S. Navy to limit sonar exercises to reduce risk to whales. In 2008, this conflict rose to the level of the US Supreme Court which had to balance potential threat to whales from sonar against the military risk posed by naval forces inadequately trained to use sonar to detect enemy submarines. The court ruled that the Navy could continue training, but that it was essential for the Navy to develop better methods to protect the whales.

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Hexayurt

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A hexayurt in action.

The hexayurt is an update on Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome and is a sturdy, affordable, easy-to-build temporary shelter. The geometry has been adjusted slightly to make it easier to build domes from materials like plywood, insulation, plastic, cardboard and more. The hexayurts are made from only one kind of triangle: an 8′ x 8′ isosceles triangle, rather than the strangely-shaped triangles which are standard for Fuller-style geodesic domes. They are not strictly geodesic, either, but it doesn’t seem to matter much in practice. The slightly stiff, angular lines look a lot like any other dome.

The most common place to see hexayurts is at Burning Man…

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Life Expectancy in the U.S. Sets New Record, Surpasses 78 Years

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Life expectancy at birth rose for babies born in 2009.

U.S. life expectancy has hit another all-time high, rising above 78 years. The estimate of 78 years and 2 months is for a baby born in 2009, and comes from a preliminary report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

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Absorbing Too Much Chlorinated Water Increases Risk of Cancer

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People who regularly swim in chlorinated pools or take lots of showers or baths are at an increased risk of cancer.

Swimming too much – or even taking too many baths or showers – could increase the risk of developing bladder cancer, warn environmental health experts.  Carcinogenic chemicals called trihalomethanes (THMs), created as a byproduct of chlorinating water, can be absorbed through the skin, they say.

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