I love Science!

Researchers at the University of New South Wales have apparently cured blindness. They used patients who were blind in one eye, and took stem cells from their good eyes. These stem cells were put on a contact lens, and worn on the blind eye. In ten days, the damaged corneas were repaired and vision was restored. The results will have to be repeated and it may be years before this is a viable therapy, but this is fantastic news.

Via Gizmodo

Science!

This is fantastic news. British researchers have developed a drug that seems, in early and limited trials at least, to help break up the plaque in the brain that causes Alzheimer's. The drug attacks a protein, which seems to be an important aspect of the disease, in the blood. This is why I try to keep up with science. The researchers initially thought that the drug would impact the blood levels of a protein associated with the disease. Apparently, there is also an effect on the plaque in the brain. This could be one of the early steps toward a cure, or at least a treatment, for Alzheimer's.

The telescope for everybody

I am trying to keep this blog from being a collection of things that I find on the internet, but this is too cool. Galileoscope.org is a non-profit group that is trying to make amateur astronomy easier for everyone. In order to do that, they sell kits for telescopes for $15. These are not assembled, and don't include a tripod, but they are compatible with standard camera tripods (some available from Amazon for less than $20). So the telescope and tripod should set you back less than $40. If that wasn't cool enough, you can donate a telescope to "children, parents, and teachers who can't afford to buy them, especially in less developed parts of the world," according to the website. This is a great way to help bring the wonder of science to someone who might never experience it, and if that person is you, that's ok too.