Pioneering research at the University of Sunderland has shown that regular exposure to safe low level infra-red light can improve learning performance and kick-start the cognitive function of the brain.

The results are a scientific breakthrough as to date medical treatments for dementia can only slow down brain deterioration and now human trials are to start to see if the treatment could provide a cure to illnesses like Alzheimers.

Independent research carried out at Sunderland has demonstrated that low power infra-red (1072nm) can improve the learning performance. The low levels of infra-red light used are completely safe and occur naturally in sunlight.

We've been waiting for a good personal jet pack system since seeing Sean Connery strap on that Bell-Textron thing in the opening sequence of Thunderball.

Thunderbolt Aerosystems founder Carmelo "Nino" Amarena must have seen that movie too because when he decided to try and shorten the grueling commute to his Bay Area office, he came up with what he says is a practical and economical personal air vehicle - one that won't blow up on your back like those hydrogen peroxide-powered prototypes of the early 1960s.

Don't get too excited just yet if you're a big guy. While the new version can stay aloft for up to 75 seconds, a 300% increase over what other systems offer, and go 65 MPH, it's limited to a 160 lb. man and a laptop. See it in action here:

A new report by the Arizona Arts, Sciences, and Technology Academy (AASTA) found that research in astronomy, planetary sciences, and space sciences (APSS) pumped over $250 million into Arizona’s economy in 2006 alone.

That's real money but it's not all balloons and ponies for Arizona. There are threats to that economic engine and it's what you can probably guess - the instability of federal funding and competition from other locations - but it's also things you might not guess, like light pollution from residential and commercial development and lingering memories of environmental and political activism.

The new Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research at Texas Children’s Hospital announced that it will implement the nation’s first major “cocoon strategy” vaccination program to protect newborn infants from the life-threatening infection pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough.

COLOGNE, Germany, January 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Sedo, the leading online market place for buying and selling Internet domain names and websites, has announced that sport.co.uk has sold for GBP135,000.

The Internet domain name, sport.co.uk, was sold through Sedo by one of its customers to Media Corporation plc, an Internet media and advertising company. It will develop sport.co.uk during the first quarter of 2008 with the aim of it becoming a worldwide provider of comprehensive sports statistics and information. All facts and figures on matches, athletes, teams, results, competitions tournaments, stadiums and sponsors will be provided in what eventually aims to be one of the world's largest sports information websites.

The use of a drug to activate stem cells that differentiate into bone appears to cause regeneration of bone tissue and be may be a potential treatment strategy for osteoporosis, according to a report in the February 2008 Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The study – led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) – found that treatment with a medication used to treat bone marrow cancer improved bone density in a mouse model of osteoporosis, apparently through its effect on the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that differentiate into several types of tissues.

WARRINGTON, England, January 25 /PRNewswire/ --

Martin Dawes Systems, an international provider of billing, customer care and revenue assurance solutions, today announced its appointment as a supplier to UK mobile operator O2 of billing systems for O2 business, corporate and SME subscribers.

This follows the successful implementation of an upgraded billing system based on the company's dise3G solution. Martin Dawes Systems will work with O2 on developing new software features and functionality to continue to deliver improvements in billing & CRM functionality.

LONDON, January 25 /PRNewswire/ --

Elertz has launched its widget technology, a patented desktop messaging system which provides online marketers with a new way of communicating with their users and driving website interaction.

The elertz widget is non-intrusive to users and sits in the system tray of their computer waiting quietly for notifications. Critically, end-users are always in complete control of the communication channel and they can manage the information they receive, meaning they are more likely to respond positively to brand marketers who are providing relevant services or innovative products.