Diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the leading causes of incurable blindness in the western world. In these diseases, retinal cells (photoreceptors) begin to die and limit the eye's ability to capture light and transmit information to the brain. Retinal cells, like other cells of the central nervous system, have limited capacity for endogenous regeneration. 

Now scientists say they can regenerate large areas of damaged retinas and improve visual function using IPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) derived from skin.    IPS cells became well-researched, along with ordinary stem cells, due to limitations in the US and Europe regarding use of human embryonic stem cells.   

Beginning in the 1970s, we were taught to keep homes cooler if we want to save energy and therefore both money and the planet.   But systems don't really work that way, as most knew, and a report commissioned by Friends of the Earth and written by Professor Sir Michael Marmot points out that cold homes cost lives and harm the environment in the long run. 

Fifty years ago, the philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky speculated that humans are able to learn language easily as children because knowledge of grammar is 'hardwired' into human brains. In other words, we know some of the fundamental things about human language at birth, without ever being taught.

Controversial?  Yes, but a group of cognitive scientists now say he may have been onto something.   They contend we are born with knowledge of certain syntactical rules that make learning human languages easier.

Is someone sitting in the passenger seat of the car?   If so, are they leaning forward and can be damage by the airbag?    Did a person enter the danger zone in front of an industrial machine?

Debuting at the Sensor+Test trade fair in Nuremberg from June 7-9, 2011, researchers have now developed sensors capable of expanding, in extreme cases, to twice their original length - and they are so supple they are virtually unnoticed when sewn into clothing. 

It may not be the most eaten fruit, that may be Gogurt or whatever people think is fruit today, but at least the tomato is the most Googled fruit in English-speaking countries, according to a review by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) to coincide with Fruity Friday, which everyone who is anyone knows is tomorrow, May 13th. 

 The review, using data from Google's Insights for Search, suggests there are almost twice as many searches for "tomatoes" as there are for "apples", the second most Googled fruit.   The data on Google searches is from Googles Insights for Search, accessed on May 3, 2011. The plural of each fruit was used and they note the results are not intended to suggest overall consumption levels or popularity.

Digital communications is no longer a free-for-all, it can take you right to courts of law if you use it and people don't like what it tells them about you.   A US court just slashed alimony payments (Cardone v. Cardone, 2011 WL 1566992, Conn.Super. April 4, 2011) to an ex-wife because of her blog posts, which detailed how she was sailing around the Caribbean for months with her new boyfriend while she rented out her apartment.    The poor sap ex-husband had been paying for 10 years and the court reduced it by 70% because she was clearly living with someone else and being subsidized by her ex-husband.