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Garbage is big business
"According to the World Bank," blogs Brad Plumer for The Washington Post, "many cities now devote more resources to coping with their trash than to any other single task: 'Solid waste management is almost always the responsibility of local governments and is often their single largest budget item, particular in developing countries. Solid waste management and street sweeping is also often the city's single largest source of employment.'" The bank estimates that 1 to 5 per cent of the world's urban population is employed in solid-waste management. "Currently, the world spends $204.5-billion [U.S.] to handle about 1.3 billion tons of trash each year. That's about 2.6 pounds [1.2 kg] per person per day."
Rescued by robot ants?
"In the aftermath of a major disaster, the last thing you want to do is send first-responders running into mounds of unstable, potentially dangerous rubble," says Pacific Standard magazine. "But right now, if rescuers want to look for survivors, measure radiation levels or just see what's going on inside, they don't have many other options. Nuno Martins, an associate professor of computer and electrical engineering, and his fellow researchers at the University of Maryland Robotics Center think the best way to solve this problem is with robots. Hundreds of tiny, ant-sized, autonomous, communicating robots. Their project, funded by the [U.S.] National Science Foundation, aims to create a small army of extremely simple electronic search-bots that can climb in between tiny cracks, spread themselves out in a given area, and relay information to a team of humans waiting safely outside."
Psychotherapy by phone
"The ubiquity of cellphones and smartphones like the iPhone and Droid allows an individual to receive counselling in whatever setting they choose," says Psych Central. "A new Northwestern Medicine research study discovered patients who had therapy sessions provided over the phone were more likely to complete 18 weeks of treatment than those who had face-to-face sessions. … Phone therapy is a rapidly growing trend among therapists. About 85 per cent of psychologists now deliver some of their services over the phone … 'Now therapists can make house calls,' said David Mohr, PhD, the lead author [of the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association] and a professor of preventive medicine."
Robbery foiled remotely
A man in Essex, England, "foiled a raid on his home – by shouting at burglars via webcam from Turkey," says Orange News UK. "The man was 1,500 miles away at a family funeral when he called home for a video chat, reports The Mirror. The homeowner … was speaking to his wife via MSN Messenger when she left the house to speak to their son. However, the Internet connection remained on – and the man was stunned to see two burglars in his hallway. He screamed at them, 'Get out of my house – I am calling the police.' The terrified pair fled empty-handed and are being hunted."
Sit, stay, good dog
"A nine-month-old Yorkie wasn't about to leave a Missouri rest stop without his master," says The Associated Press. "Mistakenly left behind by an Arkansas truck driver, Rambo waited there for two days until his owner was able to track him down. 'Didn't even cross my mind that he might jump out. He never has before,' Michael Siau, his owner, said. 'I jumped back in the truck, put it in gear and drove off. And I just thought he was in the back asleep.' Mr. Siau made it all the way to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 273 km to the north, before he realized Rambo was gone. But he knew if he turned around, his schedule would be thrown off and his job jeopardized. … Mr. Siau began calling authorities. By Sunday morning, he had learned Hannibal, Mo., had jurisdiction over the rest area. Hannibal animal control officer Tim Ledbetter was sent to the site. Sure enough, little Rambo was there, sitting patiently."
Thought du jour
"People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them."
– George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Irish playwright