It’s no giant robot with laser cannons, but researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a brain-computer interface that can control a toy helicopter. They emphasize that the interface only requires a sensor cap; no implants are necessary. Here’s a video of the team demonstrating the technology:
So, how long before I can sign up with the Air Force for fighter pilot training? Or perhaps I could be a drone operator for some intelligence agency. I could even work from home!
Those Republican governors who still refuse to participate in the Medicaid expansion may be inflicting long-term financial damage on their states. A new RAND study finds that not only will these states will pay out nearly $1 billion more in uncompensated care and forfeit several billion more in federal Medicaid dollars, but they will also have more uninsured residents. Some conservative governors have concluded that expanding Medicaid is the best option for both their constituents and their budgets, but others (Texas Governor Rick Perry, for instance) remain committed to blocking the expansion on ideological grounds.
The RAND probably won’t persuade any of these leaders to change course. Not in the short term, anyway. But once 2014 arrives and other states implement the expansion without much fuss, the holdouts may decide the practical benefits of joining them may outweigh any political considerations. And if they don’t, their beleaguered local hospitals and medical providers will ramp up their lobbying efforts. That kind of political pressure may be difficult to resist.
Matt Smith announced that he will be leaving Doctor Who at the end of the year, sending fans into yet another perennial state of mourning. While I remain partial to the David Tennant iteration of the good Doctor, I enjoyed Smith’s goofy charm and bow tie fetish. Of course, I can’t refrain from some idle speculation about the next Doctor. I’d love to see Idris Elba in the role, but I suspect he’s gone a bit too Hollywood to be lured back into a weekly series. And while a female Doctor is long overdue, the writers may not be ready to move beyond the current dynamic of a reasonably handsome male Doctor paired with an attractive female companion. But I would be happy to be proven wrong.
I’m pleased to see that NBC has renewed Hannibal for a second season. What first seemed like a desperate attempt to revive a 90’s-era pop culture phenomenon has turned out to be one of the most compelling network dramas since Lost (before Lost became too clever for its own good). Mads Mikkelsen plays Hannibal Lecter with a sophisticated air of menace that is missing from Anthony Hopkins’ iconic but scenery-chewing portrayal. And Hugh Dancy is brilliant as the borderline autistic criminal profiler Will Graham.
The show is uncompromising in its bleak vision and contains scenes of pretty horrifying violence, making it an unlikely candidate for a network primetime slot. Kudos to NBC for giving the series to develop and attract more of an audience. Let’s hope it lasts long enough for creator Bryan Fuller to realize his plans to bring in David Bowie as a guest star.
This is the time of year when I have to assemble the paperwork for my semiannual Medical Assistance renewal. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I’ll only have to do this annually beginning next year. And eventually, I’ll be able to submit everything via the web. But right now, I have to find a pen and genuflect before the Altar of Bureaucracy.
While I’m certainly glad to see Michele Bachmann leave elected office, I doubt her star will dim anytime soon. She probably has 3-4 years to cash in on the big money to be made from the conservative media machine before she has to worry fading into obscurity. Perhaps she and Sarah Palin can develop some kind of buddy act and take it on the college circuit. Meanwhile, I’m sure someone equally wrong-headed will succeed her in the 6th District.
Some academic types have come up with a replacement for the international disability symbol. The new symbol is meant to be less passive and more “progressive”.
The disability community has plenty of barriers confronting us. Public signage isn’t one of them. A new icon isn’t going to prevent some jerk from parking in that one disability spot that has room for my ramp.
And does this mean we have to abandon all other versions of the symbol? Because I’m quite fond of this one:
The Times examines the reasons why people with disabilities continue to receive substandard medical care. Most outpatient clinics are ill-equipped to serve patients with disabilities, particularly those of us who have limited or zero mobility. The staff have little training on how to safely transfer people with disabilities and the exam rooms lack accessible equipment. As a result, people with disabilities may only receive partial exams that may overlook potential problems.
I experienced this firsthand a couple months ago when I went to see my doctor with what turned out to be a urinary tract infection. The exam room lacked a table that would allow me to lie prone, which made it difficult for the doctor to examine me. She nearly sent me home to collect a urine sample, which would have only delayed my diagnosis and treatment. It might have made more sense for me to simply go to the emergency room, but I shouldn’t be forced to visit the ER to receive adequate care for a relatively minor issue.
The Pope has declared that atheists are decent people as long as they do good. I like to think I fall within that category. Well, except that one time. And those other times. It all depends on how broadly one defines “doing good”. But at least my devoutly Catholic friends no longer have to feel guilty about associating with me.
I’m busy preparing for visitors, but perhaps I’ll post more later.
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