A Daily Antidote to Everything Else
A Toronto IT consultant has dedicated himself to taking hospital patients outside of their rooms using custom-made movies and a set of virtual reality goggles.
Source: How a Toronto hospital uses virtual reality to grant dying patients a last wish – Toronto – CBC News
“Virtual bucket list” — what a great concept and a great use of technology.
Educators know that poor kids do worse in school. The solution might be as simple as helping them see the board.
Source: How Free Eyeglasses Are Boosting Test Scores in Baltimore – POLITICO Magazine
Such a simple thing so many of us take for granted, with such a positive result…
“Elder orphans,” or unbefriended adults, are seniors without children, partners or close relatives. Now there’s a new Facebook group with more than 5,000 members to help them find support as they age.
Source: Are You An ‘Elder Orphan’? – Life Matters Media
Another great way that technology, and online communities, can bring people together. Contrary to those who say technology isolated, here’s clear case where it’s an alternative to isolation.
A breakthrough could lead to easier, faster and cheaper vaccines.
Source: Plants ‘hijacked’ to make polio vaccine – BBC News
The quote that sparked more of my attention: “Outwardly it looks almost identical to poliovirus but – like the difference between a mannequin and person – it is empty on the inside.
It has all the features needed to train the immune system, but none of the weapons to cause an infection.” This opens some promising doors for the future, I think…
After unsuccessfully attempting to return her late father’s prosthetic leg to the NHS, Glenda Hughes found a charity who were able to give it to someone who needs it. Just 1 in 10 people with physical disabilities in the developing world have access to assistive technology, according to the World Health Organisation. Legs4Africa, based in…
Source: Woman Donates Prosthetic Leg to Amputee in Africa in Memory of Beloved Father – Good News Shared
I love that Ms Hughes took the effort to find an appropriate way to do this….
The box itself is a simple container, measuring six by six by six feet. With solar panels on top and water treatment inside, it can help remote communities with both off-grid energy and easily accessible filtered water.
Source: This Simple Box Serves Up Running Water And Clean Electricity In Remote Locations (FastCompany)
Once again, innovation that can help make people’s lives better in very fundamental ways.
A New York firefighter who helped saved the life of a pup who was trapped during a house fire has now adopted the dog.
Source: Kindhearted Firefighter Adopts Dog He Helped Save From Fire: ‘It’s Great For Titus’ – MSN / Inside Edition
This kind of thing actually happens much more often than most folks realize, which is pretty darned nifty.
A mutual friend said to me, ‘I’d like you to meet a very nice young lady…
Source: She’s 98. He’s 94. They Met at the Gym. – The New York Times
I keep saying it … age ain’t nothing but a number. 🙂 I just love that they met at the gym, too.
About a year ago, my daughter had trouble pronouncing several words. Then we hired a full-time, live-in speech pathologist. Her name is Alexa, and she lives in a small black cylinder on our kitchen island.
To me this story is all about potential, not to mention unintended side-effects. I believe that there are so many opportunities for devices like this to truly make a difference in people’s lives. We’re just now scratching the surface.
Nashville music-act managers and booking agents — on a motorcycle trip to South Dakota — jumped into action to yank people from wrecked cars before they burst into flame.
Source: Motorcycle-riding Music Row execs become highway heroes
Very cool. The pictures at the linked story paint a frightening scene.