Yes! No More Scary Needles!

Breakthroughs in the traditional needle design! Finally.

Engineers at Kansai University in Japan have looked into the technique and engineering behind the mosquito's blood-sucking needle. With this, and much other research, they have come up with the theory that less pressure can cause less skin damage and therefore, less pain. With this, they have created a micro-needle patch. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have also come up with a similar solution.

This creates an opening for many scared children to now get the necessary shots to ensure a healthy childhood - and maybe even those few adults that are scared of needles as well...

The product makes me think of using the technology to provide a more efficient medicine to those who are trying to quit smoking - maybe the direct line to the bloodstream could help? Also, I think the technology has potential to be used to heal injuries - maybe there is a significant advantage to have medicines reach an injured area's bloodstream directly?

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-07/incredible-shrinking-shot-needles-get-pain-free-makeover

Are We In Control of Our Own Decisions?

Dan Ariely, a sought after behavioral economist, speaks about perception as being crucial in decision making - much more than we realize. We aren't as rational as we think.

One specific example that stuck out for me is one referring to organ donating. A study was done across Europe, and very similar countries had very different results in this poll, asking "would you donate your organs once you pass away?". The reason they were so different is because some countries asked "Check the box below if you would like to participate in the organ donor program", while others asked "Check the box if you don't want to participate in the organ donor program". While these countries are very similar in culture (Netherlands vs. Belgium), their answers differ because of how the question was asked.

This type of research is extraordinary because it publicizes a power strategy. So much depends on how things are presented, we often don't understand how little we contribute to our own decisions. Simpler decisions are much more likely to be chosen whether the effects are drastic or not.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_ariely_asks_are_we_in_control_of_our_own_decisions.html