- An international team of scientists plan to grow the first human heart outside the body. "We intend to create the ability to grow hearts, livers and kidneys, so that when patients go for transplants, theres no wait for donor organs," says Michael Sefton, a Toronto University bioengineer involved in the project. "Theyll take one off the shelf as easily as one changes a carburettor."
- Studies by an Ohio University palaeontologist suggest that contrary to popular belief, Tyrannosaurus Rex probably didnt have lips and Triceratops didnt have cheeks. This assertion could have implications on toy manufacturers, movie set designers and artists whose recreations of dinosaurs now seem to be inaccurate.
- Bionic brain implants allowing a computer to be operated by the power of thought have been developed by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. This was achieved by implanting hollow glass cone electrodes in the brains motor cortex which controls movement. Disabled volunteers who received implants were able to control the cursor on a computer screen just by thinking about moving parts of their body.
- Castor seeds may be the next heavy hitter in cancer treatment, say Texas Tech University and Health Sciences Centre researchers. Besides oil, it produces a strong poison called ricin, which has positive effects on patients with lymphoma.
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