Grow taller in 15 days! If something like this spikes your interest and if you are one of those people who have tried everything to grow tall, from weird looking hairdos to uncomfortable high heeled shoes, you still have hope.

The solution is nothing miraculous like a midget turning into a giant but something that can add about two inches to a person’s height.

We are talking about getting a “silicon implant” in the head.

Silicon implants for breasts are old news now. A new and interesting find is a silicon implant in the head that makes a person taller.

British newspaper, the Daily Mail reports that a cosmetic surgeon from Spain has pioneered this. According to Dr Luis de la Cruz from Clinica La Luz in Madrid, the whole procedure takes about 90 minutes. A small incision is made on one side of the head and then the implant is fitted in between the skull and the scalp.

The cost of transforming you into what you have always dreamed to be is 4,000 pounds, and is usually performed under local anesthesia. Patients do not have to stay in the hospital for long and can go home the next day. There is no fear of any visible scars as the small scar is covered with hair. (more…)

Most of us dread the thought of aging and the wrinkles that are certain to creep in on us. In the absence of a miracle drug that can keep us young always, and in the presence of our unhealthy lifestyle that does more harm than good, we have to accept that there are going to be changes in the way we look even a few months down the line, and this is a fact we cannot duck away from.

Talking of future shocks, there is a mirror that shows us what our future holds and the sight may not be all that pretty, especially for those of us that have cultivated the so-called modern habits.

The “persuasive mirror” as it is called is a product of the latest technology that allows people a glimpse into their future. This is being developed by Accenture Technology Labs and it is meant to show people what bad habits can do to their faces over a period of time.

The person who wishes to see his “future face” has to answer a few questions related to his habits and lifestyle and also upload a digital photo. The mirror then processes the details and based on the information provided, digitally ages the person six months down the road and shows the effect in the photo. (more…)

Talk of cod liver oil and what comes to mind is the soft gel capsule that grandma said is good for health.

Now you may consider giving it a try if you suffer from arthritis. Earlier used as a vitamin supplement mainly for children, cod liver oil has been a researcher’s delight for a long time now. Confirming the age-old belief that cod liver oil is good for the joints, a new study reveals that doses of cod liver oil taken daily helps ease the pain of arthritis in patients.

Cod liver oil is a nutritional supplement that is derived from the liver of cod fish. This oil is rich in omega-3 fats and has high levels of Vitamin A and Vitamin D. It is prepared by cooking livers of cod with steam and extracting the oil by decanting the cooked livers. This is different from fish oil, which is extracted by cooking the whole body tissues of fish.

Researchers from Edinburgh University and Dundee University in the United Kingdom have found that 10 grams of cod liver oil taken everyday can reduce the need for painkillers in patients suffering with arthritis, by almost a third. They also believe that it could delay surgeries requiring joint replacement. (more…)

Imagine being able to detect a virus before it can affect you!

STMicroelectronics has developed and recently launched, an amazing ‘portable chip’ that detects influenza virus, including bird flu in human beings.

We are talking about a tiny chip that acts as a mini laboratory, that not only screens but identifies various genes and pathogens, giving genetic information about an infection, all with a single diagnostic test, within a couple of hours. It is also portable, allowing the diagnostic process to take place at the “point of need” and not in some remote laboratory.

Currently, there is nothing similar to this or as advanced as this existing. All other tests that are available in the market can only detect one strain at a time and it takes days or even weeks to obtain results.

According to the World Health Organization, this chip has the capability to differentiate between the human strains of Influenza A virus and B virus, mutated variants and drug resistant strains, including Avian Flu or H5N1 strain, although it is mainly a bird virus detector. (more…)