New Advances in No-Pulse Heart

The front cover of Popular Science magazine for March 2012 featured a no-pulse heart. The article (http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-02/no-pulse-how-doctors-reinvented-human-heart) begins with tell of Meeko the calf who had a no pulse heart recently put in and how he seemed unaffected despite having no pulse. However there have been many problems with this no-pulse heart. The energy it takes to keep the heart beating will only last about 18 months. Also plastic and metal hearts require an air compressor that is outside the body. This means that the person would not have much mobility since they would have to be by a big air compressor all day. However Scientist have decide to think outside the box, past nature. Now the no-pulse heart works more like a propeller and pushes blood through the body creating the continuous flow heart . The new artificial heart is made up of "turbines, each the size and shape of a saltshaker—connected to each other by white tubing. Also attached to each was a white cone made of a spongy rubberized cloth." There is a very long history about how the idea for the continuous flow heart began. Much of the research began with aide just one part of the heart until research could be farther expanded.Like many scientific discoveries having a fully function no pulse heart was one.  The idea of having full continuous flow heart was discovered on accident. In 2003 a man who had a HeartMate II  put in, to help his heart not take over, had no heartbeat and his heart had shut down. However he was still living and his HeartMate II was doing the work his heart had done before. The FDA has not approved this artificial heart yet but it is in the works. This is a huge step forward for the medical field. Soon there may be little to not heart failure. Also the amount of transplanted need is rising but donor are decreasing. This long-lasting artificial heart like the continuous flow heart would allow surgeons to put in a heart full-time with out a transplant. Thousand and possible millions of lives can be saved from this technology. It is an exciting time to live and watch the medical advances to continue to grow that may help me or people I know in the near future. 

Cleaning CO2 out of the Air

Rising CO2 levels have been a problem for many years. It hurt ourselves and the environment. A article in popular science (http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-01/new-material-can-pull-carbon-dioxide-right-out-air-unprecedented-rates) says that we may be able to "scrub" CO2 out of the air. This new polymeric material is inexpensive and captures CO2 at the source. This material can also be reused. It will give up the carbon as easily as it collects it. It is then possible to recycle the carbon and use it for the good of the planet. This material could potently solve many environmental issues. CO2 would no longer be polluting the air but used in an effective way.