There are 2 million people in the world who require kidney dialysis every week to clean their blood. This is a time-consuming and cumbersome process, without which you die. A team at the University of California, San Francisco, has developed the first implantable artificial kidney, that can be connected to your circulatory system and bladder to clean your blood 24 hours a day. After 20 years of development, the Kidney Project is due to start clinical trials in early 2018. https://pharm.ucsf.edu/kidney
Imagine being able to walk around inside a virtual replica of your own cells. That is becoming a reality, thanks to groundbreaking technology developed at the University of New South Wales. In the future, cancer patients could see a virtual version of themselves, and track where drug treatments are ending up in their bodies. You could then show your family and friends what's happening to you and it will empower you to make your treatment decisions.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-19/virtual-reality-allows-scientists-to-walk-in-cancer-cells/9268730
A group of 40 University of New South Wales (UNSW) industrial design students have developed some futuristic home designs, including some novel space-saving furniture -- like a light weight two-seater couch which converts into an eight-seater dining table for casual sit-downs with friends. The 'Otto Lounge' has four different formations: a compact two person lounge; a couch plus leg rest; couch plus coffee table; and an eight-seater dining table.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/11/20/these-design-students-inventions-for-tiny-apartments-are-genius_a_23280085/?
The Springfree trampoline is popular with safety conscious parents. Its design has eliminated impact areas that can cause injuries. It?s made using cantilevers or stretching rods rather than springs. https://www.springfreetrampoline.com.au/
A team of agricultural scientists working with the CSIRO has invented a digital device called the Chameleon, which offers a simple new way to measure how moist the soil is under crops. It only costs a few dollars to manufacture, making it a truly viable solution for farming communities around the world. Quite often the only way of currently knowing if crops are getting enough, or too much, water is to wait until the plant shows physical signs of stress.
https://blog.csiro.au/good-karma-for-water-saving-chameleon/
This time of the year is very busy and it's easy to be impatient, particularly when grocery shopping. The L sign in front of this young cashier at Harris Farm Markets Randwick is a clever way to encourage patience. If you choose her queue, as I did, your expectations are lower. It was a pleasant surprise when she exceeded expectations. I told her the sign reminded me of a joke my son made that I should put an L plate on my car so drivers behind me would not become impatient with my slow driving!
