In 2016, a Namibian teenager built a phone that needs neither a SIM card nor airtime.
Simon Petrus designed a device that runs on radio frequencies, letting users call anyone, anywhere, without the usual interruptions.
It took the young inventor two years to finish, and the road wasn’t easy his unemployed parents had to scrape together more than N$2,000 (about $146) to keep the project going.
The setup is basically a radio system fixed to a box; it handles voice calls and can also pick up one TV channel.
This wasn’t a one-off flash of success either.
The year before, Petrus had already won a gold medal at the NamPower national schools’ competition for a machine he created that dries and cools seeds.
@NakedHedgie I’m a scientist. I never used the word evil - felt like it belonged to the religious realm, but there is no other word for this and the financial system that it is a result of
A black fungus feeds on radiation in Chernobyl.
In the radioactive ruins of Chernobyl’s Reactor 4, scientists found an extraordinary black fungus, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, thriving in one of Earth’s most toxic environments.
Rather than merely enduring radiation, this fungus seems to harness it through radiosynthesis—a process akin to photosynthesis but driven by gamma radiation, converting it into chemical energy. It’s among the rare organisms capable of this feat.
Even more remarkable, when tested on the International Space Station, the fungus flourished, forming a biofilm that blocked up to 84% of cosmic radiation, hinting at its potential as a living radiation shield for astronauts. With radiation posing a major hurdle for deep-space missions to Mars and beyond, this self-regenerating biological layer could revolutionize spacecraft design by replacing heavy, bulky shielding.
On Earth, researchers are exploring its use in bioremediation to detoxify radioactive sites too hazardous for humans, potentially transforming nuclear disaster recovery. As one scientist put it, “It’s like nature crafted a biological radiation shield.” From Chernobyl’s ruins to space, this humble fungus could help humanity thrive in the universe’s harshest environments.
@dysclinic Varenicline may improve symptoms by increasing available acetylcholine.
I may have experimented on myself to treat my MS-like Long Covid symptoms, and found this to be the case