vaccination

Roadrunner supercomputer maps HIV family tree

Physicist Tanmoy Bhattacharya and HIV researcher Bette Korber are creating an evolutionary genetic family tree based on samples taken by the international Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology consortium, in order to compare the evolutionary history of more than 10,000 sequences from more than 400 people with HIV.

If they can identify common features of the virus as it is transmitted, researchers might be able to create a vaccine that recognizes the virus before the body's immune system reacts to--and mutates--it.

What already sounds like a lot of data, however, could balloon further, hence the importance of Roadrunner. &… Read more

Pointless spyware monitor

Thanks to this spyware removal program's lack of a Help file and vague interface, it is difficult to imagine a less appealing utility than Spyware Vaccine.

This freeware installs easily and doesn't infect your computer with anything, but that is about all we can say in its favor. On launching, the application goes straight to the system tray. Once we realized that nothing was happening, we double-clicked on the small bottle icon, and were presented with a larger bottle icon that contained a link to Scan and a link to the maker's Web site. Clicking Scan opened … Read more

Hard drive IV just what the doctor ordered

Losing your precious data to a corrupted file can pose a serious threat to your mental health, but Dr. Hard Drive Bag is here to mend your broken heart and recover all your lost files.

Right now, the tool is just a concept by Hyuh Jin Lee, but the idea is novel--in the event of a hard-disk failure (knock on wood), just wheel out this portable hard drive IV and hook up it up via USB to your bedridden computer. Antivirus software will immediately pop up and begin scanning files for corruption, and a feedback light will turn on inside the drip bag to let you know it's on the road to recovery.

At the risk of being tarred and feathered, I'll refrain from making a swine flu joke, but would you guys use this product if it ever came to fruition, or is it too kitschy? Sound off in the comments, check out more of Jin Lee's design portfolio, and peep more pics after the jump!

(Source: Coroflot)… Read more

Exposed to military chemical and biological warfare tests, they walk among us

Thousands of people who may have been exposed to chemical or biological agents during military tests remain unaccounted for, and the Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs have given up on tracking them down, according to a new report.

Some of the tests were conducted as part of a weapons testing program known as "Project 112." In others (click here for PDF), individuals were intentionally exposed to hazardous substances such as blister, nerve, and biological agents as well as LSD and PCP, according to a Government Accounting Office report (PDF).

Any veterans who believe they have sustained … Read more