Some of you may be old enough to remember the show, The Six Million Dollar Man, with Lee Majors. It was about a man who had been severely injured but was rebuilt with futuristic body parts that enabled him to perform superhuman feats.

The funny thing is that now, such rebuilding is possible in some ways. We have great technology that is being applied to artificial limbs, cochlear implants that can help some people hear – there is a lot of research going on to help people live their lives as they did before they were injured. And now, we may have a regrowing penis. Seriously.

Ok, it’s a while away yet. Research is still on rabbits. Imagine choosing rabbits to help treat fertility problems. Have you ever heard of an infertile rabbit?

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina used tissue engineering techniques to construct a penis for rabbits. This penis was so functional that the rabbits were then able to mate, producing offspring.

So now, the question is, will they be able to reproduce (sorry for the pun) this in humans?

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Images: ZumaPress.com, PhotoXpress.com

With all the health news published on-line and in paper, it can be difficult to decide what’s true and what isn’t. After all, it seems that it should be true if it’s printed or announced, particularly when it involves health-related associations and big companies. Or is it? It may all depend in how you’re reading it.
Take for example a press release from the American Academy of Dental Implants. In August, its members came out in favor of using dental (tooth) implants earlier in dental treatments, stating that root canals and other tooth-saving procedures may be a waste of time and …read more

Are Americans concerned about their health? Yes, they are. Are they concerned enough to be proactive about staying healthy? Not so much. In fact, not really.
Good health habits start young and we all know that children watch adults very closely. Parents can hardly expect their children to live a healthy lifestyle if they themselves don’t. Yet, despite this, the message of healthy living starts early doesn’t seem to be getting out.
According to a study done by the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA),

Could this be the next best baby shower gift? The TummyTub(r) claims to be the next best thing to mom’s womb, but if you look at the first picture on this webpage, the baby sure doesn’t look all that thrilled to me!
The bucket/bath/tub is a clear bucket-shaped container that the website calls “womb-shaped and sized.” Created in the Netherlands, the tub is supposed to be popular, providing the baby with a comfortable transition from the womb to outside.
According to the website:

Baby feels warm, safe, and relaxed within soft boundaries
Eases …read more

We all know that swimming pools can be dangerous, but some people aren’t so aware of hot tubs and their potential dangers – for both adults children. Sadly, there are injuries and deaths because of hot tubs, so it pays to pay heed to the warnings. They’re not just there for the sake of it and we have to always remember that a hot tub is not the same thing as a swimming pool.
Understandably, one of the biggest dangers is drowning, particularly in children under six years old but, it’s an astounding 73% of injuries that occur in people who …read more

It’s fine and dandy to say to eat healthier, but some foods that seem healthy have hidden drawbacks. For example, some cold breakfast cereals, pushed as healthy breakfast foods, are quite high in salt content. A cold glass of milk may be just the right thing for you, but whole milk is much more fattening than 2% or even 1% or skim.
The same can be said for foods that we eat for our other meals. So, how do we know what we should and shouldn’t be eating? Well, I’ve never been one to say that you should never eat treats …read more

Can drowsy driving be equated to drunk driving? If you look at the statistics of crashes and deaths caused by sleepy drivers and compare them with those of drunk drivers, it won’t take you long to see the similarity.
The National Sleep Foundation notes that a study in Australia compared various levels of sleepiness with blood alcohol levels and what they found may be surprising. Being awake for:

Some of us are of the age where we remember being taken from the class, girls to one area and boys to another, for our annual sex education class. The teacher would rather be doing anything but talking to us about reproduction because, let’s face it, most of us weren’t exactly in receptive moods for that.
While sex ed has changed a lot over the years, it seems to me that Denmark is way ahead if this YouTube video is any indication. It’s a cartoon but quite graphic, so I’m giving you a warning. It’s not for someone who is uncomfortable …read more

It seems like a simple question. Do you drink too much alcohol? But one person’s social drinking may be someone else’s too much. So how can you tell if you’re drinking too much and what exactly is drinking too much?
First, we need to decide on what is a drink – what drinks are equivalent to each other. Generally, in North America, a standard drink is one that has about 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol. But how much that is in your drink depends on what it is you are drinking. Generally, standard drinks are:
•   12 oz beer
•    5 …read more

They’re some of the world’s deadliest viruses, but people are paying to see them.
Meet artist Luke Jerram. He lives in Bristol, United Kingdom, and he creates viruses out of glass. These detailed pieces are stunning to look at and are in great demand. The Smithfield Gallery, in London, UK, has an exhibit of both pieces and photographs of pieces created by Mr. Jerram.
Among the viruses he has created into glass are e. coli, HIV, and even the H1N1 virus, otherwise known as the swine flu.
Mr. Jerram has received quite a bit of coverage of his artwork, including photos published by …read more