3 Questions. 3 Hints. 3 Answers.
December 8, 2015
1. In what way is one New York City intersection getting smarter?
Hint:
Answer: a smart street light with a “real voice“at E. 22nd St., explains that it (actually “he”) is able to provide all sorts of beneficial info, such as hazard, weather and traffic information. Not to mention being a knowledgeable city guide who can also locate that coveted NYC free parking spot. Read more here.
2. What technology may prompt us to become more ethical drivers?
Hint:
Answer: if you happen to be driving a Ford equipped with activated “911 Assist” (Ford-Microsoft Sync) software, the system will automatically advise emergency services in the event the vehicle is involved in an accident. So, there’s no point trying to deny it, as one Florida woman did when she apparently rear-ended another vehicle and fled the scene. Read the details here.
3. How is gene drive technology taking a big bite out of malaria?
Hint:
Answer: British scientists recently modified the genome of a highly infectious species of mosquito, making the females sterile, in the hopes of eradicating the disease. A few weeks earlier, a research team at the University of California (UC) announced that it had engaged in DNA editing, whereby the malaria parasite is prevented from being transmitted through mosquito bites. The results from the British study are, however, more significant since the mosquito species used in that study is responsible for a much greater number of infections than the species used in the UC study. What makes gene drive technology so important and a terrific breakthrough is that it allows a trait to be passed on to most, if not all, offspring rather than only a few, eventually eradicating an unwanted characteristic. The ecological “side effects” of mosquito population curbing or eradication have yet to be determined but are assumed to be more significant using the sterility approach. Read the story here.