Space Debris Can Make Future Space Missions Impossible

There may soon be so much debris in orbit around the Earth that future space missions could become impossible, scientists have warned.

Researchers at the European Space Agency (ESA) have said that the amount of debris from man-made objects is about to reach “criticality”.This means there is so much debris that it is colliding with other debris – generating particles of space junk at an accelerating rate.

The scientists said it would eventually surround the planet in so much speeding space junk that swathes of space will become inaccessible.


There is so much debris that it is colliding with other debris - generating particles of space junk at an accelerating rate. (NASA Image)


“If the current launch rate continues, then collisions will soon be 25 times higher than now. This would make space flight in low Earth orbits almost impossible,” ESA said.

“There are already 17,000 trackable objects larger than a coffee cup, which threaten working missions with catastrophic collision. Even a 1cm nut could hit with the force of a hand grenade.”

To tackle the problem, the space agency is designing a hunter-killer space probe to track down and destroy defunct satellites and so halt the growth of the burgeoning cloud,’The Sunday Times’ reported.

The e.DeOrbit probe would deploy a Roman gladiator-style array of nets and harpoons to first trap rogue satellites and then drag them downwards until they burn up in the atmosphere.

While the question remains how long it will take for the debris cascade to render space unusable, researchers said there are already certain orbits, popular with communication and military satellites, that could become unusable within a decade or two.

The worst affected are orbits of 800-965 km altitude that pass over the poles, because these already contain many of the 5,000 or so satellites launched by humanity since the space age began.

ESA said removing between five and 10 large satellites from space each year would be enough to stop the debris cloud growing.

Sleep disorders could prove deadly

The effects of a restless and sleep deprived night may extend far beyond exhaustion and feeling cranky, according to many studies.

Studies have shown that sleep disorder can contribute to heart disease, hypertension, even memory loss and depression. So not being able to get good quality sleep at night could be bad for your health and lifestyle.




According to surveys about 50% of all middle-aged men and 20% of women aged 50 and above suffer from sleep apnea which is caused due to a narrowed air passage that does not allow sufficient oxygen into the system-usually as a result of obesity.

So when a patient with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) falls into deep sleep, his air passage closes, and for a few seconds, he stops breathing. Then, his/her oxygen-deprived brain wakes him up partially, and he changes his position to re-open the air passage and starts breathing/snoring again.

Doctors explain that this happens at least 40 times in the night. When it becomes a chronic problem, and there is constant shortage of oxygen in the body, it triggers the secretion of stress hormones, which in turn strains the heart.

The scary part is that only a minority of sleep apnea patients know of their problem and seek treatment and this some times results in heart attack or an accident because of drowsiness during the day.

Once the patient is aware of the problem through Sleep Study, he/she can begin treatment. For mild forms of OSA simply losing weight can help while chronic snorers would have to use a C-Pap (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine, which involves wearing a mask to bed every night to prevent the airway from closing.

Woman Gives Birth to a Two-Headed Baby

Urmila Sharma from northern India went into labor on Wednesday (March 12) morning and gave birth to a baby with two heads.

"Yes this report is perfectly true that we have delivered a female baby having two heads," Dr. Ashish Sehgal, the CEO of Cygnus JK Hindu Hospital, told ABCNews.com in an email.

"She is presently alive and healthy," she stated.

Thirty two-year-old Sharma and her husband could not get regular ultrasound scans done due to lack of funds. As a result, they found out just two weeks beforehand that the baby was suffering from a serious complication.

Dr Shikha Malik at Cygnus JK Hindu Hospital said, "We only came to know she was carrying conjoined twins after an ultrasound two weeks ago but it was too late to do anything by then."

The baby, who was born by C-section and weighed 7lbs 7oz, was delivered with two heads, two necks, two spines, but only one tiny body. The baby girl is technically considered to be conjoined twins, and they suffer from a rare condition called dicephalic parapagus, states a Hollywood Life report.

Apparently, chances of survival for the baby are slim.

A "meticulous and challenging" surgery could be the key to saving the twins' life, but the procedure can't take place until they are in stable condition, Dr Sehgal told the Daily News.

"The parents are very distressed and we are helping the family the best we can," Dr Malik explained while discussing the aftermath of the baby girl's birth.

The doctor did not confirm whether or not the surgery would be separating the babies or just easing their 'conjoined' condition.




By Arjun Varma

SEAFOOD AND PREGNANCY

                       

What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish

By U S Food and Drug Administration

           

    Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet. Fish and shellfish contain high-quality protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can contribute to heart health and children's proper growth and development. So, women and young children in particular should include fish or shellfish in their diets due to the many nutritional benefits.

       However, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. The risks from mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the amount of fish and shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish and shellfish. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are advising women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

 

 3 SAFETY TIPS:

     By following these 3 recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.

1. Do not eat
   • Shark
   • Swordfish
   • King Mackerel
   • Tilefish
   They contain high levels of mercury.
   
2. Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
   
   • Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
   • Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
   •  
3. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas.
   If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.

Follow these same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to your young child, but serve smaller portions.

      

'Omega-3 supplements may cause prostate cancer risk'

      

 By Nick Collins in Telegraph

     Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found naturally in oily fish, are widely hailed for their anti-inflammatory properties which are thought to protect against a raft of maladies including heart attacks and strokes, arthritis and various cancers.

    But a study found that men with high levels of omega-3 in their blood were at 43 per cent greater risk of prostate cancer than those with low concentrations, while less common aggressive “high-grade” tumours were 71 per cent more likely than in those not taking supplements.

      The difference in blood concentrations of the fatty acids between the two groups was the equivalent of more than two portions of salmon per week, researchers said.

      The team from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle compared blood samples from 834 prostate cancer patient against 1,393 healthy controls.

    Previous studies into prostate cancer and omega-3 have produced differing results, with some suggesting the fatty acids could be protective rather than harmful, but the researchers said the new findings support an earlier paper they published in 2011.

     Dr Alan Kristal, senior author of the paper, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, said: “We’ve shown once again that use of nutritional supplements may be harmful.”

     It is unclear why omega-3 increased the risk of the disease but the effect could be related to the body’s conversion of fatty acids into compounds which can damage cells and DNA, and suppress the immune system, researchers said.

   The study did not examine how omega-3 might affect the progression of prostate cancer in men who already had the disease.

Omega-3 is one of the most popular supplements sold on the high street, with estimated sales of £116 million each year in Britain alone.

    Each year around 41,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 11,000 die from the disease.

    Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said: “Omega 3, such as is found in oily fish, has been the focus of a large amount of research in recent years, the majority of which points to it having wide ranging health benefits when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

    “Therefore we would not encourage any man to change their diet as a result of this study, but to speak to their doctor if they have any concerns about prostate cancer.”

     Sarah Williams, health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: “The evidence as to whether omega 3 fats affect prostate cancer risk is mixed and unfortunately this study doesn’t resolve the debate. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers, and the risk increases as men get older."