Chinese Man Builds His Own Bionic Arms

Sun Jifa, a farmer in China, had his life changed forever when an explosive he planned on using for fishing went off prematurely. He lost his arms and when he couldn’t afford high-end, hospital-made prosthetics he opted for a cheaper set. Finding those to be less than acceptable, Sun started building his own pair of arms, which he currently wears. It’s an incredible story of ingenuity and personal strength.

After creating his own pair of arms Sun started building others. Selling functional prosthetic arms for under $500, he saves people from buying the poor quality ones he was forced to use and helps those who are unable to afford professionally-made ones which can cost up to ten times the price. To date Sun has been able to help hundreds of people rebuild their lives after a catastrophe.

While the arms look rudimentary compared to what you may expect (especially once the term “bionic” gets thrown around) the video shows that they are fully functional and don’t hinder their owner from doing manual labor or precise mechanical work (such as making more arms). Sun noted that “[The left arm] transfers power from the natural movement of my elbow into the finger, allowing it to grab and hold… rotating the two bones that I have left in this arm allows my right hand to open and close,” giving us some idea of how they operate.

The mechanisms inside the arms appear to be simple, functional, and versatile, so while the arms lack the life-like nature of the prosthetics produced by a major firm they are still an incredible achievement.

For his effort Sun Jifa has created a thriving business, become local celebrity, and earned international media attention.

Live without breathing !?

Scientists Invent Particles That Let You Live Without Breathing

This may seem like something out of a science fiction movie: researchers have designed microparticles that can be injected directly into the bloodstream to quickly oxygenate your body, even if you can't breathe anymore.

It's one of the best medical breakthroughs in recent years, and one that could save millions of lives every year.

10 Things Must Be Done To Stop Monsanto

Monsanto Corporation Threatens Food Sovereignty, Biodiversity, Environment and Health.

Immediate steps must be taken to preserve our food system and future. We recommend the following actions: 

1. Immediate moratorium on development and certification of new pesticides and genetically engineered (GE) crops. 

2. A long-overdue, thorough, science-based examination of GMO and pesticide safety, by scientists not tainted by the revolving door or financial ties to agribusiness industry giants and all research, past and present, must be available to the public. 

3. Clear labeling of all foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

4. An urgent phase out of existing GMOs and pesticides not demonstrated to be safe for people and the environment.This would begin immediately, targeting highest risk GMOs/pesticides first. 

5. Urgent public investment in crop breeding to increase the supply of a broad diversity of traditional seeds to meet our agricultural needs. 

6. Immediate creation of economic and agricultural supports to expedite conversion from toxic industrial agriculture to sustainable, organic farming – which is healthy for people, the environment and our economy. 

7. Public investment in research and education on agro-ecological (organic) farming practices. 

8. Monsanto must pay for cleanup of the environment, the remediation of the supply of traditional seeds, remuneration to farmers whom they have adversely affected and the ongoing costs of health effects caused by their products. 

9. End production of ethanol for fuel until it can be done in a way that does not adversely affect access to food and does not consume more energy than is produced. 

10. End Monsanto’s influence over government agencies. As a start, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor must resign from his position, and the Monsanto Protection Act must be repealed. 

Food production needs to serve the function of nourishing our communities. And food production needs to be transformed to sustainable, primarily local and organic agriculture that uses less water and energy and creates better soil and healthier food. Monsanto takes the global food system in the opposite direction toward increased use of pesticides, increased use of energy and water, a less bio diverse agricultural system and a food supply of unknown safety.

The people must unite and stand up. Together we will stop Monsanto. 

Source: Green Shadow Cabinet