Sensory solutions

From CSIRO's Solve magazine, August 2006:
The science of ‘advanced materials’ is fast opening up new industrial frontiers.
In the high-speed, low-atmosphere conditions of space travel, even the most minuscule piece of dust or rock can cause serious damage to space vehicles – and repairs are obviously not simply a matter of taking the ship to a local garage for a quick touch-up. For one thing, the nearest garage is likely to be hundreds of thousands of kilometres away. Read more.

The Big Screen

From Australian Doctor, 3 August 2006:
From this month, about one million parcels will be sent to a selection of Australians aged over 55. The enclosed test kits could save their lives.
AUSTRALIAN women are used to screening programs — they have undergone regular mammograms and cervical smears for decades. However, the roll-out of an FOBT-based screening program for colorectal cancer marks the first time healthy Australian men will be subjected to a population-based cancer screening procedure. Read more.