World first epilepsy device fitted in UK boy's skull: Tech & Science Daily podcast

Rachelle Abbott and Rochelle Travers

24 June 2024 at 10:32 am·2-min read

Oran Knowlson in his charging headset (GOSH)

Listen here on your chosen podcast platform.

Tech & Science Daily hears from the lead engineer behind an epilepsy device that has been fitted into a British boy’s skull in a world first.

Thirteen-year-old Oran has made history as the first patient in the UK to participate in a clinical trial using deep brain stimulation to treat the condition.

Since the procedure, Oran’s daytime seizures have decreased by 80%, having a significant impact on his quality of life.

Surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital mounted a rechargeable device to his skull and attached it to electrodes deep in the brain to reduce seizure activity.

Professor Tim Denison, from the department of engineering science at the University of Oxford, explains how the device works and the potential impact it could have as a treatment for the condition.

Get ready because yellow heat health alerts are in place for most of England this week.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued the alert as daytime temperatures look set to reach 30C, and will be in place for eight regions until 5pm on Thursday.

A yellow warning indicates that weather conditions could pose a risk to those who are particularly vulnerable.

The UKHSA says minor impacts are probable across the health and social care sector.

A renowned British explorer and two friends are aiming to be the first to fly the Atlantic in an open-basket hydrogen balloon.

Explorer Sir David Hempleman-Adams and his crew have had to cancel the trip twice due to bad weather but it’s hoped they’ll finally be able to launch in the coming weeks.

Whilst on the trip, the team will conduct experiments, including a study to find out how particles from forest fires travel through the atmosphere and affect conditions such as asthma.

Their living space throughout the adventure will be the balloon basket which measures 80 inches long and 60 inches wide.

And the rest

Nearly 19,000 NHS patients left waiting for three days in A&E, three-quarters of UK rivers found to be in poor ecological health by citizen scientists, and the secrets to living to 100 according to science.

You can listen to the episode in the player above, find us on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Futurism
China Finds Something Strange in Sample Retrieved From Moon
Lunar Graphene Chinese scientists have made an unusual discovery while analyzing the sample Chang'e-5 collected from the Moon's surface in December 2020. They found naturally occurring "few-layer graphene" for the first time, as state-run news agency Global Times reports, which could have major implications for our plans to make use of local resources once on […]
Associated Press Finance
China calls on scientists of all nations to study lunar samples, but notes obstacle with the US
China's space officials said Thursday they welcomed scientists from around the world to apply to study the lunar rock samples that the Chang'e 6 probe brought back to Earth in a historic mission, but noted there were limits to that cooperation, specifically with the United States. Officials said at a televised news conference in Beijing meant to introduce the mission's achievements that any cooperation with the U.S. would be hinged on removing an American law that bans direct bilateral cooperation with NASA. "The source of the obstacle in US-China aerospace cooperation is still in the Wolf Amendment,” said Bian Zhigang, vice chair of the China National Space Administration.
Cinema Online
Azharina Azhar reveals cancer diagnosis
The singer says that she will only find out what kind of cancer she has once her medical report comes out
CNN
A weird sea creature was anatomically unlike anything ever seen — flipping it around led to a revelation
Researchers have long puzzled over the peculiar innards of an ancient sea creature. A new study says scientists were looking at the Pikaia fossil the wrong way.
CNN
Surprising asteroid sample reveals Bennu may have originated from an ocean world
A sample from asteroid Bennu contains organic compounds usually found at midocean ridges on Earth, suggesting Bennu may have been part of an ancient ocean world.
The Guardian
‘We are really sorry’: man behind Uncle Frog’s Mushroom Gummies apologises after people hospitalised across Australia
Exclusive: Rohan Bandil says ‘this was not the intention’ after hallucinations and unexpected toxicity leads to health warnings and nationwide recall
France 24
NASA picks SpaceX to carry ISS to oceanic resting place after 2030
NASA awarded on Tuesday SpaceX an $843 million contract to build the vessel that will bring the International Space Station out of its longtime orbit of Earth when its operating lifespan ends in 2030. NASA on Tuesday said it had picked SpaceX to build a vessel to carry the International Space Station back through Earth's atmosphere and on to a final resting place in the Pacific Ocean after it is retired in 2030.Elon Musk's company has been awarded a contract with a potential value of $843 millio
PA Media: UK News
‘Remarkably preserved’ 500-million-year-old sea creature discovered
New findings have allowed scientists to document features in the extinct animal never seen before.
BuzzFeed
16 People Who Thought They Knew Better Than Their Doctors And Suffered Horrible Consequences
"He got the emergency surgery, and the amount of time he had to spend in the hospital probably doubled."
Euronews
Scientists confirm toxic 'forever chemicals' enter our blood by being absorbed by the skin
PFAS, known as forever chemicals, can make their way into the bloodstream through skin contact, according to new research.
Euronews
Beat them or eat them: What should we do about invasive species in the ocean?
Should we beat them, or eat them? In this episode of Ocean Calls, we’re embarking on a journey to unravel the mysteries of invasive species in EU waters. They unsettle the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, so what can we do about them?
Reuters Videos
Astronauts stuck aboard ISS as Starliner issues delay return
STORY: Problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule have upended the original plans for the return of two astronauts to Earth, leaving them aboard the International Space Station as teams look at last-minute fixes. :: June 5, 2024Since its liftoff on June 5 the capsule has had five helium leaks, five maneuvering thrusters go dead and a propellant valve fail to close completely.The current problems center on Starliner’s expendable propulsion system, which is needed to back away from the ISS and position it to dive through Earth’s atmosphere. Starliner can stay docked at the ISS for up to 45 days, according to comments by NASA’s commercial crew manager Steve Stich. He said recent test-firings of the thrusters gave mission teams confidence in a safe return, though tests and reviews are ongoing. A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said internally, NASA’s latest targeted return date is July 6. That would mean the mission, originally planned for eight days, would instead last a month. Even with the propulsion issues NASA has said Starliner would still be capable of returning the astronauts to Earth if absolutely necessary – that is, if the capsule must serve as an escape pod.If Starliner is deemed incapable of safely returning Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, one option would be sending them home aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon.NASA and Boeing officials, as well as engineers familiar with the program, told Reuters nothing about Starliner’s current problems indicates that this would be needed.This is Starliner's first mission to orbit carrying astronauts - the final test needed before NASA can certify it as the U.S. space agency's second ride to the ISS.
Futurism
Astronauts Sheltered in Escape Vehicles as Debris Menaced Space Station
Shelter in Place Astronauts on board the International Space Station were forced to shelter inside their respective spacecraft after reports indicated pieces of a broken-up satellite were headed their way. The remains of the derelict spacecraft called Resurs-P 1, a Russian commercial Earth observation satellite that launched in June 2013, were spotted by space junk […]
Cinema Online
Jamal Abdillah worries about wife's health as she carries fifth child
The singer says wife Zai Izzati has been getting treatment at the National Heart Institute due to severe allergy
The Telegraph
Last woolly mammoths were inbred, but that’s not why they became extinct
The last woolly mammoths were inbred, scientists have discovered, but this is not the reason they became extinct.
Engadget
NASA gives SpaceX the privilege of crashing the ISS into the sea
NASA asks SpaceX to use a rocket to crash the ISS into the sea. The company will get $843 Million for the privilege.
LA Times
Why you should think twice before taking a daily multivitamin to ward off death
Long-term data from nearly 400,000 Americans suggests that multivitamins don't reduce the risk of premature death.
HuffPost Life
Skip This Type Of Sushi If You Want To Avoid Food Poisoning
Here's what you should know to avoid getting a foodborne illness from your favorite takeout meal.
The Hill
Biden campaign touts ad highlighting abortion bans after Supreme Court’s Idaho ruling
President Biden’s reelection campaign is touting an ad that centers on states that have imposed abortion bans in the immediate wake of a Supreme Court decision Thursday that dismissed a case involving emergency abortion procedures in Idaho. The ad features Dr. Lauren Miller, whom a campaign spokesperson said fled the state in the wake of…
Futurism
Boeing Says That the "Astronauts Are Not Stranded" While the Astronauts Remain Stranded
More on Boeing's Starliner: Boeing's Cursed Starliner Seems to Be Stuck on the Space Station Indefinitely

And the rest

Latest stories