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TVs can kill, study says
A study by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas says that falling TVs pose a significant risk to kids, with many having been injured and some even killed as a result of unstable television sets. According to the study, some 2,600 children under the age of five were treated for injuries in emergency rooms in 2005 alone, and from a sample of 26 cases at Children's Medical Center Dallas they found that 14 of the children received head injuries and nine required hospitalization. Now, 26 cases from a single hospital is a pretty small sample size for a poll of any sort, but they nonetheless interviewed the parents and found that eight-five percent of them didn't realize TVs could cause such injuries (we're guessing none of them have tried moving a CRT bigger than 27 inches -- they defy the laws of gravity we tell you). So, apart from buying an LCD or Plasma TV that can be hung out of reach on a wall, they're suggesting that parents secure TVs with straps to prevent them from falling over, and are also calling for warning labels to be placed on TVs to warn of the potential dangers. In fact, here's one now: do not kick, jostle, shove, bump, or otherwise disturb large, heavy, stationary equipment. This Engadget PSA brought to you by common sense.[Via Techdirt]
British prof warns nanotech products are potentially dangerous
While we're eagerly awaiting the day that we can lounge around while armies of nanobots perform their magical alchemy on our garbage and turn it into hot cellphones and delicious Big Macs, one British scientist is warning that the medical implications of nanotechnology have yet to be properly explored, despite numerous products already finding their way to market. Specifically, Edinburgh University Professor and environmental health expert Anthony Seaton argues that almost nothing is known about the potential effect of inhaling nanoparticles, likening the situation to the dangerous particle-emitting asbestos that was installed in buildings prior to 1970 without a second thought. According to some estimates, there are already 200 products containing nanoparticles available to consumers, with hundreds more expected to hit shelves this year -- but Seaton claims that so far, recommended nano testing "simply hasn't happened." Damn, way to ruin our nanobot fantasies, Professor Letdown.
