This year in Breakthroughs, we’ve reported on everything from Ebola-fighting robots and high-tech fall prevention to an academic rehab program for concussions. Here's a best of 2014 stocking stuffer for the New Year.
How Robots Could Help Beat Ebola: One reason Ebola hasn’t taken off more widely in the United States and elsewhere is that it’s spread only by direct human-to-human contact involving bodily fluids. What if technology could create distance between the virus and the health care worker – remove the human touch?
The Broken Hip: Preventing The Fall: In 2011, more than 60,000 Texans older than 50 were hospitalized for falls. And 95 percent of hip fractures are the result of falls. Those who do fall are afraid of falling again. High-tech gear is helping some people get over their fear of falling -- and helping others prevent future falls.
Artificial Muscle Spun From Fishing Line And Thread: Ordinary sewing thread can have superhuman power. That’s according to researchers at UT Dallas who discovered fishing line and sewing thread can be cheaply converted to powerful artificial muscles — no Rumpelstiltskin required.