Depression is a widespread mood disorder that ruins the lives of at least ten percent of the U.S. population or more than 20 million people! I suspect that this percentage is much higher, since only those that submit to lifelong pharmaceutical treatment are included in these sad statistics. Depression is, indeed, a torment. It sucks out energy, happiness, the desire to socialize, create, love and give. It is a slow, cruel killer that transforms living into a bland and incomprehensible desert. It is known that women suffer from depressive episodes twice as often as do men – another injustice imposed by the natural forces which shape our cyclic hormonal realities.

Women are more prone to:

• bipolar depression, when feelings of elation and euphoria suddenly give way to episodes of profound sadness and hopelessness;
• chronic depression with recurring episodes;
• seasonal mood disorder, when depression hits us during the cold, dark fall and winter months; and,
• simply clinical depression, when darkness seems all-consuming and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel unless we get help.

Additionally, many women may also suffer from:

• postpartum depression, which captures us after giving birth and sometimes stays with us for a long period of time thereafter;
• premenstrual dysphoric disorder, when the sadness of depression is a regular caller, occurring about a week prior to each monthly period; and,
• menopause-induced depression, that hits us during the mid-life hormonal transition.

When a woman is depressed, she may constantly feel:

• sad and withdrawn;
• anxious and nervous;
• isolated and lonely;
• irritable;
• passive;
• fatigued;
• overly critical towards herself and others;
• discouraged;
• hopeless;
• lost; or
• she may not feel anything in particular at all besides existing bodily in a gloomy, dark place, depleted of any light or hope…

Depressed women weep frequently and may gain weight because they tend to binge on junk food ‘treats’. It is a sad and negative circle. They begin to stay away from friends and the activities they used to enjoy. In cases of severe clinical depression, a woman might even end her precious life, because she is incapable of making her way out of the grinding distress. In these unfortunate circumstances, she feels overwhelmed by life, the reality that has become wholly unbearable.

Ironically, depression is one of the “markers of civilization” – one of the most typical mental disorders in our “advantaged” industrialized world. Statistics also show that people born after the Second World War suffer from depression much more often than those of previous generations.

Medical literature tells us that a typical depressive episode usually lasts about half a year, and tends to recur in a cyclic pattern during various stages of our lives. This is especially when we experience high levels of stress or go through significant “life changes,” such as:

• divorce or entering a new relationship;
• change of country, culture, home, job, or status;
• death of a friend or relative;
• “mid-life crisis”; or even,
• loss of a pet.

Despite numerous studies and theories that attempt to ascribe the causes of depression and explain why “civilized” populations frequently suffer from it, the true roots of the disease have not been pinpointed for sure. Some scientists suggest that the modern epidemic of depression is caused mainly by unnaturally stressful lifestyles and typical supermarket diets consisting of “plastic,” devitalized foods that do not nourish us properly. Overpopulation and high levels of chemical, informational, and technological pollution, as well as our heavy reliance on pharmaceutical “pills”, are also part of the picture.

My own research makes me think that nutritional factors play a much bigger role in the development of depression than is currently believed. When I browse through popular “women’s magazines” and a plethora of web sites purporting to give advice to women suffering from depression, I am often shocked by their appalling dietary recommendations. Depressed women are told to avoid butter and eggs, beef and cream, liver and cheese, and to embrace a “politically correct,” low-fat, semi-vegetarian dietary regimen. This emphasizes “whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, greens, nuts, and small amounts of canola oil,” which will supposedly “provide the brain with the essential vitamins and nutrients needed to regulate function.” Although I have nothing against properly prepared plant foods in moderate quantities, their nutrients are hard to absorb, particularly if a woman does not eat enough quality animal fats. In fact, the above nutritional advice may only make depressive symptoms worse.

After analyzing a number of scientific findings concerning causes that may predispose us to contracting depression, I arrived at the following list:

• Low-fat diets. This may be surprising, but, in fact, Nathan Pritikin, one of the “fathers” of the current “politically correct,” low-fat hypothesis – that says a “healthy diet” should be based on plant foods and devoid of animal fats – discovered firsthand that low-fat diets caused a variety of health problems including fatigue, mineral deficiencies, weight gain, AND depression. Nathan Pritikin was following a Spartan, low-fat dietary regimen when, in the prime of his life, he committed suicide after contracting cancer and severe clinical depression.

• Vitamin D deficiency. Naturally-occurring vitamin D not only protects the health and strength of our bones, it can also be very helpful in fighting depression which could be triggered by low-fat diets and a lack of sun exposure during cold and sunless winter months.
• Low cholesterol. Low cholesterol levels are not actually as healthy as the manufacturers of statin drugs and most MDs are trying to persuade us. In fact, cholesterol is an antioxidant and natural healing compound that protects arteries from damage, supports cell membranes and intestinal walls, and acts as a precursor to various hormones, bile salts, and vitamin D. Cholesterol is also needed for adequate production of the “feel-good” brain receptor, serotonin. People with low levels of cholesterol tend to succumb to depression, anxiety, violence, and suicide much more often than those with “normal” or “elevated” cholesterol readings.

• Lack of Vitamin B12. This is a very important vitamin that can ONLY be found in animal products and which plays a number of crucial roles in the body. Some of the most noticeable symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are depression, irritability, anxiety, and panic attacks. A vast body of evidence shows that vitamin B12 enhances production of the anti-depressive receptors serotonin and dopamine, and that both depression and migraine headaches quickly improve with a sufficient intake of vitamin B12.
• Hyperinsulinemia and hypoglycemia. Wide fluctuations of blood sugar, mainly caused by overconsumption of dietary carbohydrates, are at the roots of elevated productions of cortisone and adrenalin, the hormones of stress. Repeated over-stimulation of these hormones eventually leads to adrenal exhaustion and full-blown depression. A warning: chronic hypoglycemia is very typical for nervous, “Type A” women eating carbohydrate-loaded, supposedly “healthy” diets, and drinking a lot of caffeinated beverages.
• Underactive thyroid. Some typical indications of an underactive thyroid include weight gain, edema, mood swings, and depression. Specific foods can directly influence the health of the thyroid gland. Soy products (e.g. soy milk and veggie burgers), cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cabbage and broccoli), and a lack of dietary iodine are known to inhibit thyroid function. Middle-aged women are particularly susceptible to developing thyroid deficiencies.
• Lack of sunlight. Depressive episodes tend to be exacerbated during dark winter months.

• Celiac disease, or a widespread allergy to gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, rye, and oats. Celiac disease can manifest itself in a number of symptoms, including chronic fatigue and depression, as well as intestinal disorders and skin rashes.
• Lack of essential Omega-3 fatty acids. Already a decade ago, studies conducted by Dr. Joseph Hibbeln made it known that the Japanese, who eat substantial amounts of oily fish that are rich in Omega-3 fats, suffer lower rates of depression than Americans, who rarely eat fish. Supplementation with Omega-3 fatty acids has been proven to quickly reverse many cases of post-natal, bipolar, and seasonal types of depression.

In view of the causes of depression above, the following dietary and lifestyle changes appear to be the most effective ways to fight depression:

• Do not follow low-fat diets. Make sure that your daily menu includes plenty of natural butter, full-fat dairy products as well as extra-virgin coconut and olive oils. Always eat meats with the fat attached. If you are striving to lose weight, try cutting down on carbs instead of animal fats. Also, beware of processed vegetable oils and artificial trans-fats typically contained in margarines and many other commercial products, since they can aggravate the symptoms of depression.
• Supplement your diet with adequate amounts of essential Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, even more so during dark winter months. The best sources are cod liver oil, shrimps, oily fish, lard from pastured pigs, and egg yolks from free range hens. In the summer, get a healthy dose of daily sunlight, just like our ancestors did, to ensure that your body produces adequate vitamin D.

• Do not be scared to eat some cholesterol-rich foods. Cholesterol is a vital substance and our grandmothers ate plenty of it without suffering the rates of depression or cardiovascular diseases that we have now. Goose liver, traditional pâtés, egg yolks, and different organ meats are most valuable foods in helping your body overcome depression.
• Be sure that you ingest adequate amounts of Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 can only be obtained from raw or lightly cooked animal foods, with raw beef liver being the richest source. It is therefore not easy to get enough of it, especially if you typically eat the Standard American Diet (ironically, also known as SAD). Vitamins B6 and B12 are almost completely destroyed by prolonged cooking and pasteurization. If you do not have access to raw milk, or do not like eating sashimi or raw meat appetizers, be sure to take vitamin B12 supplements. Sublingual supplements are the most effective.

• Limit amounts of coffee, tea, and simple and complex carbohydrates (e.g. grains, starches, sugar, honey, and fruits) you eat, especially if prone to frequent “sugar drops”, weight gain, or adrenal exhaustion. A carbohydrate and coffee restriction is one of the most effective dietary measures against mood swings and depression.
• Check your thyroid gland, particularly if your depression is accompanied by muscle pains, severe fatigue, and edema. Eliminate all thyroid-depressing soy products from your menu, with the exception of small amounts of traditional, naturally-fermented soy condiments, such as tamari or miso. Season food with unrefined sea salt to get enough thyroid-supporting iodine. Do not eat proportionally big amounts of cruciferous vegetables.
• Get tested for celiac disease, especially if, in addition to depression, you suffer from intestinal disorders and skin rashes. If you test positive, eliminate all sources of gluten from your diet – for life.
• Walk in nature, express your emotions and meditate. Stored anger, sadness, grief, and other negative emotions need to be expressed and worked through. Do not suppress your emotions, cry if you feel like crying and do not be afraid of asking for support from friends or family when you need to. Connect with nature – go out for long walks in parks or forests, watch the flows of streams and rivers, observe the seasons and the wildlife. At the end of every day, try engaging in a relaxing yoga session with quiet meditation. Simple lifestyle changes can help to pacify, balance, and harmonize your mind and soul and successfully bolster your defences against depression.

As the last piece of advice – beware of antidepressants. Although these laboratory produced drugs can temporarily “manage” some symptoms of depression, they have a long list of unpleasant side effects including drowsiness, gastrointestinal problems, nausea, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction. Antidepressants do not cure depression, they just suppress its manifestations as long as you take them. Doctors often use a combination of medications to inhibit depressive symptoms: serotonin-enhancing drugs (Prozac, Zoloft), tricyclic antidepressants (Elavil), lithium carbonate, anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety pills, etc., most of which are extremely toxic. In some cases, antidepressants can even increase the desire, especially in children and women, to commit suicide.

As an alternative to synthetic antidepressants, a traditional herbal remedy that some studies have proven effective in reducing various symptoms of clinical depression.

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This beetle is a spy. Electrodes in his brain make of him a guided insect. A giant flower beetle wears an electronic backpack that allows researchers to wirelessly control its flight. [Credit: Hirotaka Sato and Michel Maharbiz, University of California, Berkeley]

In a large, empty room at the University of California, Berkeley, a giant flower beetle sits on the floor. Like most beetles, it has a segmented body, six legs, and a pair of wings. But there’s something a little different about this one: it’s wearing an electronic backpack that’s wired to its wing muscles and brain.

An engineer in the room taps a button on his laptop and instantly the beetle’s wings begin to vibrate, rousing it into flight. Pressing another key stops all wing movement mid-flight. The beetle drops to the floor — a little stunned, perhaps, but unharmed. If it sounds too bizarre to be true, just check out this video on YouTube or view it below.

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2 – Hypersound plane

The bird is called Falcon HTV-2 and has already lived a test flight. It is capable of moving in a 26 000 kph speed, that is the crossing of the United States in 12 minutes.

The DARPA, the agency of the Pentagon specialized in the emergent technologies, had to make steal, on Thursday, its hypersound plane Falcon HTV-2, a monster capable of moving in 26 000 kph and thus of crossing the United States in 12 minutes! The machine must be thrown since the base of Vandenberg, in California, by a rocket to the very military speeds. Not surprising: it is about a by-product of the strategic missile LGM-118 Peacekeeper, of Martin Marietta, removed from the service by the US Air Forces in 2005.

Henceforth conscript Minautor IV Lite, this thrower is exploited by the company Orbital Sciences. He takes Falcon HTV-2 in his  headgear. When it opens, the automatic plane begins its flight to Mach 20. This flight would be the second realized by Falcon. He has to serve to validate his instrumentation and to refine the studies on the aerodynamic and thermal aspects of the hypersound flight, which produces a heat superior to 2 000 °. The equipments of communication, control and navigation owed.

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3 – Neuronal interface

It is past the time when prostheses were only sluggish repercussions. Thanks to a neuronal interface, the prostheses of Darpa are articulated and directly ordered by the brain of the carrier.

The Revolutionizing Prosthetics program will create a fully functional (motor and sensory) upper limb that responds to direct neural control, within this decade.  This revolution will occur by capitalizing on previous DARPA investments in neuroscience, robotics, sensors, power systems, and actuation.  In particular, this program builds on DARPA’s Human-Assisted Neural Devices program, which recently decoded the brain’s motor signals with such fidelity that movements of a robotic arm can be controlled entirely by direct brain control.

Revolutionizing Prosthetics research teams from DEKA Integrated Solutions Corporation and Johns Hopkins APL recently updated representatives from more than 10 federal agencies on their efforts—including advances in socket systems and implantable devices that will be used to allow direct brain control of the arms by amputees and by others affected by stroke, spinal cord injury or neural degenerative disorders.  The update included a review of the lessons learned from DEKA’s amputee trials in Manchester and from participants in a Department of Veterans Affairs-led study at VA medical centers in New York and Tampa, and at the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio; over thirty-one volunteer provided feedback for the development of the DEKA Gen-3 Arm System.

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4 – Nanodrone

Drones take a more and more important part on the grounds of fight, we were able to see it in Libya or in Iraq. Soon, they can have the size of a hummingbird and move easily in town, or even indoor.

The Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) program is developing an extremely small, ultra lightweight air vehicle system (less than 15 centimeters and less than 20 grams) with the potential to perform indoor and outdoor military missions.  NAV is exploring novel, flapping wing and other configurations to provide warfighters with unprecedented capability during urban operations.

NAV will push the limits of aerodynamics, power conversion efficiency, endurance and maneuverability for very small air vehicle systems.  These platforms will be revolutionary in their ability to harness low Reynolds number physics, navigate in complex environments, and communicate over significant distances.  Flight-enabling nano air technologies include aerodynamic design tools to achieve high lift-to-drag airfoils; lightweight, efficient propulsion and power systems; guidance, navigations and communication subsystems; and advanced manufacturing and innovative subsystem packaging and configurations layouts.

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5 – Boosted learning

We all dreamed to learn the Latin declensions in three minutes. The program of Darpa aims, thanks to the neurosciences, at optimizing radically the apprenticeship by deactivating magnetically certain functions of the brain.

Warfighters must master a diverse set of physical and mental skills, often in a very compressed period.  Measures of learning in this military environment often rely on qualitative and subjective assessment, with little opportunity to correct or redirect learning in midcourse.  Recent discoveries in neuroscience, modeling and analysis techniques laid the foundation for neuroscience-based noninvasive strategies with potential to dramatically accelerate transition from novice to expert in key military tasks. The Accelerated Learning program will develop quantitative and integrative neuroscience-based approaches for measuring, tracking and accelerating skill acquisition while producing a twofold increase in an individual’s progress through the stages of task learning.  Accelerated Learning will identify the neural basis of expert performance by integrating behavioral data with neurophysiological measures to track the progression of novices on the training path to expertise.

Accelerated Learning will develop reliable, quantitative methods to track task progression based on noninvasive measures of brain activity, including neurophysiologically driven training regimens, neurally optimized stimuli and stimulatory or modulatory interventions.  Complementary components to help attain this goal include development of neurally based techniques to maintain acquired skills, prediction of skill acquisition based on real-time neural activity, preferential brain network activation, and strategies for understanding relationships between cognition and emotion in skills learning.

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6 – Dog robot

BigDog – The Most Advanced Rough-Terrain Robot on Earth. BigDog is capable of walking on all the surfaces, and even of restoring his balance without falling when we kick him in the side. It sniffs, is capable of recognizing the ground and is possible carry 100 kilos.

BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics robots. It is a rough-terrain robot that walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog has four legs that are articulated like an animal’s, with compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule; about 3 feet long, 2.5 feet tall and weighs 240 lbs…

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7 – Programmable material

Imagine a material which, on an impulse, exchange of shape and becomes the chosen object? It is the project on which Darpa works which ends, for the moment, in an origami which complies alone.

The Programmable Matter effort represents the convergence of chemistry, information theory and control into a new materials design paradigm—“InfoChemistry”—that focuses on building information directly into materials.
To achieve the Programmable Matter vision, key technological breakthroughs will center on the following critical areas:

• Encoding information into chemistry or fusing materials with machines
• Fabrication of mesoscale particles with arbitrary complex shapes, composition, and function
• Interlocking/Adhesion mechanisms that are strong and reversible
• Global assembly strategies that translate information into action
• Mathematical theory for construction of 3D objects from particles

The goal of this program is to demonstrate a new functional form of matter, based on mesoscale particles, that can reversibly assemble into complex 3D objects upon external command.  These 3D objects will exhibit all the functionality of their conventional counterparts.  Of critical importance are radical new material architectures that maximize the efficiency of information processing and transfer and design rules for the optimal number, size and shape of particles required to create objects of a specific size, and spatial feature resolution.

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8 – Z-Man

While copying the lizard which the man will eventually walk on walls. Z-Man is a kind of miniature, but real Spiderman.

The Z-Man program will develop biologically inspired climbing aids to enable soldiers to scale vertical walls constructed from typical building materials, without using ropes or ladders.  Geckos, spiders and small animals are the inspiration behind these climbing aids.  These creatures scale vertical surfaces with unique systems that exhibit strong reversible adhesion via van der Waals forces or hook-into-surface asperities.  Z-Man seeks to build synthetic versions of those biological systems, optimize them for efficient human climbing, and use them as novel climbing aids. The overall goal is to enable a soldier to scale a vertical surface while carrying a full combat load using Z-Man technologies.

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9 – Exoskeleton

Before, it was of the science fiction, today, the exosquelette really exists. It weighs 70 kilos, and allows to carry without any trouble its own weight and additional 90 kilos.

The widespread usage of exoskeletal robotics to augment human beings moved a step closer this week when Raytheon demonstrated its second generation Exoskeleton, the XOS 2. The new robotic suit (think of it as wearable robot guided by a human brain) is lighter, faster and stronger than the original proof-of-concept XOS 1, yet uses half the power.

While Raytheon’s development is primarily focused on military usage, exoskeletons for the mobility-impaired are already at market and industrial exoskeletons from Japan, Korea and Isreal are not far behind. One day in the not-too-distant future, one of these suits will enable us all to have superhuman strength, speed and endurance…
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The first ever Apple computer that company founder Steve Jobs sold from his parents’ garage is up for sale – for a whopping £150,000. There were about 200 examples of the original ‘Apple-1′ that were launched in 1976 and only a few survive today. They were the forerunners of the iPod, iPad, iPhone and everything else that Apple has produced over the years.

Where it all began: The Apple-1 went on sale in July 1976 at a price of $666.66. About 200 units were produced in total. The one above has been customised with an after-market wooden enclosure with carved name, and keyboard

They came with a tiny 8K memory – 524,000 times less than is standard with today’s Apple computers. It would not have the capacity to store one song. This example will be the first ever to be sold by a major auction house when it goes under the hammer at Christie’s of London. It proves the growing interest in early computer technology and highlights how quickly home computing has advanced in the last 30 years.

Up for auction: The lot, above, which is on sale for £150,000 by Christie’s, comprises components from the Apple-1 machine, original manual and a letter from Steve Jobs. They were the first fully pre-assembled computer to be produced, but did not come with a monitor or keyboard.

Boglione, the president of a holding company that owns European clothing line trademarks, is said to have the Apple I restored to working condition before adding it to his collection of Apple computers. The computer was auctioned in its original box, containing the motherboard, various components such as a microprocessor and extra RAM, and a sales letter signed by Steve Jobs. Steve Wozniak was present at the auction and also added an autographed letter to the lot.

Incredibly it comes with the original packaging, instruction manuals and a signed letter by billionaire Jobs, who is still head of the company. The Apple-1s were the first fully pre-assembled computer to be produced, but even so did not come with a monitor or keyboard. Museums and a new breed of collector are desperate to get their hands on these early examples. Early geeks would have had to part with $666.66 (£410) to buy one of the first Apples. Its designer, Steve Wozniak, liked repeating digits -
and it was sold to a local shop for $500 plus a one-third mark-up.

Co-founders: Steve Jobs, left, and Steve Wozniak, right, with the Apple-1 computer in 1976

But few realised what a good investment it would be. Julian Wilson, from Christie’s, said: ‘Before the Apple-1 you would have to put together your own motherboard and would need soldering skills. ‘This is the forerunner of the iPod, iPad and iPhone. It worked straight out of the box, which was the original concept. ‘Apple’s lineage can be traced back to this model and as far as we know there were about 200 made and perhaps a quarter survive. ‘Not only does this come with the packaging and manuals but also a letter from Steve Jobs. ‘He appears to be answering questions from the customer about what monitors and keyboards are best to use.

‘The computer technically allowed you to programme and it was like a high-performance calculator. ‘This one comes with an extra cassette interface, which meant you had a read-write capability. ‘At the time it famously cost $666.66, and the cassette interface was an extra $75. ‘Steve Jobs sold these from his parents’ garage and there is a growing appreciation of the history of computing – and this is where home computers started. ‘And finding one in this condition is unheard of.’ The sale at Christie’s in London is on November 23.

The Apple I was officially discontinued in October 1977.  Only about 50 Apple I computers still survive, and while rare, the remaining models are usually sold for much less,  in the $15,000-$50,000 range, which might make this the most expensive Apple I ever. Boglione’s extraordinarily high price has probably more to do with the original documents – the return label has Jobs’ parents’ address, as Apple Computer, Inc. was set up in their garage – than the actual computer. Which kind of makes sense, too, since the Apple I has one-thousandth of the computing power of the iPad.

Steve Jobs was the visionary and innovator behind the idea for the first complete personal computer, but it was Steve Wozniak, the former HP computer engineer, who actually designed and engineered the first Apple I computer.   For his part, Steve Wozniak is often overlooked and receives little fame, most of it going to Steve Jobs.

Here’s a link to John Calande’s blog with some great pictures of the Apple I personal computer.