Lemming Tracks: Energy Drinks, Common Sense, and 'There Oughtta be a Law'

"Energy Drinks May Hurt Kids: Study"
Randy Dotinga, Health, US News and World Report (February 14, 2011)

"Children with existing health or emotional issues most at risk, researchers say

"Energy drinks such as Red Bull, AMP and Rockstar have no health value and may even harm some children and teens, a new review finds.
Click here to find out more!

The increasingly popular, highly caffeinated drinks are especially risky for children with heart abnormalities, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or other health or emotional problems, said Dr. Steven E. Lipshultz, co-author of the study, published online Feb. 14 in the journal Pediatrics.

" 'It's a set of products that are totally unregulated and have no therapeutic benefit,' said Lipshultz, chairman of pediatrics at the University of Miami.

"Surveys suggest that 30 percent to 50 percent of U.S. teenagers and young people consume energy drinks, despite warnings about their safety. Many users mix the energy drinks with alcohol, further heightening the potential for ill effects, say the researchers...."

Something's Not Regulated?! SHOCKING!!!

The Lemming doesn't have much doubt that chugalugging a six-pack of Red Bull, with a beer chaser, might not be good for a teenager with heart problems.

For that matter, it might put someone in perfect health in a tad less than tip-top shape.

Credit where credit is due. US News lets someone besides the 'experts' have a say:

"...But the maker of Red Bull took issue with the findings.

" 'This article just draws together material from the Internet, and largely ignores in its conclusions the genuine, scientifically rigorous examination of energy drinks by reputable national authorities. For example, the European Unions food safety authorities spent 10 years thoroughly examining energy drinks and concluded that the key ingredients [taurine and glucuronolactone] are of no concern,' Red Bull officials said in a statement. 'The effects of caffeine are well-known, and as an 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee [80 mg], it should be treated accordingly.'..."

Does the Lemming think a steady diet of Red Bull, Mountain Dew, Twinkies, and deep fat fried pork rinds would be good for a teenager? Or anybody else?

No.

On the other hand, the Lemming is drearily familiar with folks who are incensed that others don't act they way they're 'supposed to.' And think that 'the government' should regulate what the rest of us eat, drink, watch, wear, and - if possible - think.

'For our own good,' of course.

The Lemming thinks that moderate degrees of physical activity and a diet that's long on complex carbohydrates, protein, and other parts of a sane diet is good for people. But the Lemming's not going to cobble together a 'scare' article to frighten folks into eating the 'right' way.

That's the sort of thing 'experts' do, it seems.

Almost-related posts:

• "Autism, Childhood Vaccines, Bogus Research, and the Lemming"
  (January 6, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: '8 x 8' Water Rule, Real Research; Beer and Pretzels"
  (November 27, 2010)
• "Lots of Lead and Cadmium in Kids' Tableware: Spiffy"
  (November 22, 2010)
• "Saving the Environment Makes You Sick"
  (September 28, 2010)
  • "Well, no: not exactly."
• "Tanning Beds, Addiction, and Pale Mutants"
  (April 21, 2010)
  

About "apathy," the Lemming's' way:

• "About the Lemming"

Flying Mechanical Penguins

"Festo - AirPenguin"

FestoHQ, YouTube (April 17, 2009)
video, 1:48

"http://www.festo.com/cms/de_corp/9780... - Autonomes Fliegen im Luftmeer
"Selbststeuernd in einem von Ultraschall-Sendern definierten Luftraum. Wendig und manövrierfähig per 3D-Struktur mit Fin Ray Effect® für Front- und Heckpartie.

"http://www.festo.com/cms/en_corp/9780... - Autonomous flying in a sea of air
"Autonomous flying through a defined air space monitored by ultrasound transmission stations. Agile and easily manoeuvrable with a 3D structure which utilises the Fin Ray Effect® at the front and back."

More:

• "AirPenguin"
  Festo

(collage derived from "Festo - AirPenguin," FestoHQ, YouTube, images used w/o permission)

"AirPenguins – autonomously flying robotic penguins

"With the AirPenguins, the engineers from Festo have created artificial penguins and have taught them 'autonomous flight in the sea of air'. For this purpose, control and regulating technology had to be further developed into self-regulating biomechatronic systems, which could also play a future role in adaptive production...."

In other worlds, those are robot flying penguins. There isn't a human operator somewhere, controlling the things. They're flying on their own, making course corrections on the fly. (The Lemming might have avoided that play on words - but decided not to.)

Back to Festo:

"...A group of three autonomously flying penguins hovers freely through a defined air space that is monitored by ultrasound transmission stations. The penguins are at liberty to move within this space; a microcontroller gives them free will in order to explore it...."

Biomechatronic?! Yes, it's a 'real' word. Now. So is cyborg. Odds are that you're somewhat biomechatronic. Particularly if you've got a pacemaker or use a hearing aid. Interesting times, these.

The Lemming could, at this point, launch into a rant about how technology is robbing us of our humanity, and the robots will be taking over, but it doesn't matter because we all died in the food riots.

With a little editing and lots of emotional flourishes, the result might be taken as very "intelligent" in some circles.

The Lemming's not gonna do that.

For one thing, the Lemming doesn't think that flocks of robot flying penguins will be invading central Minnesota and forcing us to toil in their tinfoil mines.

Besides, there'll be enough fussing, when someone gets the idea of putting a video camera on something like the Festo penguins. With a transmitter, and maybe some a little onboard artificial intelligence, they'd make unintrusive security guards. As it is, some folks have been scared of security cameras in parking lots - and that's another topic.

The Lemming thinks the Festo flying penguins are beautiful, graceful robots - and a far cry from the clumsy, clanking buckets of bolts of old science fiction stories.

Could a technology like this be misused? Of course.

Any technology can be misused. A person can do an amazing amount of damage with a rock. But that doesn't make rocks destructive or dangerous. The problem is the people using tech. Not the tech. In the Lemming's opinion.

Related posts:

• "Beware Warmonger Imperialist Space Aliens!?"
  (January 11, 2011)
• "Meet Fenway the Robot, Hospital Helper"
  (September 21, 2010)
• "Penguin Robot? Roller Skates? You Decide"
  (February 11, 2010)
• "Robovie-II and Robovie-IV: Robot Assistants for Store and Office"
  (January 7, 2010)
• "Next-Generation Prosthetic Hand - and Intel Says Direct Neural Interface Brain Chips by 2020"
  (December 2, 2009)

Boeing 747-8: Big Can be "Green"

"Boeing Puts Another Behemoth in the Sky"
Jason Paur, Autopia, Wired (February 11, 2011)

"Boeing pulls the sheet off its biggest airliner ever this weekend, the 747-8 Intercontinental. It is an extreme makeover of the plane that ushered in the jumbo jet era, but despite its impressive tech and imposing size it won't be a big seller. Still, it offers further evidence that Boeing has found a winning strategy in its race against Airbus to make commercial aviation cleaner and greener.

"The latest iteration of the venerable 747, which made its first flight 42 years ago this week, comes as the industry has spent the past few years debating the merits of two all-new aircraft, the gargantuan Airbus A380 and the technologically advanced Boeing 787 Dreamliner...."

"Greener" is a comparative term, of course. For some folks, "green" seems to mean eating nothing but organically-grown vegetables off hand-thrown pottery - and being upset at contractors who act as if wood grows on trees.

Then there are folks like engineers at Boeing, who seem to think that being "green" can include developing a King-Kong-size airliner that uses less fuel for its size than earlier models - and makes less noise while doing so.

That sort of "green" is something the Lemming can respect.

Or, as the Wired article put it:

"...Airbus bet on moving a lot of passengers from hub to hub cheaply in giant airplanes. Boeing thought the future lies in moving fewer people point-to-point in super-efficient aircraft. And while the A380, which seats as many as 525 people, allowed Airbus to boast it makes the world's biggest airliner, bragging rights only go so far. It's the bottom line that matters...."

It's the Lemming's opinion that, in the long run, being "green" and being profitable aren't all that incompatible.

Which reminds the Lemming of mechanical flying penguins. Which is another topic.

Sort-of-related posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: Blasphemy! Or, 'We're All Gonna Die' Predictions That Fizzled"
  (December 30, 2010)
• "Electric Cars That Actually Work"
  (November 2, 2010)
• "Boeing CST-100 Spaceship: Passenger Service to ISS, Commercial Space Stations"
  (July 21, 2010)
• "Dreamliner: Boeing's Incredible Plastic Airliner"
  (July 19, 2010)
• "X-51 Waverider, Bullet Trains: Change Happens"
  (March 11, 2010)

More:

• "747 Family"
  Commercial Airplanes, Boeing