Philonoist.net

Toyota, the undisputed champion of the hybrid-world, is contemplating adding solar panels to the next generation of Prius cars even though they know they’ll get a scant amount of electricity from it. It’s already being called a “symbolic” gesture.

Dear Toyota: really? You want to have Prius owners excommunicated from the driving public even more? (“Look at that ass with the fancy schmancy solar panel on his car.”) You’re willing to handle the additional electrical maintenance costs in your base warranty? Do I have to worry about washing the car differently? Does the additional weight of the solar panel even get offset by the energy it produces?

With all these questions, how is something “symbolic” at best worth it?

Toyota’s next generation of Prius hybrid cars will be fitted with solar panels to power on-board electrical items such as the air-conditioning system, it is reported. [From Toyota Prius may get 'symbolic' solar panels - tech - 07 July 2008 - New Scientist Tech]

Remind me never to be a test subject of Dr. David Pritchard. The good doctor, an immunologist-biologist at the University of Nottingham, is researching whether or not hookworm parasites in the human bloodstream can be beneficial. By lowering the body’s immune response mechanisms (thus making the hookworms’ new home a little more hospitable), the parasites can reduce the effects of autoimmune conditions such as seasonal allergies, hay fever, and asthma.

While Pritchard’s ultimate goal is to understand the processes the worms use to “turn down” the immune-system, I think I’ll stick with my rescue inhaler and wait for those same processes to be in pill-form. Without creepy-crawlies involved.

Of course, this kind of science toes the ethical line (introducing known harmful agents into the human body), so in Barry Marshall fashion, Pritchard started with the nearest subject he could find: himself.

In 2004, David Pritchard applied a dressing to his arm that was crawling with pin-size hookworm larvae, like maggots on the surface of meat. He left the wrap on for several days to make sure that the squirming freeloaders would infiltrate his system. [From Scientist at Work - David Pritchard - Scientist Studies Whether Hookworms Can Protect Against Allergies - NYTimes.com]

Yikes.