QUICKIES

The supreme need is the need of not dying. Miguel de Unamuno

While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die-whether it is our spirit, our creativity, or our glorious uniqueness. Gilda Radner (1946-1989)

This issue of WIRED gave us lots of QUICKIE material, consider: The no contact jacket, a waterproof nylon jacket that packs 80,000 volts, it's armed by turning a key in the lock on the outer left sleeve. The wearer is protected by a rubberized liner. Some states require a license. A 9-volt battery provides 8 months of power. Price-$950.00

Better kids through chemistry: The FDA is moving toward approving a drug to enhance healthy kids, rather than sick ones, blurring the line between vanity and therapy. Athletes are doping, women are Botoxing, why shouldn't parents try juicing up their kids? A few ideas:

Human Growth Hormone (hgh) Adds height. This summer the FDA said they'd offer height to the masses, four years of injections and $40,000 to stretch your kid 2 inches.

Docosaheaaeooic acid (DHA) Sharpens awareness. In 18 months, this algaederived fatty acid has made its way into 20% of the infant formula sold in the U.S. It seems to improve babies visual acuity and scores on the Baley Scales of Infant Development.

2-methyl-3- (2-(S) pyrrolidinylmethoxy) pyridine (ABT089~-Increases intelligence. A possible treatment for attention deficit syndrome, ABT089, now in FDA trials, activates the same brain receptors as nicotine. In some cases it improved animals ability to concentrate.

The Justice Department is funding computer research on criminal activity. They claim they can forecast crime just like the weather.