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Kirk Douglas sponsors US high school

A high school in California, which offers troubled kids a second chance, was named after the former actor. The reason: the financial support he offers the students. Kirk Douglas has made a point of meeting and congratulating every kid graduating from Kirk Douglas Continuation School. In his MySpace blog the actor wrote: “A few weeks ago, I made a visit to the Kirk Douglas High School.  I am proud that they asked to name their school after me. One of my pet projects is to try to inspire young people to at least have a high school education.  Then, I try to encourage them to go to college. As a small inducement I give every graduate a $500.00 check.  When I spoke to the students I was surprised that they each gave me their personal pledge of what they wanted to do in life to improve our world: from volunteering in hospitals and local schools, to supporting our troops by sending letters and care packages.  One student has agreed to help the elderly by volunteering at a convalescent center (I wonder if I inspired him.) I am proud of the students of Kirk Douglas High School.”

Engineering and IT jobs unpopular among young people in the US

The profession of IT specialist is rather unpopular among young people in the US. The reason for this has now been discovered by the American Society for Quality (ASQ). A survey among 1,277 children between 8 and 17 years of age and 2,196 adults of 18 years and older, 584 of whom have kids aged 17 or younger themselves, has produced evidence of one remarkable contrast: 21 percent of the kids believe that their math skills are insufficient for a career in engineering. Nevertheless, 22 percent of the kids named math as their favorite subject, and 17 percent prefer science. Only 20 percent of parents encourage their children to consider a career in engineering. Taking a closer look at gender differences, 21 percent of girls are encouraged by their parents to become an actress, while only 10 percent are encouraged to become an engineer. At least one third of boys is being encouraged to pursue an engineering career.

However, there are a number of other reasons most students aren’t interested in engineering or IT jobs. According to the magazine “Network World,” one of them is that they don’t know a lot about the jobs in this field. In addition, about one third of young people is afraid to be perceived as a “geek” should they choose this career.

 

Ear sensors against spies

Very soon, it might be possible to have private conversations in a room full of other people. A new invention by US scientists is going to surround the speaker with a protective sound shield that makes eavesdropping impossible. Engineers Joe Paradiso and Yasuhiro Ono of the Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have just filed a patent application. According to the magazine “New Scientist” the two scientists are using a sensor network to prevent spying on conversations. The sensors scan for potential eavesdroppers and relay this information to a speaker. Depending on the volume of the conversation, the speaker will then emit low white noises just loud enough to mask the conversation. This could be especially useful in offices, since the accidental overhearing of a conversation could tempt employees to consider industrial espionage.

To the Express Care Clinic in a shopping cart

Walk-in clinics are becoming more and more popular. They can be found in US retail chains such as Wal-Mart, and offer consumers walk-in treatment while they are there to do their shopping. According to the New York Times, many hospitals now plan to profit from this as well. In the US alone, it is said that more than 25 clinics have already followed the Wal-Mart example. The Cleveland Clinic, for example, gave its name to a chain of CVS pharmacy in the northeast of Ohio and provides appropriate infrastructure. But also the Mayo Clinic has similar goals and is already running two so-called express care clinics in supermarkets and highly frequented shopping malls.