A new global arms race is happening – one with the goal of keeping us safe from mosquitoes. Scientists are devising methods to thwart the malaria-carrying bug by employing laser technology. Incidentally, some of these scientists were the original brains behind the Star Wars program that was to shield the US from Soviet nuclear arms during the Cold War. The eventual application of this technology may be to draw laser barriers around houses or villages that could kill or blind the flying critters, thereby reducing malaria transmission. Malaria remains a global health threat that kills one million people each year.
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Tags: Add new tag, cold war, health, laser, lazer, malaria, mosquito, star wars
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.