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Have you heard of the mysterious monoliths that are being found? What or who do you think is behind this? I personally hope it doesn’t turn out to be some ad-campaign…

World News

Mystery Monolith in Nevada

A monolith appeared in the Nevada desert, prompting speculation about its origin. The Las Vegas Police Department discovered the structure during a search and rescue mission north of Las Vegas Valley.

"We see a lot of weird things … but check this out!" the police posted on social media.

The monolith resembles those that appeared globally in 2020. Located near Gass Peak, a hiking area in the Nevada desert about an hour north of Las Vegas, the tall, rectangular, reflective structure was photographed in rugged terrain.

"HOW did it get up there??" the Las Vegas Police Department questioned on social media.

The monolith resembles those in "2001: A Space Odyssey," a 1968 film by Stanley Kubrick, featuring imposing black structures created by an unseen alien species, based on Arthur C. Clarke's writing.

Similar monoliths appeared around the world four years ago, including in the Utah desert, Romania, California, and the Isle of Wight. Their discovery puzzled local authorities, and speculation arose about their purpose, possibly as part of an art installation. However, no one has claimed responsibility.

Unlike the Utah monument, which was around 12 feet, this one is at six feet, five inches and has three faces. The monolith was made of folded sheet metal and held together with rebar and concrete, authorities said.

A monolith also appeared on a hilltop in Wales in March. It also offered no clues about its origin.

Innovation

Portable Fingernail Scanner for Cancer Patients

Each year, one million people in the U.S. undergo chemotherapy. Globally, cancer is the leading cause of death, claiming 10 million lives in 2020.

Inspired by the need to improve cancer treatment, researchers at MIT developed a portable monitor to help patients track their white blood cell count. This device could potentially reduce hospitalizations by 50% in cancer cases.

Leuko Labs was founded at the Madrid-MIT M+ Vision Consortium (MIT linQ), an initiative that promotes medical entrepreneurship by connecting researchers with MIT faculty to address critical medical issues. Leuko's founders targeted the challenge of monitoring white blood cell count, which currently relies on blood draws.

Cancer patients receive chemotherapy about every 21 days, which lowers their white blood cell count and increases infection risk. Leuko co-founder Carlos Castro-Gonzalez highlighted that one in six cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy develops an infection due to critically low white blood cell levels, sometimes resulting in death from treatment rather than the disease.

Monitoring white blood cell count could prevent many infections in chemotherapy patients. Leuko developed a noninvasive device allowing patients to frequently check their white blood cell count, improving the precision of chemotherapy dosages. Castro-Gonzalez found that many patients could tolerate higher chemotherapy doses during his clinical rotations, leading him to the MIT linQ health care innovation program.

PointCheck, an optics-based device, checks white blood cell count through the fingernail. It resembles a futuristic fingerprint scanner and can detect white blood cells as they pass through the narrow capillaries at the base of the nail. Although it can't provide an exact count, it can determine if patients are above or below the dangerous threshold of 500 neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell.

Leuko Labs plans to measure other blood components in the future but must first pass a rigorous FDA approval process. PointCheck is still investigational, with a study to be submitted to the FDA this year. Previous studies showed the device was 95% accurate.

PointCheck could significantly improve cancer treatment and reduce major complications, benefiting millions of patients and doctors worldwide.

Entertainment

From Fan to Consultant: Surgeon Inspired by Grey’s Anatomy

A man inspired to become a neurosurgeon by the TV drama Grey’s Anatomy is now a medical consultant on the same show. Stephen Bergin, now 35, started watching the show in high school and became a regular viewer. In his fourth year of residency at Duke University Hospital, he heard that the show's producers were recruiting medical consultants for season 19. A long-time fan, Bergin applied immediately. “Watching Grey’s Anatomy in high school inspired me to get into neurosurgery,” Bergin told SWNS.

Selected as a consultant, he provided advice on scripts and guided actors. After a successful debut in 2022, the show kept him on for season 20. Now in his sixth year of residency, Bergin is brainstorming ideas for season 21 and even appeared as an extra in one episode. “The production always has medical specialists on staff to ensure the resident storylines are realistic,” said Bergin. “It was a fun experience to see what goes into creating the show.”

“We would get scripts with placeholders like ‘medical, medical, medical,’ and it was my job to fill in the appropriate medical jargon,” Bergin added. Stephen also participated in filming, consulting on injuries that would require specialists from different departments to work together. He was on set during the filming of the season 19 mid-season finale “Thunderstruck” in October 2022.

As a fan, some of his best memories were meeting and advising the cast members directly. “Ellen Pompeo once asked for an alternative way of saying something, and my suggestion got approved. She chanted, ‘The doctor saved the script!’ over and over.” Stephen now shares his experiences and medical advice on social media as @surgeonbergin.

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Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

You can find it in Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, but not in Venus or Neptune. What is it?

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:
If you drop me I’m sure to crack,
but give me a smile, and I’ll always smile back.
What am I?
- A mirror! 🪞 

Gerry Moore got the correct answer first!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to email.

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