Greece

One of the grandest structures ever built could be reborn in Greece

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Until an earthquake in 226 BCE knocked it down, the Colossus of Rhodes, a 30-metre-high iron and bronze statue of the Greek god Helios, sat near the harbour of Rhodes, Greece, for 54 years.

Now, a plan put forth by a small team of scientists seeks to rebuild the ancient statue and boost tourism and local jobs in the process.

colossusrhodes1A rendering of the 400-foot Colossus of Rhodes reboot. 

The plan calls for a new statue that’s way taller than the ancient one. At 122 metres tall, the new Helios would be nearly four times the height of the original. The proposal also includes an interior library, museum, cultural centre, exhibition hall, and, of course, a crowning lighthouse that’s visible for 56 kilometres.

One obvious change to the new structure is that it would use modern construction techniques and technology to make it earthquake-proof. The exterior would be completely covered in golden solar panels, making it entirely self-sufficient, which is appropriate for the Greek god of the sun.

colossusrhodes2A museum inside the statue would display ancient Greek treasures currently stored away. 

It’s estimated that the project can be completed in three to four years at a cost of 240 to 260 millions euros (US$264 to US$286 million). Funding is expected to come from cultural institutions and international crowdfunding.

In addition to renewing and extending Greece’s tourism season, the statue’s construction would bring much-needed jobs. Whether or not this will all come together depends on how much support and money the team behind the plan can raise. No construction dates have been released.

colossusrhodes3A view of the statue’s lighthouse, which would glow for up to 35 miles. 

colossusrhodes4A museum and library are among the interior plans for the statue.

colossusrhodes5This time, the statue will be earthquake-proof. 

colossusrhodes6A solar panel skin will make the structure entirely self-sustaining. 

Sensors used to monitor obesity

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Hi-tech sensors aim to help prevent obesity

Overweight man and woman
Obesity causes 2.8 million deaths around the world each year

A range of hi-tech sensors that can measure food intake and activity in order to assess obesity risks is to be funded by the European Union.

Dubbed Splendid, the project aims to persuade youngsters to adopt healthier lifestyles and be more aware of their eating and exercise habits.

It is part of a push to use technology to create preventative healthcare.

Obesity causes an estimated 2.8 million deaths among adults around the world every year.

“The idea is that we try to investigate ways to prevent obesity and eating disorders,” said Prof Anastasios Delopoulos, the project co-ordinator who works for the department of electrical and computer engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.

The system will be tested on around 200 secondary school students in Sweden and another set of children in the Netherlands.

A mandometer
One of the sensors will monitor how quickly people eat

Sensors will be used to measure the speed at which food is eaten as well as how food is chewed.

The time taken to consume food is one of the risk factors in obesity, according to Prof Delopoulos.

It will be measured using a mandometer, from Swedish firm AB Mando, which is currently used in a handful of clinics set up to treat eating disorders.

The sensor comprises a scale connected to a portable computer or a smartphone. A plate of food is put on the scale and the rate at which it leaves the plate is recorded, with an audible warning if it is being eaten too quickly for the person to realise they are full.

Swiss firm CSEM is developing the other two sensors that will be used in the project. ActiSmile is a wearable sensor, which rewards the wearer with a smiley face when enough exercise has been done.

The firm is also designing an acoustic sensor, which will take the form of a wearable microphone, and record how the user chews food.

Users will also input their own data, including how full they feel after a meal as well as daily intake and activity logs.

All the data will be processed and run through algorithms which will assess the risks for obesity and eating disorders.

In the later stages of the trial, the system will be used to help change the way at-risk youngsters eat and exercise.

“The goal is to modify eating and activity behaviour of individuals in a personalised way,” said Prof Delopoulos.

“A medical expert will assign goals, such as to eat more slowly or adopt more activity and the sensors will monitor whether the individual succeeds,” he added.

Daniel Kraft is a doctor and executive director of FutureMed, a healthcare education programme aimed at teaching medical professionals about new technologies.

He thinks that sensors will increasingly be integrated into healthcare.

“From connected scales to sensors that can track heart rate and activity levels… the patient can be empowered to understand their healthcare data,” he said.

“It brings you to an era of healthcare rather than sick care,” he added.

HIV testing in Greece: repeating past mistakes.

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The Greek Government has brought back into force a regulation on the transmission of infectious diseases that runs counter to all international guidelines on HIV testing and breaches human rights.

On July 1 it was made public that this regulation, repealed in April of this year, had been reintroduced to allow mandatory health examinations, isolation, and compulsory treatment of any individuals with diseases deemed to be of importance to public health. This regulation covers many diseases, including hepatitis, influenza, malaria, polio, syphilis, and tuberculosis, but the most troubling previous applications of this regulation have been with regards to HIV. In particular, the regulation identifies some groups as priorities for testing, including sex workers, intravenous drug users, homeless people, and undocumented migrants.

A disturbing example of the application of this regulation was reported in May, 2012, by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in their mission reportJoint Technical Mission: HIV in Greece. The report outlined that many Greek and foreign women, suspected of being illegal sex workers, were detained by the police, tested for HIV, and then had their details, including their HIV status, published on the internet by the police. These women were not asked to consent to the testing and felt that they were not able to refuse.

HIV testing should never be done without consent and results should always be confidential, as stated in international guidelines.

Regulations that stigmatise vulnerable and already marginalised groups are counterproductive since they are likely to deter people at risk of HIV from seeking testing and services. Coupled with the worldwide poor investment in services to tackle HIV in these groups, outlined in the 2012 UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report, the measures reintroduced by the Greek Government seem more about political posturing rather than constructively engaging with public health. Rather than tackling HIV ethically and effectively, Greece is storing up health problems for itself in the near future.

Source: Lancet