First Watson conquered the world of Jeopardy, now he's taking on the jobs of doctors and nurses

Watson Goes to Work in the Hospital

Technology like that inside the Jeopardy!champ is being used to identify when babies are acquiring an infection.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 BY TOM SIMONITE

Crustaceans to the rescue

Material removes radioactive materials from drinking water

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that a combination of forest byproducts and crustacean shells may be the key to removing radioactive materials from drinking water.

“As we’re currently seeing in Japan, one of the major health risks posed by nuclear accidents is radioactive iodide that dissolves into drinking water. Because it is chemically identical to non-radioactive iodide, the human body cannot distinguish it — which is what allows it to accumulate in the thyroid and eventually lead to cancer,” said Dr. Joel Pawlak.

The material is a combination of hemicellulose, a byproduct of forest materials, and chitosan, crustacean shells that have been crushed into a powder. It absorbs water and can extract contaminates, such as radioactive iodide, from the water. The material binds the iodide in water and traps it so that it can then be disposed of without risk to humans or the environment.