The Prenlab project is helping to predict earthquakes . The technique is based on measuring the relative delays in seismic activities which occur during the period before an earthquake. New technology allows vaccines against respiratory diseases to be delivered directly to the site of initial infection - the nose. Painless, and easier to administer than an injection, it also produces an enhanced immune response. An electronic implant placed directly into part of the brain s sound-processing centre could soon offer people suffering from profound deafness a chance to regain their hearing.
Water is a vital resource which is much too precious to waste.
Past practices of treating fresh water supplies as seemingly limitless are no longer sustainable. Industrial, agricultural and domestic demands for fresh water have placed a tremendous strain on fragile ecosystems, which must be carefully managed to balance supply and demand. The Oder flood in 1997 cost over 100 lives.