Science Saturday: Bionic prostheses, solar eclipse, sea urchins and flu shot

Brain-controlled bionic limbs
Researchers report in "Natural Medicine" on a technique to enable a user's brain to control a bionic prothesis. It's called magneto micrometry. Magnetic spheres are placed inside muscles, and their movement is monitored with magnetometers. Reconstructing the muscle pairs gives the user a sense of the position and movement of a bionic limb. The system is expected to be ready for commercial use within 5 years. People with below-knee amputations will be able to walk more naturally and better navigate slopes, stairs and obstacles.

Easter Island's 'ring of fire'

A "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse was observed on October 2 from Rapa Nui, commonly known as Easter Island, in the Pacific Ocean. The new moon appeared to sit perfectly inside the sun's disk for about 6 minutes. The edge of the moon appeared to touch the inside edge of the sun. That caused the light phenomenon known as "Baily’s beads." Rapa Nui is not often in the path of solar eclipses. This was the island's first annular solar eclipse since 1788.

Sea urchins vs. predators

Invasive sea urchins are devouring kelp forests off Australia's New South Wales at a dangerous rate. Lobsters have been considered their key predator. Scientists from the University of Newcastle have been closely monitoring the relationship between the two species. The latest research indicates that most sea urchins placed outside lobster dens are being eaten by sharks. Predator diversity could prove to be good news for protecting kelp forests.

Flu shot protection

Have you had your flu shot? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says recent data indicates this year's dose lowers the chance of being hospitalized by 35 percent among high-risk groups. The data was pulled from more than 11,000 people with high risk of severe flu infections in five countries in the Southern Hemisphere. The risk of hospitalization differed among different age groups. The study says data from the Southern Hemisphere might help estimate the levels of protection for the Northern Hemisphere.