Medical science has the potential to do some pretty amazing things, from restoring people’s eyesight to actually regrowing entire organs.
While those are breakthroughs that we can expect in the future, there are some amazing products that are being created right now.
Advertisement
One of those is an incredible new gel that when applied to an open wound can stop bleeding, immediately.
VetiGel
It was invented by 17 year old Joe Landolina and uses an algae-based polymer which when applied to a wound massively accelerates hemostasis.
Vetigel has been found to stop even major bleeds in 12 seconds or less and until now has been successfully used on animals.
Advertisement
The hope now though is to start using the gel on humans, creating a potentially invaluable tool for doctors both in hospitals and out in the field where advanced medical care is in short supply.
One such perfect scenario is the battlefield of course. Should a soldier be injured, the gel could stop the bleeding at least long enough for the soldier to then be moved to a field hospital.
With no currently known side-effects the gel is already undergoing human testing so it probably won’t be long until it’s rolled out into full human use.
Coolest Science Photos Of The Decade
2015
Martin Le-May
A baby weasel took the ride of a lifetime on the back of a green woodpecker in Hornchurch Country Park in East London. Photographer Martin Le-May just happened to be lucky enough to capture the moment on March 2, 2015.
2014
NASA, ESA, H. Teplitz and M. Rafelski (IPAC/Caltech), A. Koekemoer (STScI), R. Windhorst (Arizona State University), and Z. Levay (STScI)
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope assembled a comprehensive picture of the evolving universe -- among the most colorful deep space images ever captured by the 25-year-old telescope. The image was released on June 3, 2014.
2013
NASA
NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins snapped a selfie while completing a spacewalk outside of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station on Dec. 24, 2013.
Advertisement
2012
Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses project
A rare Mascarene petrel with an egg-shaped bulge in its middle. Photographed in 2012 by researchers near Reunion, an island off the coast of Madagascar, it was said to be the first to show a bird flying with a visible "baby bump."
2011
Wikimedia Commons: Wtop.com
In 2011, a female Celebes crested macaque (Macaca nigra) in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, decided to pick up British wildlife photographer David Slater's camera and take a selfie.
2010
NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
A stunning scanning electron micrograph of a human T lymphocyte (also called a T cell) from the immune system of a healthy donor, taken on May 24, 2010.
Advertisement
2009
Sung Hoon Kang, Joanna Aizenberg and Boaz Pokroy; Harvard University
An electron microscope photograph shows self-assembling hair-like polymers around a polystyrene sphere, about two micrometers in diameter. It won first place in the National Science Foundation's 2009 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge.
2008
NASA
Hurricane Ike covers more than half of Cuba. It was taken by the Expedition 17 crew aboard the International Space Station from a vantage point of 220 miles above Earth, on September 9, 2008.
2007
Gloria Kwon/NIKON Small World
A close-up look at a double transgenic mouse embryo, just 18.5 days old. The photo won first place in Nikon's 2007 Small World Photomicrography Competition.
