Programming and 3D graphics professionals from IBM Zurich recently announced that they can create a Google Earth for the human body. That is, they can come up with a way to create a program that browses the human body using layers and layers of 3D images. The program is called Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine (ASME).

Such an application could come very handy in revolutionizing how today's medical practitioners write medical records. Instead of mere text and numerical values, graphics could be viewed displaying the human body with the ability to point ti any given part and learn everything about it using sights, sounds, and numbers.

The proposal is a welcome one and is considered a huge leap in 3D-imaging application to everyday life, but some are questioning how the whole project would turn out when push comes to shove. Website Realityme says there's quite a few challenges that must be hurdled by IBM Zurich before they can truly be convincing.

First is the disparity in the comparison of human body imaging techniques to that of Google Earth. Realityme says that these are two different subjects that will be approached differently. Where Google Earth only shows the Earth's surface using height, length, and width, the human body is volumetric and has complex sections and organs inside.

Attempting to do this with hopes of doing everything as "real-time" as possible would be fairly difficult. Considering how unique human bodies are in measure, even getting your particulars digitized could run up big costs.

In conclusion, Realityme says that the project is by all means feasible, though it might be a little early to issue foregone conclusions. Still, it's interesting to think that the future of medicine can be so in touch with the precision of computers. Let's just hope our 3D medical images won't be as open to the public as Google Earth.

Area 51: aliens, conspiracy plots, crashed weather balloons, experiments on alien corpses, Agent Scully... A lot of good stuff comes to mind when the name of the most famous classified base is mentioned. What else comes to mind? Agent Scully... Mmmm... let me get my head out of the gutter. What else comes to mind? Ah, yes, top secret airplanes, or "black planes."

Black planes can get really famous whenever the government reveals one of them. Think about the U-2 spyplane of the 1950s; a band's named after that plane now. Then there's the SR-71 Blackbird. The X-men's plane looks awfully similar to the SR-71. Then there's the F-117; during the first Iraq war, it literally became the poster boy for the whole war effort. The first Iraq war was around fifteen years ago. Only three aircraft have been introduced since. One was Polecat. Another was Northrop Grumman’s Tacit Blue, nicknamed "the Whale." The third was Boeing’s Bird of Prey, which tested visual stealth strategies, including shaping that minimizes shadows and contrast and, rumor has it, body illumination that allows it to blend into its background.

This does not mean, however, that the black-aircraft community is dormant. Google Earth reveals a newly constructed additional runway and multiple new hangars and buildings at the base. Increased activity? It may mostly be educated speculation but the nice folks at Popular Science have featured a list of probable planes that are currently being tested at the famous site.

Read on to see concept images of the planes and the evidence and details surrounding them (click on the Full Article link below).

Google Earth's latest version has been released in beta form. There are new features included in the fourth release of Google Earth that will make you enjoy browsing the Earth even more.

A new and much simpler user interface has been created for Google Earth so as to remove complexities for those trying to use the program.

You can now also "change" your world. Remember before when you zoom in for a closer look at certain location in Google Earth all you get are non-textured buildings? That won't be the case any longer. This new version supports textured 3D buildings with photo-realistic features which you'll have to add yourself.

With a feature called Google Sketchup, you can now create textured 3D models of places or establishments. You will also be able to share this geographic information with other users because of an added capability in KML (the file format used for adding and sharing data).

Google Earth is bound to become a really cool place to check out if only to see what improvements and information have been added to, say, your own city.