Hello and welcome to the second edition of FUEL, your bi-weekly dose of inspirational nitro from the Thompson studio.
Here's what's going on this week:
- A Shanghai sperm bank's healthy sperm competition.
A come-petition? - A digital solution to prevent digitally-induced myopia in kids
- A uniquely Japanese take on health and wellbeing publications
Here goes...
Come again!
The Human Sperm Bank of Shanghai is running a contest to see who... *ahem* has the best quality sperm. They're encouraging young men to donate sperm samples over a series of months. These are then assessed for sperm count and motility (swimming skills). The lucky winners are announced every month (no names though) and participants win cash prizes too.
The comp has the dual purpose of promoting reproductive health and recruiting donors. It comes (sorry) at a crucial time as studies show declining sperm counts across the globe, with China especially reporting a decrease in quality.
Screen saver
'Get off that screen, you'll go cross-eyed!' comes the cry of parents across the globe. But, as well as the fear of losing kids in the digital abyss, there's a compelling reason to cut down on screen time. Short-sightedness (myopia) in kids is exacerbated by prolonged screen sessions.
Fighting fire with fire, Berlin start-up Dopavision has devised a gaming app which is designed to prevent myopia. The app, MyopiaX, uses light signals to target cells in the retina and stimulate the release of dopamine – abnormal dopamine levels have been linked to the development of myopia. It's a bright idea, and one that's earned the company 12 million Euros in Series A funding.
Turning Japanese
Health Graphic Magazine is a wonderfully off-beat publication produced by Japanese pharmacy company Aisei. Every issue is focused on a particular health topic and features 20-odd pages of eccentric graphic design that no one pulls off quite like the Japanese.
Covers depict the theme for the issue — the wrestler holding the woman in a headlock is about headaches; the peach introduces an issue dedicated to constipation. Even if you you can't be bothered to feed it through a translator app, wander freely through the archive and enjoy the weird and witty visuals.
