The World According to Mark

By Mark Tabola

Sometimes, if I need a few minutes of a mental break at work, I'll just zip through some headlines and see if there is anything neat and different out there. One of the headlines on a video that got my attention was about a new method of stopping bleeding, now approved by the FDA. A young researcher has found a way to use a type of algae in a syringe applicator that stops mass bleeding in moments!

A CBS affiliate in Philadelphia did the interview and had the coverage on YouTube. TraumaGel was invented by Joe Landolina, who stumbled upon it by working on items in his dorm room. He made a product that readily stuck to his skin, and it got him thinking about how that could be used to help people survive a large injury. Each syringe has enough gel in it to effectively address a large wound, like a gun shot or a stab wound. It has the consistency of hummus, and sticks to bleeding wounds. The company already has a gel of this nature for minor cuts, and a veterinarian gel already in use, too.

The creativity and imagination necessary to come up with something like this is astounding to me. I am so grateful to hear these kinds of stories because it demonstrates how many people are out there pursuing stuff to benefit all of mankind. And to me, that's some good news in the world we live in today. It's not all about people trying to take advantage of you in some way, but there are still people out there truly working to benefit humanity, as a whole. And knowing that makes everything just a little bit better!