Have you ever noticed that if you take the same route to work day after day, you begin to recognize the faces and vehicles of your fellow commuters? One car will be memorable for its hubcaps, another for its bumper stickers. This woman is always putting on her makeup, that man is always screaming into his Bluetooth. But on my daily commute, there is one person who is memorable above all the others, because this man rides a recumbent bicycle to and from work. Now before you judge this individual as a freak, allow me to explain that I live in Seattle, home of health enthusiasts and liberal environmentalists. In this city, it is normal to have at least one person in the office who arrives and leaves on a bicycle. However, even in Seattle, recumbent cyclists stand out.
Recumbent bicycles are strangely futuristic in appearance. These bicycles allow the rider to sit in a supine or semi-supine position, i.e. lying down with the face up. When seated on a recumbent bicycle, the cyclist is rarely more than three feet tall. Such a position allows for much better aerodynamics than typical bikes, which is why recumbent bicycles hold the world speed record for bicycles. In order to regulate the playing field, these bikes were banded from international bicycle racing in 1934. When the cyclist is seated, his back is supported by a back with a seat; his legs extend forward to pedals that are about the same height as the seat. Steering is accomplished via handlebars that are either in front of the rider or under the seat.
Although recumbent bicycles are not the norm, there are actually a number of advantages to this style of transportation. Many recumbent enthusiasts tout the safety of these bicycles. For example, the cyclist is much closer to the ground on a recumbent than on a typical bicycle. That means that any falls are much less likely to result in serious injury. Additionally, the body's positioning, with the feet first, means that the cyclist will almost certainly never go over the handlebars in a collision. Such accidents on typical bicycles are likely to result in serious injuries and even death.
Some recumbent cyclists value the comfort of their bicycles. The supine position is a fairly natural one for the human body, which means that muscle strain is greatly reduced. Many riders find that recumbents alleviate the chronic back and neck pain that can come with riding typical bicycles. The additional comfort means that recumbent cyclists can generally cycle for longer periods of time than typical cyclists. This makes recumbent bicycles particularly well suited for long bike rides and bicycle touring.
Still other recumbent cyclists value their bicycles for speed. As mentioned, these bicycles are far more aerodynamic than their taller counterparts. On flat terrain, shallow inclines and declines, recumbents will almost always outstrip a typical bicycle, even if the two cyclists are putting in the same amount of effort. However, it should be noted that many cyclists, particularly those unfamiliar with recumbents, find it more difficult to pedal up hill.
View The World Map
The human eye is a complex, biological mechanism that allows us to interact with the visible world in every enterprise from working on a computer to driving a car or threading a needle. Without sight, we would be little more than slugs. Yet most people take sight for granted; until something happens to make them question this everyday miracle.
The human eye is not, however, perfect. Defects in the size or shape of the cornea, lens, vitreous humor (the fluid space within the eye), macula (the focal point), optic nerve or muscles can cause us to see imperfectly. These defects are classed as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia (aging eye) or astigmatism, where an irregularly-shaped cornea, on one or both eyes, causes blurred vision.
The most common problems with vision occur as we age, and can include cataracts (a clouding of the lens), age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, a degeneration of the macula, glaucoma (caused by an increase in pressure in the vitreous humor which distorts vision), and diabetic retinopathy, which results from damage to the blood vessels that feed the retina. Models of the human eye can help explain these conditions and diseases to patients and other physicians to help everyone understand how the eyes are affected.
Using larger-than-scale models of the eye, ophthalmologists can demonstrate to patients how, and where, these vision defects occur. This is useful not only for making healthy vision recommendations like safety goggles and anti-glare monitor screens, but also for prescribing corrective lenses or contacts to correct faulty vision. These hands-on models, which are three to five times larger than a real eye, can be disassembled to show the various parts of the eye and their functions, and are especially useful with children, whose natural curiosity engages a respect for vision and a greater tendency to wear the eyeglasses prescribed.
Eye models are also useful for explaining surgical interventions that can improve eyesight or prevent further deterioration, especially to the old, whose memory and concentration may be further affected by the inability to hear properly. An eighty-year-old person will understand macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy, a hundred times better by seeing a disassembled model of an eye than by simply listening to an eye surgeon describe what can be done to improve vision.
For medical education purposes, a 20-centimeter, eight-part model of the eye showing the upper half of the sclera with corneal and eye muscle attachments, which subdivides into two halves showing the choroid with its attendant iris and retina, as well as the lens, vitreous humor, eyelid and tear duct system, will provide a wealth of teaching example prior to actual dissection by a medical student, or deliver a concise yet definitive explanation to mature patients on the intricate workings of the eye. Seven-part models are also available, in three- or five-times magnifications.
Some models are available on bases, and all are manufactured of durable plastic compounds with full-color didactics, and sealed against humidity and body oils to last for years, even with extensive handling.
Both Victor Epand & Stephen Lamb are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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