Medicine: See The Light

Luke Skywalker may have had a light sabre for his celestial battles, but a new light weapon has joined the war on breast cancer. The Breastlight isn’t much larger than some electric toothbrushes and is just as easy to use. In a darkened room, its powerful but benign light turns a breast into a glowing globe. Blood vessels show up as dark lines since hemoglobin in red blood cells absorbs light; a malignancy can appear as a shadowy dark spot due to an increase in new blood vessels around it. (Bruises and blood-filled cysts will also look dark.) Used regularly, it helps a woman know her breasts, so she can immediately alert her physician to suspicious changes. An important note: Breastlight is not a replacement for a regular breast examination routine or for mammogram screening. $150


–Jayne MacAulay