Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THF MTX Mondayy Sept. 19, 2005 JL m ■ M A X T ■ I JL Page 5 - ‘ Special to THE GAMECOCK For someone with parosmia smells that most people find pleasant can cause extreme discomfort. It can be treated, but not cured. Smell disorder sufferers don't find much relief Although some treatments exist for distressing condition, science offers no complete cures U', Kimflorris • KRTCAMPUS DETROIT — The smell of coffee, frequently celebrated as one of life’s most pleasurable experiences (even by people who don’t like the taste), nauseates Kathy Kurland. “Coffee is the worst smell.... I can’t even describe it,” she says. Other smells, such as freshly made popcorn, used to make her physically ill. Now, thanks jQk to medication, she can tolerate them. Kurland has a range of olfactory disorders that block some smells, turn innocuous or pleasant smells offensive and produce phantom smells that can last for days. Kurland says a chemical caused the condition. It started about three years ago and got progressively worse. “I thought I was going to have to live in Alaska by myself, where there were no smells,” says the “forty something” Farmington Hills, Mich., resident. jm Her condition is not " imagined or psychological. It’s real. It has a name and a growing cadre of doctors and researchers devoted to it. There are support groups to help people like Kurland — those who have lost their ability to smell, a condition known as anosmia; those whose sense of smell is distorted (parosmia), and those who smell things that aren’t there (phantosmia). Kurland’s research led her to one doctor who prescribed a medicine that made the condition manageable but hasn’t eliminated it. When organisms first swam in the primordial sea, the ability to smell chemicals is what kept them alive. Smell is the first bond between baby and mother. A scent can transport us to a place or time, draw us in or warn us of danger. Yet of the five senses, smell is the least studied and least understood. “It was ignored for many years by the medical community,” says Beverly Cowart, a psychologist who runs a clinic for the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, the first such institution to study the senses of smell and taste. “There are a lot more people out there who have these problems than we previously thought.” An estimated 14 million Americans have some olfactory dysfunction including hypernosmia, a heightened sensitivity to scents. As many as half of those older than 65 smeii • 6 Koji Sasahara / The Associated Press Nintendo Co. Ltd. President Satoru Iwata displays a new smaller remote control device as he makes a key cameo appearance at the annual Tokyo Game Show in Makuhari, east of Tokyo on Friday. For Nintendo’s Revolution machine, Iwata said “We thought about hew everyone in the family uses the TV remote, but some people don’t want to even touch the game controller.” Nintendo finds inspiration in your average TV remote Upcoming Nintendo Revolution gaming console to feature controller that can be held in one hand\ willfunction like 3-D mouse Jeremy Turnage FOR THE GAMECOCK It’s the one of the most recognized icons of laziness in the world. It symbolizes a lonely Saturday night spent in a recliner. It lets the user know what is going to be on for the evening. It’s the ultimate symbol of power. It is the remote control. Nintendo plans to create a new moniker for this timeless piece of electronic efficiency: the video game controller. This week Nintendo revealed the much-hyped controller for its next entry into the console wars: the Nintendo Revolution. During the keynote address at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata unveiled the controller to a capacity crowd of press and industry insiders, against an animated backdrop of “oohs,” “ahs,” and “huhs.” The controller essentially follows the same design as a standard square television remote control, but what it can do leaves the latter technology in the digital dust. The controller begins at the top with a “Power” button — a feature rarely seen with a video-game console. Now you can turn the system on or off from the comfort of the couch. Next up is the standard directional-pad, a key feature Nintendo has used since its Game & Watch days. The large button on the back grip is the “B” button, similar to the Nintendo 64 controller’s “Z” button. Nintendo has also kept with the large “A” button, clearly derived from the GameCube controller. The normal “Select” and “Start” buttons are still there, but a new button called “Home” makes its debut. The button’s purpose is unknown at this point, but Nintendo representatives have said the button will be used in conjunction with the planned “Classic Games” feature, which will allow gamers to access a library featuring 20 years of Nintendo games and to play them for a small fee. Another set of “A” and “B” buttons appears on the controller. Too many buttons? By turning the controller ninety degrees, users will find it works exactly like the classic NES controller. Nintendo plans to ship an analog stick expansion with the Revolution, thus turning the controller into two pieces. One hand will hold the analog controller, and the other the main controller. But what is so “revolutionary” about a standard remote controller? Well, like the old saying goes, it’s the inside that counts. Coming with the controller is a movement sensor for the top of the television. The controller uses movement ninTenDO«i WEST QUAD’S ‘GREEN’ FEATURES EARN NATIONAL RECOGNITION * LEED's ‘Silver' certification for dorm recognizes West Quad's environmentally friendly, energy-efficient features; USC encourages earth-conscious awareness outside community Oeuon Ulceh FOR THE GAMECOCK USC’s most recent architectural success integrates environmental awareness and economic sensibility, as West Quad residence hall’s eco friendly design has earned the university national recognition and the Leadership in Energy and Special to TlIE (iAM KtlOCK Solar panels on the roof of West Quad ensure that the building is powered in part by renewable, non-polluting energy. Environmental Design (LEED) “Silver” award. The award is based on some of the strictest national guidelines for environmental well-being. As a “green” building, West Quad features eco-friendly appliances and operating systems that allow the building to run while conserving resources and reducing damage to the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star-certified appliances are provided in the apartments’ kitchens. All appliances perform as effectively as other brands, but use significantly less energy. Recycled copper makes up most of the West Quad’s roofing, but a turf roof covers the student living center. The turf keeps the intense summer heat from penetrating the building by absorbing the sun’s rays. The turf roof also reduces rainwater runoff and provides a habitat for insects and plants. The community buildings also feature motion sensors in the common rooms, study areas and classrooms to prevent wasted energy from neglected light switches. The sensors turn on and off as students enter and leave the room. Even before West Quad Was completed, eco-friendliness was an issue. During construction, small irrigation systems were set up using silt fencing and sediment traps to slow erosion and water runoff. Along with providing eco friendly features, USC encourages residents to live with environmental awareness Special to THE HAMECOGK West Quad’s special window shelves reflect sunlight into rooms at an angle that provides optimal light while reducing heat. outside the community. Carolina bicyclists have a changing space with a shower available at the West Quad, and the community is equipped with electric vehicles for transportation. West Quad’s completion was a monetary victory as well. The cost of building the living community was the same as that of building a traditionally designed dorm. West Quad’s success has motivated USC housing to consider building more eco friendly residence halls with hopes of earning more LEED awards. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm. sc. edu _ unimt ///lilvo/imemrl'? mm