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A man was arrested in Florida this week for practicing dentistry without a license. According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Robert Rheinlander had been conducting examinations, making dentures, and even performing tooth extractions out of his own home.

Rheinlander, who claimed he had been a dentist in South Carolina, offered to do dental work for patients at a lower cost. However, investigators discovered that he had never been a dentist at all. Rather, Rheinlander had been licensed only as a dental technician between February 2004 and March 2006, at which time he was disciplined by the South Carolina Board of Dentistry for an undisclosed reason.

Police first learned of Rheinlander’s illegal practice on September 29 when a couple came forward with a disturbing story. They told the detective that they had been introduced to Rheinlander by a mutual friend and he had offered to do their dental work for a very low cost. However, when the unlicensed “dentist” extracted the woman’s tooth, he left behind a fragment that ended up causing serious medical complications.

After digging into Rheinlander’s background, the couple soon learned that he was not a dentist. They also told police about another patient they had referred to Rheinlander. The officers met with the patient and learned that the ersatz dentist had pulled out 10 of his teeth without anesthetic and made him a set of dentures.

About 74% of all adults have had at least one tooth extracted, and in fact, five million Americans undergo wisdom tooth extraction every year. The standard practice is to use a local anesthetic to numb the area around the extraction site; otherwise, the procedure would be extremely painful. Sedation dentistry is used for patients who are particularly nervous about the oral surgery or simply scared of the dentist (15% of all Americans).

Not only was Rheinlander not an experienced dentist, he was performing extractions without anesthetizing the patients, making these procedures both painful and extremely dangerous.

The fake dentist was finally caught by an undercover detective who set up an appointment with Rheinlander to catch him in the act.

Arrested on Wednesday, Rheinlander was charged with practicing dentistry without a license. He was released from jail the next day on a $1,500 bond.

A new study suggests that frequent indoor tanners typically do not adequately protect themselves from the sun while outdoors.

Researchers looked at data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, which included 10,262 adults between the ages of 18 and 60. All were white and none had any history of skin cancer. Of the participants, 787 (seven percent) reported tanning indoors within the past year.

The results showed that frequent indoor tanners used less sunscreen, wore less protective clothing, and experienced more sunburns than those who did not frequently tan indoors.

Additionally, indoor tanners between the ages of 18 and 34 were more likely to never or rarely wear protective clothing or seek shady areas while outside in the sun.

Researchers alarmingly found these frequent indoor tanners were no more likely than their non-indoor tanning peers to be screened for skin cancer by a medical professional.

“These results demonstrate that many individuals who tan indoors may not acknowledge the long-term risks associated with increased UV exposure,” said study author Alexander Fischer of the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

The researchers wrote in the report:

“Individuals who frequently tan indoors already have a worrisome risk profile for skin cancer, yet they continue to practice poor photoprotection along with increase sun exposure, increasing their risk for skin cancer beyond that associated with the use of indoor tanning alone.”

Over the past 40 years, skin cancer rates have more than tripled. In fact, it is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Researchers estimate that more than 8,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer each day and that one in five Americans will develop the disease in their lifetime. As many as 40,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma every year.

“Taking an active approach to sun protection and skin cancer screening in high-risk populations, such as indoor tanners, may reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with skin cancer,” said the researchers.

As Hurricane Matthew drenched the state of Florida with heavy rain and strong winds, many evacuees flocked north to the Tallahassee area to wait out the storm. Strange places became safe havens for many displaced Floridians, including a local Walmart Super Center parking lot.

One South Florida native, Dean Prisco, said, “Being full time in an RV, I just knew that the potential threat was too dangerous, I didn’t want to be a sitting duck on a peninsula.”

He also told reporters from Tallahassee news station WCTV that he has seen people sleeping in their cars and on the ground in the parking lot because there are no available rooms at the local hotels. However, Prisco was proud to say that people have come together and that the outpouring of support and camaraderie has lifted his spirits.

“Sometimes in these environments, is when the best comes out of people, unfortunately. Hopefully we can just do that all the time and maybe things could change,” he said.

Another Floridian who has taken shelter in the parking lot said that he and his wife are just thankful that Walmart has been so cooperative and supportive to all of the evacuees.

The entire backside of the Walmart parking lot was filled with RVs. The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) estimates that there are as many as 30 million RV enthusiasts nationwide. Most of these RV owners and renters, however, may not ever have imagined that they would be using their recreational vehicle as an emergency shelter.

As of Thursday, Hurricane Matthew has claimed at least 40 lives in the Southeast — 20 in North Carolina, 12 in Florida, three in South Carolina, three in Georgia, and two in Virginia.

Though the hurricane has passed, the crisis is far from over in some parts of the Gulf region. Severe flooding is still causing destruction and threatening lives in North Carolina.

Photo attribution: By Walmart Corporate from Bentonville, USA (Walmart store exterior) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

A hacking scandal has come to light that may have a significant impact on the impending Yahoo-Verizon merger. In 2014, 500 million Yahoo accounts were hacked, consequently exposing email addresses, passwords, and personal information and leaving half a billion people vulnerable to identity theft.

Though it has not yet been confirmed exactly when Yahoo officials first discovered the security breach, the public was made aware of the issue just last Thursday, September 22. Verizon executives learned the news only several days before it was released to the media, causing many to wonder how this messy situation might affect Verizon’s decision to move forward with their $4.8 billion acquisition of Yahoo’s business.

As of right now, Verizon has not given any indication of whether or not the breach will hinder the deal. Tim Armstrong, chief executive of Verizon-unit AOL said in an interview on CNBC that Verizon is working with Yahoo to investigate the scope of the hack.

Yahoo said on Friday that “Our investigation into this matter is ongoing and the issues are complex.”

The company suspects that the hack was performed by a group acting on behalf of a foreign entity, but did not identify which country it believes is involved.

This incident may not affect the merger between Verizon and Yahoo, but it should certainly be a reminder to all Internet users that cyber security is not foolproof. According to the Federal Trade Commission, there is a one-in-33 chance that you will have your identity stolen within the next year.

“Once you have this Yahoo email address, a lot of those link to a LinkedIn profile,” said Christopher Ahlberg, chief executive of the threat intelligence company Recorded Future. “You start logging into all these places, pretty quickly you can take over a person’s online persona. You could have a field day with this.”

A new research and development firm, Ghost Robotics, founded by PhD candidates out of the University of Pennsylvania just revealed a game-changing product. Ghost Minitaur is a dog-like robot that runs, climbs, and even opens doors. While other groups have already produced similar functional robots, this latest one is different — it’s completely gearless.

The patent-pending design, which uses conventional rotary electric motors, eliminates the gearbox altogether. Gearboxes are typically expensive and extremely fragile; common malfunctions include leaky seals, bearing failure, and electrical fluting.

CEO of Ghost Robotics, Jiren Parikh explained that by getting rid of the gears, the amount of equipment that stands between the robot and its environment is minimized, making the machine more reactive and more sensitive.

“The legs have enough power to jump and do flips, but can also sense contact with an egg without breaking it. If it had gears, it would be much slower and tasks like this would be problematic.”

While traditional robots struggle to move around rough terrain, the Ghost Minitaur can be used to transport loads to hazardous environments that are unsafe for humans. It can do this because its direct-drive legs are extremely agile and can actually “feel” the ground.

With its innovative sensory and mobile abilities, the Minitaur could have a number of practical applications, including military missions, exploration of hazardous environments, and search and rescue missions. Developers also believe that the technology used in the robot’s legs could be integrated into other types of systems for surgeries, home care, animal husbandry, food manufacturing, and more.

According to Parikh, the devices are “very low-cost to manufacture in volume.” However, Ghost Robotics has only produced the Minitaur in small batches. Each robot is currently selling for $10,000, but co-founder Gavin Kenneally hopes that production will be scaled up eventually, dropping costs to $1,500 per robot.

The era of self-driving cars is no longer a wacky prediction of decades past. Indeed, the age of the autonomous automobile is not far off; although still in its infancy, the technology is being tested by numerous companies and will roll out in the near future.

Generation Y will be responsible for 75% of vehicles purchased by 2025, and many millennials are especially eager to explore the new technology of self-driving cars. In addition to the intriguing technology they present, experts claim these self-driving cars will actually be safer for their riders than human drivers would be, but what about for pedestrians? These autonomous vehicles will have to make split-second decisions in terms of driving techniques and navigating road conditions — and those include keeping people safe, both in and outside the car.

An intriguing development by Swedish company Semcon AB will address the need for communication between self-driving cars and pedestrians on the streets. Without a human driver to communicate, pedestrians would lack the visual cue to signal their presence. Semcon AB is looking to address this concern by introducing technology that utilizes one of the most basic emotional cues: namely, the smile.

The idea behind the technology is that, when a self-driving car stops at a traffic light and “sees” a person at a crosswalk, the car can confirm the pedestrian’s existence with a lit-up smile on the front of the vehicle. This will signal to the pedestrian that the car notices him or her and will stop, letting them know they cross the street safely.

Eventually, the company hopes that the technology will be able to recognize head and eye movement in order to further distinguish whether the pedestrian is seeking reassurance. The addition of laser technology could also make the system operable in harsh weather, for nighttime driving, or in places where pedestrian crosswalks are lacking.

Although the concept of a smiling car might seem nonsensical to some, it could actually provide a shared language between the technology system and humans. There’s a real need for self-driving cars to communicate with the world in a way people recognize and that feels trustworthy. According to one survey, eight out of 10 pedestrians didn’t trust autonomous automobiles. This technology might be one way to bridge the gap and provide a means of familiar communication.

The concept of the Smiling Car is just the first step in the ongoing program conducted by Semcon AB and Viktoria Swedish ICT. The two organizations want to create a global-wide standard for how self-driving cars communicate and interact with their surroundings. With so many advancements being made, those formerly deemed ridiculous predictions for the future don’t seem so preposterous now. What kinds of new car-related technologies will come in the next few years? The excitement will keep us on the edge of our (leather-upholstered) seats.

A new program through Mesa-based senior care providers, Home Instead Senior Care, will focus on helping elderly parents and their children navigate a tough transition: handing over the car keys for good.

The loss of independence for the elderly can be particularly difficult, but a new initiative, dubbed “Let’s Talk About Driving,” aims to bring seniors and their children together to communicate openly about the dangers of senior driving. The program also provides tips on how to broach a tricky subject. Driving represents more than just a mode of transportation. It can often signify connection to the outside world, and can mean seniors have to face their own mortality — or at the very least, the knowledge that they can no longer do the things they once enjoyed.

“The idea of giving up driving completely sparks a range of emotions in senior drivers — everything from anger, to anxiety and loneliness,” said Home Instead Senior Care owner Mahnaz Pourian.

Luckily, the new program helps families facilitate the conversation, and acknowledges how important maintaining independence is for senior citizens.

In fact, the use of in home care actually helps seniors stay active and independent, compared to the care given in many institutions. It’s generally a less expensive and less extreme alternative to nursing homes, and its popularity is on the rise. Nearly 79% of those who need long-term care choose in home care or community living, rather than institutions.

Even those who can no longer drive can still enjoy many activities they love, and most in home care providers want to foster independence and keep seniors active for as long as feasibly possible.

A grandfather in Goshen, Ohio has been accused of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol after crashing his car while taking his six-year-old grandson to school.

Witnesses claimed that Dennis Plavsic was speeding down Garden Drive last week and slammed into a large concrete flowerpot. He was arrested for child endangerment and OVI.

Police discovered that this wasn’t Plavsic’s first drunk driving incident. His records showed that he had been arrested for three prior OVIs.

Plavsic denied any wrongdoing, saying that he would never put his grandson in danger. He claimed that the accident occurred when he turned around to check his grandson’s seatbelt.

“This morning it was just a freak accident is all it was,” he said. “By the time I turned back around, I hit the concrete thing up front. Because they smelled liquor on me from my dog spilling it on me from last night, they automatically assume I’ve been drinking.”

The accident took place just a few feet from a school bus stop where Sheilah Pertuset had been standing with her daughter.

“It was right after the bus had left,” she said. “We were still standing there, and this guy just went around the corner flying, lost control.”

She went on to say that Plavsic had appeared disoriented at the scene.

“He shouldn’t have been driving his little boy, no matter what,” Pertuset stated. “And then his little boy got out and he was crying and put his little hat over his head. It was scary because the kids were just there and you don’t know what could happen.”

The police tried to perform a breathalyzer test, but Plavsic couldn’t complete it. In fact, he’s never been able to complete one because of an alleged problem with his lungs.

According to Goshen police, the child is back home with his grandparents, but there is a plan in place for Children’s Services to meet with the family.

In Ohio, the sentence for OVI is typically a fine ranging from $250 to $1,000. Authorities have not disclosed the specific legal ramifications of Plavsic’s actions.

One shoe company has now sold more than 19 million pairs of its very first shoe. While this is certainly an impressive feat of business, one doctor has an even more heartwarming story of footwear.

Though he hasn’t quite hit the 19 million mark, Dr. Don Kim of Long Beach has led a shoe drive for nearly 20 years. As of 2016, he has collected and donated approximately 100,000 pairs of shoes to those in need.

Kim was inspired while providing free podiatry care in Mexico.

“Kids that I saw in Mexico, they were playing soccer, but they didn’t have shoes. Even though they were great players, obviously it couldn’t protect them from injuring their toes, and when they’re kicking and spraining ankles and a lot of different things they do playing soccer, they can really help when you have shoes,” he said.

When he returned to Southern California, he realized that kids here in the U.S. were in need of shoes as well.

Kim has a 13-year-old helper, Monica Hyndman, who has been contributing to the shoe drive since she was in second grade. For the past six years, Monica has been setting up collection boxes at her school and encouraging her friends to bring in old shoes.

“It makes me feel good to help other kids,” Monica said. “I do this because it’s the right thing to do, and I was inspired when I went to Guatemala when I was in first grade. I took a trip to Guatemala, I saw kids with no shoes and I said I need to make a difference.”

Earlier this month, Monica and other volunteers sorted through shoes during this year’s drive, which took place at the Dr. Kim Foot Center in Long Beach.

A lot can happen in the 6,000 miles between tire alignments and oil changes, but crashing into a parked police vehicle usually isn’t one of those things.

Although the introductory screen of Pokemon Go explicitly tells users to “be alert at all times” and “stay aware of your surroundings,” some individuals, including one Baltimore man, elect to ignore the warning.

The man in question was driving and playing the augmented reality game at the same time, and then proceeded to speed through an intersection and sideswipe a parked Baltimore Police Department vehicle.

Fortunately, the two officers with the car were standing outside and nobody was injured during the incident.

In an even greater stroke of luck, one of the officers caught the entire incident on a body camera.

The footage is jaw-dropping. In the video, two officers can be seen speaking to one another, and the car can be seen coming through the intersection. After the collision, the police officers rush to the driver.

The driver then gets out of the car, holds out his phone to the officers and says, “That’s what I get for playing this dumb a** game.”

Though nobody was injured in this incident, it could have been much worse. Humans aren’t accident proof, after all.

However, that hasn’t stopped one Australian artist from imagining what a car crash-proof human would look like if they existed.

Developed as part of a new road safety campaign in Australia, a lifelike sculpture named Graham was “designed with bodily features that might be present in humans if they had evolved to withstand the forces involved in [car] crashes,” according to the Transport Accident Commission in the state of Victoria.

With help from road safety engineer Dr. David Logan and trauma surgeon Christian Kenfield, Melbourne based artist Patricia Piccinini brought the vision of Graham to fruition.

Some of the crash-proof qualities of Graham’s anatomy include a massive skull to protect the brain; a flat, fatty face capable of absorbing the energy of an impact; no neck, eliminating the possibility of it being broken; stronger, thicker skin; and ribs fortified with their own air bags.

Frankly, Graham would be able to walk away from a high-speed crash with little difficulty.

“Graham helps us understand why we need to improve every aspect of our roads system to protect ourselves from our own mistakes,” said TAC chief executive Joe Calafiore.

“We have to accept people will always make mistakes, but modern vehicle safety technology and safe road design can drastically reduce the forces involved when a crash happens, making them more survivable,” he added.

While people may make mistakes, the Baltimore Police Department has made it clear that playing Pokemon Go while driving should not be one of them.

“This is serious stuff. It’s a game, but it’s not a game when you’re behind the wheel of a 2,000-pound vehicle, driving down the roadway,” said Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith at a press conference.