Here's What's Awesome: Desert-Blocking Bacteria, Implantable Telescopes

This week's edition of Here's What's Awesome has some pretty heavy-duty items - in fact, they remind me of something Margaret Mead might have said: "A small group of awesome links could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

That's next time, on This Old Desert
It's the solution a home improvement pro would love: We may be able to stop desertification with a giant retaining wall! Well, sort of - "giant" indeed means giant - 6,000 miles or so, but "retaining wall" doesn't just mean building a barrier to the sand, it means building a barrier from the sand. The plan would use a bacteria that can quickly change "loose media" like sand into hard calcium carbonate, effectively freezing the desert in place. Then they can build some planters into the retaining wall, for drainage as well as aesthetics! (Kidding.) [Scientific American]

Go-go-Gadget Telescope Eye!
While science might have found a solution to expanding deserts, the answer to macular degeneration is still a ways off - we can slow it down, but not cure it. And while we're slowing it down, we can also improve the vision of the patient with the new implantable eye telescope, a tiny set of lenses which magnifies images in the affected area of the retina. How much magnification? "Clinical trials... suggest it can improve vision by about three and a half lines on an eye chart." [via Presurfer]

Someday it'll tell you when it's double coupon day, too
If you've ever gone to the store and accidentally bought something you thought you were out of but actually had, Pantry could be your new friend. It's a sort of inventory manager for the kitchen, letting you keep a list of your foodstuffs and share it with others when it's time to restock. The system can't figure out your food needs on your own, though, so get ready for some culinary data entry if you want to make this application work for you. [Lifehacker]

Now it’s your turn: share an awesome link in the comments. Not sure you should? Just remember, a small group of comments about awesome links could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. Or something.

(Photo by alex lichtenberger via Flickr/Creative Commons)