Today’s Solutions: March 18, 2026

Blood tests can take weeks to get results, and the equipment to conduct the tests costs upwards of $18,000—but that all will soon be changing. Scientists from Columbia University have invented a smart phone attachment that can be powered by any headphone jack and diagnoses HIV and syphilis in 15 minutes, and it only costs $34. Recent advancements in micro technology have made the devices viable. The device is also easy to use, a simple 30-minute training is all that’s required to fully learn how to take samples and use the smartphone dongle. A successful pilot program just finished in Rwanda and plans for additional test programs are currently underway.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

The DNA database built to protect lions just helped convict the people who ki...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When conservation biologists fitted a male lion with a radio collar near Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, they ...

Read More

You can’t spot-reduce belly fat, but you can lose it. Here’s what...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every few years, a new product promises to "blast belly fat" or help you target your midsection. None ...

Read More

What the California food additive ban means for the candy industry

In a big step forward for food safety, California recently enacted a new law known as the "Skittles ban." While the nickname may be ...

Read More

First ever titanium heart implanted into a human body

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A combined effort by the Texas Heart Institute (THI), BiVACOR®, Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, and Baylor College ...

Read More