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Science & Technology
archives: May-June 2004
- 30 June 2004
"While dark memories of nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl have virtually frozen nuclear-power development in the West, energy-hungry Asia is increasingly embracing the nuclear option. On the 50th anniversary of the birth of nuclear power, analysts say it will be the example of fresh nuclear success in Asia - where 18 of 27 new plants worldwide are being built - that may determine the future of atomic power in the West. China and India are pursuing especially ambitious nuclear plans. Confronting cities choked with pollution but with few fuel resources, they have started up nine new plants in the past four years, and are building 10 more. Industry sources say China is aiming for a total of 30 plants in 15 years. Those moves contrast sharply with the atom's fall from grace in the West." In stark contrast with the West, nuclear power is becoming increasingly popular in Asia--a development that raises both hope and fear among many. Learn more in the Christian Science Monitor.
- 29 June 2004
"Rice yields are crashing as a result of global warming at twice the rate predicted by climate modelers, according to the first 'real world' experiment on the impact of rising temperatures. The detailed study of crop yields and temperatures took place on long-standing research plots at the International Rice Research Institute at Los Banos in the Philippines. The results suggest that global rice yields could potentially fall by a catastrophic 50 per cent during this century...The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) currently predicts that without drastic action to halt emissions of greenhouse gases, there will be a rise of 3.6°C in average global temperatures in the coming century. The new findings suggest that could reduce yields of rice - the world’s most widely eaten food - by half." A recent study indicates that global warming is having a significant impact upon rice harvests. Learn more in the New Scientist.
- 28 June 2004
"Cell phones are chock-full of features like built-in cameras, personalized ring tones and text messaging. They also gave a real boost to Kenny Hall's effort to cheat on his girlfriend. Mr. Hall, a 20-year-old college student in Denver, decided in March to spend a weekend in nearby Boulder with another woman. He turned to his cell phone for help, sending out a text message to hundreds of other cell phone users in an 'alibi and excuse club,' a network of 3,400 strangers who help each other skip work, get out of dates or give a loved one the slip. Assistance came instantly. A club member, on receiving Mr. Hall's message, agreed to call the girlfriend...Cellphones are usually used to help people keep track of each other and stay in easy contact. But they are also starting to take on quite a different function — helping users hide their whereabouts, create alibis and generally excuse their bad behavior." Learn more about the ways in which new cell phone technologies are fueling a social trend, in today's New York Times.
- 25 June 2004
"An international scientific team is to record and list the species thought to live deep in the Arctic Ocean's chill. One very deep area they will search, undisturbed for millennia, is said to contain the Earth's oldest seawater. The team, based at the University of Alaska, US, believes it is likely to find species never recorded before, and some commoner lifeforms in abundance. It says its task is now urgent because the onset of climate change requires very good baseline data on marine life...But the project will not find it all plain sailing. One problem is the availability of very expensive icebreakers, which tend to be booked up years ahead. Political boundaries may also prove an obstacle, especially in seabed areas rich in raw materials or used for dumping nuclear and other waste." Scientists are working quickly to study the uncharted depths of the Arctic Ocean before climate change has an irreversible effect on the region. Learn more at the BBC.com.
- 24 June 2004
"Spam overload is making computers sick and driving users mad. Research commissioned by Yahoo finds that the average British PC has nine 'sick days' per year, two more than the average for workers. Six of these are wasted battling with spam and three more days are lost due to viruses. Nearly half of British computer users find dealing with junk e-mails more stressful than traffic jams and the majority want service providers to act...Around a third of people would be prepared to make a drastic lifestyle change, such as exercising five times a week, if it meant an end to spam." A recent study conducted by internet giant Yahoo, indicates that the time wasted by dealing with the computing problems that spam and viruses cause adds up to waste nine "sick days" for the average computer each year. The study also finds that many users would be willing to engage in drastic lifestyle changes if it meant an end to spam. Learn more at the BBC.com.
- 23 June 2004
"A global observation system is needed to help predict long-term climate patterns — patterns that can affect everything from crops in India to hydroelectric power production in Brazil, researchers said Tuesday. 'We don't have a climate observing system, and because we don't have a climate observing system, this problem is very difficult,' Ed Sarachik, an atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Washington said during a panel discussion on extreme precipitation such as hurricanes and weather change over decades. Understanding weather patterns on such long time scales is important because they are tied into events such as El Niño, the periodic warming in the equatorial Pacific that can change weather worldwide, participants said." Amid growing concern over climate change, scientists are calling for a global climate monitoring system. Learn more in USA Today.
- 22 June 2004
"Lying in the darkened doctor's office, Kate Hoffman stared at the image of the 11-week-old fetus inside her on the ultrasound screen, a tiny ghost with a big head. It would have been so sweet, Ms. Hoffman said, if something had not been so clearly wrong...When her doctor told her there was a new way to assess the chance of certain abnormalities with no risk of miscarriage — a blood test and special sonogram — she happily made an appointment. The result, signaling that the child had a high chance of having Down syndrome, thrust Ms. Hoffman and her husband into a growing group of prospective parents who have learned far more about the health of their fetus than was possible even three years ago." New technologies are making it increasingly easy to test for fetal birth defects. Yet, the results of these tests can raise troubling moral questions for perspective parents. Learn more in the New York Times.
- 21 June 2004
"White Knight carrying SpaceShipOne, the first private manned spacecraft, has successfully taken off on the first part of its historic space journey. SpaceShipOne is being carried to 50,000ft (15km), which should take an hour, at which point it will fire its own rockets and head for space. The craft, built by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, will aim to reach 100km (62 miles), space's official boundary. No private craft or civilian pilot has ever been further...White Knight and SpaceShipOne are thought to be revolutionary in many ways. SpaceShipOne's hybrid engine needs special fuel that is safer, and both White Knight and the ship can be reused. SpaceShipOne's rocket motor, which was custom-built by SpaceDev of San Diego, burns a solid rubber propellant with liquid nitrous oxide - a liquid version of 'laughing gas.'" The first privately funded voyage into space began moments ago. Many experts believe that this mission signals the beginning of a new space age. Learn more at the BBC.com.
- 18 June 2004
"In the 1956 sci-fi adventure 'Forbidden Planet,' an American astronaut receives a 'brain boost' from an alien machine that temporarily gives him enhanced mental powers. Before he dies from the effects of the boost, he helps unravel the mystery of how the civilization became extinct: It couldn't control its own immense mental powers...What used to be confined to speculative fiction is fast becoming scientific fact. Brain boosting, or 'neural enhancement,' is already being done - and much more powerful techniques are on the way. Some observers say we're rushing into this brain-gain revolution without sufficient thought or preparation." Although it seems like the stuff of science fiction, many people already engage in "brain boosting." While some experts hope that these new techniques will benefit mankind, others argue that it could lead to disaster. Learn more in the Christian Science Monitor.
- 17 June 2004
"The head of one of the world's biggest oil giants has said unless carbon dioxide emissions are dealt with he sees 'very little hope for the world.' In a frank interview, Ron Oxburgh told the Guardian newspaper that climate change makes him 'very worried for the planet.' He said a technology to trap harmful emissions, blamed by many scientists for climate change, must be developed. But he said he feared 'the timescale might be impossible'...He said a technique called carbon sequestration urgently needs to be developed to capture greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, so they can be stored underground, rather than be allowed to enter the atmosphere." Amid growing concerns about the threats posed by global warming, the head of one of the world's biggest oil companies is breaking ranks and voicing his own alarm. Learn more at the BBC.com.
- 16 June 2004
"The head of a scientific team that has applied for Europe's first license to create human embryos for stem cell research said they were not trying clone babies but to help millions of people with diabetes. 'My biggest worry is that people will not understand what we are trying to do,' said Dr. Miodrag Stojkovic, of the University of Newcastle in northern England. 'My intention is to remove these fears -- we don't want to clone human beings,' he told Reuters in an interview...Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the country's cloning watchdog group, was considering the university's application for human therapeutic cloning, creating embryos as a source of stem cells to cure diseases." Amid controversy, a prominent scientist is working to get permission to harvest stem cells from artificially created human embryos." Learn more at Reuters.
- 15 June 2004
"You certainly expect to see golf ads while visiting the golf section of ESPN.com. But if you're a devoted duffer, those pitches will soon find you as well when you're checking baseball scores or catching up on football trades. ESPN and other Web sites, eyeing the successes search engines have had with ads based on keywords, are exploring a new form of targeting that's tied to their visitors' online habits. Though some privacy advocates find the practice creepy, Web sites say the technology lets them deliver ads that readers find more relevant...Targeting has long been a holy grail for Web site publishers, but it was rather crude in the Web's early days; neither the technology was well enough developed nor the audiences particularly defined." Some companies are developing targeted ads that "follow" users around. Advertisers believe that it is an effective marketing technique, while others cite privacy concerns. Learn more in USA Today.
- 14 June 2004
"Imagine a day when your doctor retrieves your information not from a paper file, but on an encrypted smart card. Or when an instant message alerts you that your laundry is done. Or--unbelievably--a day when you get not a single piece of spam. That's the future of the Internet described in a keynote address at the IAPP Truste Symposium [in San Francisco] this week. John Patrick, former vice president of Internet technology at IBM and now president of the consulting organization Attitude LLC, shared his vision and told how the next steps of Internet evolution will come about.
Many of his expected changes are already arriving, but can't surface until there are some sweeping changes to the Internet's framework, and--more importantly--to people's attitudes, Patrick said." Learn more about where the future of the internet could be heading, in PC World.
- 11 June 2004
"Humans can live without a lot of things on Earth, cable television and Twinkies for example, but air isn't one of them. Now a new NASA satellite is poised to take the closest look ever at the air humans breathe to understand how smoke, aerosols and other pollutants can be carried through the atmosphere and affect air quality around the world. The Aura spacecraft, the latest and last satellite NASA's first Earth Observing System (EOS), will also monitor changes in Earth climate and search the planet's ozone layer for any signs of recuperation after years of attack by man-made pollutants like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). 'If it works for one day we will have more information on our air than ever seen from space.'" A new research satellite scheduled for launch next month will show scientists how holes in the ozone layer are affecting the air we breathe. Learn more in USA Today.
- 10 June 2004
"Virtually all life in the world's oceans is directly or indirectly dependent on one-celled plants called phytoplankton. These plants, which live at the ocean surface, feed on ocean nutrients to survive. But about 20 to 30 percent of these crucial nutrients sink out of reach of the phytoplankton each year, according to Jorge Sarmiento, a professor of atmospheric and ocean sciences at Princeton University in New Jersey. Some scientists argue that by adding iron to areas of the ocean that are iron deficient, populations of iron-starved phytoplankton would blossom. In turn, these robust phytoplankton populations would help fight global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via increased photosynthesis." Some scientists believe that adding strategic iron deposits to the world's oceans could promote the growth of phytoplankton and reduce the effects of global warming. Learn more in National Geographic News.
- 9 June 2004
"A little more than a decade ago, Amir Maksyutov was developing virulent strains of influenza and other infectious agents for potential use as bioweapons against the United States. Today, he's working on vaccines for HIV, flu and malaria. Maksyutov is happy to be one of the scientists taken under the wing of the United States since the Soviet Union fell. After the Cold War, when Russia employed brilliant scientists to create vats of super-virulent infectious agents, many of those researchers were out of jobs. Lest the researchers go to work for its enemies, the United States developed programs to collaborate with former Soviet scientists." In an effort to keep deadly biological weapons from falling into the wrong hands, the United States and Russia are employing scientists who once created bioweapons to design life-saving medicines. Learn more in Wired News.
- 8 June 2004
"A majority of the Senate asked President Bush to change policy and allow stem cell research to better combat Alzheimer's the day before former President Ronald Reagan died from complications of the brain-wasting disease. In a bipartisan letter signed by 58 of the 100 senators and mailed on Friday, lawmakers told Bush his policy provided 'difficult challenges' to those seeking a cure for Alzheimer's and other illnesses. The letter, released publicly on Monday, echoed one sent last month by 206 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. There was no immediate response from the White House, which has placed restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and opposes using stem cells from most embryos. In response to the April letter, officials indicated there would be no change in policy." In a rare show of non-partisan solidarity, a majority of U.S. senators are asking President Bush to reduce the restrictions on stem cell research. Learn more in Yahoo News.
- 7 June 2004
"'Toxic dust' found on computer processors and monitors contains chemicals linked to reproductive and neurological disorders, according to a new study by several environmental groups. The survey, released Thursday by Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Computer TakeBack Campaign and Clean Production Action, is among the first to identify brominated flame retardants on the surfaces of common devices in homes and offices...'This will be a great surprise to everyone who uses a computer,' said Ted Smith, director of the Toxics Coalition. 'The chemical industry is subjecting us all to what amounts to chemical trespass by putting these substances into use in commerce. They continue to use their chemicals in ways that are affecting humans and other species.'" A new study indicates that deadly chemicals are often present in the monitors and processors of personal computers. Learn more in USA Today.
- 4 June 2004
"One of the UK's best-known scientists, Professor James Lovelock, says only a catastrophe will prompt the world to tackle the threat of climate change. He says the global climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, is simply an attempt to appease a self-regulating Earth system. Professor Lovelock thinks the Earth's attempts to restore its equilibrium may eliminate civilisation and most humans...Professor Lovelock said: 'In the late 1930s when I was a student we knew that war was imminent, but there was no clear idea of what to do about it. I find a marked similarity between attitudes over 60 years ago and those now towards the threat of global [climate] change.'" A leading expert on climate change warns that global warming is putting the planet on the path towards catastrophe and that current environmental policies are more cosmetic than effective. Learn more at the BBC.com.
- 3 June 2004
"The U.S. Agriculture Department's process for approving permits to grow biopharmaceutical crops is 'shrouded in secrecy,' making it difficult to know if the crops pose a risk to humans or the environment, a study said Wednesday. The activist group Center for Science in the Public Interest, CPSI, said the USDA's failure to disclose more details, such as the drug or chemical being produced, could lead to problems...Biopharming, which uses plants to generate proteins that now cost millions of dollars to make in large fermentation facilities, has drawn the interest of several biotech companies. Developers believe that plants engineered to produce specific proteins or compounds to treat illnesses like diabetes could cut the costs of producing some drugs." Some experts argue that the USDA's oversight of the production of biopharmaceutical crops is not close or transparent enough. Learn more at CNN.com.
- 1 June 2004
"Doug Randall wrote (along his boss at Global Business Network, Peter Schwartz) what has come to be known as 'the Pentagon study' on abrupt climate change. Their scenario findings -- that the gradual global warming we're experiencing could plausibly trigger an abrupt climate snap, and that its effects would be massive, perhaps catastrophic, and of direct relevance to the national security of the United States -- were picked up by media around the world, gathering a snowball of controversy and hype along the way. Their scenarios, freely available on the Web, were termed a 'secret Pentagon report,' and their descriptions of possible climate catastrophe taken as bald prediction." Read an interview with Doug Randall at Worldchanging.com.
- 31 May 2004
"Evolution on the Galapagos Islands has helped inspire researchers developing novel ways to tackle some of the trickiest problems in business. Brighton-based Codefarm is using evolutionary computing to swiftly search through thousands of potential solutions to these problems. To speed up the time it takes to find the best answer, the system runs on a cluster, or grid, of computers. Banks look set to be among the first to use the techniques to advise investors on the best way to balance risks and rewards." Companies engaging in businesses as diverse as finance to research and design often utilize computer simulations to map possible business models. Yet, it is often difficult to sort through an infinite number of permutations. In response, one computer company has developed "evolutionary algorithms" that could revolutionize the ways in which businesses utilize numerical models. Learn more at the BBC.com.
- 28 May 2004
"With fuel prices at record levels, U.S. consumers are once again turning their attention to more efficient cars, companies are investing in renewable energy and government programs are encouraging conservation. The trend mimics the 1970s, when record high oil prices led Americans to trade in their gas guzzlers for smaller foreign cars -- but this time the move is more high-tech. The biggest advances in the renewable fuels revolution are hybrid cars, hydrogen fuel and solar and wind power. 'With gasoline prices reaching beyond $2 per gallon hybrid vehicles are catching more consumers' attention,' Prudential analyst Michael Bruynesteyn said... Another sustainable and clean fuel with great potential is hydrogen. It is used in fuel cell cars -- electric vehicles powered by combining hydrogen from a fuel source and oxygen from the air. They are efficient, producing only water as a waste product. But making hydrogen itself can be polluting, while storage and distribution are still expensive and limited." Consumers and companies are showing a greater interest in renewable energy sources. Learn more in a report by Reuters.
- 27 May 2004
"Over the past 20 years scientists have warmed up to the idea that the majority of life on our planet lives not on Earth's surface but beneath its crust. The theory has spurred new ideas about life's origins on Earth and where to look for life on other planets. Earth's crust gets warmer the closer it is to the molten iron-nickel believed to be at our planet's core. One question that scientists who study life beneath Earth's crust face is, at what temperature is it too hot for life to survive? Since scientists believe Earth at one point was mostly molten, the answer to the question may shed light on how early life could have first evolved on our planet." The discovery of microbes that thrive in high temperatures is offering scientists clues about how the very first life on Earth may have evolved. Learn more in the National Geographic.
- 26 May 2004
"The net is having a profound effect on medicine, as in all fields, not least because researchers in medical labs can share research with colleagues around the world. There are also thousands of websites claiming to be able to diagnose and cure illnesses online, but there are concerns about how much the information provided can be trusted. Although a physical appointment with a GP might provide a quick diagnosis and prescription, many feel it is not long enough to get enough information about health problems. The net is providing many with what they want, and this is creating a growing breed of so-called cyberchondriacs." Although the internet is proving to be a helpful tool in doctor-patient relationships, it is also spawning a breed of mis-informed "cyberchondriacs." Learn more at BBC.com.
- 25 May 2004
"If you've ever wondered how big the universe is, you're not alone. Astronomers have long pondered this, too, and they've had a hard time figuring it out. Now an estimate has been made, and it’s a whopper. The universe is at least 156 billion light-years wide. In the new study, researchers examined primordial radiation imprinted on the cosmos. Among their conclusions is that it is less likely that there is some crazy cosmic "hall of mirrors" that would cause one object to be visible in two locations. And they've ruled out the idea that we could peer deep into space and time and see our own planet in its youth." By examining imprints left by cosmic radiation, scientists believe that they have come up with and estimate for how large the universe is. Learn more about this fascinating study at Space.com.
- 24 May 2004
"Almost 4000 Britons aged between 10 and 30 may be harbouring the prion proteins that cause the human form of mad cow disease. The new estimate comes from direct analyses of human biopsies, and is much higher than epidemiological projections of the likely number of deaths from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). The investigators discovered three infected tonsil or appendix samples from a total of 12,674 stored between 1995 and 1999. However, because so few positive samples were found, the projected total of 3808 can only be speculative. Furthermore, harbouring the prions may not necessarily lead to vCJD...Concern at Hilton's preliminary findings in 2002 prompted the UK government's Health Protection Agency to launch in 2003 a much larger screening study based on an archive of 100,000 freshly collected tonsil samples." A recent British study indicates that far more people could be infected with mad cow disease, than originally estimated. Learn more in the New Scientist.
- 21 May 2004
"Will climate change trigger mass extinctions or will new life bloom in its wake? Some of the scientific scenarios are apocalyptic and see a warmer world leading to the most profound changes since the demise of the dinosaurs. 'The biodiversity and nature impacts (of global warming) are well-documented...all the signals are there: birds migrating earlier, flowers blooming earlier, seasons changing,' said Jennifer Morgan, director of the Climate Change Program for the conservation group WWF International. Global warming could wipe out a quarter of all species of plants and animals by 2050, according to one international study. Others see a wetter and hence greener world as a result. Australian scientists said this month that a hotter planet could induce more rainfall, encouraging the growth of plants that soak up greenhouse gases." While many scientists believe that climate change is bad for the environment, there are some who disagree. Learn more in Yahoo News.
- 20 May 2004
"Earlier this month, opponents of genetically modified (GM) crops were celebrating a decision by Monsanto, a giant biotechnology firm, to drop its plans to market the world’s first strain of GM wheat. Before that, in March, greens were cheered by a decision by Bayer, another biotech giant, to scrap plans to sell GM maize (sweetcorn) in Britain. Nevertheless, the environmentalist lobby has been suffering at least as many setbacks as victories in its drive to rid the world of 'frankenfoods'...On Wednesday May 19th, it was the biotech firms who were celebrating, when the European Commission ended a five-year-long moratorium on imports of any new GM produce." Over the course of the last month, both opponents and advocates of genetically modified crops have celebrated a number of legal and political victories. Learn more about the fierce politics surrounding genetically modified food in this week's Economist.
- 19 May 2004
"Back in the 1940s, John Von Neumann—a giant in the development of modern computers—investigated the theoretical possibilities of self-reproduction. He essentially asserted that a self-reproducible machine would require a 'tape' or other description of itself. During reproduction, this tape would serve as the set of instructions for building a copy of the machine and would itself be copied to create the seed necessary for the next generation. DNA, of course, turned out to have precisely these properties. What a beautiful story! One of the very first computer scientists, a mathematician and engineer, made a prediction of the fundamental mechanism of life that biologists subsequently discovered." Our knowledge of genetics and biology could eventually advance to such a degree that scientists will soon be able to program cells like we do computers. Read more in MIT's Technology Review.
- 18 May 2004
"Seeing little flapping specks that hover in the bright blue yonder or change shape in the blink of an eye? You could be looking at the next generation of aircraft. Government and university researchers are developing aircraft that mimic the flying methods of birds, whether it's by flapping or by changing the shape and angle of the wings on the fly. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Rolla are working on developing the world's first flapping-wing, unmanned aircraft driven entirely by solar power. The aircraft is being designed to flap its wings not with conventional mechanical parts, but with an exotic material that can deform in an electric field like an artificial muscle. The craft is made to fly at altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 feet." While today's man-made aircraft have little resemblance to birds, researchers are working to build a machine that imitates their flight. Learn more in Wired News.
- 17 May 2004
"Flying cars, transparent cloaks, technology which can read minds and games played by brain waves - the stuff of fiction, surely? Not so, these seemingly far-fetched inventions - and more - are now reality. 'This is a city that is always looking at what is next,' says editor-in-chief Chris Anderson. 'We have brought the most innovative minds and extraordinary technologies from around the world and here is what's next. These are the things that will change the way we live and work and play in the future.' The 110 exhibitors were chosen from 2,500 research and development projects underway at universities and corporations worldwide." Although it sounds like science fiction, a recent convention suggests that products like flying cars and invisibility cloaks will soon be reality. Learn more at the BBC.com.
- 14 May 2004
"Beaches worldwide bear witness to the ugly impact of plastic debris on our oceans. Milk jugs, water bottles, cigarette lighters, diaper liners, jar lids, cheap toys, and goodness knows what else festoon tide lines today. But this may just scratch the surface. A new study suggests that microscopic bits of plastic have sifted, unseen, throughout the marine environment. The plastic not only litters the beach, it is—like fine bits of sand—becoming the beach. U.K. researchers in Plymouth and Southampton, England, found that microscopic fragments of nylon, polyester, and seven other types of plastic are widespread in sediments around British shores." Although it is hardly surprising that the world's Oceans are polluted, a new study indicates that there is an alarmingly high quantity of microscopic pieces of plastic in the sea. Learn more in National Geographic.
- 13 May 2004
"It took Adam Arkin and David Schaffer just $200,000 and a grad student to develop a potential treatment for AIDS. And that scares them. That's because the therapy itself is a virus. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory assistant professors created a virus altered to latch onto HIV and mute its ability to become AIDS. They've tested the theory in a computer model and in cells in a dish. The results have been promising, and if they continue in that vein, the researchers could begin animal testing by the end of this year...The treatment is made of a gutted HIV virus. The harmful parts of the virus are removed, and in their place the researchers have inserted a DNA cargo that inhibits HIV's ability to kill immune cells. It latches onto the natural HIV and spreads along with it, even from person to person." Two graduate students are working to develop a virus that could work to counteract AIDS. Learn more about their fascinating project in Wired News.
- 12 May 2004
"What are the limits of organic life in planetary systems? It's a heady question that, if answered, may reveal just how crowded the cosmos could be with alien biology. A study arm of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council (NRC), has pulled together a task group of specialists to tackle the issue of alternative life forms —a.k.a. 'weird life'...The newly formed study group has some big issues to get their arms around. Possible alternative chemistries for life are to be evaluated, with an eye toward the prospect that non-standard chemistry may support life in known solar system and conceivable extra-solar environments. Additionally, the task group is to define broad areas that might guide NASA, the National Science Foundation, and other relevant agencies and organizations to fund efforts to expand scientific knowledge in this area." A panel of scientists is coming together to discuss how likely it is that there is other life in the universe and, if so, how we might go about finding it. Learn more in USA Today.
- 11 May 2004
"NASA's latest experiment with health care may benefit Earth-bound patients as much as astronauts -- and space researchers couldn't be happier. A trial on the international space station is using ultrasound -- low-frequency sound waves -- to look for injuries inside the body during spaceflight. The ultrasound probe creates a digital image of the body that is sent electronically to doctors who can diagnose such things as heart problems, collapsed lungs, muscle loss and abdominal conditions...Although astronauts are receiving cutting-edge care, the technology promises to have a far greater impact closer to home." Although it is currently being used by astronauts in the international space station, technology that allows doctors to diagnose patients electronically could soon benefit the rest of us. Learn more at CNN.com.
- 10 May 2004
"The debate over embryonic stem-cell research, which occupied President Bush during his early days in the White House, is re-emerging as an election issue as advocates for patients, including Nancy Reagan, press the president to loosen the limits on federal financing for the science. Mrs. Reagan, whose husband, former President Ronald Reagan, suffers from Alzheimer's disease, has made her support for the research known but has never spoken publicly about it. She is expected to do so in Beverly Hills on Saturday night at a star-studded fund-raiser sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Last week, 206 members of the House, including some in the Republican leadership and nearly three dozen opponents of abortion, signed a letter urging Mr. Bush to allow the federal government to finance studies on embryos left over from in vitro fertilization clinics, which would otherwise be discarded." As an increasing number of scientists advocate utilizing stem cells for research politicians are being forced to reexamine the issues surrounding stem cell technology. Learn more in the New York Times.
- 7 May 2004
"History is full of accidental inventions...especially in the United States: Teflon, Coca-Cola and nylon all emerged as serendipitous offshoots of unrelated research. And that is exactly why many U.S. corporate and political leaders believe that it is imperative for the nation to maintain its emphasis on advanced research and innovative science. With more resources and policies concentrated on research and development, they argue, the better the chances are for the United States to make more important scientific discoveries....Such 'disruptive' technologies are needed today more than ever to lead the next industrial cycle--otherwise, U.S. companies risk being eclipsed by other nations, as more high-level R&D work is done offshore in an increasingly global marketplace....The goal, R&D proponents say, is for U.S. researchers to leapfrog the competition with breakthrough products, thereby lessening the significance of innovation by other countries working on existing technologies." As more and more high-tech industries are moving to countries like India, many specialists believe that it is particularly important for the U.S. to lead the way in developing new technologies in order to stay globally competitive. Read more in this fourth article in a series on offshoring published by CNET News.
- 6 May 2004
"Erb Avore used to torment companies with spam. Now, the vegan activist, who changed his legal name, says he's starting a call center in India. Damon DeCrescenzo, one of the world's biggest spammers, dropped out of the business this year because of a new federal anti-spam law, his attorney, Charles Neustein, says. DeCrescenzo is looking for another profession, Neustein says. As more consumers and companies use sophisticated software to thwart unwanted e-mail, and anti-spam lawsuits mount, spammers are ditching the business. Last week, federal prosecutors in Detroit filed the first criminal charges against four spammers...About 3% of spam got to consumers in April, vs. 12% in November, says anti-spam firm Cloudmark, based on data it collected from more than 925,000 e-mail users." Although spam continues to flood computer users' inboxes, there is evidence that new anti-spam laws are reducing the volume of unwanted e-mails. Learn more in USA Today.
- 5 May 2004
"In a growing practice that troubles some ethicists, a Chicago laboratory helped create five healthy babies so that they could serve as stem-cell donors for their ailing brothers and sisters. The made-to-order infants, from different families, were screened and selected when they were still embryos to make sure they would be compatible donors. Their siblings suffered from leukemia or a rare and potentially lethal anemia. This is the first time embryo tissue-typing has been done for common disorders like leukemia that are not inherited, and the results suggest that many more children than previously thought could benefit from the technology, said Dr. Anver Kuliev, a Chicago doctor who participated in the research." As scientists learn more about genetics it is becoming easier to "create" babies that might be able to donate tissue or stem-cells to older siblings. The practice holds the promise of offering cures for debilitating diseases, but many question whether it is ethical. Learn more at CNN.com.
- 4 May 2004
"The man who led the privately funded project to sequence the human genome, is someone who likes to mix business with pleasure. And for a geneticist whose passion is sailing, there can be few more satisfying ways of doing so than sampling genes in the Sargasso sea, near Bermuda. The samples he took there last year yielded a surprise. The sea had looked as though it was the oceanic equivalent of a desert, bereft of nutrients, and with little life beyond the Sargassum weed that gives the sea its name. But when Dr Venter ran his samples through his newly developed method for sequencing the DNA of an entire environment, some 1.2m new genes turned up from an estimated 1,800 species of microbe previously unknown to science. An apparently empty sea was teaming with bacterial life. Such newly discovered genes are the raw material for the infant, but rapidly developing field that makes useful chemicals via genetically modified organisms." The discovery of new microbes is leading to innovation in the burgeoning field of industrial biotechnology. Learn more in the Economist.
- 3 May 2004
"Molecules that destroy deadly nerve agents could provide the basis of a new type of civilian drug to protect people against a terrorist attack. The US army is testing the enzymes - called paraoxonases - to see if they could be used to protect troops from exposure during battle. But Israeli researchers working in the field say any new drug could also have a role in the civil defence setting. The paraoxonases might also have applications as sprays to decontaminate areas and groups of people exposed to nerve agents. Paraoxonases are a particularly attractive choice as the basis for developing pre-treatment drugs, or prophylactics, because they completely break down organophosphorus nerve agents like sarin, the agent used in the Tokyo underground attack in March 1995." Researchers are developing an enzyme that might eventually be able to protect troops and civilians from chemical attacks. Learn more in the BBC.com.
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