Science Headlines for November 24, 2008

Hairspray Is Linked To Common Genital Birth Defect, Says Study

Women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

New Technique Eliminates Toxic Drugs In Islet Transplant In Diabetic Mice

Islet cell transplantation is a promising therapy for people with type 1 diabetes, but it requires a regime of powerful immunosuppressive drugs so the immune system won't reject the insulin-producing islets. The drugs raise the risk of infections and cancer and are toxic to the islets themselves. Researchers have developed a new technique that eliminated the need for these drugs. The strategy is a potential therapy for human islet cell transplantation.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

Ancient And Modern Plagues Show Common Features

The Plague of Athens is one of 10 historically notable outbreaks described in an article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The phenomenon of widespread, socially disruptive disease outbreaks has a long history prior to HIV/AIDS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, H5N1 avian influenza and other emerging diseases of the modern era, note the authors.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

When It Comes To What's For Dinner, Baboon Society Is No Democracy

In decisions about where to eat, baboons don't all have an equal say, according to a new report. Rather, most baboons in a group will follow their leader to a dining spot of his choosing, even if it means a considerably more meager meal for themselves than they could have had otherwise.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

The Network Of Everything: Personal Networks Will Have To Cope With At Least A Thousand Devices

Wireless experts believe that, by 2017, personal networks will have to cope with at least a thousand devices, like laptops, telephones, mp3 players, games, sensors and other technology. To link these devices will require a ‘Network of Everything’. It represents an astonishing challenge, but European researchers believe that they are moving towards the solution.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

'Fish Technology' Draws Renewable Energy From Slow Water Currents

Slow-moving ocean and river currents could be a new, reliable and affordable alternative energy source. Engineers have made a machine that works like a fish to turn potentially destructive vibrations in fluid flows into clean, renewable power.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

Soluble Fiber, Antispasmodics And Peppermint Oil Should Be Used To Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Study Suggests

Fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil are all effective therapies for irritable bowel syndrome and should become first-line treatments, according to a new study.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 4:00 pm

Bee Swarms Follow High-speed 'Streaker' Bees To Find A New Nest

How does a swarm of bees find its way to a new nest site when less then 5 percent of the community knows the way? Filming bee swarms as they relocated to new nest site and analyzing the insects' apparently chaotic course, scientists have found that "streaker" bees fly through the swarm at high speed to guide it.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 4:00 pm

Mars Express Observes Aurora On The Red Planet

Scientists using ESA's Mars Express have produced the first crude map of aurora on Mars. These displays of ultraviolet light appear to be located close to the residual magnetic fields generated by Mars's crustal rocks. They highlight a number of mysteries about the way Mars interacts with electrically charged particles originating from the Sun.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 4:00 pm

New Species Of Ebola Virus Discovered

Scientists report the discovery of a new species of Ebola virus, provisionally named Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The virus, which was responsible for a hemorrhagic fever outbreak in western Uganda in 2007, has been characterized by a team of scientists.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 4:00 pm

Europe meets to set space goals

Member states of the European Space Agency meeting in The Hague to approve policies and programmes for the next three years.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 Nov 2008 | 3:53 pm

First 3-D Images Inside Human Arteries

The walls that line human coronary arteries have been imaged for the first time in 3-D. Such images will allow cardiologists to visualize areas of inflammation and plaque deposits more clearly.
Source: Livescience.com | 24 Nov 2008 | 3:50 pm

Final hurdle for UK's Moon shot

The UK's space funding body is to assess a proposal to send a British lunar spacecraft called MoonLite.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:53 pm

Probe to Scout Earth-Made Blasts

A new mission will study gamma ray bursts above Earth that may be tied to lightning.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:48 pm

People Said to Believe in Aliens and Ghosts More Than God (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - More people believe in aliens and ghosts than in God, a new survey finds, according to a British newspaper.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:48 pm

Astronauts Set for Final Spacewalk in Station Repair (SPACE.com)

SPACE.com - Two astronauts will float outside the International Space Station on Monday to wrap up repairs on a clogged solar array-turning gear while engineers troubleshoot glitches with the outpost's finicky new water recycler.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:46 pm

Astronauts work on space station water recycler

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station on Sunday tried to revive a urine recycling machine needed to provide fresh water for an expanded crew scheduled to arrive next year.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:42 pm

Spanish Town Puts Solar Panels on Graves

Spanish town puts solar panels on mausoleums to provide power to help combat global warming.
Source: Livescience.com | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:40 pm

Scientists shed light on causes of epilepsy

LONDON (Reuters) - A breakdown in a reaction between immune cells and blood vessels in the brain appears to play a key role in epilepsy, Italian researchers said Monday.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:35 pm

Antigenics vaccine promising in small cancer study (Reuters)

Reuters - Biotechnology company Antigenics Inc said on Monday that its Oncophage vaccine extended survival in a small study of patients with brain cancer.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:33 pm

Chavez, opposition share Venezuela election spoils (Reuters)

Reuters - President Hugo Chavez's left-wing party and the growing opposition shared the spoils of Venezuela's local elections as they jostled for political momentum in the OPEC nation on Monday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:22 pm

People Said to Believe in Aliens and Ghosts More Than God

A new survey claims to have found more people believe in aliens and ghosts than in God.
Source: Livescience.com | 24 Nov 2008 | 2:06 pm

Black Holes Burp Big Bubbles

Bubbles of hot plasma can keep black-hole growth in check.
Source: Livescience.com | 24 Nov 2008 | 1:39 pm

Gorilla diary

The UN escorts rangers to safety as rebels advance
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 Nov 2008 | 1:02 pm

GM saviour?

Why we should not turn our backs on GM crops
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 Nov 2008 | 12:59 pm

Whales rescued from Australian beach join pod (AP)

AP - A group of whales rescued from an Australian beach have joined a larger pod in deep waters a sign they are doing fine after their ordeal, an official said Monday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 12:21 pm

Spanish city installs solar panels on sun-soaking cemetery

A city in north-eastern Spain installs solar panels at its main cemetery in a move to generate power for homes.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 Nov 2008 | 12:10 pm

The Nation's Weather (AP)

AP - Cold, wintry weather was sweeping across the Midwest and Ohio River Valley early Monday, while much of the West and Plains enjoyed clear skies.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 11:26 am

Astronauts Venture Out on Final Spacewalk

In this mission's final spacewalk, astronauts hope to finish unjamming a huge joint.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 24 Nov 2008 | 11:18 am

Astronauts venture on 4th, final spacewalk (AP)

AP - Three spacewalks down. One to go. Astronauts Stephen Bowen and Robert "Shane" Kimbrough venture outside the international space station Monday for the fourth and final spacewalk of space shuttle Endeavour's nearly two-week visit to the orbiting outpost.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 11:14 am

Fabulous flippers: Dolphins have quite the kick (AP)

AP - Dolphins have a kick that would make Michael Phelps jealous 212 pounds worth.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Nov 2008 | 9:42 am

Sorting Sellafield

International nuclear firms land huge UK contract
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 Nov 2008 | 7:54 am

Fore! Here Comes the Ultimate Golf Ball

Computer model shows how dimples make golf balls fly farther.
Source: Livescience.com | 24 Nov 2008 | 3:24 am

Video - The Secret of Golf Balls Revealed: Dimple Dynamics

Why do dimpled golf balls fly farther and straighter? Supercomputer simulation shows the fine details. Sporting goods companies have been relying upon trial and error to create effective dimple patterns. Now they may have a much better tool.
Source: Livescience.com | 24 Nov 2008 | 1:55 am

Skye's dinosaur connection to US

Footprints of dinosaurs found on a Scottish island are of the same, or a similar species, which left their mark on Wyoming.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 Nov 2008 | 12:32 am

Letter: On the face of it, no guide to character

Letter: I would actually trust Gordon Brown over David Cameron and Nick Clegg any day
Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 24 Nov 2008 | 12:24 am

Bid to cut UK transport emissions

Transport emissions in the UK could be cut by 25% by 2020 if the government shifted its policies, a report claims.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 Nov 2008 | 12:06 am

Ariane Sherine: Give it to me straight

Ariane Sherine: For spinach-in-the-teeth and embarrassing-smell moments, it is far better to be brutally honest
Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 24 Nov 2008 | 12:04 am

Science Weekly podcast: How atheists will be celebrating Christmas, stem cells, cloning mammoths, and happy elephants

Comedian Robin Ince and the editor of New Humanist Caspar Melville join us in the studio to talk about their mission to take the Christ out of Christmas in their show 'Nine lessons and carols for godless people'.

We look at a breakthrough in surgery: a transplant operation in Spain in which a patient's own stem cells were first used to grow the replacement organ.

As 'presumed consent' for organ donation is put on the back-burner in Britain, the pod looks at countries where donation is already mandatory.

Cloning woolly mammoths gets a mention, of course. We weigh up the chances of a mammoth resurrection with Dr Michael Hofreiter at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany.

While we're on the subject of huge mammals, here's how to soothe a poorly elephant.

Plus, if you are a man and have a scar on your face, why you need to watch out for the ladies.

Science correspondents Ian Sample and James Randerson are on hand to guide us through.

Feel free to post your comments about the show on the blog below.

You can also join our facebook group, where you can scrawl your thoughts on our wall.

WARNING: contains explicit language

Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 24 Nov 2008 | 12:04 am

Finds that made Basques proud are fake, say experts

It was hailed as an archeological discovery of global importance showing, among other things, the oldest representation of Christ on the cross and proof that ancient Egyptian influences had survived deep in Roman Spain.

For traditional Basques the pictures, symbols and words found scraped onto pieces of third century pottery dug up near the town of Nanclares, in northern Spain, included miraculous evidence that their unique language of Euskara was far older than ever thought. Eighteen months ago the dig's director, Eliseo Gil, claimed that some finds at the Roman town known as Veleia were on par with those at Pompeii or Rome itself. Basque nationalists bristled with pride. This archeological jewel gave them a far greater claim to a distinctive, millennial and Christian culture than they had dreamed possible.

Now a committee of experts has revealed those jewels to be fakes. "They are either a joke or a fraud," said Martín Almagro, a professor in prehistory from Madrid. "How has something like this been taken seriously for so long?" The hunt is on for an archeological fraudster who defaced fragments of third century pottery with fake graffiti.

The fraudster seems either to have buried the pieces or planted them in a laboratory where experts sifted through finds. The fakes left the first people to see them swooning.

The Calvary scene was hailed as both the nearest thing mankind had to a contemporary pictorial account of the crucifixion, and proof that Basques had been relatively early Christians.

The words in Euskera, if genuine, would have predated by 700 years the previous earliest known written form of the language. The hieroglyphics caused speculation about the existence of third century Egyptologists who might have created the inscriptions to teach children.

Now experts who have studied the pieces in depth say the fakes, some of which used modern glue, should have rung warning bells immediately. References were found to non-existent gods, 19th-century names and even to the 17th-century philosopher Descartes.

Words in Euskara used impossible spellings. The hieroglyphs included references to Queen Nefertiti which would have been almost impossible to make prior to the 19th century.

The Calvary scene, meanwhile, included the inscription "RIP". "It is a formula that can only be applied to people who are dead," Almagro told El Correo newspaper. "To say that Jesus Christ is dead would be a heresy. I haven't seen anything quite so funny in the whole history of Christianity."

Local authorities and sponsors from Basque public companies have poured hundreds of thousands of euros into excavations. Last week they closed the dig temporarily. Eliseo Gil did not return calls from the Guardian but sources said those in charge were not yet fully convinced that their finds were fake.

Carbon Dioxide Detected on Faraway World

Carbon dioxide, a potential fingerprint of life, has been discovered for the first time in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star.
Source: Livescience.com | 23 Nov 2008 | 9:02 pm

Thai protesters vow final showdown with government (AP)

AP - Police prepared barricades, schools canceled classes and zoo animals were moved to safety as Bangkok braced for an anti-government protest Monday that demonstrators said would be their final showdown in a struggle that has turned increasingly violent.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 23 Nov 2008 | 5:22 pm

Fuel from food? The feast is over (AP)

AP - In future years we may look back at the Great Mexican Tortilla Crisis of 2006 as the time when ethanol lost its vroom.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 23 Nov 2008 | 5:01 pm

Key to Hallucinations Found

When Purkinje moved his fingers, he simulated an effect similar to that of Gysin's Dreamachine.
Source: Livescience.com | 23 Nov 2008 | 3:23 pm

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