Science Headlines for November 29, 2008

Highly Efficient Lithium Batteries Could Greatly Extend Battery Life Of Laptop Computers

Scientists have developed a new material for anodes, which could clear a path for a new generation of rechargeable batteries. Their new material involves three-dimensional, highly porous silicon structures.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 30 Nov 2008 | 1:00 am

Virtual Ears And The Cocktail Party Effect

New research has helped understanding of the so-called 'cocktail party effect' -- how our brains develop the ability to pinpoint and focus on particular sounds among a background of noise.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 30 Nov 2008 | 1:00 am

Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows

A ban on fast-food advertisements in the United States could reduce the number of overweight children by as much as 18 percent, according to a new study. The study also reports that eliminating the tax deductibility associated with television advertising would result in a reduction of childhood obesity, though in smaller numbers.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 30 Nov 2008 | 1:00 am

Bird Population Estimates Are Flawed, New Study Shows

Most of what we know about bird populations stems from surveys conducted by professional biologists and amateur birdwatchers, but new research shows that the data from those surveys may be seriously flawed -- and proposes possible means to resolve the problem.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 30 Nov 2008 | 1:00 am

Selenium May Slow March Of AIDS

Increasing the production of naturally occurring proteins that contain selenium in human blood cells slows down multiplication of the AIDS virus, according to biochemists.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 30 Nov 2008 | 1:00 am

Bad Cholesterol Inhibits The Breakdown Of Peripheral Fat

The so called bad cholesterol (LDL) inhibits the breakdown of fat in cells of peripheral deposits, according to a new study. The discovery reveals a novel function of LDL as a regulator of fat turnover besides its well-established detrimental effects in promoting atherosclerosis.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 30 Nov 2008 | 1:00 am

Panamanian Termite Goes Ballistic: Fastest Mandible Strike In The World

A single hit on the head by the termite Termes panamensis (Snyder), which possesses the fastest mandible strike ever recorded, is sufficient to kill a would-be nest invader.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

New Screening Halves Number Of Children Born With Down Syndrome

A new national screening strategy in Denmark has halved the number of infants born with Down's syndrome and increased the number of infants diagnosed before birth by 30 percent, according to a new study.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

Making Gases More Transportable: Methane Gas Converted To Powder Form

Chemists have developed a way of converting methane gas into a powder form in order to make it more transportable.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

Study Documents What May Be First Cases Of Certain Tick-borne Disease In China

It appears that for the first time human granulocytic anaplasmosis, an emerging tick-borne infectious disease found in the US and Europe, has been identified in China and apparently was transmitted from person to person, according to a new study.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 7:00 pm

NZ won't quickly rescue hurt whalers, protesters (AP)

AP - New Zealand will not be able to quickly rescue anyone who gets lost or hurt if clashes erupt between animal rights activists and Japanese whalers off the north Antarctic coast, the foreign minister said Saturday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 2:39 pm

Scientists find meteor debris in Canada (AP)

AP - Scientists said Friday they had found remains of a meteor that illuminated the sky before falling to earth in western Canada earlier this month.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 2:30 pm

Cornell astrophysicist Edwin Salpeter dies at 83 (AP)

AP - Edwin E. Salpeter, an astrophysicist whose work in the "Salpeter-Bethe equation" showed how helium changes to carbon, has died. He was 83.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 2:29 pm

Saudi king says oil should be $75 per barrel (AP)

AP - Saudi Arabia's king says the price of oil should be $75 a barrel, much higher than it is now, but his oil minister indicated Saturday that no measures will likely be taken until OPEC meets again next month.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 2:13 pm

The Nation's Weather (AP)

AP - Widespread showers and thunderstorms were forecast for the Gulf Coast, the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic on Saturday, while the West was expected to be mostly dry and sunny, though more snow was possible in the Rockies.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 11:46 am

Endeavour's astronauts await permission to land (AP)

AP - Endeavour's seven astronauts entered their last full day in space Saturday awaiting word if mission managers had cleared the space shuttle for a return to Earth.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 11:45 am

Amazon deforestation accelerates

The destruction of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has accelerated for the first time in four years, officials say.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 29 Nov 2008 | 11:22 am

Justin L Barrett: In his attack on my research into children and religious ideas, AC Grayling plays psychologist and spins conspiracy theories

Justin L Barrett: In his attack on my research into children and religious ideas, AC Grayling plays the psychologist and spins conspiracy theories

Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 29 Nov 2008 | 11:00 am

Global whaling body to begin talks in December: report (AFP)

AFP - The International Whaling Commission will next month start negotiations in a bid to find a compromise over restrictions on whale hunting, a newspaper said Saturday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 29 Nov 2008 | 4:46 am

Warning of measles epidemic risk as cases rise sharply

Britain is at risk of a serious measles epidemic breaking out in the near future, the Health Protection Agency warned yesterday, after a sharp increase in the number of children infected.

The agency reported 1,049 confirmed cases in England and Wales during the first 10 months of this year, the highest total since a new system of monitoring the disease was introduced in 1995.

The agency said the increase was due to a lower takeup of the combined measles, mumps and rubella jab over the past decade. Parents were scared by research, which has since been discredited, suggesting that children given the jab were more likely to develop autism.

Dr Mary Ramsay, an immunisation expert at the agency, said: "There are now a large number of children who are not fully vaccinated with MMR. This means that measles is spreading easily among unvaccinated children. There is now a real risk of a large measles epidemic. These children are susceptible to not only measles but to mumps and rubella as well."

The 1,049 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales during the first 10 months of this year compared with 990 for the whole of 2007, 740 in 2006 and 78 in 2005. Ramsay said parents now have more confidence in the MMR jab and more than eight out of 10 children are receiving one dose of MMR by their second birthday: "But we shouldn't forget that the children who weren't vaccinated many years ago are at real risk." Research carried out by the agency suggested there was "a real risk of a large measles outbreak of between approximately 30,000 to 100,000 cases", the majority in London. Ramsay added: "Measles is a very serious infection as it can lead to pneumonia and encephalitis, even in healthy children. It is highly infectious, and can be passed on without direct contact, before the rash appears."

In August the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, urged NHS primary care trusts and GPs to offer catch-up immunisation to reduce the risk of a measles epidemic.

The NHS in Cheshire is to begin a mass vaccination next week after tests confirmed 19 cases, with a further 49 children being treated for probable measles.

Guy Hayhurst, consultant in public health at Central and Eastern Cheshire primary care trust, said: "We identified 10,534 children who had no record of full MMR immunisation and wrote to their parents to seek consent for them to be vaccinated in school. We hope that by doing this we will halt the current outbreak in its tracks, or at least severely curtail it."

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 29 Nov 2008 | 12:07 am

A working life: In the blood - the forensic scientist

Catherine Thacker is happy to work with stomach-churning samples if it means aiding justice

Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 29 Nov 2008 | 12:05 am

Bad science: How BBC misread the evidence on Down's syndrome

As usual, it's not Watergate, it's just slightly irritating. "Down's births increase in a caring Britain," said the Times. "More babies are being born with Down's syndrome as parents feel increasingly that society is a more welcoming place for children with the condition." That's beautiful. "More mothers are choosing to keep their babies when diagnosed with Down's syndrome," said the Mail. "Parents appear to be more willing to bring a child with Down's syndrome into the world because British society has become increasingly accepting of the genetic abnormality," said the Independent.

Their quoted source was a BBC Radio 4 documentary presented by Felicity Finch (her what plays Ruth Archer), broadcast on Monday. "The number of babies with Down's syndrome has steadily fallen, that is until today, when for the first time ever that number is higher than before, when testing was introduced." I see. "I'm keen to find out why more parents are making this decision." They're not. "I was so intrigued by these figures that I've been following some parents to find out what lies behind their choice."

Felicity. Wait a second. The founding premise of your entire 27-minute documentary is wrong. There has indeed been a 4% increase in Down's syndrome live births in England and Wales from 1989 to 2006 (717 and 749 affected births in the two years respectively). However, since 1989 there has also been a far greater increase in the number of Down's syndrome foetuses created in the first place, because people are getting pregnant much later in life. Risk of a Down's syndrome pregnancy below the age of 25 is about 1 in 1,600. This rises to about 1 in 340 at 35, and 1 in 40 at the age of 43. In 1989 6% of pregnant women were over 35 years of age. By 2006 it was 15%.

The National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register holds probably the largest single dataset on Down's syndrome. They have calculated that if you account for the increase in the age at which people are becoming pregnant, the number of Down's syndrome live births in the UK would have increased from 1989 to 2006 not by 4%, but from 717 to an estimated 1,454, if screening and subsequent terminations had not been available. Except, of course, antenatal screening is widely available, it is widely taken up, and contrary to what every newspaper told you this week, it is widely acted upon. More than nine out of 10 women who have an antenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome decide to have a termination of the pregnancy. This proportion has not changed since 1989. For many parents the decision to terminate will be a difficult and upsetting one, especially later in life, and stories like this create a pretty challenging backdrop for making it.

The National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register felt obliged to issue a thorough clarification. The brilliant Behind the Headlines service on the NHS Choices website took the story to pieces in its daily roundup of the real evidence behind the health news (disclosure: I had a tiny hand in helping to set this service up). Everybody ignored them, nobody has clarified, and Born With Down's remains Choice of the Day on the Radio 4 website.

• Please send your bad science to ben@badscience.net

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 29 Nov 2008 | 12:02 am

Endeavour leaves remodeled space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The shuttle Endeavour astronauts left the International Space Station on Friday after completing a marathon mission to remodel the research outpost into an orbital home for six.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 28 Nov 2008 | 10:16 pm

Faith leaders urge climate curbs

About 1,000 representatives of leading religions gather in Sweden for a summit on climate change, said to be the first of its kind.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 28 Nov 2008 | 8:36 pm

Obama to broaden role of genetics in medical care (AP)

AP - For years, scientists have held out hope that the rapidly evolving field of genetics could transform medical diagnosis and treatment, moving beyond a trial-and-error approach as old as the Hippocratic Oath.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 28 Nov 2008 | 6:57 pm

Searchers find remains of fireball meteor (Reuters)

Reuters - Searchers have found the remains of a 10-ton meteor that produced a dramatic fireball in the skies over the Canadian Prairies this month, researchers said on Friday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 28 Nov 2008 | 6:52 pm

Searchers find remains of fireball meteor

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Searchers have found the remains of a 10-ton meteor that produced a dramatic fireball in the skies over the Canadian Prairies this month, researchers said on Friday.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 28 Nov 2008 | 6:52 pm

Research on mice links fast food to Alzheimer's

LONDON (Reuters) - Mice fed junk food for nine months showed signs of developing the abnormal brain tangles strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease, a Swedish researcher said on Friday.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 28 Nov 2008 | 6:44 pm

France-UK split over EU farm plan

France's vision for the future of EU agricultural policy is opposed by the UK, Sweden and Latvia.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 28 Nov 2008 | 5:19 pm

Vintage stuff

Wine-makers uncork hi-tech tricks to beat fakery
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 28 Nov 2008 | 4:26 pm

Unraveling the Wonders of Spider Silk

A researcher collects spider silk strands and combs through glands to find the genetic blueprints for silk making.
Source: Livescience.com | 28 Nov 2008 | 3:33 pm

Arkansas Earthquakes Could Portend Something Big

A series of small earthquakes in Arkansas could be a sign of something much bigger to come.
Source: Livescience.com | 28 Nov 2008 | 2:52 pm

Older People Get Distracted Easily

One reason memory becomes a problem with age.
Source: Livescience.com | 28 Nov 2008 | 2:47 pm

World's Oldest Person Dies

Edna Parker, who became the world's oldest person more than a year ago, has died at age 115.
Source: Livescience.com | 28 Nov 2008 | 2:43 pm

The Human Soul: An Ancient Idea (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - A friend recently told me that he had finally, in middle age, found his soul mate. She was a woman he barely knew, but he was willing to give up everything to be in her sphere. With glassy eyes, he described how they were special, destined to find each other, and that in coming together they made each other whole. It was hard to not laugh at my friend's pronouncement of wandering souls crashing together, because most adults are long past that ephemeral kind of love and way into the hard reality of day-to-day living with someone, no matter the condition of their soul. ...
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 28 Nov 2008 | 2:35 pm

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