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Tumor-attacking virus strikes with 'one-two punch'Cancer researchers developed a tumor-attacking virus that kills brain-tumor cells and blocks tumor blood-vessel growth. The research shows that viruses designed to kill cancer cells -- oncolytic viruses -- might be more effective against aggressive brain tumors if they can also inhibit blood-vessel growth. The study showed that an oncolytic virus containing the gene for this protein, called vasculostatin, eliminated human glioblastoma tumors growing in some animals and significantly slowed tumor recurrence in others.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am Why females live longer than males: is it due to the father's sperm?Researchers in Japan have found that female mice produced by using genetic material from two mothers but no father live significantly longer than mice with the normal mix of maternal and paternal genes. Their findings provide the first evidence that sperm genes may have a detrimental effect on lifespan in mammals.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am Loneliness can be contagiousLoneliness, like a bad cold, can spread among groups of people, new research shows. Using longitudinal data from a large-scale study that has been following health conditions for more than 60 years, a team of scholars found that lonely people tend to share their loneliness with others. Gradually over time, a group of lonely, disconnected people moves to the fringes of social networks.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am Shark fins traced to their geographic origin for first time using DNA toolsMillions of shark fins are sold annually to satisfy the demand for shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy. Now, scientists using DNA tools have figured out how to trace sharks' fins from the Hong Kong market all the way back to the sharks' homes, and have found that endangered populations are still being exploited. These findings highlight the need for better protection from international trade.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am Marine aquaculture could feed growing world populationMarine aquaculture could play a large role in feeding humanity in the coming decades, although substantial changes will be needed to reduce its reliance on terrestrial agriculture and other external feed subsidies.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am Aspirin, Tylenol may decrease effectiveness of vaccinesWith flu season in full swing and the threat of H1N1 looming, demand for vaccines is at an all-time high. Although those vaccines are expected to be effective, researchers have found further evidence that some over-the-counter drugs, such as aspirin and Tylenol, that inhibit certain enzymes could impact the effectiveness of vaccines.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am In carbon dioxide-rich environment, some ocean dwellers increase shell productionIn a striking finding that raises new questions about carbon dioxide's impact on marine life, scientists report that some shell-building creatures -- such as crabs, shrimp and lobsters -- unexpectedly build more shell when exposed to ocean acidification caused by elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 6:00 am Death-inducing proteins key to complications of bone marrow transplantationTreatment for a number of cancers and other medical conditions is transplantation with bone marrow from a genetically nonidentical individual. Researchers have now identified several molecules involved in a process that contributes to two medical complications that occur in patients following allo-BMT, susceptibility to infections and recurrence of cancers. Some of these molecules might prove good drug targets to improve outcome following allo-BMT.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 6:00 am Genetic pattern indicates early-stage lung cancerResearchers have identified immune system markers in the blood which indicate early-stage lung tumors in people at high risk for developing lung cancer.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 6:00 am Innovation puts next-generation solar cells on the horizonScientists have developed an innovative way to boost the output of the next generation of solar cells. They have produced tandem dye-sensitized solar cells with a three-fold increase in energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported tandem dye-sensitized solar cells.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 6:00 am Senate rejects Rudd climate planAustralia's Senate has voted down Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's flagship policy on climate change for a second time.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:37 am UK's smart meter scheme looks to save cash and currentEnergy suppliers will be responsible for installing smart meters in all households in the UK by 2020, under government plans.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:29 am The nation's weather (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:01 am Global warming threatens food supply: Vietnam (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 1:43 am Australia's Parliament defeats global warming bill (AP)AP - Australia's plans for an emissions trading system to combat global warming were scuttled Wednesday in Parliament, handing a defeat to a government that had hoped to set an example at international climate change talks next week.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 2 Dec 2009 | 12:45 am China's OK on GMO rice, corn seen boosting yields (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 11:50 pm No Australia poll in wake of climate law defeat (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 8:33 pm 'Global' is a place where nobody livesScientists have good reasons to contemplate climate in global terms, but this planetary way of looking at seemingly minor changes in worldwide average temperatures leads the rest of us down a slippery slope. People live in one place or another ...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 6:48 pm Letters: Tests for improving cancer diagnosisSeeking to improve GPs' ability to recognise potential cancer cases will not significantly reduce levels of late diagnosis (Late cancer diagnosis kills 10,000 a year, 30 November). Early signs of potential serious illness are frequently so inconclusive that only tests directed by specialist doctors can establish whether the disease is present. Being generalists, GPs could not hope to have this specialist expertise. My own experience as a late-diagnosed cancer patient showed that GPs juggle a set of low-definition tests and ad hoc probability judgments when confronted with a patient with an unexplained problem. That is what causes the delays. This practice should be abandoned. It is no use to the patient if they fall within the low-probability bracket if they have in fact got cancer. If a patient's problem persists for more than two or three weeks then they should be referred urgently to a consultant and for the appropriate scan. GPs' stubborn confidence in their capability in this area is unwarranted. As my symptoms got worse, three GPs failed to make a referral, leading me eventually to pay for a private referral, which led promptly to NHS hospital treatment. GPs should be directed to confine themselves to monitoring already diagnosed chronic illnesses and attending to minor ailments. Mark Ackary London • In my experience, delays in treating serious conditions are often caused not by reticent patients or ignorant GPs, but by hospital logjams. Four years ago, in searing pain and with no prospect of an appointment, I resorted to buying from my hospital the MRI scan they had done months earlier and seeing the consultant privately; when he saw the scan, he whisked me in on the NHS for urgent surgery. Later, at a different hospital, I again had to resort to a private consultation to speed the diagnosis of what turned out to be cancer. An admissions clerk told me they had patients already diagnosed with cancer for whom they could not find beds. I cannot see the value of referring patients more quickly to hospitals that have no resources to treat them. Patricia de Wolfe London • So, patients are reluctant to tell their GP if they develop possible symptoms of cancer. If this true, it's surely down to the scorn that GPs often vent on patients who consult them out of anxiety (The midlife MoT is a sop to the worried well, G2, 9 November). No matter how brilliant a GP is at spotting the early signs of cancer, the skill is useless if he or she can't be friendly and welcoming to the patient who isn't exactly ill but who comes to the surgery with a vague anxiety which it may not be easy to put into words. GPs ignore this truth at their peril. Victoria Owens Long Ashton, Somerset • Dr Crippen is wrong to dismiss Katherine Murphy's remarks as "caricatured anecdote" (Don't blame GPs for poor cancer care, G2, 1 December). My experience may be anecdotal, but it is very similar to the one she described. It took five months of seeing my GP for constipation before she referred me. By this stage, I had an acute bowel obstruction and was admitted to hospital as an emergency, where I was diagnosed with disseminated bowel cancer. This was despite my regularly repeating my family's cancer history. Brenda Beecham Newcastle • Four years ago Guardian Weekend published an article of mine about the death, from cancer, of my 13-year-old son Laurie (The day the sky fell in, 3 December 2005). The piece may have had a greater impact than the thousands of other pieces I wrote for the paper put together. It talked, among other things, about the poor conditions Laurie endured at Birmingham children's hospital. At the time, my wife and I had a hopeless fantasy about opening a Teenage Cancer Trust unit there to provide the kind of facilities patients and staff deserve. Next week the builders are due to hand over a £2.5m unit (mostly but not totally paid for). It should be ready for patients early next year, and will transform their lives. This would never have happened without the generosity of Guardian readers. Thank you. Laurie would be very proud. Matthew Engel Fair Oak, Bacton, Hereford HR2 0AT guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 1 Dec 2009 | 5:05 pm Toxic Chinese Coal May Cause CancerMining coal in China can be dangerous. However, actually using some coal may be worse.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 5:00 pm Russian Satellite Debris Zooms by Space Station (SPACE.com)SPACE.com - A tiny piece of a defunct Russian satellite zipped by the International Space Station Tuesday, but was far enough away that outpost's two-man crew did not have to strap into their lifeboat to wait out the close shave, NASA officials said.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 4:31 pm UK climate scientist to temporarily step down (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 4:29 pm Climate research chief Phil Jones stands down pending inquiry into leaked emails at East Anglia universityDirector denies conspiracy claims and stands by scientists' findings on global warming The head of the climate research unit that had its emails hacked and posted online will step down from his post while an inquiry into the affair is carried out. Messages between scientists at the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU) were posted on the web last week, and climate-change deniers seized on them as alleged evidence that scientists have been hiding and manipulating data to support the idea that the world is warming up. Professor Phil Jones, the director of the CRU, said he stood by the science produced by his researchers and suggestions of a conspiracy to alter evidence to support a theory of man-made global warming were "complete rubbish". But he said today that he would stand aside as director of the unit until an independent review into the hacked emails had been completed. "What is most important is that CRU continues its world-leading research with as little interruption and diversion as possible," he said. "After a good deal of consideration I have decided that the best way to achieve this is by stepping aside from the director's role during the course of the independent review and am grateful to the university for agreeing to this. The review process will have my full support." Emails between researchers at the centre were obtained by hackers and then published on websites run by climate sceptics. Some argue that the timing, just before next week's major climate talks in Copenhagen, seems meant to undermine the negotiations. Critics of the argument that global warming is human-induced say the emails show evidence of collusion by scientists. Some claimed that the contents of some emails suggested scientists prevented work they did not agree with from being included in the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published in 2007. But earlier this week, Rajendra Pachauri, the chair of the IPCC, said there was "virtually no possibility" of a few climate scientists biasing the advice given to governments by the UN. He said that the large number of contributors and rigorous peer review mechanism adopted by the IPCC meant that any bias would be rapidly uncovered. He was responding in particular to one email from 2004 in which Phil Jones said of two papers he regarded as flawed: "I can't see either … being in the next [IPCC] report. Kevin [Trenberth] and I will keep them out somehow – even if we have to redefine what the peer-review literature is!" Pachauri said: "People should be discreet … in this day and age anything you write, even privately, could become public and to put anything down in writing is, to say the least, indiscreet … It is another matter to talk about this to your friends on the telephone or person to person, but to put it down in writing was indiscreet. If someone was to say something like this in an IPCC authors' meeting then there are others who would chew him up." Peter Liss, a specialist in interaction between the oceans and atmosphere at UEA, will stand in as acting director of the CRU while the review is conducted. The university's vice-chancellor, Edward Acton, said: "I have accepted Professor Jones's offer to stand aside during this period. It is an important step to ensure that CRU can continue to operate normally and the independent review can conduct its work into the allegations." The economist Nick Stern said the views of those who doubted the scientific consensus that humans are causing global warming were "muddled and unscientific". He admitted that all views should be heard, but said the degree of scepticism among "real scientists" was very small. The evidence for global warming stretches back more than 800,000 years, he said. "This is evidence that is overwhelming, from all sources, that's the kind of climate science we're talking about. I think it is very important that those with any kind of views on the science or economics have their say - that does not mean that unscientific muddle also has the right to be recognised as searing insight." He added: "If they are muddled and confused, they do not have the right to be described as anything other than muddled and confused." The move received a welcome from many involved in environmental non-government organisations. One leading environmental campaigner said: "It seems like a sensible course of action – finally, the CRU seem to be getting their public response in order. But any reading of the emails in context would lead to the conclusion that nothing untoward happened here at all." guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 1 Dec 2009 | 3:03 pm Climate data row man steps downA university research unit director at the centre of a row over leaked climate change data steps down while a review takes place.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 1 Dec 2009 | 2:50 pm Super Earths May Be Superior at Fostering Life (SPACE.com)SPACE.com - Astronomers have discovered hundreds of Jupiter-like planets in our galaxy. However, a handful of the planets found orbiting distant stars are more Earth-sized. This gives hope to astrobiologists, who think we are more likely to find life on rocky planets with liquid water.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 2:16 pm DNA Reveals Origins of Shark Fin Soup (LiveScience.com)LiveScience.com - Every year, millions of shark fins are sold at Chinese markets to satisfy the demand for shark fin soup, a dish considered a delicacy, but it has been impossible to pinpoint which sharks from which regions are most threatened by this trade.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 1:46 pm Ground-Breaking Science: Very Old Papers Are Both Awesome and Hilarious
Can one species be transmuted into another just by swapping their blood? What are those funny little things swimming in my water? Did this Einstein guy get his math right? Those are a few of the questions addressed in a trove of history-making papers published by the United Kingdom’s Royal Society and released in their entirety to celebrate the 350th birthday of the world’s oldest scientific body. The 60 papers are a testament to human curiosity, and the power of ingenuity and rigorous observation to overcome ignorance. Here’s a few of Wired Science’s favorites: 1666: “Tryals Proposed by Mr. Boyle to Dr. Lower, to be Made by Him, for the Improvement of Transfusing Blood out of One Live Animal into Another” 1671: “A Letter of Mr. Isaac Newton, Professor of the Mathematicks in the University of Cambridge; Containing His New Theory about Light and Colors”
1677: “Observations, Communicated to the Publisher by Mr. Antony van Leewenhoeck, in a Dutch Letter of the 9th of Octob. 1676. Here English’d: concerning Little Animals by Him, Observed in Rain-Well-Sea. and Snow Water; as also in Water Wherein Pepper Had Lain Infused”
1822: “Account of an Assemblage of Fossil Teeth and Bones of Elephant, Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Bear, Tiger, and Hyaena, and Sixteen Other Animals; Discovered in a Cave at Kirkdate, Yorkshire, in the Year 1821: With a Comparative View of Five Similar Caverns in Various Parts of England, and Others on the Continent” 1920: “A Determination of the Deflection of Light by the Sun’s Gravitational Field, from Observations Made at the Total Eclipse of May 29, 1919″
Images: The Royal Society. 1) The design of Newton’s prism experiment. 2) Ben Franklin flying his kite in a thunderstorm. 3) Bullard’s drawings of the fit between South America and Africa.” See Also:
Brandon Keim’s Twitter stream and reportorial outtakes; Wired Science on Twitter. Brandon is currently working on a book about ecosystem and planetary tipping points.
Source: Wired: Wired Science | 1 Dec 2009 | 1:28 pm Flat-Panel TVs: 10 Things to Know Before You BuyFlat-Panel TVs are popular, but how do you go about choosing one?Source: Livescience.com | 1 Dec 2009 | 1:27 pm DNA Reveals Origins of Shark Fin SoupNew DNA research has allowed scientists to trace shark fins from Chinese markets to their geographic originsSource: Livescience.com | 1 Dec 2009 | 12:56 pm Is Loneliness Contagious?Feelings of loneliness can spread through social networks like a common cold.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 12:40 pm Stabilised Bhutan lake a climate change lesson: WWF (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 12:33 pm Poll | Would an increased risk of psychosis deter you from using 'skunk'?New research suggests that 'skunk' is associated with a higher incidence of psychosis. Would the risk deter you from using this super-strength cannabis? Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 1 Dec 2009 | 11:36 am Hubble Explains Nebula’s Ruddy Complexion
A ruddy nebula reflects the light from a huge, nearby star in this latest image released by the Hubble Space Telescope’s operators. The Iris Nebula is a bit mysterious. It’s not hot enough to emit its own light, like some nebulae do. Instead, the Iris reflects light from the star, HD 200775, which is 10 times as massive as the sun, Most nebulae of this type are blue-tinged, but as you can see, it’s obviously reddish. Why? By studying the dust’s composition, astronomers have discovered that the filaments above and to the left of the image’s center are red because of an unknown chemical, likely hydrocarbon based. They’re now working to figure out what the exact compound is. The study of objects like the Iris, which is located about 1,400 light-years away in the Cephelus constellation, have come a long way since Sir William Herschel first discovered it in 1794. Not only can the Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys provide amazing detail, but Hubble’s Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer can be used to analyze the chemical makeup of celestial bodies. Zoomed out farther, the composite image below shows exactly why the Iris Nebula is so named. Image: NASA & ESA. High-resolution images.
See Also:
Source: Wired: Wired Science | 1 Dec 2009 | 10:51 am Rom Houben's Coma Real, Communication Maybe NotDoubts have been raised over a coma victim's retelling of his experiences.Source: Livescience.com | 1 Dec 2009 | 10:51 am Avalanche Beacon in a Cell PhoneFor those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is closing in. And for fans of extreme snow sports -- backcountry skiing and snowboarding -- you'll be glad to know that researchers are thinking about your safety. A team ...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 10:42 am The LHC In A NutshellDuring the planning of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Wide Angle, Discovery News Editor-in-Chief Lori Cuthbert discussed some questions about LHC physics with Space Producer Ian O'Neill. Here are the best bits...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 10:41 am World AIDS Day Warning on HIV TransmissionHeterosexual contact has become the chief transmission route for HIV infection.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 10:30 am EU 'should cut emissions by 30%'Europe should impose a unilateral cut in greenhouse gas emissions of 30% by 2020, a leading climate economist says.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 1 Dec 2009 | 10:20 am Loneliness May Be Contagious
Staying socially connected may be just as important for public health as washing your hands and covering your cough. A new study suggests that feelings of loneliness can spread through social networks like the common cold.
This study is the latest in a series that Christakis and James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego have conducted to see how habits and feelings move through social networks. Their earlier studies suggested that obesity, smoking and happiness are contagious. The new study, led by John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago, found that loneliness is catching as well, possibly because lonely people don’t trust their connections and foster that mistrust in others.
Not all networks researchers are convinced. Jason Fletcher of the Yale School of Public Health says that the studies’ controls are not good enough to eliminate other explanations, like environmental influences or the tendency of similar people to befriend each other. Fletcher has published a study (in the same issue of the British Medical Journal that reported that happiness is contagious) showing that acne, headaches and height also appear to spread through networks even though they are not likely to be transmitted socially. “We’re on the side that [social contagion] exists — we’re not naysayers,” Fletcher says. “We just think the evidence isn’t clear enough on many of the outcomes.” Despite its shortcomings, some researchers are enthusiastic about the study. “I think this is a groundbreaking paper in loneliness literature,” says Dan Perlman, a psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro who specializes in loneliness. “Maybe there are people who are skeptical, but this is important work. I think that it should get a pat on the back.” Christakis and Fowler examined data from a long-term health study based in Framingham, Mass., a small town where many of the study’s participants knew each other. The Framingham study followed thousands of people over 60 years, keeping track of physical and mental heath, habits and diet. Each participant also named friends, relatives and neighbors who might know where they would be in two years, when it was time for the next exam. From this information, Christakis and Fowler reconstructed the social network of Framingham, including more than 12,000 ties between 5,124 people. The researchers plotted how reported loneliness, measured via a diagnostic test for depression, changed over time. The results indicate that lonely people tend to move to the peripheries of social networks. But first, lonely people transmit their feeling of isolation to friends and neighbors. Feeling lonely doesn’t mean you have no connections, Cacioppo says. It only means those connections aren’t satisfying enough. Loneliness can start as a sense that the world is hostile, which then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Loneliness causes people to be alert for social threats,” Cacioppo says. “You engage in more self-protective behavior, which is paradoxically self-defeating.” Lonely people can become standoffish and eventually withdraw from their social networks, leaving their former friends less well-connected and more likely to mistrust the world themselves. Because loneliness is implicated in health problems from Alzheimer’s to heart disease, Cacioppo says, reconnecting to those who have fallen off the network may be vital for public health. Images: 1) Flickr/Julie70. 2) Cacioppo et al., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. See Also:
Source: Wired: Wired Science | 1 Dec 2009 | 9:50 am Fishy taleScientists' diary of close seamount encountersSource: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 1 Dec 2009 | 9:31 am 'Global surge' in rhino poachingRhino poaching around the world is on the increase in spite of efforts to protect the animals, a report warns.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 1 Dec 2009 | 9:28 am More protection for Scotland's eaglesSix new golden eagle protection areas in the north and west of Scotland are proposed by the Scottish government.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 1 Dec 2009 | 9:12 am Bacteria Pick Prime Human Body PartsLearning how our personal microbial communities live could help solve skin disorders.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 9:10 am Robotic Clam Could Detonate Underwater MinesA new Roboclam developed by scientists can help in deep sea drilling projects.Source: Livescience.com | 1 Dec 2009 | 9:07 am Space Station Crew Returns to EarthOnly one astronaut and one cosmonaut are left aboard the International Space Station.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am Seamount diary: In PicturesStrange jellies, amphipods, fish and giant ostracods are sighted by IUCN scientists at two Indian Ocean seamounts called Samper Bank and Middle of What.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 1 Dec 2009 | 8:43 am Bhopal water still toxic 25 years after deadly gas leak, study findsTwo reports say scene of 1984 disaster still has alarming levels of poisons, with one 2,400 times the WHO guideline Groundwater found near the site of the world's worst chemical industrial accident in Bhopal is still toxic and poisoning residents a quarter of a century after a gas leak there killed thousands, two studies have revealed. Delhi's Centre for Science and the Environment said that water found two miles from the factory contained pesticides at levels 40 times higher than the Indian safety standard. In a second study, the UK-based Bhopal Medical Appeal (BMA) found a chemical cocktail in the local drinking water – with one carcinogen, carbon tetrafluoride, present at 2,400 times the World Health Organisation's guidelines. Around 5,000 people were killed when clouds of toxic gas escaped from Union Carbide's pesticide plant at midnight on 3 December 1984. 15,000 more died in the following weeks, and activists say that the disaster is still poisoning a new generation of victims. The Sambhavna clinic, a charity campaigning in Bhopal, has conducted a survey of 20,000 people and says it has found alarmingly high rates of birth defects. A preliminary study suggests as many as one child in 25 is born with a congenital defect. "We are seeing birth defects at 10 times the incidence at national levels," said Satinath Sarangi, of the Sambhavna clinic. "The government have been trying to say that the factory is safe and open for the public to tour it. But these results show how polluted the site has become." Earlier studies have also pointed out that boys who were either exposed as toddlers to gases from the Bhopal pesticide plant or born to exposed parents were prone to "growth retardation". Survivors in Bhopal have received meagre compensation: most of them got a Rs 25,000 cheque (£310) for a lifetime of suffering caused by damage to their lungs, liver, kidneys and the immune system. Mohini Devi, 52, spent three months in hospital after inhaling the gas. For 25 years she has had difficulty breathing and suffered shooting pain through her abdomen. Her children have all been affected – one died from "gas complications" 15 years ago. "My real worry is my grandchildren. Already some have been born without eyes. Why is nobody doing anything for us?" she said. In Bhopal the legacy of the city's night of death is there for all to see. The disused Union Carbide factory remains a rusty symbol of bureaucratic indifference, legal actions and rows over corporate responsibility. Not only did the government wind up research into the after effects of the poison gas in 1994, it failed to gather evidence of culpability in the case against the US company. Campaigners say the site now contains about 8,000 tonnes of carcinogenic chemicals that continue to leach out and contaminate water supplies used by 30,000 local people. Union Carbide says it is no longer responsible for the factory and pointed out it has already made a settlement of $470m (£284m). The company's chief executive at the time, Warren Anderson, was briefly arrested after the leak 25 years ago but was released and fled India. He has been declared "untraceable" by Indian consular authorities although his address in a New York suburb is publicly listed. The Indian government has also drawn fire for trying to pass the disused factory off as a tourist spot – with local politicians last month proposing to build a Hiroshima-like memorial there depicting a detailed account of the disaster. Adding insult to injury, India's environment minister, Jairam Ramesh mocked activists on a visit to the city by picking up a fistful of waste and saying "see, I am alive". Sarangi says the government has been trying to tempt Union Carbide's successor, Dow Chemical, back to India and to secure $1bn of investment. In return, say campaigners, the government plans to let Dow evade its responsibility to clean up the Bhopal plant site. "This is all about the money. Politicians in India would rather do this than fight for people who suffered," Sarangi said. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 1 Dec 2009 | 8:28 am Hubble Photographs Billowing Clouds of Cosmic DustA new Hubble image reveals mounds of dust in a star-forming nebula.Source: Livescience.com | 1 Dec 2009 | 8:02 am 'ClimateGate'What does the "ClimateGate" affair mean for science?Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 1 Dec 2009 | 7:56 am Video: Giant jellyfish invade Japanese watersSwarms of giant jellyfish are threatening Japan's fishing industry as the huge seaborne creatures are ruining fishermen's nets and catches Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 1 Dec 2009 | 7:51 am What price the secrets of the universe?It may be costly to send protons whizzing round the Large Hadron Collider, but such research is a good investment With great power comes great expectations. The Large Hadron Collider at Cern near Geneva has now achieved the status of the most powerful particle accelerator in history, whipping up beams of protons to more than 1tn electronvolts. This is the point where a better writer would make an analogy about how much this is, using the standard-issue units of science writing: basketballs, double-decker buses, whales, Wales. Take it from me: for a particle accelerator, that's a lot. The LHC is the biggest and most expensive experiment in history, as befits asking the most fundamental questions in the universe: why does stuff have mass? It's a hard question, and thrilling in its pure curiosity. Last night I witnessed a lively debate chaired by Cern physicist and electro-rock minor deity Brian Cox with the science minister Lord Drayson. It was on the subject of what has become known as "blue skies" research, as opposed to "goal-oriented" research. In other proper words, "research" as opposed to "making stuff". When completing proposals for publicly funded grants, scientists are now required to indicate (in some cases retrospectively, in others with crystal ball skills on show) the applications or spin-off technologies of their work. This is problematic, and caused much vitriol. Vexed physicists used this forum to vehemently attack Drayson, who should be praised for both facing his critics and for not trotting out a politician's answers. I sympathise with the scientists. Retrospective justification is anti-innovative as it restricts young researchers with sparse or non-existent track records, and targeted research restricts the creativity that defines science. Nevertheless, I think the polarity of the question is overstated. Certainly, discovering the gene that makes a snail's shell twist left rather than right has less obvious applications than the implications for spintronics of more energy-efficient microchips. But both of these are on a spectrum, and most research is somewhere in the middle. The government should realise this, and stop trying to force scientists into becoming inventors. Critics might wail about how much the LHC costs, but esoteric it ain't. This experiment to find the Higgs Boson is on a continuum of knowledge and discovery on which all human civilisation is based. There will be some direct technological spin-offs for sure. Other high-energy physics projects formed the basis for the development of positron emission tomography, which revolutionised medical scanning. Should the scientists at Cern ever need to fill in this new retrospective revenue-generating spin-off technologies section on a grant application, they would do well to write: "We invented the internet. Now give us some money." Economies are underpinned by scientific research and scientists. Now is exactly the right time to invest more in curiosity-driven research, and although this might sound counterintuitive during the global recession, certainly there is historical precedence. Franklin Roosevelt instigated investment in basic research funding during the Great Depression, with a three-fold increase in the public science budget in the six years up to 1940, which resulted in unparalleled technological development as part of the New Deal. Japan emerged in the 1980s as a technological superpower, but the Japanese economy collapsed in 1990. Basic research was seen as a way out of the slump, and science was placed front and centre in Japanese policymaking. It is now in its third five-year plan, increasing funding to basic research each time. And just in case anyone is tempted, don't trot out the old cliche about the only practical spin-offs from the very expensive Apollo missions being Velcro and Teflon. Forget the immeasurable inspirational effect that landing on the moon had, creating a generation of scientists and engineers: proper economic analysis indicated that for every dollar spent on Apollo, $14 were returned to the economy. The business gurus in Dragon's Den would be drooling at that kind of deal. Next year, the scientists at the LHC will ignore the advice of the Ghostbusters, and will deliberately cross the streams of protons whizzing round the 27km tunnel at 99.99% the speed of light. When they start getting some results, they may yield an answer to one of the most fundamental questions in the universe. That should be enough to justify the phenomenal spend. Where's your sense of wonder? But if not, the data is unequivocal. The LHC emphatically exemplifies the solid notion that basic research results in economic growth. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 1 Dec 2009 | 7:31 am When Health Food Is UnhealthyNuts, seeds, and fruits are generally healthy but, like many health foods, they can pack a lot of calories.Source: Livescience.com | 1 Dec 2009 | 7:15 am Bhopal site 'not leaking toxins'Indian officials dismiss claims that the site of the world's worst industrial disaster at Bhopal is still leaking dangerous toxins.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 1 Dec 2009 | 7:08 am Loneliness Spreads Like a VirusLonely people spread the wealth with friends.Source: Livescience.com | 1 Dec 2009 | 6:40 am Protecting Our Smarter Grid From BulliesContrary to what you might have heard, our power grid isn't dumber than a bag of hammers. Smart grid isn't just a few new meters and intelligent appliances. And squirrels will probably remain just as much of a threat to ...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 6:19 am Hurricanes Blow in Air PollutionAdd a new item to the list of dangers from hurricanes: air pollution.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 1 Dec 2009 | 5:41 am French scientists create skin fast from stem cellsPARIS (Reuters) - French scientists have found a way to create human skin rapidly from stem cells, a discovery that could save the lives of many burns victims who are vulnerable to infection and now wait weeks for a skin graft.Source: Reuters: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 5:38 am Space station crew land safely in KazakhstanARKALYK, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - Three astronauts landed safely in the frozen steppe of northern Kazakhstan on Tuesday after six months orbiting the world on the International Space Station.Source: Reuters: Science News | 1 Dec 2009 | 4:00 am Ozone hole repair may heat AntarcticAs blanket of ozone over southern pole seals up, temperatures on continent could soar by 3C, increasing sea level rise by 1.4m The hole in the Earth's ozone layer has shielded Antarctica from the worst effects of global warming until now, according to the most comprehensive review to date of the state of the Antarctic climate. But scientists warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3C on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea-level increases of up to 1.4m. The western Antarctic peninsula has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but other parts of the continent have paradoxically been cooling, with a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region in recent decades. Many climate change sceptics have used the Antarctic cooling as evidence against global warming. But John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey said scientists are now "very confident" that the anomaly had caused by the ozone hole above Antarctica. "We knew that, when we took away this blanket of ozone, we would have more ultra-violet radiation. But we didn't realise the extent to which it would change the atmospheric circulation of the Antarctic." These changes in weather have increased winds in the Southern Ocean region and meant that a large part of the continent has remained relatively cool compared with the western peninsula. But because the the CFC gasses that caused the ozone hole now been banned, scientists expect the damage to repair itself within the next 50-60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and Turner said the Antarctic would face the full effects of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3C and a reduction in sea ice by around a third. The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Binschadler, a glaciologist at Nasa who monitors Antarctic ice sheets, said: "The heat in the ocean is getting underneath the floating ice shelves, these floating fringes of the ice sheet that are hundreds of metres thick. That warm water is melting the underside of the ice shelf, reducing the buttressing effect." Thinning of the ice shelf at the fringes leads to glaciers moving more quickly. The retreat of ice from Antarctica has contributed around 10% to global sea-level rise in recent decades. "The danger is that this warmer water will get under these ice shelves and cause the ice streams to get faster and feed ice out into the ocean," said Turner. Published by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), a coalition of international experts that coordinates international research in the region, the report has been published to give negotiators in Copenhagen the most up-to-date science available. "Everything is connected — Antarctica may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Colin Summerhayes, executive director of SCAR. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts, to raise sea levels by 63m." SCAR's review also corroborated recent work by Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research in Germany, that average sea-level rise will be closer to 1.4m by the end of the century. This is higher than the rise predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, said Turner, because the IPCC's forecasts did not include the impact of melting ice sheets on sea level rises. Many of the climate models used by the IPCC have also not taken the ozone hole into account in their simulations. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 1 Dec 2009 | 2:06 am
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Loneliness appears to be easier to catch from friends than from family, to spread more among women than men, and to be most contagious among neighbors who live within a mile of each other. The study also found that loneliness can spread to three degrees of separation, as in the studies of obesity, smoking and happiness. One lonely friend makes you 40 to 65 percent more likely to be lonely, but a lonely friend-of-a-friend increases your chances of loneliness by 14 to 36 percent. A friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend adds between 6 and 26 percent, the study suggests.