New Scientist
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14:00 EST WEDNESDAY, 21 JUNE 2000
GLOBAL BRAIN
The Net is about to get more and more intelligent-it could soon be the nerve center of a superorganism capable of making connections between Web sites and thinking like a human brain. The global brain is a real possibility, but will it be opening a door that most of us would prefer to remain shut? Are we all doomed to some vast symbiotic intelligence shared with computers and wires? FEATURE Pages 23-27
FADING AROMA
Depleted forest plantations in Ethiopia are threatening the world's favorite drink. The home of the largest coffee gene bank in rainforest districts of Ethiopia have lost nearly half their trees in the past 30 years. It is feared that only an international emergency program can save the remnants of these coffee plants, which make up some 90 per cent of the coffee we drink. Page 19
LOOK BEFORE IT LEAPS
A frisky piece of DNA has leapt the species barrier at least seven times in evolutionary history, according to a British study-and has even moved between flies and humans. With several groups around the world working with this "jumping gene" to genetically modify organisms, the report says there will be a risk of genes spreading to other species. Page 5
LAST ORDERS FOR THE BREWERIES
Beer could soon start to taste foul because of dwindling stocks of a chemical vital to breweries. Without the substance, cycloheximide, brewers would fail to spot the troublesome bacteria, which give beer a vinegary off-flavor. Page 14
LIFE AFTER DEATH
A Japanese funeral company is offering grieving relatives a novel way of storing the deceased-a DNA sample in a memorial tablet. The samples could help family disputes over parentage or, in theory at least, be used to clone the dead. Page 7
IN A FLAP
A new type of helicopter with flapping rotors has been invented by an expert in aerodynamics from Bulgaria. The helicopter saves fuel with just one engine, eliminating the tail rotor in traditional helicopters. The engine drives the two separate rotor arms to flap up and down which in turn sends them spinning of their own accord. Page 7
SPOT THE LOUSE
Luminous head lice can't escape the nit comb. A shampoo developed in the US makes lice eggs glow under ultraviolet light, making them much easier to spot and remove by hand. Page 6
NOT SO MAJESTIC
They may look imposing, but stags aren't that tough-they're scared of bad weather. According to British researchers, when a storm brews the male red deer are more likely to move to sheltered grazing areas than the tougher females. Page 10
LUNAR POWER
NASA researchers are exploring the concept of a Moon rover capable of building whole fields of solar cells. The solar-powered rover would be sent with enough materials to build solar cells which could generate enough electricity to power a Moon base. Page 14
SHORT STORY - PATENT (Slithery computer)
A company from Minnesota is patenting a wearable computer that doubles as a snake-robot. The computer is worn as a hinged belt which can then be thrown onto the ground into inaccessible locations-to shine a light, or act as a security patrol. Page 7
SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS
In the traditional, Darwinian view females were viewed as the models of monogamy. How wrong he was. Sperm competition has always been seen as a man's game, but promiscuous females have a lot to gain from taking control of their reproductive destiny. FEATURE Pages 28-31
FINGERED
The idea that a person's hands can tell intimate stories about them seems outrageous-but there could be something in it. We could be waving about all sorts of information from our fingers, from details about our sex lives to our risk of suffering from a heart attack or developing breast cancer. FEATURE Pages 32-35
SPIN DOCTORS
Place a phosphorus atom in the core of a silicon chip and you're well on the way to unleashing the formidable computing power of the quantum world. Scientists around the world are using surprisingly conventional technology to try to make the ultimate quantum computer. FEATURE Pages 36-39
- ENDS -
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ISSUE DATE: 24 JUNE 2000
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